Thank you everyone for your lovely comments on this story so far. I wrote it ages ago so I'm extra nervous about posting! Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Two
Twelve Weeks Ago...
Charlie Buckton was nervous as she waited for the producer and crew to arrive in her house. It had all started a couple of months before when she, Angelo and Ruby had been watching Sunday night television. It had included Wife Swap and Angelo had commented idly that it looked like it would be fun to appear on a show like that. Charlie had immediately dismissed him but later that night, in bed before they went to sleep, Angelo had brought it up more seriously. They'd been having problems for a while. Work took over both their lives and Angelo had an in-built resentment over Charlie and Ruby turning to each other before they even thought of turning to him. It was a hard bond to break and he hadn't achieved it yet. Ruby was the most important thing in Charlie's world and he knew he would never measure up. With problems, came insecurities and both Charlie and Angelo had so far failed to fix them. The show had been a last ditch attempt to make things work.
Last time they'd encountered problems such as these, where they didn't appreciate each other or spend much time together, Angelo had had a one night stand with a woman called May. It had nearly torn them apart but Angelo had just about managed to convince Charlie that he loved her and regretted what he'd done. He'd excused himself by explaining that she hadn't gone near him in months and he missed her so much that he'd found solace in someone else. It had made Charlie feel significantly guilty that she'd welcomed him back, albeit, a little tentatively.
And things had been okay until now. Not wanting to lose Angelo or have him stray to another again, Charlie had agreed that this kind of show might help them. So many wives and families were subjected to crazy, incompatible other wives and families that they learnt to appreciate what they had and both Charlie and Angelo hoped that this would happen for them, although neither was relishing the idea of ending up with a bunch of crackpot.
"Mum, it'll be fine," Ruby said.
Charlie had bitten her nails down to the quick and she kept rearranging the plate of biscuits she'd set out on the coffee table for their guests. Charlie nodded and smiled gratefully at her daughter who came to sit beside her. Angelo remained in the armchair without speaking. Charlie leapt up when there was a knock at the door and she hurried to answer it.
Ten minutes later, Nicholas Martin, a producer of Wife Swap was sitting in the living room with a sound technician and a camera man, who were both tucking into biscuits. Nick had explained that they would be doing some preliminary filming today to get an idea of who Charlie, Angelo and Ruby were and what they got up to in their day to day lives. He told them that they would also be interviewing them separately to find out more about their individual personalities and take on life. Nick handed over a sheet of paper to Charlie.
"These are the questions for the manual," he told her. "You've got a week to fill them out. Please put in as much detail as you can. Angelo's new wife will need it to slip into your shoes and familiarise herself with your home, okay?"
Charlie nodded and accepted the paper. She gave it a quick scan. Nothing looked terribly difficult but she would give it a proper look later.
"Okay, let's get started," Nick said brightly.
He stood up, as did his crew.
"If you guys can just carry out your day as if we're not here," he said. "If it's completely normal, then we can follow you around and get some good footage."
By the afternoon, Charlie had been filmed doing Saturday chores, Ruby had convinced her on film to let her go and spend time with Xavier, and Angelo had washed the car. The couple had had lunch together and struggled to make conversation, partly because they didn't have so much to say to each other these days and partly because they were nervous of being filmed. Now, Charlie was sitting on the edge of her bed in her room answering questions about herself, her family and her life.
"Can you just give us a short biography?" Nick asked.
Charlie nodded a little uncertainty.
"Well, I grew up in the city," she ventured. "I lived with my Mum and my Dad and then when I was fourteen, I got pregnant."
She was keen to glaze over the details of her pregnancy. Having been raped, something very few people knew, it had been the worst time of her life. The only comfort she could take from it all was that she had her beautiful baby girl who she loved more than life.
"It wasn't an easy time," she said. "But Ruby's the best thing to ever happen to me. I was lucky enough to have a lot of support through it all and my parents were both really involved in raising Ruby with me. They were great babysitters and helped me juggle school and then police training with raising my daughter."
"Is Ruby's father involved in your lives?" Nick asked.
"No," Charlie said quickly.
Nick nodded.
"What happened after you graduated from police training?" he wanted to know.
"I moved out, rented a place with Rubes. I was twenty by then and she was six. I started working and I've moved up the ranks a little – not as much as I'd like but I'm getting there. I'm a Leading Senior Constable at work now," Charlie explained.
