‘Do you think they still have feelings for each other?’
‘She’s married.’
Louisa caught herself. ‘I wasn’t suggesting she’d cheat. Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked the question.’
‘It’s fine.’
‘I don’t think it’s okay to cheat either, neither does Mum. She knows it was a mistake. With your dad.’
‘OurDad. And mistakes happen. Nobody is perfect.’ She added, ‘I know about the letter now, Susanna told me she found it.’
‘My mum sent that to Harry to let him off the hook, if that was what he wanted. I always thought he’d ignored it, but between us Gayle and I worked out that he must have received the letter right before he got sick.’
Addie paused, taking in the new information. And then she turned in her seat to face Louisa. ‘The fact that he kept the letter says a lot, in my opinion. I was only eight when he died but I remember enough about him to know that he was a kind man, a loving man and a good father. Keeping the letter tells me he was probably working out how best to handle everything. He had us two girls to think of and if he hadn’t got sick so quickly, I really do think he would’ve got in touch with your mum and wanted to get to know you.’
‘Really?’ She was making this moment about her, but she wanted to grasp at whatever she could, while she could.
‘I really do,’ said Addie.
Addie was being so kind, but when she glanced over at Mateo – who would be leaving any second now – she didn’t want to miss her chance. ‘I really think it’s best if I go, let you and Susanna digest everything.’
‘No,’ said Addie firmly. ‘Please stay. I’ve seen how kind you are to Gayle, how much she likes you. And the Raffertys, in case you hadn’t noticed, are a bit thin on the ground these days. We need you for the numbers.’
They were interrupted by a nurse intercepting Susanna returning with Mateo and the bottles of water. The nurse must have met the Rafferty girls this evening already because she didn’t ask who they were here for.
‘Just two visitors at a time,’ said the nurse once she’d shared the information that Gayle was doing well and resting.
Addie linked an arm through Susanna’s. Of course, they would go through first. But then Addie announced, ‘We’re sisters, we’re all Gayle Rafferty’s nieces. Can we be the exception tonight, please? We came all the way from Anchor Island.’
The nurse, obviously deciding whether it was more than her job was worth, relented. ‘Very well – but not for too long.’
‘Come on,’ said Addie. ‘Let’s go see how she’s doing.’
Half-sisters, by her side, something she’d never had. And it was something she was so grateful for. They could’ve refused to have anything to do with her, they could’ve excluded her this evening, but instead they were embracing her into their family.
28
ADDIE
Aunt Gayle looked vulnerable and small in the hospital bed. She’d never been like that in the whole time Addie had known her. Right from when they’d arrived on the island as two girls in crisis, Gayle had always been strong with the energy and drive to match her curls.
The doctor who met them as they approached Gayle’s bedside pulled another chair in so that all three Rafferty girls could sit down.
After he’d introduced himself, he quietly informed them, ‘She’s doing well. Gayle shared some concerns when she arrived at the hospital this evening, worries about her family history. We’ve already done a few tests and there will be more tomorrow. Don’t worry, we will be thorough. For now, spend some time with her. Visiting hours are over but you can stay a while as long as you’re quiet.’
When the doctor left them to it, Addie had wanted to run after him and demand to know more, but she supposed no news was good news, wasn’t it? And once the test results came through, they’d know what they were dealing with.
‘This is my fault,’ said Louisa as they sat at their aunt’s bedside and waited for her to open her eyes, say something, anything, to put their minds at rest.
‘How do you work that out?’ asked Addie.
‘I should have made her go to the doctor. I knew she kept having these symptoms.’
‘Don’t even think that, Louisa,’ said Susanna firmly.
‘She’s right,’ Addie added. ‘This is nobody’s fault, least of all yours. We all noticed little things about her.’
‘I saw her taking an antacid a couple of days after we got here,’ said Susanna. ‘She said she felt a bit sick and her tummy hurt. She explained it away by saying she’d drunk milk past its use-by date. I didn’t argue the toss.’
