Let's All Make Believe - Oasis

Chapter 64

The day came for the gallery display to "open", parents and students were invited in to see the classes' work. I wanted to go so I could stand by Lydia and see it for myself but she wouldn't allow it. She was certain it'd end in trouble if I was there even if I promised not to show even the slightest public display of affection.

She had her mum as her guest. It made sense for her to attend as a university lecturer even though her area wasn't art. I knew far less about art, I didn't even have an inspiring career story to tell them either.

It was so shitty that I couldn't be there just because I was a girlfriend, not a boyfriend, it was shitty Lydia had to hide part of her for her job. I started to winder if it really was about us being gay or whether she just didn't want to be seen with me because I wasn't a teacher or anything like that.

I was really disappointed I couldn't go but at least we didn't have to arrange a babysitter or a dogsitter. I ended up talking to the dog I wouldn't want to go back to a school anyway. It probably wouldn't have been all that fun to be around teachers and students again. I couldn't tell the boys that, I wanted them to have the chance to be academic so they couldn't hear how I hadn't got on at school. I'd adapted to talking to Delfina like she was another adult in the room when there wasn't a human one a bit too quickly.

Lydia's mum came over with her full of praise for her daughter. We talked about our pride in her and the need for her to get together a gallery display of her own work.

After Lydia had launched the gallery thing she kept telling me all about how happy the kids were with it, how they'd engaged with the class and improved their work because of it. She was so proud with what they'd achieved that she wanted to do it again at the end of term. I was proud of her for pulling it off but I just wanted to see her.

"We should go on holiday over half term to celebrate." I suggested, hoping she'd agree.

"I can't, I'll have marking and lesson plans and..."

"You're gonna burn yourself out. The kids get a rest that week, why can't you?"

"I guess we could go somewhere for a few days." she relented.

"What about Blackpool or somewhere like that?" I suggested, it was barely away but I thought it'd be a really easy first holiday for us.

"That could work, I haven't been since I was young."

"I think we went when I was young too."

"We'll go for the first time together, explore the place for real." she smiled, getting kind of excited about it.

It didn't us long to put our holiday together. The only problem was we couldn't find anywhere that would allow dogs especially not a German Shepard like Delfina. When Lydia suggested finding a kennels to put her in I almost bit her head off, that wasn't happening on my watch.

"She's just come from a kennel, she's not going back to one." I told her, mad at the idea. "I'd rather not go."

"You love that dog more than you love anyone else. It's not gonna do her any harm to go into kennels for a few days."

"She deserves all the love she can get."

"She's not some abused, starving puppy. She had a caring family who put her in a good shelter for a few days and now she has us."

"I know and I don't want her to think we let her go too."

"Well you'd better ring round our friends or work out how to have that holiday at home." she said, unimpressed by my attitude, I wasn't exactly happy with hers either, she would understand if she spent as much time with the dog as I did.