8
On the first Tuesday in September, Lou joined the crowd gathering in the schoolyard, Jack clutching her hand tightly. It was a mild, bright day, verging on balmy, with just a hint of autumn in the light breeze that shook the gold-tipped leaves of the trees. She’d had a busy week fixing up the house and doing admin, as well as sorting out someone to look after Jack when she started work at Coast next week. She only needed someone to cover her lunchtime shifts, picking him up from school on weekdays and spending a few hours with him until she got home. She’d found a lovely local girl named Fiona with childcare qualifications and nannying experience, who’d got on well with Jack when she came for an interview.
She’d made lots of time for fun too, and she and Jack had explored the area and enjoyed the garden, making the most of the last days of freedom for both of them before school and work started. They’d wandered around town, eaten fish and chips on the harbour wall while watching the boats come and go, and had picnics in the garden. She felt that Jack was settling in and getting used to the quiet. He hadn’t had any more problems going to sleep since the first day.
He was clinging close to her now, though, as the schoolyard filled up with children and parents, all chattering animatedly. She felt almost as nervous as him. She remembered that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that she used to have when she was starting in a new school where everyone else seemed to already know each other.
‘I don’t want to go,’ he said suddenly, looking up at her. His eyes scanned the schoolyard, and he pressed closer to Lou’s legs. ‘Let’s go home.’
He wasn’t usually a shy or nervous child, and he’d been fine up to now, even excited this morning at the prospect of starting school. But this was another level of daunting to anything he’d experienced before, and it was a lot of upheaval for him in a short space of time, coming right on top of moving house. It was understandable that nerves had kicked in, and it only exacerbated her feelings of guilt about leaving him. She was tempted to turn and run while they still had the chance.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said quietly, bending to him. ‘It’ll be fine. I bet you’ll have loads of fun. You’ll have all these kids to play with. Just try it for today, okay?’
‘Okay,’ he said uncertainly.
‘First day nerves?’ a male voice said behind her.
She turned to see a familiar face – Aidan McBride, clutching a little girl’s hand.
‘Yeah, him and me both,’ she said with a little laugh. ‘This is Jack.’
‘Hi, Jack. This is Bo.’
‘Oh, we’ve met before,’ Lou said, recognising the little girl. ‘You told us the specials when we were at Coast the other day. You’re a very good waiter.’
‘She is that.’ Aidan smiled down at his daughter with pride. ‘It’s her first day too and we’re all a bit nervous on our first day, aren’t we?’
‘See? It’s not just you.’ Lou was relieved that Jack’s grip on her hand loosened and he edged a little away from her as the two children eyed each other shyly.
A bell sounded and people began to drift towards the school doors.
‘I guess this is it, kiddo,’ Lou said to Jack.
‘Don’t worry. Bo will look after him, won’t you?’ Aidan said to his daughter. Bo nodded solemnly and stepped forward, putting an arm around Jack’s shoulders in a touchingly protective gesture.
‘You’ll be fine,’ Lou said to him. ‘I bet you won’t even want to leave when I come to collect you.’ She was relieved that Jack looked happier and less anxious already.
‘Thanks,’ Lou said to Bo. She was glad to see Jack’s confidence returning as they followed the throng streaming into the school building. She and Aidan followed as Bo and Jack trotted ahead.
‘Bo went to preschool here,’ Aidan told her. ‘So she already knows her way around.’
By the time they caught up with them in the hallway, Jack was already surrounded by a group of children, babbling to their parents as they scrambled out of coats and hung them on multicoloured pegs at child height.
‘Look, it’s got my name,’ Jack said breathlessly to Lou, pointing to the peg above him as he tore off his jacket. She looked around and saw that each peg had a child’s name on the wall above it, printed in a colourful jaunty font. ‘How did they know I was coming?’
‘Because I told them.’ When he’d hung up his jacket, she sank to her hunkers in front of him. ‘Got everything?’
‘Yep.’ He picked up his backpack and slung it on one shoulder.
‘I’ll pick you up at two, okay?’
He nodded hastily as Bo joined them, then darted after her into the classroom.
‘Have fun!’ she called after him.
‘That went well,’ Aidan said to Lou, laughing as the two children disappeared. ‘I think they’ve forgotten us already.’
‘Yeah. Phew!’
