Perfect Wives

by Emma Hannigan

  Lastly, she made her way into Cameron’s room. At first she paused, trying to figure out where he was in the bed. Then she lunged forward and pulled back the duvet. He wasn’t there.

  ‘Cameron?’ she whispered, not wanting to wake anyone else.

  Nothing.

  ‘Cameron?’

  A soft groan came from under the bed. She fell to her knees and found him curled in a ball, clutching an armful of teddies.

  Gently she dragged him out and laid him on the bed where he instinctively cuddled into his duvet. As she stroked his hair, she felt sad. He was a beautiful little boy. Her baby. As she watched him sleep he looked like any other child, innocent, pure and perfect. The demons that seemed to infest his spirit when he went off at the deep end weren’t remotely apparent when he slept.

  ‘What goes on in your little head?’ she whispered. ‘I wish I knew.’

  Other people’s opinion of her had always been important to Francine. She longed to be looked up to. She thrived on being in charge. She genuinely enjoyed social occasions and helping others. But lately all of that had come into question. As she looked at her beautiful son, she wondered if keeping up appearances was important at all. More and more she was coming around to the idea that none of it mattered one jot. The most important thing now was helping Cameron.

  She changed into her nightdress, cleansed her face and brushed her teeth. Her mind was so addled she knew there was no point in going to bed. She’d only end up tossing and turning, disturbing Carl.

  She went downstairs and yawned as she flicked on the kitchen lights. She picked up her favourite recipe book. Oranges were piled in bowls all around the house to fall in with her Hallowe’en colour scheme, so Francine decided she’d put them to good use and make some chocolate orange Victoria Sandwich cakes. The old folks in the home just outside the village were always appreciative of her baking. Carl could take one into work as well. At least she’d maintain some sort of community respect, even if she did feel she was bribing people.

  The recipe was just the therapy she needed as it involved lots of different steps, like grating the peel and segmenting the fruit. Francine eventually felt her shoulders leave her ears.

  By the time the cakes were cooling on a wire rack, she’d made the butter-cream icing and placed it in the fridge. The large, old-fashioned wall clock read three fifteen. Her eyes burned as she laid a tea cloth over the steaming sponges.

  Turning the lights off and rubbing her eyes, she ascended the stairs, hopeful she might manage at least a few hours’ oblivion.

  Carl stirred as she spooned herself around him in the bed. ‘Okay?’ he murmured.

  ‘Fine,’ she answered, kissing his shoulder. ‘Go back to sleep.’

  Early the next day Jane, Andrea and Sarah met up with a few of the other mothers and children from school at the local indoor play centre.

  ‘I feel really bad for not mentioning this to Francine,’ Jane admitted. ‘She’s so good about having people over. She put such effort into the food and the Hallowe’en party in general.’

  ‘I feel like a right battleaxe too, but every time we include Cameron in play dates like this, all hell breaks loose,’ Andrea reasoned.

  ‘Well, I for one wouldn’t have come if that child was here,’ Sarah said. ‘He’s hurt my son one time too many. They’re all afraid of him. He’s a bully, and I know you two are friends with Francine, but she needs to get her finger out and sort that child. He needs to be taught some manners. If he was mine, I’d change his tune, I can tell you.’

  ‘I agree,’ said another mother. ‘A week in my house and he’d soon stop hitting and kicking people. Some kids just need a firm hand. Francine Hennessy is too busy organising coffee mornings. She needs to take stock and look a little closer to home.’

  ‘I’m sure he’ll grow out of it,’ Andrea said. ‘None of my kids is sporting a halo or a pair of wings, I can tell you. We can’t be too harsh. You know what kids are like. One of ours could be the demon of the hour next week. If I’ve learned anything from motherhood it’s that being smug always comes back to bite you on the ass.’

  ‘But seriously,’ Susan said, ‘Cameron was like a child possessed the other night. I’d have locked myself in the coal shed if one of mine had behaved like that in front of people.’

  ‘Poor Francine was devastated,’ Jane said in her defence. ‘What could she do? Throw us all out of the school hall, then bind the kid’s arms and legs with duct tape and gag him? Once they go off on a mad rant like that it’s hard to salvage the situation.’

