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Oh boy, not today…please?
“Well, with the trip coming up and what with Pippa and Molly going back and forth, Jenna and I thought it’d be a good idea to give them each a phone.”
A phone? Who gives a six-year-old a phone?
“Right.”
“I know we should’ve spoken to you and Jamie…”
You think?
“It was a last minute thing and with Jenna not being well and you know how my mother gets.” His face was getting redder by the second. He actually looked like he was about to stroke out. “I’m sorry, Quincy. There’s just so much going on.”
“Look, Richard, I appreciate that. I do, and I completely understand what Edith is like.” I think I actually felt myself wince at my own words. I was trying so hard to think before I spoke. “I understand that better than most, but this is something we should’ve sat down and spoken about. I don’t know how I feel about our six-year-old having a phone. Do you know how dangerous those things are? Does it have the internet? What phone is it?”
“We just went with the bog standard iPhone. Jenna didn’t want to get them a used one because she felt it was safer to give them brand new ones. I’ve installed a parental control app that stops them from having access to the internet. I thought that if you could call her at any time that it would make things easier for you.”
“I can call you. You told me she was going to be with either you or Jenna, if not both of you the whole time.” I was trying desperately to dampen down my anxiety, but I could feel myself begin to panic.
“You call her every day at least twice a day when we have her. I thought that it would make it easier for you. It’s not that she won’t be with us. I swear I was thinking of making it easier for you. There’s that app that allows you to trace her wherever she is. I just…”
I took a deep breath feeling his own panic. “Richard, I’m not happy about it. But I can see the thought behind it and I thank you for being so thoughtful towards me. I assume you’ve already given it to them?” He nodded. “So, it’s a moot point having an argument about it. If you’re one hundred percent sure that it’s safe, I’m going to try to be okay with it. I can see you’re having a rough time, so I’m going to put it all down to a lapse in judgement. I won’t let anything else slide. You can’t make decisions in her regard without me. I’m her mother, you talk to me even if you and Jenna are on the same page.”
“I know and I promise I won’t let it happen again.”
I pushed away from the door as Jamie walked towards us. “He’s not going to be happy about it either. Let me talk to him, I really don’t want anything to spoil today.”
Richard nodded as he walked towards the lounge.
“Jamie.” He murmured in greeting as they crossed paths. My insides turning as I thought about all the possible bad outcomes of what telling Jamie would be.
“That looked serious.”
“It was.” I linked my fingers through his. “Don’t go mad.”
“Oh God, what now?” His head tilted back as he looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. “What’s he done?”
“They’ve given the girls phones for Christmas.” I paused for a second and then continued at a hundred miles an hour. “I know you’re probably not a fan of that, but I genuinely believe that it was a gesture of good will for being on-board with the whole wedding thing.” I could see every single inch of him tense. “They thought it’d be a good way for us to be able to contact the girls whenever we like, and it’s got an app that allows us to trace them…”
He blew out a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine. “Is that how he sold it to you? Because if it was then we have a b
igger problem, the deal was that the girls would not leave their sight the whole time. Giving them a phone just makes them a target. What if someone hurts them because of the fucking phones? Did you think of that?”
“Look, they’ve given the girls the phones, taking them back is only going to upset them and make us look bad—”
“You think I give a fuck about looking bad?” He snatched his hand from mine and started pacing back and forth. “I couldn’t give a rat’s arse about how I look. A phone is a big responsibility. They’re dangerous. Do you realise what giving them a phone means?”
“Jamie…”
“I’ll take that as a no, then.” He turned toward me, his arms spread. “Let me tell you, Quincy. Right now we can protect them. They can’t make plans without us. They can’t communicate with outsiders without us. The minute they learn the freedom a phone gives them, that’s it. We can only hope that they’re open with us to tell us what’s going on. They’re six. Six, Quincy.”
“You think I don’t know that? What? Am I fucking stupid all of a sudden?” I was trying so hard to keep my voice down.
“Are you?” He snapped.
“Now you’re just being a wanker.” I started walking past him. I could feel myself shake with how angry he was making me feel. That kind of lash out angry that just makes you grit your teeth and cry when you hold it in. I probably should’ve just left him to it. Walked away, but I couldn’t. “Don’t ruin today. If you can’t find a way of sticking a smile on your face and calming down, I promise you I’ll take my daughter and go. I have a little over a day to spend with her until the new year. I won’t let you ruin it for me or for her.”
He spun towards me, his face impassive. “You want to leave?” He took a step to the side, “There’s the door.”
