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It seemed the town of Bellethorpe liked it celebrations.
Today there was no red, white and blue, instead there were endless stalls under white marquees, animal pens and food vans. Band music emanated from a central stage. Excited screams spilled from the rides, people talked animatedly and she found herself swept up in the fun.
‘Sam!’ Ish shrieked and sprinted towards his friend. The boys hugged and the sight swelled her heart. Next to him stood another little boy.
‘Mumma, Sam’s Mum is going to take us on the Ferris wheel, please?’ he pleaded. ‘And this is Jack, he’s our friend too and he’s going to hang out with us today.’ Inside she screamed, no, but outwardly she checked with Sam’s mother who was happy to supervise. Jack was Bec’s son. She hoped she saw her old friend today.
Ish galloped away, his small backpack taking up most of his tiny frame. Every instinct within her was to reach out, grasp him back to her, hold him close. It took all her might to resist. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, and suddenly, Ava was alone. Except for Daisy dog and with enormous relief she petted the dog’s nose and rubbed her back, grateful for the company.
Reaching for a tissue in her dress pocket to wipe away the moisture at the corners of her eyes, she took out the lip gloss she’d need to reapply later, two tissues and another scrap of paper that was screwed tightly into a ball. Unwrapping it revealed lines of writing and a scratched, blacked out mess.
Pain, hurt, feeling sick
The next line was scribbled out so furiously with black pen she couldn’t read it. Words were inserted above and below but they were indecipherable. Absurd. Agreement. Train wreck. Ava had a flashback to another piece of paper with the same handwriting. The tax invoices Noah had issued from Bellethorpe Builders who didn’t have a fancy electronic accounting system so he’d handwritten the fee notes. The loopy ‘r’ and ‘f’ and ‘g’ were the same. Where did this come from? Stretching her memory back to last night, she remembered emptying her pockets onto the bathroom basin at Noah’s before her shower. Had she accidentally swiped it up with her things? And was this poetry written by Noah? This heart-wrenchingly, sad poem?
As if conjuring him up, he appeared, over near the fairy floss stall where he spoke head bowed, to another man. Their expressions were earnest, nods with some hand gesticulations until three small children, including Emily, bounced over holding up bright-pink fairy floss on a stick. The two men broke into grins and chatted animatedly with them. Daisy recognised Otis and tugged Ava towards the group.
‘Ava!’ Emily exclaimed and hugged her around the hips.
‘I’m so glad you could be here for the festival.’
‘Yep, me too. I couldn’t miss it. Dad picked me up early this morning and I had a sleep in the car so I’d be as bright as a button.’
Ava glanced at Noah who acknowledged her with a tight smile. Small grey pouches of skin gathered under his eyes. Poor Noah looked like he could do with a sleep, too.
The children were gesturing to the other man and demanding they pat the animals in the petting zoo, so he waved and headed off.
Noah moved in closer, the dogs circling them, Daisy always the slower of the two. ‘That was Tom, the guy I spoke to last night. Apparently, Brady is going to be okay. He’ll be laid up for a few days yet, but he’ll pull through.’
‘I’m glad.’
‘Where’s Duke?’
‘He ran off with his friends, Sam and Jack. They are going on the Ferris wheel.’
‘It’s so unusual to see you without him. It’s good, he’ll have a great time.’
Ava wasn’t sure how to interpret the comment. She was an overprotective mother? Overbearing? A little frisson of something passed through her tummy.
‘Hey, Lincoln.’ Noah greeted another man.
‘Ava, this is Lincoln Reid, local lawyer. He’s acting in my family law matter.’ The men exchanged a handshake and Lincoln reached into his breast pocket and extracted a card that he gave to her. Interesting way to do small talk.
‘Any news?’ Noah leaned in.
‘Nothing yet. Won’t be long now, I’m sure. These family reports take a while to prepare as they are usually very detailed and lengthy to justify the recommendation made. I’ll advise you as soon as we hear.’
Ava glanced at the card. Would she need a lawyer’s services into the future? How was she ever going to be free if she didn’t divorce her husband? And how do you divorce someone if you married overseas? Questions for another day as Lincoln raised his white and grey fedora hat in farewell and departed. She placed the card in her skirt pocket.
Noah seemed momentarily lost in thought until a loud excited scream from a ride to their left made them both jump.
‘I’m volunteering on the father support group stall for a while. Come past and say hi, later.’ He grasped her elbow to avoid being jostled in the crowd. Their eyes met and held, unspoken words passing between them before he dropped his hand and kissed her on the cheek.
Watching him walk away, the spot still warm from the touch of his lips, tingled.
Over the tops of heads and balloons bobbing in the air, Ava spotted the top of the giant wheel. She might as well head over there. Daisy walked obediently beside her, only stopping to smell a morsel of food dropped by a child. After her inspection, Daisy dragged her forwards, keen to be moving, her nose twitching. Pausing at a chicken wire fence, her tail wagged eagerly. Ava spied Adele and Blake and a bunch of their alpaca inside the coop surrounded by children who fed them, their excited giggles travelling over to her on the breeze. If Daisy could have fit through the fence, she’d have been in amongst them too, no fear of the strange mucus-snorting animals. Ava waved to them and walked away. The enticing smell of coffee encouraged Ava to the coffee van; she’d buy Noah a thank you for the many take-aways he’d delivered to the house. In the line, people she was sure she’d never met, waved, and muttered congratulations. Strange; they must have her confused with someone else. She recognised Trevor Fletcher from the hardware store being dragged along by a very cute little girl in plaits.
‘Oh, sorry,’ A woman wearing a long, purple apron emblazoned with colourful flower petals, bumped into her as she passed.
