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When Dad came in he was balancing a big tray with cups and plates and an iced sponge cake with a plaque that read, “Congratulations”.
It all seemed a bit inappropriate, after Avery’s night from hell.
Dad poured the tea, sliced the cake and handed out portions.
Carts eyed his piece.How was he ever going to fit it in after his huge breakfast?“Mum, this looks amazing, did you make it?”
“I did.It’s an idiot-proof Andrea Blake, I saved it from the Sunday paper.”
Carts grinned.Aaron’s stepmum’s recipes were in the paper every week.He’d never thought to try cooking one himself, but with Judith to guide him… the thought created a starburst of joy in his chest.
“Well,” said Dad, grinning and wrinkling his tattooed eyebrows.Doing that always showed them up as being fake, but hey, what did any of that matter?It was a person’s imperfections that made them special, after all.“I have some news.I had the nod that I’ve landed the head of department position.It will be announced on Monday.”
“Oh Dad, that’s amazing!”Avery pitched herself at her father and he hugged her.
“I’m so sorry sweetheart.I’ve been an absent father lately.Worried about being made redundant.I should have paid more attention to what was going on for you.But anyhow, looks like we’ll be able to afford your year in Paris, now.”
“No!”Avery recoiled and stepping back, nearly tripped over the rug.Carts caught her, and felt her body go rigid.“No, I don’t want to.”
“But darling…” Mum protested.
“No.You don’t understand.Mum.Dad.”She looked from one of her parents to the other, panic-stricken.“I’m not ready to leave home.I don’t want to go that far away.Like yesterday, I thought I was ready to go to that party and be… an adult and all that stuff, and I couldn’t handle any of it.”She pressed shaky fingers into her eyes.“I just want to go at my own pace.Grow up the way I want to, not feel all this pressure all the time.It makes me so anxious.”
“Maybe we should talk about this later, when you’ve got over the shock of last night,” Mum soothed.
Avery shook her head.“I’ve made up my mind.”Her jaw set.“I’m not going to Paris.I’ll apply to the Academy of Performing Arts here in Perth, but I am not going that far away from home.”
Carts placed a steadying arm around her trembling shoulders.She never needed to feel bad about being a homebody.Avery blinked up at him through teary eyes.“I don’t want to leave you, and Mum and Dad.Why does everyone want to push me to grow up before I’m ready?”
Mum opened her mouth, possibly to point out that no-one had forced Avery to go to Zammy’s party in a scrap of sparkly material the size of a tea towel, but luckily Dad stepped in.“Well said, sweetheart.”He frowned hard at Mum.“If you want to study here, of course you can.There’s always post-grad overseas—when you’re older.And I, for one, would have to say we’ve got some of the best places in the world to study, right here in Perth.”
Carts felt Avery’s body uncoil bit by bit.Her mouth tilted at the corners.
Mum sighed.“But it’s such an opportunity, darling.Why don’t you at least think about—”
“Rosemary, don’t live your life vicariously through our daughter,” Dad said sternly.
Mum looked quite taken aback.
“You pushed Avery to apply for that scholarship, and if you want my reading of the situation, it’s because you missed out.”
Mum nibbled on her piece of cake, choosing not to catch anyone’s eye.
“Admit it, Rosemary.”
Mum huffed and put her plate down.“Hmmm, okay, yes, I would have loved the opportunity if my family could have afforded it.”She sighed.“And then I met you… well, no regrets, you dear old thing.”She looked at Avery and smiled.“I have to say as it got closer, I have thought maybe it’s not the right thing for you.And I know I’d miss you terribly, sweetheart.”
“Even though we fight?”Avery asked, licking a blob of icing off her finger.
“Isn’t that what parents are supposed to do with their teenage kids?”Mum laughed, a tad ruefully.
After this, they all sat and chatted about what Dad’s new job would entail and ate more of the cake.Despite his breakfast feast with Judith, Carts proved yet again there was always a sweet spot left.Quite a large one, he decided, as he took a second slice.
When Dad mentioned the substantial pay rise that went with the position, Carts had a sudden thought.“Why don’t you treat yourself to something, Dad?You’ve turned into a complete workaholic these past few years and it can’t be good for your health.”
“I know I have.”Dad’s shoulders sagged.“Work just seems to demand more and more out of you these days.”
“You could always think about buying another boat,” Carts suggested.“Second-hand, surely that would be affordable?”
