‘Ow! What are you doing?’ Stella opened her eyes, disorientated. It felt like the middle of the night. ‘What’s going on? Is it the kids?’
‘No, it’s not the kids, don’t worry, nothing’s going on,’ Jack said. He was sitting up next to her, T-shirt rumpled.
‘What time is it?’
‘Four o’clock,’ Jack said.
Stella winced.
‘I’ve decided what I’m going to do,’ Jack said with a grin, all eager. ‘I’m going build skateparks! Don’t you think that’s a good idea?’ He nudged her for a response. ‘I have to go miles for mine. There should be more. It’s no wonder teenagers don’t go out of the house, they have nothing to do. Anyway, that’s what I’m going to do. What do you think?’
Stella was still squinting in the early morning light. Her eyes stung, her body ached. ‘You woke me up at 4 a.m. to tell me this?’
Jack looked immediately dejected. ‘I wanted to be upfront with you. I thought you’d be excited.’
Stella rubbed her eyes. ‘I am excited. But could you please be upfront with me between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.?’
Jack laughed. ‘So, what do think, though? About my idea.’
‘It sounds great. Good idea. Lovely. Can I go to sleep now?’
‘Yes.’
Stella yawned, lay back down and closed her eyes. She was just dropping off when Jack nudged her again.
‘What?’
‘Do you really think our marriage only got a C+?’ he asked.
Stella’s eyes flew open. ‘Did you just read my article?’
‘Maybe.’
She sighed, plumping her pillow. ‘No,’ she said, ‘I think we got an A but a C+ makes better copy. Now I’m going back to sleep.’
She closed her eyes.
Jack nudged her again. ‘Do you really think we got an A?’
Stella groaned, her eyes opened in slits. ‘No, probably more like a B+.’
Jack smiled. ‘Yeah, that’s what I thought.’
Stella put the pillow over her head.
Jack couldn’t sleep. He got up and went outside.
There was a mist over the entire camp site, drifting in with sharp fresh air and catching the rising sun like glitter on candyfloss.
A voice said, ‘What are you doing out here?’ startling him.
Jack looked across to see Gus leaning over from his veranda. ‘I’m going to build a skatepark,’ he said, walking over to join him.
‘Nice one.’
‘What about you? Why are you up?’
‘Amy snores.’
‘Does she?’ Jack said, surprised.
Gus nodded, unimpressed. ‘Like a train.’ Jack guffawed.
Amy woke up, stretched and looked out of the window. Gus and Jack were standing on the veranda. Jack was laughing. She wondered what was so funny. Then she saw her mother walk past all spritely and ready for yoga, she gave the guys a wave. At the same time Stella came schlepping out looking half-asleep, ‘Why are you all awake?’
Behind them the sun was just rising: big, round, and red above the mist. Amy yawned and picked up her phone, snapped a picture for Instagram.
She thought about writing something really poignant. ‘A new day begins…’
But she didn’t.
Instead she wrote: ‘The sun looks like a Strepsil.’
And snuggled back down under covers that smelt of sleep and suntan lotion.
Stella stomped back to her room.
Gus asked Jack if he fancied going to yoga.
Jack guffawed again.
And a heart popped up on Amy’s phone screen. GoneDad likes your photo.