by Melanie Ting
“Why don’t you call Jackie and ask her?” Charlotte suggested.
“Jackie’s pretty busy now, getting everything set for the move.”
“Yes, but she likes it when you call,” Charlotte pointed out. “Her face gets smiley and happy.”
“You’re such a monkey. Anyway, your mother is not going to like this. She doesn’t like changes to the schedule.” I was supposed to take Charlotte back to Montréal next week.
Charlotte pulled a long face, while I ran the idea over in my mind. I could phone Jackie once Charlotte was asleep. If it was okay with her, then I’d broach the subject with Sophie.
Jackie was as relaxed about the cottage as she was about everything else.
“Sure, we have tons of room. Sharon can’t come until next week, and now Wyatt’s cancelled as well.”
“That’s too bad for Tristan.”
“Believe me, I know.” There was tension in her voice.
“Look, I was thinking that I’d like to come too.”
“Really? For two whole weeks? The great workaholic is going on vacation?”
“Yeah, well, Lucky’s going away, so it’s going to be quiet around here anyway.” In fact, my boss suggested that I take some time and rest up before the final push to training camp. Originally, I’d intended to stay in Montréal, but this would be an even better break.
“I’m sure you can plug in your laptop there. But I’ve been warned that the Wi-Fi sucks.” She giggled.
“Stop laughing at me. Work hard, play hard. But look, I haven’t run this by Sophie yet. Let’s not say anything to Charlotte until I do.”
Jackie agreed, and since Sophie was on the West Coast too, I called her right away. To my surprise, she was amenable.
“I promised Marc-Andre that I would fly out to Vancouver with him to evaluate sites, so that works perfectly. I can pick up Charlotte after I’m done.” Sophie had flipped a switch since her honeymoon. She was completely relaxed and mellow right now. Apparently being out on the ocean for so long was life changing.
“Okay, that’s great. Thank you very much.”
“Pas d’ probleme. It’s been good for her to spend so much time with you.”
“Ouais, je sais. It’s been good for me as well. But she misses you,” I replied. But that wasn’t quite true. Charlotte had missed her mother intensely for the first couple of weeks, but after that she slipped easily into her new life. The chaos and freedom of Jackie’s home had challenged my daughter to be more independent.
“Have you thought more about where you and Wes are going to live?” I asked.
Sophie sighed. “Franchement, non. We’re going to stay with the status quo for now. I’ve applied for jobs in California, but I’m not willing to leave my position until I get something firm. Wes is not too happy, but we need both our incomes.”
I was relieved to hear her taking a hard line with him as well. Maybe it was Sophie’s personality and not only our marriage.
We took the ferry to Saturna Island in a convoy. Charlotte and I went in the Audi, while Jackie’s van held her kids and Hannah’s friend, Kayla, as well. Sharon and her boyfriend would be joining us in the second week. This trip reminded me of my big family. When I grew up, there were always kids around to play with, and I enjoyed the buzz of a big group. It was something I’d always wanted for Charlotte. She loved being with her cousins when I took her to family gatherings, but normally she was the only child among adults.
The house Jackie had rented was perfect, at least once she had redecorated it.
“I can’t believe you’re making all these changes. The place looked fine before,” I complained as I helped move a sofa to face the ocean view window.
“I could tell from the photos that it needed a few tweaks. And I’ll put everything back when we leave.”
After we put down the couch, she unpacked some cushions and blankets. I shook my head, and Jackie laughed. “You mock me. But it’s the little things that make a place comfortable. And then everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.”
I had to admit that, once she was done, the place looked one hundred percent better. Charlotte immediately curled up in a chair, reading a book she had found here with a throw wrapped around her and Mao on her lap. Of course, she had insisted on bringing the cat. By now he was a seasoned commuter who had slept the whole trip. Minx was here as well since her home had been sold out from under her. The two cats were wary of the new place, but everyone else had settled in five minutes after we unpacked.
