Reasons why - 2

Chapter Two

Bright sunshine woke Chloe from a deep and nightmareless sleep. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so refreshed. Then she glanced at the clock. It was half past five! Damn you jetlag! It was no use she'd not get another wink of sleep. Sitting up, she ransacked her rucksack until she found her training kit, cycling shorts and a tight vest, as well as her lightweight running shoes. Dressing quietly, she slipped down the two flights of steps, left a brief note on the white board in the kitchen, then hit the streets. 

This was the golden hour for her, the calm before the storm of the day, the sun just rising over the City buildings deep in the inner harbour to her left. Finding the wooden boardwalk that Phil had told her about the previous evening, she broke into a gentle jog. After a few minutes she stopped to stretch her limbs, then kicked into a decent pace. Smiling as she passed a few dog walkers, and waving to the early boat owners who were heading off to who knew where, she was breathless through both the effort and the exhilaration of her location. 

Crossing the bridge she hit the inner harbour proper and stopped to stretch out a tight hamstring. It was a while since she'd run this far. It was then she spotted the enquiring nose of a white seal looking up at her from between two wooden pillars that disappeared into the cold, millpond harbour. It brought a smile to her face. She was amazed. 

Turning, she retraced her steps, and was amazed to see it was almost six thirty when she returned to her brother's house. Didi was in the kitchen filling the coffee machine when Chloe stepped in through the back door.

"Hey Chloe! I saw your message, I thought you'd be catching up on your sleep!"

Chloe grinned, stretching her triceps as she regained her breathing, "I woke so early, and what a great way to see the town! And..." she dropped her arms, "I saw a seal! Real in the sea, not a zoo!"

Didi laughed, "you'll see plenty of them! You should take one of the little passenger ferries over to Fisherman's wharf...they follow the boats hoping for some treats sometimes!"

Chloe's eyes widened, "amazing!"

"Breakfast? I'm about to make some pancakes."

Chloe smiled appreciatively at her sister-in-law, "I need a shower then I'll just take some cereal of something. Thanks though, I love pancakes!" 

This was to be her first day of looking after the children and she wanted to be ready. So after a quick shower she dressed in her favourite cut off denim shorts, a strappy vest and some flipflops - she had travelled light.

"So I think I know where everything is!" Chloe offered as she reentered the kitchen. Her brother was there now tucking into a pile of pancakes. Taking a mug she filled it with coffee and turned to Didi.

"I've left a schedule for the kids. I mean it's not like they are religious in their routine, but they do like certain things for lunch. Cereal is above the sink"

"That's great." Chloe opened the cupboard and found a large bag of granola.

Joining them at the breakfast bar, she had last minute instructions and hand drawn maps to the nearest park, supermarket and play centre.

At just after seven thirty they both left, leaving her home with the two sleeping children.

She was drinking another cup of coffee in the lounge with the news telling her all that had happened in the region, when she heard a voice behind her. Turning she saw Carter helping his brother down the stairs. 

"Hey guys!" She stood and joined them in the hall, "you ok? Are you ready for breakfast?"

Carter nodded, "I like jooze." Chloe paused for a moment and he added, "apple jooze."

How hard could it be?

Two hours later they were all dressed, she'd loaded Mikey into the pushchair...or rather stroller...that had caused a bit of a language barrier! Carter had chosen the park as their destination, and he wanted to ride his scooter there. The map Didi had left showed she could get to the park without crossing any major roads, so she'd succumbed. Whizzing along beside her as she walked pushing Mikey, Carter provided a running commentary of everything they passed.

The park was better than most she remembered from home, swings, a roundabout, lots of climbing frames and zip wires, all designed for small children, next door was the same layout on a larger scale for older kids.

Another two hours passed, and they were heading home for lunch. Then an hour of their favourite TV and a play in the garden meant that Didi was home from her job as a shop manager far sooner than Chloe expected. The day had flown by.

That night as they sat for dinner, both kids insisted on sitting either side of her, and she spent most of the time helping them both to eat.

