Page 32 of Vivacity

‘Cool. Those sound fab. Want to go into the family business when you’re done?’

His look of abject horror nearly makes me laugh. Luckily Ethan, who’s replying to an email on his phone while eating, misses it. ‘No. I want to work in animation.’

‘Your science teacher hasn’t come back to me,’ Ethan says without looking up.

‘It’s fine, Dad. Just leave it.’

‘I will not leave it. You should be in top set. We’re nearly halfway through the term and they still haven’t rectified the situation.’

‘It’s not a big deal.’ Jamie’s voice is quiet but firm. ‘If I do well, they’ll put me up at some point.’

‘I want to make sure you’re on the right path for Triple Science. I’ll get Grandpa to put in a call.’

Ahh, I remember this from school. They’ll steer some kids towards a triple science qualification, some towards double, depending on abilities. Though why he needs to do triple science if he wants a creative career is beyond me.

‘He’ll just embarrass me. He’s so dramatic. It’s not that deep.’

Ugh, so Richard must be a Westminster alum too. I can imagine him striding in there and throwing his weight around on a subject that’s categorically none of his business.

Poor Jamie. I really hope his mother is lovely, because he hasn’t exactly lucked out on the family of origin front, from what I can see.

‘Are those your drawings, Jamie?’ I ask him in a desperate attempt to rescue the conversation from the car crash it’s becoming.

His gaze slides to me and back to his pad. ‘Yeah.’

I cock my head and give him my best smile. ‘Working on some animations?’

He wriggles uncomfortably and pulls his cuffs down over his hands. ‘I mainly use Autodesk Maya for that, but I sketch out the ideas first by hand.’

‘Any chance I can get a peek at what you’re working on? I draw like a three-year-old. I’m always so in awe of people who can draw.’

‘Sure.’ He shrugs and leafs through the pad, folding back the top pages once he’s found what he’s looking for and sliding it across to me. ‘I only do anime. I’m trying to get her right, but it’s hard.’

I pick up the pad. The page is filled with stunning, delicate pencil sketches of a single anime character with huge eyes and a perky ponytail. He’s depicted her face from various angles and with several expressions.

‘These are exquisite,’ I tell him. ‘So amazing! You have such a talent. Ethan, have you seen these?’

I wave the pad at him excitedly. He glances up from his phone and studies the page for a moment. ‘They’re good. You need to pay more attention to proportion, though.’ And with that, he resumes his emailing.

My blood runs cold. Honestly, I feel sick. How can he be so dismissive of his own son? So disinterested? How can he not possibly discern that what Jamie needs in this moment,having had his golfing request knocked down, is just a second of validation?

Surreptitiously, I look over at Jamie. His shoulders have slumped dejectedly, and he’s grinding his teeth. I slide the pad back across to him.

‘They’re really gorgeous,’ I say lamely.

He shrugs his acknowledgment in the most disinterested way possible. ‘Thanks. Dad, can I be excused?’

‘Yes. Put your bowl in the sink for Davide, please. And go find some way to entertain yourself. I’ll see you at dinner.’

He slides off his stool, taking his bowl over to the sink. Then he’s back for his pad and pencil and slinking away into whatever corner of this cold, lifeless house he holes up in when he’s staying with his dad.

I sneak a sideways glance at Ethan.

I want to take him by his lovely broad shoulders and shake him.

I want to yell at him, to demand that he goes out there right now and suggests a trip to the driving range with his gorgeous boy, so tall and gangly and yet so clearly still a kid.

I’m giving myself a stern talking to, reminding myself that it’s none of my business, when Ethan drags his hand down his face and shudders out a huge sigh.