The view was incredible. The house was situated on a low bank waterfront property, and there was a small island in front of us.
“I think we can kayak over there,” Jackie told me as we walked around the property with the kids. “The place comes with two double kayaks, and we can rent one more.” We made our way to a provincial park where there was a lighthouse and a wide channel. Freighters could be seen in the distance. Breathing in the fresh ocean air and being so far away from the city was invigorating. Kayaking, swimming in the ocean, or running a forest trail; there were so many tempting possibilities to fill my vacation.
“Papa! Look at the starfish!”
“They’re actually called sea-stars,” Tristan corrected her.
I crouched down and amazed at how many were revealed by the low tide.
“Those ones are purple, and that one is orange,” Charlotte told me.
“Why are you telling him that?” Tristan asked.
“Because he can’t see colours,” she explained proudly, like it was a special distinction.
Tristan was amazed and proceeded to ask me the colour of everything we passed for the next ten minutes.
“Should I tell him to knock it off?” Jackie whispered.
I laughed. “It doesn’t bother me. It’s not like I can do anything about it.”
She frowned. “But you could. You could get those colour correcting glasses I told you about.”
“I’m fine with things the way they are.” Jackie was so expansive and emotional. But life was about choices. To succeed in the way I wanted, I needed to focus. Even this holiday was a deliberate attempt to relax, store up memories with Charlotte, and then be rested for the season.
We turned back towards the house, but Hannah and Kayla decided to stay longer. They said they were hoping to see whales, but perhaps they wanted a little independence.
“I like that the kids can have that freedom, to run around on their own. Like the old days,” I told Jackie.
She nodded. “The Gulf Islands are pretty laid back.”
We looked ahead where Charlotte was skipping along with some seashells she’d collected, but Tristan had his hands shoved in his pockets and his head down.
“He’s unhappy because Hannah has her best friend, but Wyatt couldn’t come,” explained Jackie.
“Yeah, that sucks,” I agreed. But I had already planned for this. Jackie had done so much for Charlotte; it was time to repay the favour. “Hey, Tris. You want to shoot some pucks with me?”
He turned to face me. His face shone, then fell. “I would. But I didn’t bring my stick or anything.”
“I brought some gear for both of us.” I leaned in closer. “I also brought you a special stick. Signed by someone you like.…”
His eyes went wide. “Your boss? You got me a signed Lucky Luczak stick?”
I nodded. “It’s a nice one too. Not for road hockey, but you can use it when you play in the fall.”
“Wow! Where is it?”
“I’ve got everything in the trunk.” And I’d brought enough sticks that everyone could play if they wanted, even Jackie. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. “You are the sweetest man.”
“Moooom,” Tristan groaned. “No P.D.A.”
“Get used to it, squirt,” she replied and kissed me on the lips.
Then Hannah and Kayla began yelling and waving at us.
“Are they all right?” I wondered.
“They look fine.” Jackie was c
alm as we hurried towards them.
“Oh my gosh, we just saw whales.” Kayla pointed out towards the ocean.
Charlotte’s eyes went wide. “Where? Where?”
We all watched the ocean and waited for a long time. Tristan informed us that whales could dive for over an hour, which was not very encouraging. And I remembered with a guilty start that Charlotte had wanted to see whales and I had forgotten to arrange a trip. Maybe a whale sighting now could make up for that?
Still, sitting in the sunshine on a cliff with a beautiful ocean view made me feel pretty damn good. I hadn’t thought about work all day.
Then Hannah exhaled and said softly, “There.”
Her sharp eyes had spotted something nobody else could. Then a dark fin breached the surface. And another. The distinctive black and white bodies cut through the surface of water and rose in a beautiful ballet. There were five whales altogether, moving in unison.
“Oh Papa!” Charlotte was jumping up and down in excitement. “They’re orcas!”
“Killer whales,” Tristan agreed. “The coolest!”