Phil was watching the events with such a pleasurable smile, he loved seeing the children respond so well to his sister, and equally loved that she didn't grumble at their demands for help. He didn't realise until that moment how important Chloe had become and knew that the loss of Owen had only enhanced his desire to spend more time with his family.

"Our neighbour has offered to babysit tonight, just so that we can wander down to the local pub, chance to meet some locals, relax a bit. What do you think?" 

She was helping Phil wash the dishes, Didi was settling the children into bed, a routine she imagined was more normal than the previous evening's display of devoted husband and dad. "Sounds great. I've loved today, but the thought of an ice cold beer on a sunny evening is better than you can imagine."

The pub overlooked the water and they say on the deck which was a little cooler than she'd envisaged. they hadn't been there half an hour when a few people arrived who knew Phil, people he worked with, and they joined them.She could have felt angry at the fact that this seemed predetermined and the new arrivals included a few single men, a similar age to her, but she wasn't there for matchmaking. After a bad split with David a few months earlier, another male in life in a romantic capacity was the last thing she needed.

Saying that it was nice to meet a few people her age, and they seemed nice, telling her about concerts and parties that were planned over the summer. 

When she came back from the bathroom, Phil was at the bar buying some drinks, "need a hand?" When he nodded she leaned her elbows on the bar next to him. "You matchmaking?"

He glanced down at her with a smile, "I thought that meeting a few youngsters your age would make you less obligated to socialise with us!"

It was Chloe's turn to laugh, "I have loads of friends at home, I'm here to spend time with you, and Didi, and my cute as hell nephews. Honest!"

He grinned, it was what he'd hoped to hear, but being almost forty he did feel 'over the hill' compared to his young sister, and he'd hate her to feel restricted by him. This trip was meant to heal her, make her well again. 

The following day, Chloe was surprised when Didi came home at lunchtime.

"It's quiet, I thought we could hit the shops. I need some things, but I can't do it with both boys. I thought if you came with me?"

"I'd love it! I could do with some things I've travelled so light!"

So an hour later they found themselves strolling along the sun kissed streets of town browsing and chatting, purchases in bags accumulating over the handles of the pushchair.

When they passed a hair salon, Chloe suddenly had an overwhelming desire for change, turning to Didi. "Do you mind waiting whilst I get my hair cut? Leave Mikey with me as he's asleep."

She shrugged, "if you're sure."

Forty minutes later Chloe emerged with a pixie cut, her thick blond hair that had been so badly cared for the last six months was now short and feathered over her ears. Dramatic but the fun style she was looking for. 

Didi's mouth dropped open when she spotted Chloe pushing her son towards her. "Oh My God! You look amazing!"

Chloe grinned, "thanks! I needed a change. Do you fancy a coffee?"

Leading her to a Tim Horton's Didi ordered them both a coffee, and doughnuts for the kids. Then they sat opposite each other.

"I never have the courage to do something so radical!" Didi was clearly still in awe of Chloe's change in hair.

Chloe sighed, "I know that my parents have spoken to Phil over the last few months, they've been worried about me..." She sighed again, "I suppose my bedraggled hair summed up how I've been feeling until now. I feel so much brighter since coming here. I'm starting to see a focus, a future..." she sipped her coffee, realising that she'd said too much really. "Wow! This is great coffee!"

Wishing Phil was here to know how to deal with that confession, Didi could only nod, "it's the best!" She was right though, their parents had phoned more than frequently, and emailed, they were worried to the point of devastation at the way Chloe was spiralling out of control. The night that Chloe had arrived, Phil had sat up until the early hours talking with Didi, his shock at the emaciated, almost skeletal appearance of his sister, then there was the hair that had almost naturally become dreadlocks, such was it's neglect. She was a closed book, and her parents had feared that she was about to self destruct. Phil was only glad to take the pressure off his father and her mother for a while. And since she'd arrived in their family home, Chloe had been charming, funny, sociable, and had eaten well. Maybe the change of scenery was all she needed to deal with her grief. But the fact that she'd hinted at her low ebb, almost opened a door to the last six months pained Didi, she didn't feel able to press the issue in the way that Phil could and she feared that it would close as distinctly and rapidly as it had opened.

