by Lacey London
‘What did you think?’ Hannah presses, twirling a strand of her hair around her fingers. ‘I think that has been our favourite amusement park so far. The wizards, the witches, the goblins! Plus, Lottie couldn’t get enough of Dino Dome.’ Oh, God! The dreaded Dino Dome. ‘Did you see it? The costumes were fantastic, so realistic.’
If only she knew. Offering her a thin smile in response, I raise my hand at Oliver who is scowling from the constraints of the ball pit.
‘We were thinking of going back there tomorrow. Do you want to come with us?’
‘Erm, I think we already have plans for tomorrow, but thank you so much. That’s really kind of you.’
I laugh to myself, picturing Oliver’s already frowning face as I tell him that we’re going back to the land of Paulie. No, it wouldn’t even be worth it for a joke.
‘What are they?’ Hannah asks, grabbing the yellow ball that has landed on the table and throwing it back into the ball pit.
‘Sorry?’
‘Your plans? For tomorrow?’
‘Oh…’ I rack my brains as I try to think what exactly is on the agenda for tomorrow.
One thing’s for sure, it can’t possibly be any worse than yesterday.
Can it?
The only person you should
try to be better than,
is the person you were yesterday.
Chapter 14
‘You owe me one. In fact, you owe me twenty.’ Pulling the car into the hotel carpark, Oliver yanks on the handbrake and shoots me a frown. ‘Two hours in a goddam hell hole filled with plastic balls.’
Pursing my lips to stop myself from laughing, I jump out of the passenger seat and pull Noah out of his chair. I don’t think I’m going to hear the end of this for a very long time. At least it has taken his mind off his mother’s outrageous antics for a little while. Beeping the car lock, I pass Noah to Oliver and stretch out my legs. The sun has started to set in the sky, resulting in a beautiful display of crimson overhead. Walking hand in hand into the hotel, my stomach rumbles as I watch people dressed for dinner pose for photographs by the entrance.
‘Are we going to change before we eat?’ I ask, looking down at my outfit dubiously.
‘Yeah, we should probably call for my mom too.’
‘OK.’ Nodding in agreement, I tug my bag onto my shoulder and stop to grab some more leaflets from the reception desk.
With only three days left of our holiday, I want to make sure that we get as much enjoyment out of our remaining time here as possible. Pocketing a handful of leaflets, my face breaks into a smile as I spot Brittany behind the desk.
‘I was looking for you guys!’ She looks over her shoulder and lowers her voice. ‘Listen, your mother-in-law was in here before. I’m afraid my manager had to ask her to leave.’
‘To leave?’ My mind goes into overdrive as I try to think of a reason for Janie to have been evicted from the hotel.
‘I don’t know the full story, but as far as I am aware she was escorted back up to her room.’
I let out a groan and rub my throbbing temples, praying that Oliver can’t overhear our conversation.
‘Can I ask why?’ As soon as the words escape my lips, I brace myself for what I am about to hear.
‘Well, rumour has it that she was getting rather amorous with a certain young gentleman.’ She raises her eyebrows knowingly and I suddenly feel a little nauseous.
Oh, God! Obviously sensing my impending panic attack, Brittany starts to backtrack.
‘That was a good few hours ago though. I’m sure she has been sleeping it off and is just fine now.’
‘She was drunk?’ I hiss, my headache intensifying with every passing second.
‘I think it’s safe to say that she was rather inebriated, yes.’
‘Well, thank you so much for telling me and thank you to your manager for not throwing her out.’
Brittany gives my arm a sympathetic squeeze before retreating behind her desk. Making my way over to Oliver, I smile at him and hold up my pamphlets.
‘I was just getting some ideas for our final days here. Do you want to take the stairs? I could do with the exercise.’