We all stood together, watching the whales playfully cut through the water. They were swimming quite fast away from the shore. I reached for Jackie’s hand. Montréal was still my favourite city, but beautiful British Columbia was fast finding a place in my heart.
29
Fun in the Sun
Jackie
I looked out the kitchen window. The ocean was lapping at the beach in front of the house, and there was a crimson freighter in the misty distance. I could see the heads of Hannah and Kayla as they poked in the tide pools. Occasionally Charlotte’s blonde ponytail would pop up too, but she was mainly hidden by the low bank of the shore. I wasn’t worried though; the ocean was placid there, and the girls would look out for her.
I could also see Sharon, snoozing in a hammock with a sunhat over her face. Our two weeks of holidays had gone by in a blur. The first week we spent enjoying the island: kayaking, swimming, picnicking, finding new beaches, and lazing around. Then Sharon and her new boyfriend Neil arrived, and every night turned into a party with long dinners and much laughter.
Neil Boyd was a hilarious Scot, and I could never tell when he was telling the truth or kidding around. They’d met when Sharon called him out on an error in a house inspection report he made.
“Tore a strip down one side of me and up the other, she did,” he told us. “But I like ‘em fiery.”
However they met, he was a good match for Sharon. He saw past her tough exterior to the jelly doughnut inside, and he appreciated her properly. After finishing the dishes and drying off my hands, I searched for a sweatshirt so I could join the others outside. I tucked my mini-sketchbook and markers into a pocket. Out in the backyard, I heard the muted shouts of the boys. They were in the driveway playing hockey. I came around the corner and saw Leo lift his stick and explain something to Tristan. My son nodded, and they started moving towards the makeshift hockey net at the end of the driveway. Neil, who had zero vanity, was wearing an oversized life jacket and a bike helmet to play goal. Leo passed to Tristan, who immediately shot, lifting the ball above a sprawling Neil. Score! Leo and Tristan cheered and high-fived each other. I smiled and an unexpected tear rolled down my cheek.
Don’t be a total wuss. But Leo coaching Tristan in hockey was so unexpectedly moving to me. I tried hard, but there were some things I could never help my son with. Tristan was now as dedicated to hockey as he used to be and had insisted I sign him up for the league in our new neighbourhood.
I sat down on a rickety lawn chair and began sketching the lighthouse in the distance.
“Hey, Hannah said that it’s Charlotte’s birthday soon. Is that true?” I whispered to Leo in bed that night.
I still didn’t feel completely comfortable sleeping together in the cabin, with kids in the rooms on either side of us. But nobody else seemed to think it was a big deal, especially Leo. He thought that sex was a natural, healthy part of our relationship and nothing to hide. I only wished I could be as relaxed as he was. Whenever we did have sex, I was constantly shushing him, worried that we would wake up one of the kids and scar them for life. And one night when there was a bad thunderstorm, both Charlotte and Tristan ended up sleeping in our bed. Dr. Freud was welcome to sort that one out as soon as he mastered reincarnation.
“Yeah, her birthday’s on Tuesday. I’m meeting Sophie for dinner that night. We’ll go out to a nice place.”
“Well, it’s Hannah’s birthday in a week too. She’s going to be on vacation with her dad then. So, I was thinking, why don’t we have a surprise party for the two of them tomorrow? It’s the last night for all of us to be together.”
“You have the best ideas,” Leo said and kissed me.
So the next day, we left Sharon and Neil in charge and under the guise of going out for a lunch date, we headed into the little village for provisions.
To my great surprise, it was Leo who went nuts shopping.
“Look at these decorations.” He pointed to a dusty rack of party supplies in the back of the general store, apparently left over from the seventies. “We should get all of them. Look, they have those letters that spell out Happy Birthday.”
He began piling streamers, balloons, and party hats into our basket.
“Calm down,” I said, removing a couple of packages. “I cannot blow up that many balloons without passing out.”
