‘Once your coursework's complete,’ Heather clarifies.
‘Yes. Of course. Once the coursework's done. Exactly.’
It’s Heather’s turn next. ‘I’m thankful for my family and friends. That Georgia’s settled at university, and that there are people around this table who’ve been there when things are tough. I’m grateful for my job, I guess, it pays the bills. And for our home, which has seen us through some interesting times.’
There’s a general lull around the table once they hang up the call to Baltimore so that Trey’s family can enjoy their dinner. Heather shoos everyone into the lounge so she can finish clearing up in peace.
When she re-joins them a few moments later, everyone has snuggled up together on the corner sofa.
‘Hey, guys, can I suggest adding a little Scottish addition to today’s agenda?’ Heather says from the doorway. The day has left her invigorated, and she isn’t ready to relax just yet.
The teenagers sigh.
‘I was looking forward to vegging out,’ says Georgia.
‘What did you have in mind?’ asks Scott, who has snuggled his way between Trey and Brianna on the sofa.
‘A walk up Arthur’s Seat to watch the sun set,’ says Heather. ‘It’s been dry, so it won’t be slippery and it’s a clear night, so I think it could be pretty magnificent. How about it?’
Scott is on his feet in an instant. ‘Brilliant idea,’ he says. He manhandles the teenagers into a vertical position, throws coats on their hunched backs, then jostles them out the door.
They pile onto the number 15 bus, climb onto the top deck and plonk themselves down on the front seats. The route skirts the boutique shops and eateries in Morningside and Bruntsfield and passes restaurants, bars, and nightclubs on Lothian Road. The sun shines on Edinburgh Castle as they drive along Princes Street with the beautifully presented Gardens to the right and sleek designer shops on the left, past the gothic tower of the Scott Monument and the modern design of Waverley Station. Georgia proudly shows them key points of architecture as they travel and Trey snaps excitedly with his iPhone camera. They get off the bus on Regent Terrace, beside Edinburgh’s old High School, and within a few minutes walking, arrive at Holyrood Palace, the monarch’s Scottish residence. The building’s symmetrical façade is not overly ornate but its large open forecourt with ornamental iron gates gives the teenagers a sense of the opulence indoors. Trey stops, takes a photograph then debates with Brianna and Georgia if the King is inside, and whether he’s tucking into his Thanksgiving turkey if so. Heather doesn’t have the heart to point out that the flag wouldbe at full mast if the monarch was in residence. They set a brisk pace for their walk to the summit of Arthur’s Seat. Despite their initial reluctance, Georgia, Brianna and Trey storm ahead on the tarmac path in a challenge to see who can get to the top first. Scott and Heather fall into an easy pace behind them.
‘So, what happened with that guy?’ Scott asks as they climb, ‘What was his name? Paul?’
Heather slows her pace to look at him. Evidently, he had been listening.
‘You know the script, I’m sure,’ she says. ‘You think someone’s in it with you for the long term, then the real challenge comes, like work asks them to commit to a particular Covid bubble and they choose their workmates over your supposed family because they can’t stand the idea of home schooling alongside their day job. So, one day they’re there, the next they’re gone.’
His eyes bulge.
‘He left just like that?’
‘Overnight with no warning. It was the first sign I had that he wasn’t on the same page as us.’
Scott shakes his head. ‘Wow. Nice guy.’
‘Yeah. Well, it’s a bit of a pattern with me. Georgia’s dad was pretty much the same. The thing he couldn’t handle was a three-month-old baby who cried all day and all night. I guess it made him reflect on his previous marriage and assessed it wasn’t quite so bad after all. So … I guess …. for me … twice burnt.’
He nods slowly. ‘Explains your comment about not expecting things to last.’
Heather navigates an area of rough ground as the path turns to stone and gravel before the climb in line with the sheer cliff face of Salisbury Crags.
‘I’ve tried to stop expecting too much of other people. Sounds cynical, right?’
Scott follows the pathway behind her and stops when they're next aligned.
‘I guess we can only ever be a product of our own experiences,’ he says. ‘I know losing Brianna’s mum changed me forever.’
Heather turns to face him.
‘I know she died, Scott. Brianna told me that much. Nothing else, though.’ She reaches out in an automatic movement that feels both daring and entirely natural at the same time. ‘Do you want to tell me?’ she asks with a squeeze. ‘I’m here if you do.’
SCOTT
How did she die?
The question Scott typically deflects or avoids. But Heather’s just bared a little of her own story to him. He knows how hard it can be to share these truths that have been hidden for years, so he turns away from her and looks out at Edinburgh’s vista of undulating green hills on one side, Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace and the historic spires of the Old Town on the other. The sun is setting, and the sky is tinged with orange.
