Chapter 2

Activity started to ramp up from the following week. Sylvia starting working some shorter hours in her CAD job, which was achievable as like me she was able to work from home much of the time. I asked her once how she was coping.

“Busy,” she replied. “Everyone seems to have decided to renovate at once. I spend my days persuading clients that walls can’t simply be moved because they feel like it.”

Sylvia spent almost as much time with Naomi and she did at home. There was lots of measuring, choosing styles (it turns out a going-away outfit was also de rigueur, to say nothing of casual outfits), selecting fabric – and on it went. And then, of course, there was the tailoring. You’d think all this was going to put a severe dent in my wallet, but Naomi had some sort of magic touch, and was able to conjure up miracles on a pauper’s budget. Don’t ask me how, but I bowed to her prowess.

Unsurprisingly, Gareth was finding himself very much on the sideline in all this. In desperation, he spent more than usual time at my place, needing assurance and commiseration. But this was a good opportunity for bonding. He was no longer a boyfriend who spent as little time in my vicinity as possible, but rather a soon-to-be son-in-law, and it made a difference. Not having had a son of my own, I really appreciated the change in relationship.

One of my hobbies was workshopping – carpentry, some basic mechanics, and so on. Gareth’s father had sadly lacked in this area, so the lad knew very little. He could barely handle a screwdriver! So I thought up some simple projects we could work on together, starting with a book case. He was very diffident at first, but after I showed him the basic techniques, he began to enjoy himself, and the end result was very acceptable for a beginner. He paraded it very proudly to his mother, who pronounced it was just the thing to bring some order to his somewhat dishevelled bedroom.

Gareth, obviously emboldened by the success of his first effort, then surprised us both.

“I’ve bought a coffee table online. Flat-pack.”

I nodded gravely. “A brave decision.”

Naomi smiled knowingly. “You sound as though you’re speaking from experience.”

“Experience has taught me that ‘some assembly required’ is one of the great understatements of modern civilisation.”

Gareth laughed. “This one’s supposed to be straightforward.”

“That’s what they all say.”

Sylvia shook her head. “Dad, you’re supposed to encourage him.”

“I am encouraging him. I’m encouraging him to have the instruction sheet translated into English before he starts.”

Wanting to expand Gareth’s horizons, I discovered he knew almost nothing about maintaining a car, beyond filling it with petrol. He drove his mother’s car, but it seems she knew more about maintenance than he did, and that wasn’t a great deal. So he brought the car over, and I ran him through a basic A-Z of the vehicle and its needs. All the time, I could see his confidence growing, and it was a thrill to us both to enjoy the increased accomplishments.

Saturday night following the engagement announcement, it was agreed all round that we needed a night of relaxation. So I made bookings at a dine and dance restaurant for a night of frivolity. It was agreed that attire should be more than just casual, and when Sylvia and I arrived at the Mitchells I presented Naomi with a spray to match her outfit. Gareth did the same for his intended. I went to pin the spray on Naomi’s shoulder, but suddenly was all thumbs. I couldn’t stop trembling at the nearness of the beautiful woman that had entered the room. I had to take some severe deep breaths to regain some measure of control.

“Naomi, that ... that outfit is stunning,” I stammered. I could see that Naomi was grinning at my discomfort, and she compounded the issue by giving me a hug. Her perfume nearly undid me completely.

“Thank you so much for the spray, Gerald. It matches my outfit beautifully.”

“Did you make this yourself?” I managed to get out.

“It’s just something I threw together,” she declaimed.

“Well, I’m lost for words. If this is something you ‘threw together’, Sylvia is going to outshine every bride in this city on her wedding day.”

“Oh daddy, you have no idea,” Sylvia chimed in. “Mum is a miracle worker.”

I was amused at Sylvia calling Naomi ‘mum’ already. But in reality she was.

“When do I get to see the creation?” I asked.