Emma: I spent about an hour by the pool late in the morning, probably around eleven. Everybody who wants to sunbathe is already up and reserving beds by around seven, so the only spot I could find was near the shallow end, where there was no sun until late in the afternoon.
I read a bit of a book, but, even in the shade, it was so hot that I couldn’t think properly. I’ve always been like that. I like those autumn and spring days where there’s a breeze and it never gets above fifteen or sixteen degrees. Sunshine was more Dad’s thing, probably Julius’s as well.
I said hello to Amy and Chloe – but they were enjoying their final day on the slides, so it wasn’t much more than that. They wanted me to join in, but my days of waterslides, rollercoasters and that sort of thing are long behind me.
It was probably around midday when Victor appeared out of nowhere. I was on a sunbed and he stood over me, before nudging the bed with his knee.
I didn’t recognise him at first. He was unshaven, plus wearing shades and a hat I’d not seen before. He was also topless, with impressively tanned arms and so much chest hair, it almost looked like he was wearing a vest.
I have no idea what he’d been getting up to in the days since Claire left, but, from the look of him, it likely involved a lot of free booze.
…
Honestly, there was something about him that day that was unquestionably charming. I’d never seen him like that before. He was wearing sunglasses and a fedora that, surprisingly, didn’t look ridiculous.
The crackhead rock star look suited him, if you want the truth.
Victor told my chest that something was happening by the cottages and that he’d been sent to find me.
Julius: Everyone was waiting at the cottages except one person.
Emma: When I got there with Victor, Dad was in the middle of a small circle of people. Mum, Julius, the twins, Daniel, Liz and the hotel manager were all there, surrounding Dad in his wheelchair.
It felt like this was some sort of organised thing – but nobody had told me what time Dad was returning, let alone that we were having a mini get-together to celebrate.
Daniel: Typical, wasn’t it?
Emma: They were obviously waiting for me. I was feeling out of place and underdressed. Victor had surprised me and I’d forgotten to grab a towel before we headed off to the cottages.
I looked across to Dad and that ring was on his finger, as if it had never left. Meanwhile, Victor was standing a couple of spaces away, as if we were one big, happy family.
When I was in place, Dad lit up, he wheeled himself across to the manager and goes: ‘Looks like you have to fall off a cliff to get a good room in this place!’
Everyone laughed, including me. It was a good line.
He wasn’t quite the same as I’d seen him that morning, though. I suppose the painkillers had started to wear off.
There was a blanket across his legs and something a little frail about the way he spoke. I wondered what the doctor might have said to him in private, after I left. Whether he’d been told about the timeline before he might be able to walk, or – perhaps – if he’d ever be able to walk again.
I’ve said before that Dad would never have admitted to any of that. If there was any fear about the state of his health, then he wouldn’t have showed it openly – and definitely not in front of a crowd.
I remember him playfully nudging the manager with his elbow and saying he hoped there would be some good wine for dinner that night.
The manager started to reply, but Mum cut him off, saying that Dad wasn’t allowed to drink with the medication he was on. Daniel took that moment to open his mouth and come out with something like: ‘One never hurt anyone.’ It got a laugh, but then he glanced to me and said: ‘It’s two that’s the problem.’
Julius: It probably was out of order.
Daniel: It was an honest mistake and nothing was meant by it. I was greeting an old friend, that’s all. This snowflake generation wants to be offended by everything.
Emma: Everyone knew what he meant, probably even the twins. There was a long, long silence and then Dad clapped his hands and said he was grateful for everyone coming out to greet him.
I think the manager probably wanted to get out of there, so he said he had things to do and rushed back towards the main hotel. That was the cue for people to start looking around and head back to whatever they were doing. Victor didn’t hang around: he was already past me and on the way back towards the pool when Daniel clamped a hand on Dad’s shoulder and said: ‘Can I have a word?’
There was something so pronounced about it, so deliberate, that it was obvious he wanted me to see.
I could have left, but I think I knew how things were going to play out. Julius and the girls went back to the pool, while Liz, Mum and me stood in this awkward, contemptuous triangle, with none of us saying anything.
Dad wheeled himself away to the corner of the cottage and, all credit to Daniel, he actually managed to crouch as he spoke to Dad. At most, they spoke for a minute and, as soon as they were done, Dad turned and looked right at me. Daniel was watching me, too.
When he came back towards us, Dad was being deliberately cheery. He thanked me for visiting him in the hospital, and for helping Mum, plus looking after the girls.
It’s the compliment sandwich, isn’t it? Give all the good information up front, slide the turd into the middle, and then finish with something like: ‘By the way, I love that top you’re wearing.’
Dad asked Liz and Mum to excuse us and then I was left waiting as they headed back towards the pool.
It was only Dad, Daniel and me on the lawn outside the cottages when he said it.
Daniel: Geoff asked Emma if she was OK. She had been behaving erratically and everyone was worried.
Geoffrey: I’d been at the hospital and hadn’t seen everything that had happened. I love my daughter and I wanted her to be well.
Emma: Dad told me that I had to return what I’d taken from his room. He wanted me to give it to Daniel.
I’d guessed before – but that was the moment I knew for sure that Dad and Daniel were in it together. I asked what they were up to.
Geoffrey: I wish I could tell you that the conversation went like that – but my daughter has a wild imagination.
Emma: Dad wouldn’t say – and neither would Daniel. I wanted to try to get something, anything, out of them, so I said: ‘I think Daniel might have pushed you off the cliff.’
Daniel was right there. I said it to his face.
Geoffrey: Emma said things that she might regret now. I hope she does.
Emma: Dad said ‘no’. I asked again what was going on – but he said it was none of my business. I said it was my business if he wanted me to return it.
He blew then.
Geoffrey: I had just returned from hospital and the last thing I wanted was to deal with a daughter who was having… problems.
Emma: He shouted: ‘You stole it.’
It was true, I suppose… but it felt like he’d stolen from me, too. That the childhood memories I had of being on the island were no longer true. They weren’t family holidays for us to enjoy together – there was something going on under the surface that I’d known nothing about.