The sound of footsteps coming towards her made her snap out of her daydream.
‘Addie!’ It was Louisa, calling for her.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, quickening her pace, approaching the café.
‘It’s Gayle. Come quickly.’
As they began to run a man climbed out of the car that had pulled up kerbside. He followed them inside, carrying a small bag. He went straight to Gayle, and Addie realised he was a doctor. He carried out his checks, talking to Gayle in a soothing voice, while Addie stood back. Susanna was at Gayle’s side as he said that a call had already been put in to initiate the marine ambulance. There was a medical facility on the island, but it wasn’t for emergencies. Aunt Gayle would need to be transported to the hospital in Guernsey.
Addie went to her aunt’s other side opposite her sister and took her hand. Gayle had a blanket over her and a rolled-up towel under her neck to make her comfortable until help came.
‘I’m so sorry I ran off,’ Addie said softly.
Gayle groaned.
‘I’ll go outside and wait for the paramedics to arrive,’ said Louisa.
Susanna reached across Gayle to give Addie’s hand a squeeze. With her other hand she took Gayle’s, and for a moment all three of them were joined in a circle, the little family that had fractured apart. If only they would get more time with Gayle to make sure they got everything out in the open, truths told, admissions made, and the past addressed rather than ignored or run away from. It’s what Addie had always tried to do with regards to Isaac and his dad. She’d always been truthful about Jonty and the way he was. No secrets, no lies, then there was less hurt. But then again, would she really have wanted to know her dad had cheated on her mum? Would she want to know that that was the reason she’d gone out in the car that day and that the state of her emotions could have had something to do with the car accident?
No. She knew she’d got the better end of the deal, and she realised now the hurt Susanna must have felt keeping all of that to herself.
It felt like they waited for an age, voices soothing, encouraging Gayle, telling her that she was going to be fine. And then they were joined by two paramedics and the girls stood back with Louisa.
‘What do you think is wrong with her?’ Susanna’s voice wobbled.
‘Maybe she’s exhausted,’ said Addie. ‘Today would’ve been a lot.’ But then she looked at Louisa. ‘Do you know something?’
‘I… I…’ They watched on as the paramedics attended to Gayle.
‘Come on,’ said Susanna. ‘Out with it. The Raffertys have too many secrets as it is, we don’t need any more.’
‘I’ve been trying to get her to go to the doctor since I arrived on the island,’ Louisa blurted out. ‘She’s had nausea, been really tired… She told me she’s had blurred vision on and off, but put it down to perhaps needing glasses. She kept saying she’d get around to sorting herself out. But… Well, I think she might have been scared of what she’d find out.’
Addie looked at their aunt. Aunt Gayle who’d done so much for them both. Aunt Gayle who they’d pushed away because she wasn’t their parent, because they were so desperate to escape island life and go back to the mainland, where they thought they belonged.
The thought of losing her was terrible. Since coming to the island, Addie had wound back those years, seen herself and Aunt Gayle in the way she’d pushed out of her memory bank, held it at arm’s length. All that baking together, the way they’d laughed and talked in the kitchen and then at the cottage. How had she ignored that for so long?
The paramedics remained tight-lipped about possible outcomes. They wanted to get Gayle to the marine ambulance and over to the hospital on Guernsey.
‘One of us should go with her,’ Susanna declared.
‘No room I’m afraid,’ said one of the paramedics.
Addie was beside herself. ‘Then we need to get a ferry.’
Before they had a chance to wonder when the last ferry went, a voice came from the doorway. Mateo. He was holding the door open for the paramedics to take Gayle outside to the ambulance that would head down to the harbour.
‘How can I help?’ he asked them all.
Susanna didn’t seem surprised to see him back here and she told him everything. Mateo pulled her into a hug to calm her down, and Addie pushed aside the fact that Mateo was there for Susanna when it should have been Alex.
‘What time is the last ferry to Guernsey?’ Susanna asked Mateo as Addie began turning off the lights and making sure everything was off in the kitchen.
‘The last ferry just left,’ he said.
‘What the hell are we going to do?’ Susanna had her hands to her forehead.
‘Stay calm,’ said Mateo. ‘Remember, I know a man with a boat.’
