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They set off down the track again. Matt and Oliver were deep in conversation in front of them, and Harry walked between James and Amy, chattering all the way, and holding tight to Jen’s lead. They let Matt and Oliver have plenty of space, and followed at a reasonable distance. The further away from the tarn they got, the more Harry’s confidence returned.
‘When Oliver said he could see his mummy’s face in the water I was a bit scared, I suppose,’ Harry said, ‘but then I said, you know, it won’t be a ghost at all, that’s just bollicks. It’ll be something else like … seals, or a cow swimming, or killer eagles or something. There’s always a logical ‘splanation. That’s what Granny Jen says.’
‘And Granny Jen was right, I’m sure,’ Amy said, smiling. ‘Harry, do you think you might have something to say to Dad and Laurie, for worrying them like that?’
He stopped in the middle of the path, looked up at her, and his eyes glinted with mischief. Her money was on “bollicks” being the next word that came out of his mouth, but the glint died, and quietly and politely, he said, ‘Sorry. Can I have my sticker now, and can I still go to America?’
‘Yes, I’m sure you can have your sticker. I told you and Oliver to stay together, and that’s what you did, so I think it counts for something,’ Amy said.
She and James fell back, slightly behind Laurie and Harry.
‘So, you told him what to do, and he did it. Just like I said — tell him, don’t ask him. I was right all along.’ James couldn’t resist the opportunity to score a point.
‘And Harry proved he can be trusted when he’s left to make his own decisions. He knew it would have been the wrong thing to do to leave Oliver on his own. Nobody told him that, he worked it out for himself,’ Amy pointed out in response. ‘Just like I said.’
‘I suppose … yes. Perhaps there is something in that too,’ James said. ‘Perhaps … perhaps he needs both of us.’
‘Perhaps he does.’
‘You’ll remember what I said from now on?’ Laurie was saying to Harry, stumbling on one of the stones in her outsized wellies as James and Amy caught up with them.
‘Which one? You’re always telling me stuff,’ Harry said, and Amy was pleased to see the glint which had died in his eyes for a moment there was back. ‘There’s such a lot to remember. “Always brush your teeth”, or, “don’t play in the mud”, or, “phone Daddy every night and tell us everything”, or, “don’t pay any attention to Mam”.’ Harry gave an exaggerated sigh and a roll of his eyes.
‘That’s cheeky, don’t you —’ Laurie began, but Amy cut her short.
‘I’m sorry, what was that last one?’ she said, sharply.
‘“Don’t pay any attention to Mam”.’ Harry grinned at everyone, looking from his mam to Laurie and back again.
‘You actually said that?’ Amy asked Laurie, incredulously.
‘Of course I didn’t!’ Laurie replied. James was keeping suspiciously quiet in this, Amy noticed, and Laurie was looking all around her, anywhere but at Amy right now.
‘You did! When I said I wasn’t allowed to stay up after nine o’clock, you said one time wouldn’t hurt, I didn’t always have to do what Mam said, and not to tell her.’
‘Oh that!’ she said, laughing nervously and smoothing down her hair. ‘We were late back from the cinema, I remember —’
‘When I said Mam wouldn’t like me watching that thing on TV with all the guns on it, you said it didn’t matter what Mam thought.’
‘That wasn’t … it was only a kids superhero film!’ Laurie protested, looking slightly more nervous. ‘I thought he would enjoy it.’
‘I did. It was awesome,’ Harry added with a big grin. ‘There was this massive battle, and Iron Man got killed!’ He did some overly energetic shadow boxing and nearly hit Laurie, who took a surprised step backwards.
‘I don’t generally encourage him to watch superhero films, they tend to get him overexcited and I don’t approve of the violence. You know that, don’t you James?’ Amy said, and James nodded.
‘James wasn’t there, and nobody told me!’ Laurie said, eyes wide. ‘I don’t see —’
‘And,’ Harry added triumphantly, turning to his mam, ‘when I said you said we had to recycle our Coke cans, she put them straight in the bin, and she said, “you don’t always have to pay attention to what your mummy says.” See?’ He turned triumphantly to Amy, giving Jen a celebratory pat on the head.
Laurie looked straight ahead towards the campsite, as if hoping to transport herself straight there, right now. She said nothing.
‘And then you’ve the cheek, the absolute cheek, to make him a reward chart which says he doesn’t get a sticker if he doesn’t do what he’s told by an adult?’ Amy said, turning to Laurie, who hung her head. ‘And James, you want him punished if he hurts somebody, and yet you walk in here and you punch Matt who has done nothing — absolutely nothing — except be my friend. You expect standards from an eight-year-old which you’re not capable of applying to yourselves. It’s hypocrisy, plain and simple hypocrisy.’ It felt good to have the moral high ground for once, not to be the one at fault for shoddy parenting methods and failing to lay down the law to James and Laurie’s exacting standards. It felt good to win an argument with her ex.
‘I’m sorry, Amy. You’re right. We’re not perfect, but we’re doing our best,’ James said, taking Laurie’s hand, and looking back at them over his shoulder.
‘And so am I!’ she replied, her gaze steadily fixed on him, and he looked away again.
‘I see that. Of course you are, and so is Laurie,’ James said, squeezing Laurie’s hand. She stopped in the middle of the path, bringing the whole group to a standstill.