‘I’m going to use my Crazy Cavern card one last time…’
I offer him a sympathetic smile and jab at the lift button. Waiting for a young family to step out before jumping in with Oliver, I find myself mentally cursing Janie. Noah has started to drift off on Oliver’s shoulder, his tiny face all screwed up as he rubs his cheeks sleepily. At this rate it’s going to be room service for dinner. The lift doors spring open and we fall out at the now familiar hallway. I’m actually going to miss this hotel when we leave. The sleek modern interior and truly amazing staff have made it the perfect place to rest your head. Spotting a furry stiletto cast carelessly by the side of the hall, I bend down to pick it up.
‘What the hell is that?’ Oliver asks, raising his eyebrows at the hairy monstrosity of a shoe. ‘Someone couldn’t wait until they got back to the room? Jeez.’
‘I know!’ I am about to ask who on earth would wear something like this when a thought suddenly hits me.
I know exactly who would wear something like this and I don’t think Oliver will be very happy when he finds out. Scanning the length of the hall, I spot another shoe and what appears to be a bra hanging from a door handle. Putting two and two together and coming up with a very ugly conclusion, I stop in my tracks and let out an over the top yawn. I cannot let him walk in on what I think he is going to walk in on.
‘Gosh, I am so tired!’ Stretching out my arms to accompany my dramatic demonstration, I motion to Noah who now looks annoyingly wide awake. ‘Look, Noah is exhausted too. Let’s just go back to the room and call for room service.’
‘To be honest, I really wanna talk to my mom.’ Oliver continues to walk ahead. ‘I need to sit down and get a few things off my chest.’
‘Well, how about you take Noah to our room and I will get your mum? It doesn’t take all three of us, does it?’ I smile thinly and try to stop my cheeks from flushing pink. ‘Plus, I wanted to try her new makeup.’
Makeup? Why, oh why, am I such a terrible liar?
‘Makeup?’ He repeats, understandably confused. ‘You hate my mom’s makeup.’
‘Well, I am thinking of changing it up a little. If Janie can rock red lips, heavy eyes and enough bronzer to colour up a snowman then so can I.’
Furrowing his brow at me quizzically, he raises his eyebrows before taking a step back. ‘Fine. Whatever.’
‘I’ll see you back at the room!’ I shout after him, making sure he has disappeared into the lift before grabbing the offending shoes and scurrying down the hall.
Snatching the fluorescent pink bra off the handle, I rap loudly on the door and shove the bra down my t-shirt as a maid comes out of an adjacent room.
‘Janie!’ I hiss, banging my knuckles on the wooden frame. ‘Open this door right now!’
Brash laughter floats out from inside and I feel my blood pressure start to rise. She’s ignoring me! I can’t believe it! What is she playing at? After banging for a while longer, I resort to a swift kick and let out a frustrated cry. This holiday has been cursed from the minute we got off the plane. I should have known that this trip was too good to be true. We should just go to the airport and get the next flight back home. We should pack up our things and…
Suddenly the door swings open, causing me to topple inside with a thud. The first thing I notice is the empty bottle of Sambuca on the dressing table, followed by the naked man that is sprawled across the bed. Not knowing where to look, I spin around and march back outside. Eww! How am I ever going to get that image out of my mind. Following behind me in a white shirt which is barely covering her modesty, Janie scratches her wild hair and starts laughing hysterically.
‘What about this situation is funny, Janie?’ Her giggles turn into deep belly laughs and I feel anger burning inside me. ‘No, please tell me what it is that you find so amusing?’
> Reaching under my t-shirt, she tugs on the pink bra strap that is hanging down and pulls it out with a flourish.
‘I wondered where this had got to!’ Twirling it around in her fingers, she swings her hips and whoops loudly. ‘This thing came off before we had even made it to the room!’
‘Janie! This has to stop.’ A few people arrive back to their rooms down the hall and I push Janie into a store room out of sight. ‘I’m being serious!’ Rolling her eyes dramatically, she hiccups and the undeniable stench of Sambuca washes over me. ‘Do you want to lose Oliver for good? Because that is exactly what is going to happen if you don’t sort yourself out.’
‘You’re so dramatic, Clara. Just give me a break, alright? This is nothing to do with you.’
‘It’s everything to do with me!’ My voice is low but the anger inside me is clear for anyone to hear. ‘Why did you even want us here? I just don’t get it. If you were planning on cavorting around Florida with a toy boy, why did you want us here?’