  The fact remained that a large group of people Francine considered long-standing friends were out for the morning with their children and they’d purposely excluded her because of Cameron’s behaviour. If she found out, she’d be deeply hurt.

  ‘As long as nobody mentions us all meeting up there’ll be no harm done,’ Jane said, hoping to leave the matter at that.

  In Verbena Drive Francine was waving Conor and Craig off in their friends’ car.

  ‘Enjoy the movie, and thanks for taking them!’ she called. Cara had gone across the road to her friend Kathy for the day.

  ‘Would you like to go to Silly Sam’s play centre?’ she asked Cameron.

  ‘On my own?’

  ‘Well, there’ll be lots of other children there. It’ll be fun!’ she said cheerfully. ‘Then you and I can get chips for our lunch. We’ll just drop the chocolate orange cakes into the old people’s home and I’ll take you there. How’s that?’

  ‘’Kay,’ Cameron said, staring out of the window. Francine couldn’t bear to do another round of phone calls to people who didn’t want to see Cameron. It would be easier to amuse him herself.

  The elderly people were thrilled with their visit and Cameron behaved very nicely.

  ‘You were so good in there,’ she praised. ‘I’m very proud of you.’

  Cameron grinned and wagged his foot happily as they pulled up outside the play centre.

  As she paid and Cameron took off his shoes to leave in the locker spaces behind the counter, Francine saw Jane, Andrea and at least five other mothers facing her.

  ‘We’re just leaving,’ Andrea said, red-faced.

  ‘Hello, Jane, ladies,’ Francine said curtly. Don’t cry and don’t get annoyed. It’s quite obvious what’s going on here. Just act like a lady. You’ve done nothing wrong.

  ‘Francine!’ a couple chorused. An awful moment followed in which the women avoided her gaze.

  ‘Why didn’t we come before, so I could see my friends?’ Cameron rounded on Francine. ‘You’re so mean! If we didn’t go to the smelly house with the old people I could’ve had fun here!’ Cameron smacked Francine’s leg, then kicked her shin for good measure. That done, he dashed to the far corner of the centre, curled into a ball and buried his head in his lap.

  Quivering with muffled sobs, Francine pushed past the group of women and children and rushed to her little boy.

  ‘What’ll we do now?’ Andrea hissed.

  ‘I knew we should’ve asked her along,’ Jane lamented.

  ‘Well, we didn’t – and, for crying out loud, he’s only here five seconds and the child could be done for GBH on his mother. We’d all be nursing bruised and scared kids if Cameron had been here all along.’

  ‘I’m out of here. I’m not getting involved,’ one of the mothers announced.

  ‘Me too,’ another said.

  Within minutes they’d dispersed, leaving Jane and Andrea to face Francine.

  ‘There’s nothing we can say to make this any better. We’re going to have to tell her the truth, that people can’t stick Cameron’s bad behaviour any more,’ Andrea said.

  ‘Yup,’ Jane said. ‘And I’m really up the creek. I lied that I was having lunch with my mother-in-law today. Francine called yesterday to arrange a play date and I panicked and told her a whole pile of spoofs.’

  ‘I thought your mother-in-law was dead,’ Andrea said.

  ‘No, that’s my father-in-law. Jesus, A
ndrea, I’m not that bad!’

  The two women walked over to where Francine was trying to console Cameron, rocking him on the floor.

  ‘I’m sorry we didn’t ask you along,’ Andrea began. ‘This is really awkward for us.’

  ‘Well, I’m sorry if my being here has made things difficult for you, but it’s a public place,’ Francine snapped. ‘I won’t prolong the pain. Goodbye.’ She turned back to Cameron.

  ‘Francine!’ Jane said, crouching down to touch her arm. ‘Let us explain,’ she pleaded. ‘I can’t think how to say this without offending you—’

  ‘Well, let me help you. I’m already offended so just shoot.’

  Francine felt as if her heart was going to burst from her chest. She hated confrontation. She went out of her way to include people. If she had a party or coffee morning, she took pains to make sure nobody was left out. How did these people, her ‘friends’, repay her? They sneaked around behind her back. Francine stood up, her hands on her hips.