“Sorry.” He beamed at me. “This is the first time I’ve been able to plan a birthday party for Charlotte. Usually it’s Sophie, or else my mother takes over.”
So I let him loose. He wanted to get gifts for Hannah and Sophie as well, but the selection wasn’t great around here. Finally, in a tiny dress shop, he managed to find a tie-dyed t-shirt and floppy hat for Charlotte, and a set of essential oils for Hannah. I was impressed that he found things that both of the girls would actually like.
“You know, when I first spoke to you on the phone, I felt like you didn’t even know your daughter that well. But I was wrong, you two are completely in sync.”
Lines creased his forehead. “No, you were right. I thought I knew Charlotte, but all I knew were the external things. Spending so much time with her without my family pitching in has let me know her so much better.” He smiled at me. “Of course, I couldn’t have managed it all without you. Charlotte’s had a wonderful time getting to know your kids. I have too.”
“Yeah, it’s funny. I was worried about how everyone would get along. But it’s worked out so well. And Tristan’s excited about hockey now. He’s convinced he has shooting superpowers now.”
Leo nodded. “He’s at a good age for learning right now, and he picks things up quickly. He’s gonna have a great season.”
We picked up a cake at the little bakery. Leo and Neil took the kids out to a faraway beach, while Sharon and I got everything ready.
“Fuck the male patriarchy,” declared Sharon. “How come they get to go to the beach while we have to do all the party stuff?”
“Because there’s wine here?” We were drinking a bottle of the island wine. “I love doing things like this, surprise parties. You could have gone with the others. We’re not doing anything fancy for dinner.” I had plans to serve up every bit of food I didn’t want to haul back to Vancouver. If I made it into an attractive buffet, that would fool the kids.
“It’s okay. I haven’t been able to spend much time alone with you.”
“No, you’ve been too busy draping yourself all over Neil.”
Sharon hooted. “Yes, the sight of those pale and skinny legs in board shorts has sent my hormones into overdrive.”
“Most men have ugly legs,” I pointed out. “That’s why long pants were invented.”
“Not the boy-toy coach though. His golden drumsticks are straight out of Hot Dad Magazine. You lucky bitch.”
I laughed. But truthfully, every part of Leo was hot.
“You’re really happy, Jackie. I’m glad. It’s something you
deserve.”
“God, I’m not one of those women, am I? I need a man to complete me?”
Sharon’s eyes narrowed. “Fuck, no. That’s not what I mean. You and I are so different. I thought you were nuts not to date any of the guys that asked you out in the past year. You waited. And the waiting paid off.”
“So Leo is getting the Zennaro seal of approval?”
She shook her head. “He’s a pretty closed person, so I can’t say I know him well enough to judge. But the way he is with the kids and the way he treats you, I do approve of that. And like I said, you’re happy now.”
I smiled. “Enough stalling. It’s time to blow up balloons. Once we finish up in here, we relax on the deck and finish the wine.”
Soon, the place was completely decked out in tacky decorations. There were balloons, streamers, and the long-suffering Minx had a party hat on. Mao refused to sit still for any accessories.
“Surprise,” yelled Sharon and I when the kids walked in and looked around in bewilderment.
“Whose birthday is this?” Hannah asked.
“It’s a double celebration. Yours is next week, and Charlotte’s is in two days,” I explained. I brought out the smorgasbord of hot dogs, spring rolls, and myriad other leftovers. Yet everyone seemed happy picking out their favourites. And when eaten at a picnic table in the evening sunshine, it was a feast. We stuffed ourselves, laughed a lot, and then there was birthday cake and ice cream.
“This has been the best summer of my life,” Charlotte declared. And it was tough to disagree with that. The future was something I tried hard not to think about. When Brent left, I made it my philosophy to take the days one at a time because I couldn’t deal with much more than that. But at this moment, the kids were happy, I was happy, and I dared to dream about more perfect times like this.
30
Three Little Words
Jackie
“Papa!”