Page 48 of Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe

The silence stretched out so Alex forced himself to carry on speaking the words that he’d carried inside for so long.

‘Thank you for all you’ve done for me. The sacrifices and the training, I mean. I’ve tried my best to live up to your ideals but I have nothing more to give. I love you, Dad, but I want to be your son again, not your gold-medal project to live vicariously through me.’ Alex gulped. ‘Please respect my wishes. I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. I can’t do it any more. I’m out.’

His dad looked at him. ‘I see,’ he said finally with a sigh as he stood up. ‘Well, there’s nothing left for me here then.’

‘I’mhere, Dad,’ said Alex, feeling hurt.

He had always wanted to be closer to his dad, not feeling like a project but a son.

His dad hesitated before giving him a small nod. ‘Yes. Well, I’d better get back in any case,’ he said. ‘Take care of yourself.’

After an awkward goodbye, his dad walked away.

Alex leaned back in his chair and puffed out a long sigh.

It was over at last. Who had he been competing for all this time? Had it been for himself or his obsessive father?

The truth was that he had never truly wanted it. Deep down. All he had wanted was to be close to his dad. And that had only been available to him through practice and the competitions. Something they could share.

Without that, was there a chance that they could have a relationship?

He hoped so. But he felt the tears pricking his eyes as his dad left the boathouse, feeling lower than he had ever imagined.

25

Hannah had begun her walk with Tiny when she realised that she had forgotten his treat bag. Being an oversized puppy meant that bribes were essential in case of any misbehaviour, especially where the wildfowl on the lake was concerned.

So she was just on her way back to the boathouse to grab them when she spotted Alex’s dad coming the other way.

Surprised to see him again so quickly, she walked up to him, hoping that nothing was wrong.

‘Hi again,’ she said with a smile. ‘Would you like me to bring you both a cup of tea? It’s really no problem. I’m sure you’ve got lots to catch up on.’

Alex’s dad looked a bit shocked. ‘Oh, no, thank you,’ he said quickly, with a frown. ‘I’ve got to get going actually.’

Given his angry expression, Hannah guessed that their meeting hadn’t gone very well. Alex had told her of his dad’s dismay when he had said that he wanted to give up competing but she couldn’t believe that he would take it that badly.

Alex’s dad gave her a nod as if to take his leave of her and started to walk away.

But Hannah found herself saying, ‘Please don’t leave. Not so soon and not like this.’

His dad stopped and turned around, looking surprised at her.

‘What I mean to say is that Alex is in a lot of pain at the moment,’ she began, blushing furiously. ‘So I’m sure he would want to see you, whatever he says.’

‘He hasn’t told me anything except his desire to give up competing,’ snapped his dad. ‘So what else is there to say to each other?’

His dad was looking upset but Hannah knew that she had to try to somehow bridge the gap that seemed to exist between them both. Because she cared for Alex, she realised.

‘He’s in pain,’ she told him. ‘And I think he’s a little lost too. His whole world has been turned upside down with this injury. He needs support, not blame.’

His dad raised his eyebrows. ‘This was all his own doing,’ he replied. ‘Alex chose to compete in that race. Against my advice, I have to add.’

‘He came here to help his best friend and my family,’ said Hannah. ‘He knows that the hotel is still struggling and he wanted to support us by taking part in the triathlon. Don’t you think that that’s worth more than any medal? That his kindness and the way he values his friends is more important?’

‘He doesn’t have the luxury of time to help people out when he should be competing,’ said his dad.

Hannah began to get a little cross. ‘Your son is one of the kindest, most generous people that I’ve ever come across. Despite being in pain, he’s been helping me out with the café paperwork because I’ve been struggling with it.’