The heat was unbearable. Who would have thought that horrid winter would have been followed by such a warm summer. Now they were in the midst of a heatwave.
"Blasted it's hot!" Patrick exclaimed.
Teddy responded to his father by crying. He had been fussy and Shelagh was at her wits end. The poor baby had heat rash and even a cool bath had not helped to sooth him. He was only dressed in a nappy and that he obviously needed.
"I'm not sure he'll ever sleep. When I feed him, our skin just sticks together," she complained.
"Give him here," he said taking his son, he paced around their bedroom. He was wearing only his boxers and vest. It was just too warm for clothes.
When he headed towards the door, Shelagh said, "Patrick where are you going?"
"Downstairs. It must be a bit cooler. All the heat is trapped up here."
Shelagh laughed, "You can't go down dressed that way. Have you forgotten we have another person living under our roof?"
"Tim, won't care. We used to be bachelors."
"Not Tim! The au pair," she giggled.
"Oh right," he said quite forlorn that his plan to cool off wasn't going to work.
"Put on your pyjama trousers and we can see if it's cooler in the garden."
"You won't let me go downstairs like this, but you want me to go in the garden in pyjamas?" he questioned her logic.
"The garden is private."
Patrick cocked an eyebrow and said, "How private?"
"Not that private!" Shelagh pretended to scold him for the idea.
Shelagh followed him into the garden wearing her cool bri-nylon nightdress that he loved. In the dark garden with only the light by the door to illuminate, he was reminded of the candle light in South Africa.
"Why did it not seem this hot when you wore that in South Africa," he asked.
"It was."
"I remember something else that was hotter!" he whispered into Teddy's ear, who had stopped fussing since they went outside.
"Patrick!"
"Well I believe it directly impacts his...existence," he teased.
Shelagh gave into him and laughed. Sometimes there was no use trying to be mature when he was talking this way.
"What's so funny?" Tim asked coming down the garden path to where they were sitting.
"You're father thinks it was cooler in Africa than here," Shelagh answered, and continued, "Can't sleep?"
"No," Tim answered, "I'd like to sleep out here."
"Maybe we can borrow the tents," Patrick suggested.
"What so they can fall down!" Shelagh responded.
"That was because the ground was saturated from the rain. The spike couldn't hold it," Patrick explained.
"Rain! I wish it would rain right now," Tim said.
As if on cue, in the distance there was a flash and after some delay a rumble.
"Seems like you'll get your wish. We best go in and try to sleep before the thunder wakes Angela," Shelagh said.
Later in bed with Teddy asleep in his cot, Patrick reached for Shelagh. She kissed his cheek and said, "Sorry dear, but you need to stay on your side of the bed. It's too hot for any contact."
Patrick hissed, "Blasted heat!"