"I honestly don't know," I truthfully told him. "But if you want, we can—" I wanted to suggest that we could attend the party and try to have him meet with Keith. Though I really didn't want to go.
"No, I want to go to the beach," Tony interrupted me though. "Dad wouldn't talk to me even if we went," he told me in a sad tone.
It was then that I realized that while I wanted to let go of Keith and move on with my life without him, I couldn't expect the same of Tony. Keith was his father at the end of the day. A child would obviously love to have both their parents around. It would only be natural if Tony missed Keith.
"Plus, I'm mad at him for how he treated you mummy!" he said angrily. My eyes widened in surprise.
Part of me had wondered if Tony blamed me for what had happened to us. Everyone thought I was the crazy unhinged jealous woman who mistreated Diana and that's why I was kicked out. To everyone else it was my fault we were in this situation. I wondered did it seem that way to Tony as well?
His future self didn't mention that to me in the hospital the day I died. Either way I was scared to ask him. But hearing him say this now, made me feel like perhaps he didn't blame me.
On the Saturday of the Acland event party, Tony and I packed up our things for our trip. I made picnic foods sandwiches, fruits, juices.
"Let's go to the beach!" Tony excitedly set once we were set for the day. Upon leaving the house we were met with shining sun that let us know we were going to have a fun time at the beach.
Tony and I walked down the paved pathway that lead to small gate and wall of our home. I saw the grass in the front yard next to the pathway and thought to myself it needs a trim. Tomorrow I would have to do something about that. Upon reaching the small gate. I then noticed a car parked outside by the gate.
It was a black sedan. It took me a moment before I recognized the car it was one of Keith's. I went to the window of the car and it lowered revealing the driver inside.
"Good morning, Mrs Acland I've come to take you to the party today," he informed me. He looked me up and down in confusion as he spoke, noticing I wasn't dressed for the occasion. In my casual jeans,
As it was an Acland event the Acland family had to get there little earlier. I'm sure Keith, Diana and Marco were there already. As Anthony were also
"I see," I responded to the driver. "Did Diana send you?" I then asked but I already knew the answer.
"I am here to drive you to the event," he responded not naming anyone.
Even if he didn't say it, I knew it was Diana. I was always supposed to have a driver, but Diana made sure I didn't, among other things she prevented me from having. She only sent me one today so in case I met with Keith, he wouldn't see what she was doing.
If I tried to make Keith aware of what Diana was doing anyway, she already had something prepared to cover her tracks. Just like what happened the last time when I attended the event.
If I asked Keith to check with the servants and question them, they would all lie and say they had been serving me all along. Diana bribed them to lie on her behalf. I could only laugh at how calculated Diana was. The situation was ridiculous!
"We won't be attending the party today so you can go back," I told the driver. "My son and I are going to the beach."
The drivers face filled confusion. "I—I don't understand," he said.
"Just tell them I didn't want to go," I told him.
The driver continued to look at me speechlessly. Without saying another word, I turned away from the car with Tony. We began to make our way to the beach without a care for the party.
***
Tony and I had a blast at the beach. I was seated on beach chair, tanning in the sun, a colourful cocktail in my hand that I was drinking. I was also keeping an eye on Tony who was playing nearby in the sand.
"Look at my sandcastle mum!" he said excitedly said to me.
I looked from my sunglasses and saw the adorable sandcastles he was working on.
"Looking good Tony," I told him.
Just a nice relaxing time.
As the day progressed we ate the food we packed, played in the sea, Tony made some friends whom he played with for a bit. I continued my tanning and relaxing as I watched.
Rather than being in a place where we would be receiving glares from people and overall feeling uncomfortable, it was nice to just enjoy ourselves like this. I was so glad I had decided not to go to the party in the end. There was no need to unnecessarily stress ourselves.
I also made sure to take plenty of pictures of Tony and I for memories. By early evening Tony and I were completely satisfied with the day we had had. We then packed up our things and made our way home.
***
The following day Tony and I did a deep cleaning of the house as we now usually did on Sundays. We added more pictures to the wall of our day at the beach. I also cut the overgrown lawn in our front and back yard. I asked Tony to water the flowers and bushes around the yard.
And the next day it was back to school for Tony and work for me. As we left our house, in a rush so I could get him to school on time, at the gate we were met with a car parked outside. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It was a black car similar to the one who was supposed to be my driver drove. I wondered what he wanted now.