I feel like this again needs saying that I'm British. I don't know what you call the boot of a car ok
Olivia jumps onto Noah's bed that next morning and shouts at him that it's time he wakes up. He pulls the pillow over his head and groans at her. She had already been up for an hour making them breakfast, she had changed her mind on one last meal out and thought it would be more memorable to have a home cooked meal. She'd made pancakes and filled the table up with fruits, syrup, chocolate and whatever else she could find that he could cover a pancake in.
Trevor was already awake and in his home office, taking advantage of Noah still being asleep to check over things at work.
"Come on, sleepy head, it's the last time we get to eat together for eight weeks!"
"I-just-wanna-sleep" he mumbles into his pillow so his words are barely audible.
"No, you're getting up. I'm going to get your father and I want you downstairs with us in ten minutes"
She kisses the top of his head and gets off his bed. She opens the blinds fully and rips the blanket off him before leaving the room with the door left wide open, she knows how much that drives him insane. She walks down the hallway of their apartment to Trevor's office and knocks before entering. He's on the phone but looks up and she taps the watch on her wrist, he gives her a thumbs up and looks back down at the computer in front of him. She sighs and closes the door and walks back towards the dining room to take a seat and wait for them both.
Noah comes first, dressed in grey joggers and a white T-shirt. She normally hates him in loungewear out of the house but she'll allow it today as he has a long trip on the coach.
"So, are you excited to go?"
She picks up the pitcher of orange juice and pours them both a glass, she even pours one for Trevor in the hope he joins them soon. She places the pitcher back down on the table before picking up a croissant and picking off small pieces to pop into her mouth.
"Yeah I can't wait"
He piles pancakes onto his plate and drowns them in syrup before looking over at Liv.
"I will miss you too mum don't worry"
She wells up as she looks at him. She wants to hug him but she knows he will push her away but she's thankful she can still get some sweet words from him.
"We're going to miss you so much but you deserve to go and enjoy yourself"
Noah scoffs and shovels a mouthful of pancakes in his mouth which gets him a disapproving look from his mother.
"I doubt he will even notice I'm gone mum"
Her heart breaks to hear him say those things. She'd thought them so many times about herself but hadn't thought Noah felt the same. If Trevor had any spare time she had always encouraged them to spend it together. They always took trips to the Hamptons each summer and a winter holiday to St Bart's which was the highlight of her year. After all, it was the only time she managed to get Trevor to enjoy his family. She wondered if they'd go to the Hamptons this summer, if he would care about spending time with her if Noah wasn't there.
"He loves you and he loves spending time with you! He just has a lot of work he needs to take care of"
"Sure mum"
Noah rolls his eyes having heard the "your father's so sorry but he has to work" speech so much during his life it's like a broken record now. If his father really cared he's sure he would have shown it a bit more.
As if his ears were burning in walks Trevor, still chatting away on his phone as he takes a seat.
"Close it. I don't care what it takes I need that done today or you can find another job"
Liv glares at him, her pet hate was phones at the table. He turns away to mutter something into the handset before he tells the person on the other end that he needs to go and places the phone down on the table.
"Morning both. Everything alright?"
"Well we're half way through our breakfast without you. Thanks for joining us" Olivia replies sarcastically and Trevor rolls his eyes.
"If you want me to take the day off then I needed to sort some things"
"You always do"
"Well maybe I'll just stop and see how long brunches and shopping trips last then shall we?"
He raises his eyebrow daring her to argue back and she wants to, she wants to say she'd take it all back for him to be a husband and a father that cares about his family but he knows she won't say any of this in front of Noah, that's why he always got his way and got her back down in arguments. She also knows that no matter how much she begged for those exact things he'd never give them to her so she shuts her mouth and scoops a spoonful of strawberries onto her plate and angrily shoves them into her mouth. Hoping that if her mouth was full she'd not be tempted to tell him exactly what she wanted to say.
"Well now then. Let's all have a good day shall we?"
Noah and Olivia throw him a look that says are you serious? But they both stay silent. Noah may be young but he was noticing more and more how wrong his parents' relationship was. He just wanted to see his mum smile, she was always looking so sad lately and he didn't think his father had even noticed. He felt sorry for her being alone all summer but he was happy to get away from it all for a while.
—
A few hours later the three of them stood outside their black SUV, Trevor was getting Noah's case and bag out of the boot and Liv was lecturing Noah on all the things he needed to remember. Make sure you shower every day, keep your side of the bunk tidy, no underage drinking - or worse! Noah was nodding along rolling his eyes until he eventually looked over at his father to save him.
"Come on Liv, he's a good kid. He will be fine"
Trevor wraps his arm around Liv's shoulder reassuringly and she turns her head into his neck to stop herself from crying in front of Noah and all of his friends.
"Mum, I gotta go…"
"Come on Liv" Trevor whispers in her ear. He actually sounded sympathetic and she was thankful that he seemed to be feeling something for her.
Liv pulls away from Trevor and lets out a deep breath. She puts on her best fake smile, telling herself the second Noah was on the bus and they were back in the car she could let it out.
"Can I get a hug?"
Noah thinks about it for a moment but eventually opens his arms and Liv wraps hers around him holding him tight.
