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Chapter Six
Olivia
“Wake up, Mom, it’s Sunday!”
I groaned as my son jumped up and down beside me on my bed. “Yes, it is Sunday. It’s the day of rest, so we are allowed to sleep in, young man.”
“But I want to go to the beach today.”
I frowned at him. It’d been a long time since he had asked to go to the beach. Charlie was much more a playground or park kind of kid. “What’s brought this on?”
“Well, Lucy and her mom and dad are going to Santa Barbara Beach for a barbeque lunch, and I want to go, too.”
“I see. So, Lucy’s not so bad after all, huh?”
Charlie chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I guess not.”
“Uh-huh.”
Charlie rolled his eyes and then bounced up and down on the bed. “Come on, Mom!”
“Alright, alright.” I got out of bed. “How about we make a day of this? Since I had my double shift, we can afford to have breakfast out.”
“Yes!” Charlie cried.
“We also need to bring something along to Rea’s barbeque. Let me call her and find out the details while you get into your swim trunks.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Charlie shrieked, pumping his fists in the air.
I laughed at him and threw the covers over the bed haphazardly. I’d never been good at making my bed properly, I guess I wasn’t about to start now. I dug my swimsuit out from where it was buried at the bottom of my underwear drawer and headed into our tiny bathroom to shower. Once I’d dried, I pulled on my yellow floral bikini, hoping I still looked good in it after all these years. It was good enough, I guessed. I pulled a white beach dress over the top that would be suitable for a fancy breakfast and slipped into a pair of aqua green flip flops that I’d owned since before I left Australia.
I saw Charlie loading a heap of matchbox cars, a bucket, and spade into his school backpack, which he’d emptied all school paraphernalia from. “Hey, make sure you slip, slop, slap.”
“Huh?” Charlie crinkled up his cute little nose.
I realised I’d quoted an old Australian sun safe commercial that Charlie had no hope of ever seeing. “In other words, don’t forget your hat, your sunscreen, and your swimming top. I don’t want you getting sunburnt. Oh, and don’t forget a towel!”
“Okay, Mom!” Charlie groaned. He added the items to his pack.
I dialed Rea’s number and she answered within a couple of rings.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Rea. It’s Olivia. I’m calling because Charlie said we were invited to a beach barbeque? I wanted to make sure before we rocked up and realised it was a private affair.”
“No, you are totally invited! He was saying how you guys haven’t been to the beach in ages, so I told him you were more than welcome to join us.”
“Okay, then. What should I bring?”
“Not a thing but yourselves and your beach stuff. We are covered on the food and drink side of things.”
“I have to bring something,” I insisted. I didn’t feel right turning up to someone else’s barbeque empty-handed.
“No, you don’t. Trust me, my husband Matt is kind of the barbeque king and I’m the salad queen. We have so much food!”
“Well, alright then. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
“See you then. I’m so excited you’re coming!”
