GAYLE
At the Sweet Life Café the next morning, Gayle lifted a slice of lemon meringue pie from the tin and set it on a plate next to the portion she’d already prepared. She took the plates over to the couple ensconced at the booth the girls had sat in so frequently. They looked so in love. It reminded her of how she’d once been with Jeffrey in her parents’ café; it also brought back memories of Susanna and Mateo when they’d first started dating. After she’d interfered with their relationship and she and Susanna had fallen out spectacularly, Gayle had had visions of Susanna doing the opposite of knuckling down and passing her exams just to spite her. But she hadn’t. And for that Gayle was glad. The only thing she regretted was that they’d never been able to work through their problems.
Last night’s dinner of roast lamb had been wonderful and every time they sat together to eat it felt like a tiny step in the right direction. She hadn’t been able to eat that much of it, unfortunately – her appetite hadn’t allowed her to. She’d had a few pieces of the juicy meat, but struggled to have any of the caramelised carrots or the roast potatoes, perfectly golden and smelling like true home cooking – the sort of cooking that felt like she finally had family wrapped all around her. She’d shuffled her food around her plate, tried to squish down some of the food so it looked like she’d eaten more than she had, and a couple of times when her nieces were distracted, she’d hidden small bits in tissue that she pushed deep into the pockets of her multi-coloured cardigan and discarded later. The cookies had been good, though, and hearing that Addie had baked in her kitchen? Well, that had spread a warm feeling right through her.
Conversation had been lacking last night, as usual – much like her appetite. But she’d told herself at least they weren’t at each other’s throats, because that would be worse. She’d longed to ask the girls whether they were staying for the living funeral. She really wanted them to, Susanna knew that, but with just seven days to go, she was still none the wiser.
‘Let me know if you need anything else,’ Gayle told the couple as she left them to enjoy the pie.
The couple seemed besotted with each other, just like Mateo and Susanna had been.
Soon after her niece had started seeing Mateo, he’d come into the café while Susanna was minding Addie, and Gayle had overheard their conversation while she offered to take a break and sit with Addie for a bit. Addie was struggling with her homework, and Gayle didn’t mind doing her best to help to give Susanna some time with Mateo.
Susanna and Mateo moved over to the next table and began to talk about seasickness. She wasn’t even aware Susanna had an issue with boats.
‘How do you handle going to school by boat when you get seasick?’ Mateo had asked her.
‘The other day is the first time it’s ever happened. I was trying to get my homework done and then when I looked up the boat was rocking more than usual and my stomach rolled.’
‘Er… maybe stop doing that on the boat,’ he suggested. ‘When you’re on board, try to be outside in the fresh air, and keep your gaze on the horizon. That’ll help.’
‘Don’t you ever feel sick?’ Susanna had asked.
‘I wouldn’t be in the right business if I did.’
Hearing about his job when Susanna asked something about boats was a jolt that reminded Gayle of how much older this boy – man! – was than her niece. He was nice enough, but this wasn’t right. Susanna needed to focus on her studies right now. It was such an important time.
A couple of months later, Gayle got a call from the school about Susanna’s effort and attainment as well as her attendance, and that was when Gayle had felt a pressure to step up, do what she suspected Harry would’ve done, do it because she had her niece’s best interests at heart.
She’d hated every minute of the day she’d gone down to see Mateo and had a talk with him. But she’d felt trapped, like she had no other choice.
But the way she felt was nothing compared to how she felt later when Susanna came home and revealed she’d overheard the whole thing.
‘Are you happy now?’ her niece had roared at her after coming into the house and slamming the front door. ‘He’s dumped me. He’s going to another island to work! I hate you, you hear me, I hate you!’
And she’d left Gayle in her wake, the only sounds Gayle’s thudding heart and the stomping of feet going up the stairs, followed by the slam of a bedroom door.
Gayle had tried to go in and talk to Susanna later that evening.
‘I want you to focus on school,’ she’d said to Susanna. Face down on her bed, her niece refused to acknowledge her presence. ‘Once your exams are finished, then?—’
Susanna turned over, eyes red from crying, puffiness beneath showing just how upset she was. ‘Then what? Mateo is leaving! You’ve ruinedeverything!’
‘I’m only thinking of you.’
Susanna harrumphed. ‘Yeah, well now I really can’t wait to leave this shitty island.’
‘I’m sorry you feel that way.’ She stood to go, but with her hand resting on the door handle she turned to Susanna. ‘I know I’ve made mistakes, and I keep making them, but Harry trusted me to look after you and Addie. I think he’d have similar rules to me, especially when it comes to boys, schoolwork and curfew.’
But Susanna said nothing else and Gayle left.
Whether that had been the right thing to do that day, she had no idea. There was no guidebook when it came to parenting, never mind being a mother figure to two nieces who’d lost so much.
Gayle finished wiping down the table next to the couple with the pie.
‘We need more custard,’ Nancy told her as she passed by with a stack of dishes and cutlery in her hands.
‘I’ll be right on it,’ said Gayle.