"Wow! Look at you!" Phil announced as he found his sister cooking dinner for the adults. The children had eaten earlier and were just getting a bath whilst Chloe prepared chili for the adults.

"My speciality!" she announced deliberately misinterpreting his compliment.

"I meant your hair! It's so dramatic!" 

She gave a theatrical and regal twirl, "felt like a change!"

He nodded, opening the fridge door for a beer, "want one?" He asked as he opened a bottle, then handed it to her when she nodded. He hadn't told her that Didi had called, that she'd told him all about the afternoon. He had to handle Chloe so carefully.

"And you shopped? Didi said she'd been into town."

Chloe finished stirring the sauce and turned back to him, "well I barely had three changes of clothes with me. So I've bought some jazzy clothes, you never know I may get chance to paint the town red."

As he chuckled in response, he hid his pleasure that she really did seem happier than he ever dreamt. Later that night when she was asleep, Phil found the string of emails from his father and re read them. The troubled and destructive girl that he described was a long way from the girl he'd shared dinner with. Hitting the reply button, he started to compose what he hoped wasn't a too overly optimistic a note to his anxious father.

Two days later, Friday, Phil had called her at lunch. Mikey was having his midday sleep, Carter and her were baking cookies.

"Dee has a hockey session tonight. A kind of pre season training thing, she wondered if you wanted to join her, watch the session, then go for a few beers after?"

"Hockey? I didn't know Didi played!"

She didn't miss Phil's groan, "she enrolled a year ago, part of her attempt to lose weight, get fit. Ice hockey is an energetic sport...for most! But the Carmel Ladies are anything but! Still she enjoys it!"

Chloe chuckled, "sounds like fun!"

"I'm not promising that, but hey, it's something different!"

Chloe spent the rest of the afternoon planning what to wear. It was her first proper night out in Canada, so she wanted to look good. Her new short hair flicked into place easily, and other than a touch of mascara she left her skin unblemished. Glancing in the mirror as she heard a car pull into the drive, she hoped she'd made the right choice with black glossy leggings and a royal blue strappy top that consisted of ruffled layers that clung to her cleavage, but skimmed the hips that she still felt were too broad.

Phil called to her and was strapping the boys into the minivan, when she came down stairs. 

"You look awesome!" he commented as she pulled on her new pair of  heeled sandals.

"Why thank you big brother! I'm looking forward to this night out."

She was aware of him studying him for a moment too long, but when she looked questioningly at him, he looked away. 

In a slightly awkward silence, he drove them all into town. At the icerink he pointed Chloe in the right direction, then made for home.

The rink was a charmless building, bare walls, with nothing more than the marked rink in it. No seats, no toilets, nothing that she could see. It wasn't the best place for her new heels, but shaking her head in resignation, she made for the wall that surrounded the rink. Fifteen or twenty women were skating wearing various levels of protective hockey clothing, a man in the centre of the ice was shouting instructions.

When Didi spotted her leaning against the wall that encircled the ice, she glanced at the man, Chloe presumed the coach, then glided across the ice to her.

"Phil didn't say whether you were coming or not! We won't be long then we'll get a few drinks and food. Sorry there's nothing here. We've been ousted from the main hockey rink, it's too busy apparently, this is an old ice dancing centre. Hence there being so little here."

"It's fine, I'm enjoying watching."

And it was fun, the women varied from excellent skaters, spinning around the ice in what she could see were training regimes, to what Chloe could only describe as moving walls. Three of the women could skate in a straight line, slowly, but couldn't stop, turn or reverse, yet with their padded uniform, they made a formidable defence of the small goal. It made her laugh, but she knew that she'd keep the information to herself, as one of the immobile three was Didi.