Folding her arms angrily, she takes a sharp intake of breath and for a split second I really think she is going to hit me. ‘This vacation wasn’t for you. It was a birthday present for Noah…’
‘Oh, please! Don’t pretend like this whole show is for Noah’s benefit.’ I stare at her, my face like thunder. ‘You knew exactly how Oliver would take this.’
She looks down at her bare legs and keeps her lips firmly sealed. Even though she isn’t looking at me, I make sure that she can still feel my eyes burning into her.
‘Well?’ I press, not willing to drop this so easily. ‘What the hell has gotten into you?’
‘I get it.’ She mumbles at last. ‘You don’t like Paulie.’
‘This isn’t about bloody Paulie! This is about you forgetting what is right and what is wrong.’
‘I’m not listening to this garbage! I’m single! I’m not breaking any laws! Deal with it!’ With a final filthy look, she marches down the hall and slams the door behind her.
Staring at the space where she once stood, I shake my head in disbelief and lean against the wall. I genuinely do not know what we’re going to do with her. I would say that she’s having a mid-life crisis, but we all know that Janie hasn’t been classed as middle aged for a very long time. Forcing myself to start walking, I drop her shoes outside the door and take the stairs to our floor. Even as I use my room key to let myself into our suite, I still don’t know what to say to Oliver. Seeing him wander out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, I manage a small smile and look over at Noah who is snoozing in his bed.
‘How was the makeup stuff?’ Oliver asks, reaching for his deodorant and rubbing it under his armpits generously.
‘Sorry?’ I rub my forehead and try to compose my thoughts. ‘Oh, yeah. Great.’
‘And is she meeting us for dinner?’
I look down at my wedding band and twist it around my finger. ‘Oliver, I think we should go home.’
‘Go home?’ He says, discarding his towel and reaching for some boxer shorts. ‘Why?’
‘She’s not coming for dinner.’ I whisper, not wanting to look at him. ‘She’s had a lot to drink.’
‘When hasn’t she had a lot to drink?’ He laughs heartily and tugs on a pair of jeans. ‘I’ll call her room. Some food will sober her up.’
Watching him reach for the phone, I jump to my feet and unplug it from the wall.
‘No! Don’t call! She’s with Paulie.’ Oliver stares at the phone for a moment before taking a seat beside me. ‘Let’s just go home, Oliver. This entire trip has been one big disaster. What are we hanging around for, really? Florida is supposed to be a happy holiday destination and since we arrived here it has been nothing but misery.’
Feeling completely defeated, I rest my head on his shoulder and allow my eyes to close. Any enjoyment I had today has now seeped away and all that’s left is an empty and emotionally exhausted shell.
‘I thought a lot about this… situation today. Being in that damn ball pit gave me some time to think. If they wanna go their separate ways, there’s not really anything I can do about it.’
I force myself to sit up straight and place a reassuring hand on his knee. I should be celebrating the fact that he’s finally seeing things clearly, but to be completely honest I am past caring.
‘Have you had any luck in contacting your dad?’ I ask, kicking off my shoes.
‘Nothing. I’ve called. I’ve text. I just don’t get it.’
‘They were together for a very long time. Being on his own is going to take a lot of getting used to. Perhaps some alone time is exactly what he needs right now.’
Oliver rubs his eyes and rests his head in his hands, clearly agonising over the situation. I think I can safely say that we won’t be going for dinner now. Pulling out my hair tie, I flop back down on the bed and bury my head beneath the pillows.
‘What does this dude want with my mom anyway? There must be a million hot young women here in Florida.’
‘I guess some men like older women.’
Oliver shoots me a look of disgust and I immediately hold up my hands in apology. Why do I never think before I open my mouth? Swallowing a laugh, I wiggle out of my shorts and climb under the sheets.
‘You’re not hungry?’ He asks, realising that I’m settling down for the night. ‘What about dinner?’
Paulie pops into my mind and I let out a little whimper. Is this image ever going to leave me? Like, seriously? I’m going to need psychological help to get over this.
