‘You didn’t want to see me?’ Cate’s voice cracked.
‘I wanted to see you, to hold you, with all my heart.’ Lina’s voice shook; she dabbed her eyes. ‘But I told myself I did not deserve you. I could not come back into your life and turn everything upside down. I remembered my own teenage years: how difficult they were. But when Terry sent me a copy of the school’s itinerary for your trip, I kept looking at it, imagining each day what you were doing, what you would think of the places you saw. I waited and waited for days until I could no longer stay away.
‘The day you went to the Galleria Accademia, I waited in the Campo della Carità by the postcard seller’s stand all morning. And then I saw a straggle of girls walking over the bridge. One girl was singing loudly, pretending to be Madonna. I hoped so much that it was your school. I went nearer, standing right by the foot of the bridge. It was not hard to pick you out. Oh, you cannot imagine the emotions I felt. I cannot even describe them. Love, pride, fear all rolled into one. How I wanted to rush up to you but you looked so happy, so carefree, I just stood and watched, telling myself it was better that way. I forced myself to walk away. For the rest of the day, I could think of nothing but you wandering around the gallery, imagining you exploring each room, wondering which painting would be your favourite.
‘On your next birthday, your dad did not send a photograph. He never sent me any more. It was as though by not seeing you, I had made my choice – and I was too proud to contact him again. I met my husband, Belinda’s papà, a few years later. He urged me to get back in touch with Terry. He told me I would regret it if I didn’t. I said that you could choose to find me when you were older. I could not bear to try. I could not face the thought that you might reject me. I believed deep down, it was what I deserved. And in any case, you were always here.’ She rested her palm against her heart.
Cate gulped. ‘Why didn’t Dad tell me? He let me believe it was his decision to keep us apart.’ How could he have silently accepted the injustice of her sulks and strops, the way she’d grown away from him?
‘Your dad loved you – loves you, Cathy. He was determined to protect you in every way. He did not want to destroy whatever idealised picture you had of me. He loved you so much, he would rather take the blame himself. He could not bear you to experience the hurt and pain of knowing your own mother had chosen to stay away.’
Cate grasped her mother’s hand. ‘Oh, Mum! You had your reasons.’
‘No reason is good enough, I see that now. I do not expect you to forgive me. I will understand if you go away and never want to see me again.’
‘Of course I forgive you. And I’m going to see you again, and again. Venice isn’t that far from England. I can visit you. You can visit me. We’ll make up for lost time. And you’ll meet my husband, Phil, and both my sons. You’re a grandmother. A young, glamorousnonna! How about that!’
‘Oh, Cathy!’ Lina gasped, her eyes brimming with tears. ‘Grandchildren, how wonderful! Do you have pictures?’
‘Of course, not terribly good ones. I’ll show them to you. But first, there’s a phone call I have to make.’
Lina rose from her seat. ‘Stay here for your call. I will start making lunch; I hope you would like to stay.’
‘Thank you, I’d love to. I’ll come and help in a moment.’ Their first time in the kitchen together, mother and daughter. She could hardly wait.
Cate took out her phone and pressed the number for the nursing home. Sally on reception answered right away.
‘Cate, I am glad you’ve got back to me, love. It’s your dad. I’m afraid he’s had a fall.’
Fear gripped her. ‘Is he okay? Has he hurt himself? Has he broken anything? I’ll fly right back.’ The last filming session with Natalie, Phil’s meeting with Raj, even her lunch with Mum: none of that mattered. Not if Dad was hurt.
‘He’s fine, Cate, love, I promise you. There’s no need for you to rush back.’
‘But when did this happen? Why didn’t you phone me straight away?’ Her heart was banging in her chest.
‘I thought it was better to send a message so you could phone when it was convenient, you being on holiday like you are.’
‘Anything could have happened. He could have hit his head. He could have…’ She couldn’t bear to say the words out loud. Dad had to be okay. He couldn’t die. Not now, not before she’d tried to make things right.
‘Cate, Cate, my love,’ Sally soothed. ‘If anything really bad had happened, I would have phoned you right away and kept on phoning until you answered. Your dad tripped over dear old Dot’s stick. He caused quite the commotion, he did, but he landed face down on that big corduroy beanbag that Glenys’s son insisted on donating to the residents’ lounge. Hideous thing it is, we hide it away most of the time and only drag it out when we know he’s coming to visit. It was more of a shock for dear Dot than your dad, love, but I did think you ought to know. Dot’s been fretting ever since, but your dad, bless him, doesn’t seem to remember anything about it at all. Now, no more worrying. I’ve got a note you’re flying back the day after tomorrow, so you enjoy yourself. Venice, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it’s Venice. And thank you, Sally, it’s such a relief that Dad’s okay.’
Cate didn’t deserve this second chance but she’d grab it. She’d take a cab straight to The Evergreens the moment she stepped off the plane.
42
The waiter put down two glasses of cold white wine.
‘Grazie!’ Natalie said. She closed her eyes for a second, turning her face to the sun. The last two days had been non-stop, running around with Lucia and the camera crew.Luxe Life Swaphad filmed everywhere from the double-height ballroom of the Ca’ Rezzonico to the secret nooks and crannies of the old ghetto. They’d completed the very last of their scheduled shots that morning, just in time for Cate and Phil to go and meet Phil’s old school friend, Raj. It was hard to believe that the next time Natalie saw the pair of them, she’d be interviewing them for the final debriefing sequences at their restored vicarage.
Lucia snapped shut her folder. ‘We have done everything! I cannot believe it! When Phil arrived here two days late, I did not know how we would manage. I was – how do you say – tearing my hair out!’
‘Well…’ Natalie decided to confess. ‘Cate and I actually had an argument a few hours before he arrived and she threatened to go back to England.’
Lucia slapped her hand to her forehead. ‘Now you tell me! This, it scares me! I am so happy all our filming is done. I hope so much that Floella likes the results.’
‘I’m sure she will. To the success ofLuxe Life Swap!’ Natalie clinked her glass against Lucia’s.
