Chapter 17
The next morning and it's a quarter to eight. Andrea is rushing round the flat, getting her self ready for work. Thankfully Annabelle is already ready, Andrea had made sure of that as soon as she'd got up that morning. The plan being to hand Bella over to Neil as quickly as possible so she can avoid having to talk to him.
Having woken up later than planned, theres been no time to think about seeing Neil again after their argument. Something for which Andrea is quite grateful, it occupied her thoughts enough the night just gone.
It's five to eight when a knock at the door can be heard.
Andrea gives the clock a glance and takes a deep breath, reaching to take Annabelle in her arms and grabbing the changing bag that's been sitting on the floor, packed and ready to go.
Opening the door she finds as expected, Neil waiting on the doorstep.
"Hi." She says, with no emotion in the way she pronounces the word.
"Hi." Neil responds, adopting the same tone, his eyes glancing over Andrea.
"Here's her bag." Andrea says keeping her eyes from his, preferring to focus them down towards the floor. "And the buggy's there." She says indicating the pushchair placed just outside by the door.
"'Kay." Neil says, arms opening to take his daughter as Andrea hands her over.
Andrea plants a kiss on Annabelle's head. "See you later Bella. Be good."
And then glances up, her eyes looking at his for the first time. "What time will you bring her back. I finish work at one."
"About 3 or 4, if that's okay."
"Fine." Andrea says, stepping back in the flat to close the door.
It's about half ten when Neil reaches the park and pond, he'd planned on taking Annabelle and Jake too that morning. Putting Annabelle in the buggy, and getting Jake to walk by the side they head off towards the duck pond. Jake with a bag of bread in his now healed arm and hand.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah." Neil responds, rolling his eyes in the knowledge that this is most likely to be one of Jake's question time sessions.
"Why isn't Andrea coming?"
Neil sighs, knowing he should have prepared for that one. "She's got to work." It's the easiest answer and also isn't a lie.
"Oh." Jake says quite disheartendly. "Like Mummy has to work?"
"Yeh. That's right like Mummy, has to." Neil answers, though he knows that in truth Andrea and Phillipa's reasons for working that day couldn't be more different. And Andrea's problem was that she was far too stubborn, and lately Neil had seen as much of that subborness as he could take.
Reaching the pond, Jake preceeds to throw handfuls of bread at the ducks, while Annabelle sits in her buggy, gurgling away.
"Daddy, I think Bella wants to throw some." Jake announces, having stopping throwing the bread to stand by his sister.
"Okay." Neil says and reaches in the buggy to take Bella in his arms.
Jake places a small tearing of bread in her hand. "There ya go!" He says. Watching as Neil takes Bella's hand in his own and throw the bread towards the ducks.
Jake is fooled and believes his sister to be a good thrower. "Yay! Bella threw it Daddy!"
"Good girl Bella!" He says smiling at his little sister.
Neil watches this, taking in the unmistakeable bond between the two siblings, despite both having different mothers. If Annabelle's looks are anything to go by she'll end up as stubborn as Andrea, something Neil silently hopes will not happen.
Having finished feeding the ducks, they set off walking round the park, until Jake complains of being hungry and the stop at a bench for a snack.
"How old is Bella?" Jake asks through a mouthful of cake.
"Almost a year old."
"When it's her birthday, will she have a party, like I do?" Jake continues his questioning.
"I don't know." Neil repiles, Annabelle's impending first birthday is not something to have crossed his mind before.
"I want to go." Jake says. "Will she have a birthday cake?"
"I said I don't know Jake." Neil says beginning to get irritated.
Jake quietens down and continues eating. While Neil sorts Annabelle out.
"Daddy?" Jake says having finished eating and looking at Bella on Neil's lap.
"Yes, Jake." Neil responds awaiting his sons reply, which is bound to be another question.
However Jake is beaten too it by Annabelle. "Da!" She says, waving a hand in the air.
Jake giggles, "She was trying to say Daddy."
Neil smiles, slightly surprised by his daughter's attempt to speak. "Say it again, Bella."
"No, say Jake. Bella. Go on say Jake." Jake says.
Annabelle just gurgles with no intention of saying anymore.
Meanwhile, Andrea is at work, staring at a computer screen that her mind is definitely not focused on. She thinks about Annabelle and Neil and wondering what their doing. It's strange knowing Annabelle's out with Neil and she's not with them. If she's completely honest she is tired with life at the moment. She confused about what she wants particulary in regards to Neil. She wants whats best for Annabelle but isn't sure exactly what that is anymore. Bella's first word hasn't done much to relieve the niggling feelings of regret she's been beginning to have. There's a question of what's more important, her happiness or Annabelle's. And the latter is the answer that she's more and more finding herself pulled towards.
Just after half three, Neil's car parks outside Andrea's ground floor flat. Making his way to her front door, Bella in his arms and Jake in tow as well, he's about to knock when the door swings open.
"Hi." Andrea says.
"Andrea!" Jake pipes up, "Bella can talk, but she won't say Jake."
"Been practising her talking skills has she?" Andrea asks, the question directed at Neil.
"Yeah, when did she start then?" He asks, in a bid to get a conversation going.
"Oh the other night when you rung." Andrea says, almost dryly.
"So does she say anything else other than …?"
"No. Her vocabulary seems to be limited to just the one word at the moment, no sign of Mummy in it yet."
The sarcasm leads Neil to the impression that it is a sore subject and decides to avert the conversation elsewhere.
"My divorce has come through."
"Really." Andrea says,through a weak smile, willing the statement not to affect her but its seems, to have already. "that's good then." She says trying to make more of an effort with the situation.
"Look, Andrea. About what we said about us moving …"
"I told you what I wanted and why, you being divorced doesn't change anything in my eyes." She cuts in.
"You could at least think about it." Neil tries to reason with her.
"I have and the answers no. No, Neil. Okay?"
Neil just grits his teeth and shakes his head at her.
"I don't know why I bother anymore."
"Well if that's how you feel you won't mind going then because I've got things to do, other than stand around listening to your attempts to try and persuade me into something I've already made my thoughts clear on!"
"I'll go then." Neil says handing Bella over. "I'll seen you soon Bella."
"Da." This one word causes Neil to shoot Andrea a look.
"Seeya Jake." Andrea says, averting her glance.
"Bye. Are you going to come next time?"
"Maybe, we'll see."
"Come on Jake lets get you home." Neil says guiding his son to the car.
Andrea looks on for a moment before shutting the door. It would seem a cloud of gloominess has fallen over all.