She took a breath, still feeling nervous.
"When my mother died, my father was lost for a long time," she continued. "He eventually met someone else, my step-mother Morag and moved here to Summer Bay. He and I have always been very close and there was a chance for a promotion here so I took Ruby and we moved here seven years ago."
"How did you meet Angelo?"
"We met at work. He's a Senior Constable and we were partnered together fairly early on," Charlie said.
It felt quite nice to talk about the old days.
"When you work that closely with someone, you end up spending a lot of time together. You trust each other."
She felt sad that she wasn't entirely sure she trusted him now. She knew that was what was driving her to do the show.
"I was dating another guy and Angelo was with another girl but we both became single at the same time and it just... it just kind of happened from there," Charlie said. "We've been together for five years now, on and off and... yeah, it's good."
"When you say 'on and off'?" Nick probed.
"We're both pretty volatile people, I guess. We don't argue that much but when we do, we tend to do it properly."
She managed a laugh.
"Are you happy together?" Nick asked.
Charlie wanted to say yes but it stuck in her throat.
"Well, we're kind of doing this whole show in a bid to save our relationship," she admitted. "We haven't been getting on so well lately and as much as I love him, I think even he'll admit that we're pretty fragile."
"How do you think bringing another woman into your home to be Angelo's partner will help?"
"I'm hoping it'll be someone horrible!" Charlie laughed. "Then maybe he and I will learn to appreciate each other and what we have."
Ruby arrived back home just as Charlie was exiting her interview and heading back down the stairs.
"Who's turn is it next?" Charlie asked.
"Angelo?" Nick suggested, wanting to give Ruby a chance to get in and settled. "Maybe we can shoot out in the back garden."
Angelo nodded and followed the film crew, leaving Charlie to make herself and Ruby a coffee.
"How did it go?" Ruby asked.
"It was okay," Charlie said. "Some of it was a little personal but it was alright."
She sat down with her daughter.
"Did they ask about... you know?" Ruby worried.
"They asked if he was involved in our lives but I just said no," Charlie assured her. "He didn't ask anymore than that."
She and Ruby had decided not to mention Ruby's conception unless it felt particularly appropriate. Charlie had only ever told Ruby and her parents what had happened to her as a teenager. Not even Angelo knew that she'd got pregnant by force, not choice. He had a vague idea that it hadn't been a good experience but Charlie had never managed to open up enough to tell him. She didn't particularly want the whole world knowing that she was a rape victim and Ruby didn't especially want anyone to know that her biological father was evil. She'd told Xavier the truth but that was all. It was a private thing. It was for family.
"Charlie struggles to let me in," Angelo said. "We don't have the most ideal living situation, not for me anyway."
"In what way?" Nick asked.
"It's usually a case of Charlie and Ruby and then me," Angelo explained. "They usually team up with each other. And I guess they've had to, what with Charlie being a single mother and raising Ruby when she was just a kid herself."
"Who does what in your house?" Nick asked.
"We pretty much share everything when it comes to housework stuff. I'm not one of those guys who believes in 'women's work' or anything. I'm as happy doing DIY as I am doing dishes and laundry. I'm not much of a cook though, I must admit. Nor is Ruby. That's pretty much Charlie's area of expertise so I hope whoever comes here can knock together a decent meal!"
He chuckled and smiled at the camera.
Ruby sat in the kitchen while Charlie and Angelo tried not to listen to what she was saying. Unable to stop eavesdropping, Charlie directed them both upstairs in order to stay out of the way. It didn't feel right to listen in on an interview. They'd find out what she said when the episode aired, or if Ruby chose to tell them when the film crew was gone.
In the kitchen, Ruby explained and she and her mother fully relied on each other and loved each other completely. She said she liked Angelo but he wasn't really a father to her, explaining that she'd never had a father and didn't need one. Her mother was perfectly good enough to fulfil every necessary role. She told Nick about her boyfriend, who she had been dating for a couple of years and expressed a desire to stay with him. Her intention in life was to be a lawyer, like her step-grandmother, Morag who she admired a great deal. She thought being a cop was a little dangerous and violent for her, although she also respected and admired her mother. She revealed that when her Mum was on a nightshift, she hardly slept and couldn't help but worry about her. She was sure that if she lost her, she'd lose everything.
Next time... Joey and her family introduce themselves to the film crew...
