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Aaron’s iPad, and they played a
succession of games, then broke up his Lego digger and began to build the other
truck in the leaflet.
    While they played, the rain continued to
hammer down outside. Normally, he’d have taken his son to Te Papa or to the
cinema, but that would have meant venturing out in the rough weather again, and
besides, he didn’t want to leave Bridget on her own.
    A couple of hours passed. Aaron made him
and Mateo another drink, and they ate the chocolate biscuits as they played and
watched a kids’ movie. From time to time, he glanced across at her. She didn’t
toss and turn, or make any noise, just breathed slowly and quietly. Without her
makeup and in his sweatshirt she looked younger but still as beautiful, her
pale skin bearing a few freckles across her nose and cheeks, her hair gradually
drying to a pretty blonde. How strange that she’d just appeared in his life
like this. Within a few hours she’d probably be gone, and he doubted he’d ever
see her again.
    In his pocket, his phone vibrated. Thinking
it might be Hitch again, he pulled it out, only to see the name Nita.
    Rising from the bed, he swiped the screen
and answered it softly. “Hi.” He walked back to the kitchenette—hardly miles
away, but it might mean he was less likely to wake Bridget.
    “Hi. How is it going?” she said in her strong
Spanish accent.
    “Yeah, fine. We’re making a Lego digger for
the umpteenth time.”
    “You should not keep buying him Lego,
Aaron. We have so many boxes of it.” Her voice was full of irritation and he’d
only said a couple of sentences. Clearly, it was going to be that sort of
conversation.
    “I know, but the boy’s got to have
something to do in the hotel room.”
    “So take him out.”
    “Have you seen the weather?” He didn’t want
to argue with her, not now. “Do you want to speak to him?”
    “Yes, please.”
    He walked back to the bed and handed his
son the phone. Gesturing to Bridget, he put a finger to his lips, and Mateo
nodded.
    “Hi Mum,” the boy said in a mock whisper.
He listened, then whispered, “Yes, we bought some ice cream but it was raining
so we came back.”
    Nita obviously then asked him why he was
whispering, because he answered, “Because Bridget’s sleeping in the other bed.”
    Aaron closed his eyes momentarily. He
should have asked Mateo not to mention her, but it wasn’t fair to ask the boy
to keep a secret from his mother.
    “Um… we found her on the quay,” Mateo said.
“She was getting married but the man didn’t turn up… Because she was wet. She’s
wearing Daddy’s sweatshirt… Um… I’ll give you back to Daddy.” Mateo passed the
phone back to him, pulling a comical eek face.
    Aaron tried not to laugh and walked away.
“Hello?”
    “What the hell is going on?” Nita’s tone
was clipped and curt. “There is a woman in your hotel room?”
    “It’s not what you think. She was in
trouble and we helped her out.”
    “That is unacceptable, Aaron. It is
disgusting. You cannot bring women back to your room when our son is there.”
    “She’d been jilted at the altar,” he said,
starting to get irritated. “She was on the quay in her wedding dress, soaked
through, and I offered to help.”
    “What is it with you? Why do you always
have to help?”
    “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
    “If it is not people it is animals.
Hundreds and hundreds of them, running riot in the house, spreading diseases.”
    “At the most there were three dogs and a
couple of cats, Nita, don’t exaggerate. It’s my job.”
    “It is your job to stitch them up. You have
a surgery. It is not your job to take them home and personally nurse every one
of them.”
    Aaron gave up. He’d never win an argument
with her in this mood, and he didn’t even want to try. “I’ve got to go—it’s
time for Mat’s tea.”
    “What are you giving him?”
    “Burger and chips, non-diet soda, and ice
cream with sprinkles full of E