  ‘We arranged this at the last minute, but the thing is that some of us are finding Cameron’s rough behaviour too much to deal with,’ Jane tried.

  ‘Every time he’s put in the mix there’s trouble and people are sick of it,’ Andrea said.

  ‘So neither of you thought that you ought to sit me down and have a chat?’ Francine suddenly felt more confident than she’d ever have believed. ‘I thought we were friends. I thought friends looked out for one another. Why couldn’t either of you have taken me aside or even phoned me and explained that Cameron was out of control?’

  ‘We didn’t want to hurt you,’ Andrea said quietly.

  ‘So lying to me and excluding me was kinder, was it? Don’t you think I’ve noticed that none of the children wants to play with Cameron? Do you think I’m so blinkered that I can’t see people ushering their children into cars so I don’t see they’re all going for a play date and Cameron’s been left out again?’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Jane tried to stroke Francine’s arm.

  ‘We didn’t know how to approach the matter with you,’ Andrea said honestly. ‘Your other kids are lovely and there’s never been any bother with them, so we weren’t sure if you were aware of the difference in Cameron. Francine, we’re all so fond of you and Carl. It’s not an easy situation for us.’

  ‘God, you make me sick!’ Francine exclaimed.

  ‘Pardon?’ Andrea looked affronted.

  ‘You’re so two-faced it’s a joke. I heard you on your phone in the school car park recently, Andrea, remember? You were slating my husband, saying he’s like Ned Flanders.’

  Andrea blanched. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

  ‘Don’t bother adding to the lies. Jane, I do consider you my friend and I accept your apology for today. Andrea, go swing.’ Francine turned on her heel and walked away. Cameron had picked himself up and gone off to play on a slide.

  Francine stopped in her tracks as she debated telling the women that Cameron was about to embark on a programme to deal with his behaviour. In fact it would’ve been like a weight lifting off her shoulders to share the trauma she’d been hiding.

  But as she looked at the two people she’d considered close friends, she decided they didn’t deserve to know her innermost thoughts. It would only be fodder for the next coffee morning she wasn’t invited to. No doubt there’d be a big meeting the following Monday morning in the village café at which the mothers would all express how mortified they’d been when she’d walked in.

  Let them gossip, Francine thought.

  Cameron was all that mattered to her. Carl would be by her side. Sod the rest of them. She was probably better off knowing where she stood.

  Despite that, Francine was desperately hurt. She’d never felt so isolated in her life.

  For the first time she wished they lived in a huge soulless city where nobody knew anything about her. The intimate village setting and lovely local school had changed from a warm cocoon to a hostile hell.

  Chapter 24

  Jodi and Saul always hated saying goodbye to Darius. Now they were about to go home to Ireland without him.

  ‘I’m going far away for filming until Christmas, dude, but the good news is that, before I leave, I’m coming to Ireland for a whole week and we’re going to have a whale of a time,’ he promised.

  ‘Cool!’ Saul said, hugging him. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet my friends. But after that you’ll be gone for months. I’ll miss you, Daddy.’

  ‘I’ll miss you even more, little dude, but we’ll do Skype and I’ll call you often. It won’t be too many months either, three at the very most,’ Darius said. ‘You’ll have to look after Mummy for me and keep me posted on all the action at school, yes?’ He looked heartbroken as he held his son close. ‘I love you more than life itself.’

  ‘I love you too, Daddy,’ Saul said.

  Jodi and Darius hugged for the longest time.

  ‘Mind yourself,’ Darius said. ‘No more crying over Mac. You’re better than that and your heart will heal one day.’

  ‘You keep saying that to me and I want to believe you, but he still gets me here.’ Jodi thumped her chest.

  ‘I love you.’ Darius stroked her cheek. ‘I know that’s a poor second but I do.’

  ‘You’re not a poor second! I thank God for every day I’ve known you. I love you too,’ she answered.

  It was after midnight before they opened the door to the cottage. Saul had been fast asleep in the car so Jodi carried him to his bed. She took off his shoes and coat, then his combats, and tucked him up in his long-sleeved T-shirt. The driver had deposited their bags just inside the hall door. Jodi paid him and said she’d see him again soon.