‘Erm, I’m actually not that hungry anymore. Why don’t you call down for room service?’
‘Again?’ Whipping back the covers, he slips in behind me and nuzzles his face into my neck. ‘I’ve seen enough of that room service menu to last me a lifetime!’
‘Really? Are you sure you don’t want another cheeseburger and some tepid fries?’ Already knowing the answer, I roll over to face him and brush his hair out of his eyes. ‘OK. I’ll go down to dinner on one condition.’
‘And what’s that?’ He grunts, suddenly seeming rather sleepy himself.
‘That we don’t speak about Janie.’
‘To her or about her?’
‘Both. I don’t want to hear a single word about her or Paulie.’
Oliver looks lost in thought for a moment, as though carefully considering his options.
‘Actually, I think I need to go and talk to my mom.’
‘Oh…’ Totally surprised at his complete one eighty on the situation, I suddenly feel wide awake. ‘What made you change your mind?’
‘Trying to pretend like this isn’t happening isn’t getting me anywhere. She’s a grown up. I might not agree with the decisions that she makes, but at the end of the day she will always be my mother.’
‘Wow.’ I breathe, feeling incredibly proud of him. ‘That’s a very healthy way of looking at it.’
‘Like I said, my time in the hell hole made me think things over.’
A smile plays at the corner of my lips as he refers to the Crazy Cavern as a hell hole.
‘Hey, did you know that Hannah and Joe have invited us to go again tomorrow?’ I pinch the inside of my arm to stop myself from laughing.
‘To be totally honest, I’d rather go join my mom and Paulie…’
You can’t choose your parents,
but you can laugh at them.
Chapter 15
‘This is nice.’ I whisper, tipping back my head and enjoying the ocean breeze whipping through my hair. ‘This is really nice.’
‘Isn’t it?’ Looking out to sea, Oliver throws Noah onto his shoulders as we walk along the shore.
The water washes over my feet as we make our way back towards our loungers. After the bedlam of yesterday, this is exactly what was needed. Whilst I snuggled up in the huge hotel bed with Noah, Oliver went off in search of his mother. What exactly went on in the two hours that he was missing, I really do not know. He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. All I know is that when he came ba
ck he seemed to be in a clearer state of mind and we haven’t spoken a word about it since. Not that I’m complaining, of course.
The second he rolled out of bed this morning, Oliver declared our penultimate day was to be spent at the beach. Needless to say, I haven’t stopped smiling all afternoon and neither has Noah. Seeing Oliver back to his normal self has lifted a real weight from my shoulders and I feel like we can finally go back to normal. Yes, I wish we could have arrived at this point earlier in the week, but today has been absolutely beautiful. I have to admit that when Oliver proposed this so called beach day over breakfast, I was more than a little concerned at what his motives were. At first I had images of him and Janie wrestling in the sand and trying to drown one another in the ocean. Although I have to hold my hands up and say that things couldn’t have gone any better.
For once, Janie is being rather un-Janie-like and has played the part of doting grandmother very well indeed. From building sand castles with Noah to taking him for dips in the ocean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her act more maternal in all the years I’ve known her. Whatever Oliver said to her last night seems to have worked wonders on her attitude and not that I want to jinx it, but I really think we have managed to turn a corner. Take right now for example, Janie kindly took it upon herself to take on the long trek to the bar to get us some drinks. A little part of me is still expecting her to roll down the beach high on Sambuca, but for now, life is good again.
Collapsing onto my sun lounger, I peel off my dress and reach for the sun cream. What a beautiful day. Don’t get me wrong, the theme parks are fabulous, but it just isn’t a holiday without a little time spent at the ocean’s edge, is it?
‘Come here, little buddy.’ Taking a seat on the sand next to me, Oliver pulls Noah onto his lap and places his baseball cap onto his little head.
‘What are you two doing?’ I ask, looking down at the pair of them as they kick back in the sunshine.
‘Just chilling.’ Oliver rolls his neck and whips off his t-shirt to reveal an already brown stomach.