There was a buoyancy about the team as they made their way into the bar after the training. There was a camaraderie that was infectious. Very soon huge baskets of chicken wings were delivered to the tables, and the empty beer bottles started to multiply. They were a pleasant bunch, Chloe loved Maggie, Didi's defensive partner and great friend was intrigued with her accent, the amount of things she'd repeated was staggering, but Chloe took it all in good faith. The majority were older women, late thirties, and mothers, wives, pretty much like Didi,  but there were five younger girls, and her instinct told her they were gay. She'd always been good at working that out, Owen had always marvelled at her gaydar. 

A few hours into the evening she found herself talking to the younger girls. Her memory for names had been hampered by the half a dozen beers, but they were all friendly and she was pumping them for gossip and tops as to where to go for decent nights out, she had a feeling Didi and Phil's idea of a fun night varied dramatically to hers.

The pub they'd moved to was busy, and the veranda that overlooked the street was full to bursting, they were settled inside the door, and it was marginally quieter there but they still had to battle through the crowds to get to the bar.

"Hey Chloe, you enjoying yourself?"

Turning to see a slightly frazzled Didi, she nodded, "it's cool here, and I love your team mates!"

The girls she was sat with all cheered loudly and laughed.

Didi giggled, "I'm going to leave, Maggie's husband will drop me home. Do you want to come?"

Chloe was having fun, for the first time in ages, "do you mind if I don't?"

Shaking her head dramatically Didi smiled, "you've got your key?" When Chloe confirmed she did, Didi leaned in and whispered, "be careful. Remember the hockey hat rule!"

As the older woman made to turn away, Chloe restrained her, "hockey hat rule?"

Placing a hand over her mouth, she laughed, "I thought I'd told you. It's the rule...hair that comes below the hockey helmet is safe, if it's shorter then you're fair game!"

It didn't make sense, so shrugging Chloe watched her disappear then made back to her seat in the corner of the room. It was only then she noticed the change in mood, all five of the young girls were suddenly jostling to sit next to her, nudging each other, then sidling up to her. Suddenly it all made sense, these women were obviously the ones who'd created the rules and were arguing over her, it was some sort of game, and now that Didi had gone the respect that had seen them behave was all gone. It had to be a competition, she wasn't vain enough to think that all four women desired her, but she was no prize in a competition, neither was she a joke.

"Girls!" she raised her voice not threatened by their behaviour, but quite uncomfortable. "Cool it!"

One of them, possibly Leanne leaned close to her, "don't write off what you haven't tried!"

Chloe laughed, "I haven't tried self mutilation, doesn't mean I'm missing out by not trying. Knock it off!"

"Knock it off? That's so cute!" Another one of the girls, possibly Sam, smiled at her, resting a hand in her forearm. "You are really sweet!"

"What's the prize?" Chloe asked, "or is it just bragging rights?"

"No prize, but you are a trophy for any girl!"

It was all a little nauseating, and she'd not tolerate a man pawing her like this. Just as she was about to lash out and break free, a hand waving a glass of what looked like gin and tonic appeared over the top of the girls' heads from the direction of the bar.

A male voice broke through the hubbub of the bar, and the girls parted at the sound, "Sorry there was a real queue at the bar, it was vodka tonic wasn't it?"

As the five women tutted and cursed under their breaths, Chloe came face to face with the warmest brown eyes that studied her waiting for an answer, dropping her eyes,  she took in the straight nose, chiseled cheek bones, and the strong angled jaw. He was her age, maybe older, and tall...and muscular, she couldn't remember ever feeling such an instant attraction to a man, ever. Meeting his eyes again she gave a nervous smile and accepting the drink with a quiet, "thanks!"

As the five women backed off, realising they were no competition for this hot man,  he leaned in and whispered, "you looked like you need rescuing!"

Nodding, she managed to offer, "I definitely did!" But as he slid onto the seat beside her, she suddenly realised that she may need rescuing from him more than the ill-placed attention of the women.