The Hutchins and Mojica renovacy Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Spring, and still chilly enough to need a few extra layers on, but for Viriato it was warm all the time – warm from the glow in his heart that was knowing Fern really cared about him. They’d gone for a walk along the beach – he liked the wide open reaches of the sea.
“Viriato.” Fern stopped and made him face her.
“There are things you need to know about me. I can’t have you putting me on a pedestal and your world falling apart again when I topple off it.”
Fern’s dad, Finn, had been talking to Viriato about unreasonable expectations as well, so he listened carefully. “When Mum was taken so ill, and I had to come home and look after her, and Philip and Daisy and Fawn, how do you think I felt? Felt about leaving all my friends I’d made, my new job, my social life, the clubs I’d joined, my own little flat? And leaving my freedom?” “You’d have been really happy to come home and help your family. I know you – you have such a loving heart, and you’re all so close…” Viriato paused, his smile freezing on his face as he read the expression on hers.
“Hang on, I didn’t answer the question, did I? The question was about how did you feel about what you were leaving behind, not about what you were coming back to.” Fern leant forwards and kissed him. “You’re learning! So now try again and answer the question I asked this time.” “I don’t know how you felt, do I? You have to tell me. And I have to listen.” He reached out to hug her and Fern snuggled happily into his strong arms. “I really really minded. It was like losing everything I’d worked for. And then I felt like I was a horrible person for not wanting to come home and help – and I did want to help – but I really missed all the things I was giving up.” She paused for a moment, and Viriato held her reassuringly close. “And I was coming back to this. My own bedroom, lovely bed, state-of-the-art kitchen, luxury everywhere.” She felt Viriato stiffen slightly, but went on.
“And a family I loved, and who loved me – and liked me.” “I just want you to think about what it must have been like for Regina. What was she giving up? And what was she coming to?”
With Fern’s loving eyes fixed on his face, Viriato had to take the question seriously. A memory of the house as it had been when they arrived flitted through his mind. Fern said no more, but wisely turned the talk into other channels. It was summer by now, and everyone was busy in the garden, planting, weeding, harvesting…Eugenio had graduated, and Regina was glad of the extra help. Viriato was not coming back, and trying to do all that needed doing with just the three of them had been hard work.
The younger three still had some term left to run – Tesni was frankly envious of Eugenio for being finished with school, and couldn’t wait until she could leave too. Tesni had changed jobs.
“I’ve learnt all I can from that job. I can’t rise any higher either! Is it okay? I know I won’t be earning quite as much to start with.”
“It’s fine,” Regina had assured her.
Now she was working at the spa, learning a new set of skills, and getting to know a new set of people. “I can leave school as soon as I’m legally old enough, can’t I Reggie? Desmond and Uiara have signed up for the lease on this shop, and everyone says they’ll help me decorate and clean up and so on.”
Regina knew this was no flash in the pan with Tesni. She’d talked to both her previous boss and her current one. The grocery store manager had said that she was glad Tesni wasn’t setting up in direct competition! The spa manager said her customer skills were excellent, she learnt things quickly and she was always observant and questioning. “She’ll make a go of it, with a little help and a little luck. All the basics are there.” “And then the other thing I wanted to ask you about – here, away from everyone… You know Marcus and you know I really like him, and it’s no use asking Uiara about this, but what would your advice be?”
“My advice?” Regina paused and thought – back to the days when she was younger than Uiara was now, though a bit older than Tesni. Grown up, or so she’d thought. It all came flooding back. “Don’t give away what really matters to you. Unless you’re really sure of the person you’re giving it to. When I was – well, older than you, but only nineteen, there was this boy. And I really liked him and I thought he really liked me. And he invited me round to his house one night – his parents were out, and there was soft music and the lights were low, and he’d bought flowers. So romantic. And…”
“Dot, dot, dot?” asked Tesni. They both loved the Mamma Mia! film.
“Dot, dot, dot, “ Regina agreed, smiling faintly.
“And then?” Tesni asked. There had to be an ‘and then’. “And then I overheard him the next day, bragging to one of his friends.” The memory still stung, all these years later, but Tesni could have her hurt, her story, if it would help her to negotiate the tricky path of love and growing up.
“Saying that with the lights low, you couldn’t tell me from Aurora, could pretend that I was Aurora. Because who wouldn’t want her instead of me, but I’d do as a substitute.” “Reggie, no!” Tesni’s warm arms were around her and Tesni’s cheek, wet with her sudden tears, was pressed against her own. “That’s awful. That’s so unfair. You poor thing.” And Tesni’s warm-hearted sympathy was too much for Regina’s self-control. They clung together and cried in the grubby deserted shop. “Be sure, Tesni. And if you’re not, then wait. And anyone who won’t let you wait doesn’t deserve you”
“I will. What did you do after that?”
“Went straight out and found another boyfriend. I didn’t care who. Anyone would do. Just to prove that I didn’t care about him.”
They finished the walk home in silence, but it was a friendly one. “I thought you were going to work out,” Fern said teasingly.
“I got seduced by the music,” Viriato said, laughing slightly at Daisy as she counted carefully, frowning in concentration. Philip was just plain good though, and it was nice to see him encouraging Daisy in her drumming. “However, since you reminded me…” Viriato headed off to the treadmill. “I can always watch Fawn paint, instead of a television.”
Finn smiled at Viriato’s joke. “I wouldn’t let them have one down here. This space is about making entertainment, not being passive consumers of it.” A change in the sound behind him made Viriato look round. Fern had picked up the bass and joined in.
“Hey, I didn’t know you played bass!” Looking round was not so smart! Viriato’s feet went from under him.
“Like I said,” Finn commented. “A place for making entertainment!”
Fern had the giggles! But I like the laughter and fun here, Viriato thought. Why weren’t we all like this? And the memory of saying no to too many things – board games in the library after homework for instance – slid into his mind. And along with it, a memory of the others laughing easily with Regina, and then clamming up when he came into the room.