  Then she undressed, brushed her teeth and used a makeup wipe as a nod towards her bedtime skin regime. The delicious silence of the Wicklow countryside worked like a sedative and before long she was deep in sleep.

  At nine thirty the next morning her phone, ringing in her handbag, woke her. Slightly disoriented, she managed to grab it before it went to voicemail.

  ‘Hello?’ she croaked.

  ‘Jodi, it’s Francine. Did I wake you?’

  ‘Sort of, but don’t worry. We got home quite late and Saul’s still out for the count. How are you?’ Jodi yawned, as she curled up in her duvet.

  ‘Not so good,’ Francine said flatly.

  ‘Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. What’s up?’ Jodi tried to sound more awake.

  ‘It’s kind of a long story. I don’t suppose there’s any way I could pop by today, is there?’ she asked.

  ‘Sure!’ Jodi said immediately. ‘Bring Cameron too, if you like. I’m sure Saul would be delighted to see him.’

  ‘That’s very kind. I baked a lovely double-chocolate fudge gâteau last night,’ Francine said, ‘so we’d come with a bribe!’

  ‘You don’t have to do that, but if it’s going begging we won’t say no!’ Jodi laughed. ‘Come whenever you like.’

  ‘We went to mass last evening because Conor and Craig have soccer matches this morning and Cara has athletics training. Cameron and I would love to pop in for an hour. We won’t stay any longer as I’ll have to grab Cara.’

  ‘Sure,’ Jodi said. ‘What time suits you?’

  ‘Would ten be too early?’

  Jodi peered at her watch. It was already nearly twenty-five to. ‘Eh, sure, come on over – you’ll have to take us as you find us, though,’ she said.

  ‘That’ll be lovely,’ Francine said, sounding more like her usual self.

  Throwing herself out of the bed, Jodi shuffled into her slippers and padded towards Saul’s door.

  ‘Mum,’ he said, stretching. ‘Who were you talking to?’

  ‘Francine. Herself and Cameron are coming now with double-chocolate fudge cake!’

  ‘Ooh, yum! Can I have that for breakfast?’

  ‘Do you know what? You can!’ Jodi said. Ah, what the heck, it wouldn’t kill him, and, besides, they’d no fresh food. Knowing Francine,
it would be divine and probably had more nutritional value than anything she’d pull out of her kitchen cupboard.

  A knock on the door made her jump. They weren’t here already, surely. She pulled on an oversized grey cable-knit sweater Darius had left behind and went to open the door.

  It was Sebastian. ‘Hello, sorry to disturb you,’ he said awkwardly.

  ‘Sebastian, how are you?’ She smiled.

  ‘Would the little lad like to come with me? I’m going off up the back fields to do some pheasant spotting and thought he might enjoy it,’ he said, coughing gruffly.

  ‘Sebastian!’ Saul said, running to hug him.

  ‘I know he’d love to but he’s got a little friend calling in the next few minutes,’ Jodi apologised. ‘They’ll only be here for an hour tops …’

  ‘Maybe his buddy would come too, if I hang on?’ Sebastian suggested.

  Jodi hesitated. ‘Saul, run and get dressed, like a good boy, and I’ll try to arrange something with Sebastian.’

  Saul did as he was told.

  ‘I’ll have to ask Francine, Sebastian, but a word of warning: Cameron, the other little boy, can be rather difficult.’

  ‘Ah, I’m sure I can handle him. Most boys are as quiet as lambs once they have fresh air and plenty of space to run about!’ Sebastian said. ‘How was London?’

  ‘Good, thanks,’ she said. ‘It’s always great to see Darius. Can I get you tea or coffee?’

  ‘Nah, thanks all the same. I’ve to get my things ready. I’ll call back down in about fifteen minutes. You’ll hear the jeep. If the lads want to come, send them out. If it’s not to be, just give me a wave,’ Sebastian called over his shoulder, as he went back to the jeep on the other side of the back fence.

  Jodi and Saul were ready with seconds to spare when Francine pulled up. As she opened the door to welcome them, Jodi looked down at her own worn-out denims and sloppy sweater. Francine was wearing a pair of smart charcoal slacks with a cashmere twin set. Her pearl necklace matched her earrings and she was perfectly made up.