"I'm going to miss you so much. If you want to come home at any time just call me or your dad and we will come and get you okay?"
"Yeah mum". He was pushing her off now, she was starting to suffocate him the way she was clinging to him. "I'll be fine ok?" he tells her and gives her a look that says trust me.
"Okay"
He throws his rucksack on his back and gives his father a quick hug as well before taking the case and walking over to the bus. They stand there waving as he places his case with the others and gives one last wave to them before stepping onto the bus.
Liv can't believe this is the last time she's going to see her baby for months, she already feels so lost without him. She turns to Trevor and he can see the tears filling her eyes so he places his hand on her lower back and walks her over to the passenger's side of the SUV and opens the door for her. He closes the door once she sits inside and walks around to the driver's seat and buckles himself in before he speaks.
"This is a good thing Liv, believe me. Some of the best memories I have were of camp"
She takes a packet of tissues out from her purse and pulls one out to dab under her eyes. She didn't know why had wasted her time with make up, she knew she was going to cry it off.
"Why don't we go out somewhere? Lunch? Just me and you?"
"Really?"
She can't remember the last time they went out for food alone. They go out often to functions, charity galas and fundraisers, bosses parties and an array of social events that are the places to be seen but they never do anything just for them.
"I'd really love that"
She sounded pitiful, she can tell. She hates the way she sounds so desperate just to spend some time alone with her own husband. A spark of hope ignites in her though, maybe some time alone would be good for her marriage? Maybe with no kids in the house they could be intimate again without the worry of anyone hearing. She doesn't even remember the last time they had made love.
"Come on then, your choice"
She smiles at him, his comments from this morning forgotten as she tries again to gain his affection. Time. She just needs time. After some time alone it will all be alright. It's what she tells herself way too often.
--
Olivia picked the restaurant, it was one they used to go to a lot when they were younger and dating and they weren't making big money. It had been taken over a few years back and given an overhaul and now it was an upper east side brunch hotspot. She had found it fitting, how it had grown with them. She had made him come here for a date night meal when it had first re-opened, the memory wasn't a very fond one. Of course he had been busy, he had just made partner of the firm and he was on call 24 hours a day. Not much had changed but she had sadly got used to it.
"Do you remember when we used to come here? Straight out of college"
"It was a dive wasn't it?"
"It was romantic"
She is offended by his comment, she knows he didn't mean to insult her but she feels he insulted the memory of them, when they were happy. She'd take the so-called dive over this fancy restaurant with her unhappy husband.
"If you say so"
He takes a sip of his ice water and peers down into his lap. She knows that look, sneaking glances at his phone before he rushes off.
"Trevor, please…"
He looks up to her and sees the pleading look on her face but he feels his phone vibrate and he looks down at it again.
"Look Liv I need to take this, just let me see if I can sort it alright?"
She nods reluctantly knowing it wasn't a question. He was going to talk to whoever was on the phone whether she liked it or not. The waiter walks by and she calls him over to order herself a large Pinot, he asks if the gentleman would like anything she shakes her head.
"No, it's ok. I think he is going"
The waiter nods and walks off to get her the drink she had ordered, oblivious to the pain she was in. She sat there watching Trevor on the phone, he was pacing around the small area and running his hand through his short hair and she knew that look. He was about to run to the office and not return until the early hours. Eventually he ends the call and slips his phone back in his pocket and Liv catches his eye as he walks back over to her. She's shaking her head and she doesn't know why. It was always going to happen, she should be thankful he at least saw Noah off first.
"Look Liv, this is really important. I need to get to the office. There's been a huge fuck up and I need to get down there and sort it"
She doesn't answer him, she just looks at him brokenhearted. She needed him today. Needed him to be there for her. It was a big day for them and he had just treated it as any other day. When he takes his wallet out of his pocket and throws down a credit card she feels the tears fill her eyes.
"Look, go buy yourself something nice. My treat". He kisses her head on his way out. "Don't wait up okay"
He doesn't wait around for an answer, he walks out of the restaurant and leaves her sitting there alone. The waiter brings her drink over and places it on the table and she thanks him. She needs to get her life together, she decides. She can't spend her days sitting in restaurants holding back tears because she is alone. She needs something to make her feel alive again.
--
She is a bottle of wine down as she sits on her sofa with a pen and paper in her hand. Her glass is placed on the coffee table in front of her and she is writing a list.
Skydiving
Maybe something a little less crazy?
Bike riding
That was a no, she had ridden a bike on holiday a few times and her butt hurt.
A dance class
She had no rhythm. Why was this even a suggestion?
Wine tasting
She jokes with herself as she takes another sip of the Pinot, she was trying to stay off the booze not take more in.
The gym
Or..
A personal trainer
A hot personal trainer that has a reputation for sleeping with bored housewives? She smirks to herself as she takes another sip. No, just a personal trainer. Someone to keep her fit, she was ageing after all, it made sense to want to look after her appearance.
She couldn't help but wonder what he looked like though, if he was young, she imagined he had to be in his twenties. If he was slim and muscley or built like a Mr Universe contender.
She underlines "A personal trainer" three times to remind her sober self in the morning that she's made a decision and she can't go back on it. Maybe after a few sessions she'll have thought of some other things to try out.