their parents intently, their little heads moving back and forth as though they were spectators at a tennis match. They seemed uneasy to witness the dispute; it was not something they were apparently accustomed to seeing.
Usually in these sort of situations, the children would just carry on playing, as it was usual in their world to hear raised voices. But Jude and Davis looked fearful and alarmed by Sam and Deena’s dispute.
‘Take them inside,’ Sam Fern ordered his wife once more, his voice low and level.
‘You don’t spend enough time with them,’ Deena moaned, not caring about Aiden hearing this discussion. If anything, she seemed to enjoy having an audience as it was someone she could play up for.
‘Not now,’ Sam shook his head wearily. ‘Just take them in.’
‘Sam!’ Deena pouted angrily, her eyes narrowed as she pondered on how to further the argument.
‘Who is this guy anyway?’ she decided to turn her attention to Aiden but he shrank in to himself as he was pulled in to theconversation.
She regarded him with suspicious, hostile eyes. Scrutinizing him like he were an unwanted bug in her home and she was just deciding how best to get rid ofhim.
‘This is Aiden Connelly,’ Sam explained, his voice still low.
‘And who is he?’ Deena demanded.
‘My lawyer.’
Deena’s entire demeanour suddenly changed. Despite the warmth of the sun, she paled and almost shook within her bronzed skin, as though something had spooked her. She looked over to Aiden and he noticed the moisture which now misted her eyes.
She coughed awkwardly, trying to find her voice.
‘Jude, Davis,’ she managed to call her sons but she sounded strained, as though she was struggling to speak.
‘Let’s go inside while Daddy has his meeting.’
‘Pool!’ Davis whined, glancing longingly at the shimmering blue lagoon which he desperately wanted to play in.
‘You can go in the pool tomorrow,’ Deena told him.
‘Pool!’ the toddler pleaded again.
‘Davis Jeremiah Fern, get in the house this instance!’ Deena managed to raise her voice enough to be taken seriously and both her sons obediently left the terrace and entered the house through the kitchen.
Deena followed them, but before she went inside she paused and glanced over at Aiden. It was hard to read her face as she’d lowered her sunglasses to cover her eyes. It was as if she was going to say something but then decided against it.
She went inside and closed the patio door behind her, leaving Aiden and Samuel alone once more.
‘I apologize for that…display,’ Sam said before taking a long sip of his drink.
‘It’s quite all right,’ Aiden lied. It was the most uncomfortable he’d been in a long time. He just felt like he didn’t belong, that even sat in his own skin he didn’t seem to quite fit. There was nothing he disliked more than being present when couples fought. There was something so private about a disagreement between lovers and to bear witness to it felt like you were gaining access to the intimacies of their relationship.
‘Deena forgets her place sometimes,’ Sam continued, making excuses for what had just transpired.
‘If you give a woman everything she wants, you reach a point where she just thinks she is entitled to everything.’
Aiden wasn’t sure how to respond, it was hardly an issue he could relate to.
‘So as you can see, it’s not going to be easy to get her on board with the paternity test.’
‘She’s spirited,’ Aiden offered kindly.
‘She’s spoilt,’ Sam immediately corrected him. ‘I know I’m partly to blame but still…’ his voice broke off and he stared off into the distance, momentarily lost to his own thoughts.
Aiden felt that it was time to leave. He’d had enough dramatics for one day.
‘Well it’s been lovely meeting you,’ he began making the required motions for his exit.
‘Yes, you too,’ Sam said, smiling at him, but the smile didn’t extend to his eyes which remained hard and cold. Both men stood up and shook hands.
‘My secretary will show you out,’ Sam said, sitting back down as Aiden made to leave. ‘I’m sure you understand that I want to stay out here for a while longer. Give things a chance to cool down inside.’
‘No problem, see you again, Mr Fern.’
‘You too, Mr Connelly.’
Leaving the heat of the terrace, Aiden entered the pleasant cool of the kitchen which was eerily quiet. He glanced around for any signs of anyone but the entire room was empty. Relying on memory as Sam’s secretary hadn’t materialized, he made his way back to the foyer.
He could now hear distant sounds coming from the upper level which must have been Deena and the boys.
His footsteps clipped as he briskly walked along the marble floor, eager to leave.
When at last he was within the sanctuary of his own car, Aiden allowed himself to relax and shake off the stiffness of being in an uncomfortable situation.
He began to drive home, the large gates automatically granting him leave as he approached, asking no questions as if the fortress knew that all he wanted was release.
On the radio a country sang twanged out, this time about two men being in love with the same, unobtainable woman. Aiden mused over what had occurred at Samuel Fern’s home and what he dwelled upon, what he found most troubling, was how distressed Deena Fern had been upon learning he was Sam’s lawyer. She had gone from sassy and confident to meek and fearful in the blink of an eye. He wondered if she did have something to hide. Maybe Sam Fern’s instincts were right.
Looking up, Aiden noticed that the sky was no longer open and blue. Clouds had formed on the horizon and seemed to be closing in. As beautiful as the sunshine was, it couldn’t last forever. You need a rainstorm to wash everything away so that the next time the sun shines,the slate has been cleared.
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