2
Sure enough, the path led them down to the seafront. It was a beautiful day in late July, at the height of the tourist season, and the town was lively as they walked along by the harbour, with tourists and locals enjoying the sun, the restaurants and pubs buzzing with life, and boats coming and going in the harbour. They found a little café on the seafront with some tables outside and both got fish and chips. It was delicious, the fish leaping with freshness and the batter wafer-thin and crisp. To Lou it tasted like peace and freedom and a new life.
‘Happy now?’ she asked Jack, dipping a fat chip in tartare sauce.
He nodded, with a wide smile. She loved how much he enjoyed his food. He definitely got that from her.
Afterwards, they got ice cream cones and ate them sitting on the harbour wall, watching the boats.
‘It’s good here, isn’t? You’re glad we came?’ Lou knocked her shoulder against Jack’s.
‘This is the best day of my life so far.’
Lou’s heart melted. ‘Why? Because you got chips and ice cream?’
‘Yep. And we went on a train and a bus.’
‘True,’ Lou said solemnly. ‘That’s a pretty great day right there.’ She took a lick of chocolate ice cream. ‘We’re going to have a great time here, kiddo. Just wait and see.’
When they’d finished their cones, she took a wet wipe from her rucksack and cleaned up Jack’s face and hands, which were covered in ice cream. ‘Let’s go for a look around before we get back.’ She took Jack’s hand, and they strolled slowly around town, taking it all in, Lou matching her pace to Jack’s. There were cute gift shops, innumerable pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as a plethora of tour operators advertising boat trips and drives around the peninsula, all painted in an array of bright colours and looking their best on this sunny day. Lou called into a little supermarket to get some more cleaning supplies – it wasn’t the purpose of this weekend trip, but she might as well make a dent in that mammoth task.
She was pleased to see how busy the cafes and restaurants were. It made her more confident of her chances of finding a job here once they’d moved. That was the aspect of the move that worried her the most. The trouble was, her options were limited. Most of her recent experience was as a cook, but she didn’t want to work long restaurant hours when Jack was so young – even if she could afford full-time care for him, which she couldn’t. So she needed to find something part-time that would fit in around his school hours, so she could be at home for him as much as possible. She’d hire a childminder to fill in the gaps.
She’d never had much trouble finding suitable work in Dublin – cooking lunches in pubs and company staff canteens, or waitressing shifts in small cafes that didn’t open at night. But Dublin was a big city. It probably wouldn’t be so easy to find a job that suited her in a small town like Dingle. And in their city centre flat she’d had Rita across the hall, always ready to help out if her childcare fell through for some reason or if Jack hadto stay home sick. They had good neighbours and friends, people she could trust to step in and help if she needed a dig-out. Here she knew nobody she could call on in an emergency. She felt a little foolish now. Maybe she hadn’t thought this move through as carefully as she should have. Lou didn’t often hanker after a partner – been there, burned the T-shirt – but at times like this she couldn’t help thinking how much easier life would be if she had someone to share the bills and childcare with. Then again, it wasn’t as if Rob would have been any help, even if he hadn’t scarpered just weeks after Jack was born.
‘Look, Mum! Dolphins!’ She was shaken out of her musings by Jack pointing to a tour shop offering boat trips, with pictures of leaping dolphins on their sign. ‘Can we go on a boat?’
‘Definitely, but not today. It’s getting late.’
They walked to the edge of town, following the curve of the bay as the shops and cafes thinned out, giving way to private homes and guest houses that lined the road, all boasting ocean views. She could tell by the way Jack was dragging his feet that he was flagging. ‘Tired?’ she asked, brushing his hair off his forehead.
‘Yep.’
‘I just want to check this place out,’ she said, pointing to Coast, a restaurant right on the seafront on the other side of the road, ‘and then we’ll go back, okay?’
‘Okay.’
She took his hand and crossed the road to the restaurant. The front was painted a rich navy blue and at the back there was a glass conservatory dining room and a wide outdoor terrace overlooking the bay. It was almost three thirty now and lunch service was winding down, just a couple of customers still sitting outside, while inside, staff were clearing tables.
‘We’re going to eat here when we move,’ she told Jack, shielding her eyes from the sun to check out the menu. She’dput some money aside for treats for their first days in their new home, and she’d earmarked this for hers as soon as she’d made the decision to come to Dingle. It was a destination place that she knew by reputation, owned by Aidan McBride, one of Ireland’s top chefs. She was a big fan of his food, having cooked several of his recipes that she’d saved from magazines and newspapers, and she’d long wanted to eat here.
‘Why don’t we go tomorrow?’ Jack asked, looking up at her.
‘I have a lot to do tomorrow and we have to smarten ourselves up a bit to go somewhere like this. Anyway, Karen will be helping us move next month, and I want to take her here as a thank-you.’
The doorway was festooned with accolades and awards, and though the prices still made her a little nervous, it was reasonable for a restaurant of its calibre. ‘I think you’ll like it,’ she said to Jack.
‘Do they have chips?’
‘Of course. As if I’d take you somewhere that doesn’t have chips!’ She rolled her eyes playfully. ‘What kind of mother do you think I am?’
Jack laughed.
They didn’t just have chips, though. She’d checked it out online and she’d been impressed that they had an excellent children’s menu – not just the standard offerings of chicken nuggets or pasta, but some more sophisticated dishes that were wholesome and healthy but still had plenty of child appeal. It was rare to find so much thought and care put into catering for children, and she’d noticed that several of the more high-end restaurants in town didn’t offer a children’s menu at all.
She was about to turn back towards home when she noticed a ‘Staff Wanted’ sign in the window that said, ‘Apply Within’.
‘What does it say?’ Jack asked as she shielded her eyes to read the sign.
