CHAPTER3
‘We should have flown. I knew this would happen.’
‘Oh, you did, did you? You knew that I’d get seasick, despite never having a single episode of water-induced nausea in my entire life. Well, good for you,Mysterio, you’ll be happy to see Becky again. Maybe you both can read my tea leaves over breakfast.’
Beth placed her head between her legs and groaned. She felt awful. For someone who normally loved the heat, this weather was too much, making her feel like she’d been left to drip dry after a shower. Even her eyelashes were sweating. Combine this with nausea and right now she’d happily accept the ferry sinking and would use her husband Paul’s stupid face as a life raft.
Unaware that Beth was currently dreaming of using him as a floatation aid, Paul sat down beside her, rubbed her back and offered her water. Beth very quickly calmed, feeling somewhat embarrassed by her overreaction.
‘Ugh. Sorry, hun,’ she whispered, taking the water bottle. ‘I know I’m a lot these days.’
‘You’re not, sweetheart,’ he replied, giving her a reassuring smile. Fourteen years together and that smile still soothed her. ‘And I don’t think it’s seasickness, I think it’s your meds. One of the side effects is nausea.’
She knew this, having googled the nerve pain medication to death as soon as she was prescribed it. Another side effect was chronic diarrhoea. Small mercies, she thought. Small mercies.
‘It’s my fault,’ Paul insisted, ‘I stupidly hoped a little land-and-sea adventure might be fun. Romantic, even.’
It was romantic, she thought. Drive from Pembroke to Fishguard, catch the ferry to Rosslare and then continue all the way to Kerry, maybe stopping for dinner or staying over in a cute little B&B if the journey became too taxing to do all in one day. But now that she was on the deck of a crowded ferry, melting under the blazing afternoon sun and seriously close to saying hello to her breakfast again, she'd probably choose to fly next time.
‘It was, no, itisa lovely idea,’ Beth replied, leaning into his shoulder. ‘Kind of reminds me of that road trip we took to France for your thirtieth, only without the car trouble.’
He chuckled. ‘RIP that Honda… but it was about as old as me. At least we have a more reliable car now. Our new one is a beast.’
Beth nodded but found it hard to be overly happy about it. The car they currently owned was absolutely more reliable because it was brand new. A beautiful, bright blue, electric Nissan provided by a disability charity which they’d never have been able to afford to lease under normal circumstances. As much as she loved and appreciated it, she’d give it back in a heartbeat just to be well again.
She slowly sipped her water, starting to feel more human. ‘It’s going to be weird seeing them all again, isn’t it?’ she remarked. ‘Total blast from the past.’
‘I’m looking forward to it. Umm… there’s going to be other men there, right? Husbands, boyfriends? Swat team?’
Beth smiled. ‘Why? Scared, are we?’
‘No… maybe. Look, you were all mental back then, I just want to make sure I have some extra testosterone on hand in case you all want to dismantle the patriarchy in a bloody coup or something.’
She laughed. Paul had gotten along remarkably well with her friends back in their uni days and that had always worked massively in his favour. Her girls were as important to her as he was, maybe more so back then. If they hadn’t liked him or vice versa, Beth was certain that they wouldn’t be sitting on a bench, looking out to sea at this very moment, man and wife.
So important to you that you didn’t all get together for ten years? Great friend you were.
Beth didn’t like that little voice of reason in her head and resisted the urge to have a full-blown debate with herself in the middle of the Irish Sea. But that voice did have a point.
‘You OK?’ Paul asked. ‘You’ve gone a bit quiet.’
Beth wearily exhaled. ‘Ugh, I’m alright. Just thinking that maybe I should have made more of an effort to keep in touch. Liking a Facebook or Instagram photo occasionally doesn’t quite cut it.’
‘Perhaps,’ he replied. ‘But it happens. Life happens. You all scattered across the globe: keeping up with all of that is a very big ask. Don’t beat yourself up.’
‘Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be docking at Rosslare.’A crackly tannoy sprang into life.
‘Might need to use the loo again before we get back in the car,’ Beth said, closing the lid on her bottle of water. ‘Oh, and then every fifteen minutes when we’re actually in the car.’
He laughed. ‘Whatever you need.’
‘Also, my leg’s a bit spasmy, can you drive first?’
Paul groaned. ‘Gah, I’m such an idiot. I mean, what kind of moron plans a lengthy road trip when their wife has multiple sclerosis? See, we should have flown.’
‘Stop it,’ Beth insisted. ‘I agreed to this too, you know! We’ll make it work. We always make it work.’
‘I know, I just—’
Beth grabbed his face and kissed him. ‘You are a lovely man, Paul Cooper. I don’t deserve you and I promise I will never use your face as a raft.’
‘Good to know,’ he replied, a confused smirk appearing on his face. ‘You ready?’
Beth nodded, slipping one hand into his as the other gripped her walking stick. She was as ready as she’d ever be.
