"I am sorry Jill. I should never have spoken to you like that."
She shrugged and focused on picking her way over the sand. "And I shouldn't have been so..." She raised a hand to sweep away the hair that the wind had blown in her face. She glanced at him. "Let's just forget about it, eh?"
"Jill..." He sighed, reaching out and touching her elbow, slightly dismayed as she moved away from his hand.
"It's all in the past now. I'm over it."
He watched as she straightened her spine, lifted her head and turned and gave him a level gaze.
"Okay?"
Gordon nodded mutely, not liking the hardness in her expression. Jill on the other hand fought hard to sustain it. They walked on together in silence, towards the children playing near the edge of the sea. The glanced over at him. She wanted so much to reach out and slide her hand into his, but she worried it might be construed as an indication of weakness. Her hands stayed firmly at her sides.
She glanced around the beach. The sea was out, creating a vast expanse of sand. There were few other occupants; a family behind them, a couple leant against the sea wall, and a solitary man. A jolt passed through Jill. He was tall, well-built. He was coming in their direction. "TOM! KATIE!" She shouted, making her voice heard clearly despite the distance between them, and the ever growing wind. "Come on! It's time to go."
The 'awww's of the children were, too, clearly audible. The disappointment on their faces was all too apparent as they neared their father and step-mother. Jill ignored Gordon's questioning expression, instead thrusting her shoes at Gordon and grabbing Katie's hand. She reached out to Tom but he turned away. "It's not fair! I want to stay!" He made to run back towards the sea, but Jill's hand darted out quickly, her fingers curling around his wrist in a firm, but not painful, hold.
"Come on Gordon!" She marched up the beach, making Tom and Katie run to keep up with her long strides. A glance to her right made her satisfied that Gordon was with them. "Come on, shoes on." She chivvied as soon as they reached the concrete ramp leading from the beach up to the road. "And don't take all day about it." She added upon seeing Gordon, Tom and Katie seemingly attempt to remove every last grain of sand from their feet.
"But I've got sand between my toes." Katie whined.
"You'll survive, come on." Jill near enough snapped back.
"Jill..." Gordon said quietly, a warning tone to his voice. She shot him a glare, prompting him to quietly help the children quickly into their shoes. As Jill once more marched on with the children in tow, he gazed after her worriedly. He knew her well enough to see the fear through her angry expression. Before the event of only a week earlier, it had been an expression he'd seen only very few times. Now... Fear was an almost permanent fixture upon his wife's face.
