‘It’s a big thumbs up from us,’ Rosie said. ‘I reckon we should get the plans submitted to the LPA as soon as possible, get it sorted and get it earning.’
Oliver nodded his agreement. ‘I can’t imagine there’ll be a problem with approval and this would be a great way of getting some income in to invest in the rest of the build.’
The LPA was the Local Planning Authority whose role it was to approve (or refuse) plans to build something new, make a major change to an existing building or change a building’s use. Oliver and Rosie already had a designated contact who they’d spoken to last year when they first made the decision to develop the estate. He hadn’t anticipated any problems in principle with the planned redevelopment, which was good news. Having worked with many different LPAs and planning officers over the years, I knew that what we’d be proposing for the boat house would be straightforward and unlikely to trigger any objections. As there was nothing Oliver, Rosie, Alice or Xander wanted to change about my proposals, my next step was to contact our builder, Dougie Standish, to run them by him before submitting them to the LPA.
‘Could be tricky to fit in, Mel,’ Dougie said when I called him the following day. ‘I wasn’t expecting to start work on the inside of the hall until the back end of the year and we’re stacked up.’
‘It won’t need a huge team. Is there no way you can shift a few things around?’
He sighed and tutted but eventually conceded that he might be able to squeeze something in. He needed a few days before he could confirm it for definite so I couldn’t do anything except get the plans into as good a shape as possible and wait.
Dougie wasn’t the only one I was waiting on. Mum and Dad hadn’t come back to me following my request to meet up one day this week. I’d been determined not to pester them but, by mid-morning on Wednesday and still no word, I rang them on their landline. There was no answer so I left a message. When there was still no word by late afternoon, I sent Dad a text.
To Dad
Hope you’ve settled back in OK after your hols. How’s your week shaping up? My diary is starting to fill up so I wondered if you have a day that’s best. Can make it next week if you prefer x
A response came back an hour later.
From Dad
Will come back to you later
I noted the absence of a kiss but knew better than to read anything into it. Dad had been a reluctant convert to using a mobile phone and lamented that he still preferred life without one. Whenever he sent texts, he used as few words as possible, never used emojis and didn’t include kisses – not even in messages to Mum.
I rang their landline on Thursday morning and got the answerphone again but didn’t leave a message. By Friday morning, I was extremely frustrated. They’d had plenty of time to settle back in and I’d already given them the opportunity to pick next week if this one didn’t suit. How could I try to rebuild our relationship if they weren’t willing to spend any time with me other than when the whole family were around? Phone calls weren’t working and neither were texts so more direct action was clearly needed. I pulled my coat on and set off to theirs, my footsteps fuelled by anger.
‘Mel?’ Dad stood in the doorway of Derwent Rise, frowning at me. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘You never came back to me so I thought I’d come to you.’ I could hear the accusation in my words and winced inwardly. This wasn’t a great start.
‘It’s not a good time. We’re going out shortly.’
I wasn’t going to be fobbed off again. ‘Anywhere exciting?’
He hesitated for a moment. ‘Not really.’
‘Then you won’t be in a rush to get there.’
Dad had left sufficient room for me to step into the hall without having to shove past him, so that’s what I did, reassuring him, ‘I won’t keep you long.’
Mum was in the lounge with her Kindle resting on her knee. She must have heard my voice as she was looking in my direction expectantly, her brow furrowed.
‘I’m sorry for turning up unannounced,’ I said, adrenaline pumping through me that I was about to give my parents a piece of my mind – something I’d never done. ‘I know that me moving away and staying away has hurt you and I know I’ve been shockingly bad at coming back to visit or even keeping in regular contact. I have reasons but reasons are just excuses and… anyway, I’m back here now and I know I have a lot of making up to do, but how can I be expected to do that if you refuse to even see me? You said you’d?—’
Dad held up his hand to stop me mid-flow. ‘Not everything is about you,’ he said, his voice strong.
‘I know that, and I’m trying to make this about you two, but you have to let me try. I had no idea about your pain or your mobility, Mum, and seeing you at your eightieth was a massive eye-opener for me. I realised how much I’d missed out on by not being around – by not being part of this family anymore. And then when you mentioned everyone in your speech – including Arlo who isn’t even born yet – but didn’t mention me, I felt the full force of being on the outside. And I get that. I did that to myself and I can’t change it but I can try to show how sorry I am.’
My voice had got higher and more garbled but I was thrown by them both just staring at me, open-mouthed, not saying anything, and the nerves had taken over. I paused for breath but the adrenaline flowed from me and my voice came out unsteady.
‘I don’t want to make an issue of what happened at your birthday because I do understand why you did it. I know it’s not something we’re going to be able to resolve over one cup of tea but I do desperately want to make amends. Me asking to see you this week was meant to be the starting point and I really thought you’d at least give me a chance to try.’
I’d completely run out of steam and my legs felt wobbly. I wanted to sit down but I could hardly do that now after I’d barged in without invitation and let rip.
‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t meant to blurt all that out.’
‘I think you’d better sit down,’ Dad said.
