Picture Perfect

Chapter One: Tyler

"Feel better now you've done something cathartic and dramatic?" she asked, the two of us quite sweaty and out of breath.

I nodded. "I do, actually. And very glad I didn't just get another tattoo. My bank can only handle so much grief."

Siobhan grinned, as we neatly put the bins out for collection, and returned to the house. "So, where's Colin taking Saskie?"

"I think they were going to the aquarium and then for lunch," I replied, taking my shoes off and padding through the house in my socks. "I didn't ask many details. I know he's a good dad, he just kind of sucks as a husband."

"I'm surprised he brought Andrew," Siobhan mused, veering straight for the fridge, where she pulled out two cans of craft beer. "It's kind of soon, isn't it, to introduce her to him?"

I sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. I know there's probably a ton of different ways you should introduce your kid to your husband's new boyfriend, but I decided to let Colin take the wheel on that one. If I can avoid Andrew for now, I will. It's too... it's too fresh right now."

Siobhan smiled. "You're being a good dad. And as much as I'd like to punch Colin in the face, he's still her dad, and it's good you're being as amicable as possible. But it's okay not to want to see Andrew. He's a stranger to you."

"Yeah, I know," I sighed, feeling gloomy. The endorphins from doing something so wildly silly were starting to settle down, and the overwhelming emptiness of my house greeted me. "You know, I thought getting rid of his stuff would stop the house feeling so much like him... but all it's done is make me very aware of the space he's left."

Siobhan thought about that. "Then I guess it's probably time to think about selling. I think you and Saskie should move somewhere new, somewhere smaller. It'll suit you better."

The thought of moving out of my home scared me, but I couldn't deny that with every passing day, it felt less like my home and more like a few walls and doors. "I'll think about it," I said.

"Have you been to see mum?" she asked.

I pulled a face.

"Tyler!"

I held up my hands in surrender. "I know, I know. I will go and see her, I just... she's protective over me and Saskie, and she'll go full Colin-bashing mode, and I'm just not in that stage of the break-up yet. When I want to hear how shit Colin is, she's the first person I'll call on."

"Fair enough," Siobhan sighed, clearly wanting to lecture me some more. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and turned to see Andrew's flashy car pull up through the window.

"Well, looks like they're here," I braced myself, getting to my feet. Part of me wished I looked incredible and breezy, but I knew I looked like a bit of a mess after my wood-chipping extravaganza.

Siobhan let me handle it myself, knowing when I didn't need back-up. I walked to the door and opened it, smiling when I saw my daughter getting out of Andrew's car. I purposefully did not look at the driver's seat. I didn't need to see him. I knew what he looked like.

"Daddy!"

I beamed at the sight of her smile, feeling a petty sense of joy when she abandoned Colin immediately to run over to me. "Hey, sweetie," I said, sweeping her up in my arms and picking her up to rest on my hip. "Did you have a good time?"

"I saw fish," she told me proudly, her hair falling in her eyes thanks to a loose hairgrip. I brushed it back, securing it as best as I could with one hand.

"What kind of fish?" I asked.

"Big ones," she said, gesturing with her arms to show she meant it was a very big fish. "And one had big eyes that were black. And one was yellow. And there was a blue one like Dory."