“You have a bookshop and your friends. You have a full life, Evie. Don’t let this visit turn you upside down.”
“I’ve got to go. I hope you have a great time in Vanuatu. I’m completely jealous about all the food you’ll be eating, and the amazing sights. I’ve always wanted to go there, so maybe send me a photo or something.”
“I’ll send you a selfie at the swim-up bar. But seriously, you should do all the things you’ve wanted to do, Evie. Don’t let anything stop you from living the life you want.”
“I don’t want to do those things alone,” Evie replied, her gut clenching with self-pity.
“You don’t have to — I’m here.”
“You’ve got Andrew. Forget it, I’m being melodramatic. Ofcoursewe can go somewhere together. As soon as I’ve paid for all these renovations I’m planning.”
“Things aren’t so bad as they seem, honey. You’re going to be okay.” Taya’s voice was soothing, but Evie heard a hint of worry in her tone.
“I’m fine—really, I am. I was having a moment, but it’s passed, and now I’m going to eat some breakfast and get on with my day. Thanks for calling.”
“Talk to her,” Taya said. “I know she means a lot to you, and I hate to see you struggle so much with this relationship. Talk to her and get some things out in the open that you’ve both avoided discussing for far too long. It’ll be emotional and it might hurt, but you’ve got to do it.”
Evie hung up the phone and squeezed her eyes shut as two tears trailed down her cheeks. Then she shoved the phone into her pocket, and strode for home.
Seven
Ever since Bradfordasked her out, Charmaine could hardly think about anything else. She’d be trimming flowers and her heart would flutter against her ribcage as an image of his face drifted across her mind’s eye. Or she’d be out walking, taking photographs to paint with watercolours later in her cramped flat, when she’d see a man in the distance who reminded her of him, and her cheeks would flood with heat in an instant.
He’d suggested they have dinner together, but he hadn’t called her yet. So far, her phone had been silent apart from the occasional text messages Sean sent her throughout the day, driving her mad.
Her brother still hadn’t found a job or a place to live, much to her dismay. She picked up a broom and began sweeping the florist shop. Betsy had stepped out to collect Samantha from school. They would be back soon, and Charmaine wanted the shop to be sparkling clean for them when they arrived. Betsy had seemed a little down lately, and Charmaine was doing whatever she could to perk her up.
She swept all of the leaves, stems and petals into a pile and then threw it in the bin. Just as she was bending over to pick up the dustpan, something in her back tweaked. She froze in place with a squeal, then hobbled over to the nearest chair to sit. Even the act of sitting was painful. She grimaced and rubbed the base of her back as best she could. This was no good — it’d happened before. Apparently, she had a bulging disc or something. She’d seen a chiropractor a year earlier about it, but that had only made the pain worse. So, she’d given up on treating the issue and instead had focused on ignoring it. The approach had worked well until today.
After sitting still for a few moments, she shifted to the floor and began stretching out her lower back by holding one leg across her body and then the other. Before long, she managed to stand and straighten her back as Betsy and Sam walked into the shop.
“Hi, Chaz,” Sam called out as she ran past Charmaine and headed for the small refrigerator in the kitchen behind the shop. Betsy kept it stocked with all of the treats Samantha loved. Chaz had been worried when Sam hadn’t come to the shop for several weeks, but she’d started back with the routine without a word about her absence. Charmaine hadn’t commented, and everything seemed to be back to normal.
When she’d asked Betsy about it later, the grandmother had simply mumbled something about much-needed time off — perhaps Sam and her father had gone on a holiday together. But the absence had started after an altercation between Sam’s dad and Betsy, when he yelled something about her being a liar and a fraud. The conflict was more likely to be the reason that Sam hadn’t come around much for a while. But it seemed they’d put the rift behind them, since Samantha had spent every afternoon that week at the florist shop with Charmaine and Betsy.
She soon returned without her school backpack, licking a chocolate-covered ice cream.
“How was your day?” Charmaine asked, continuing to stretch, this time focusing on her legs.
“It was fine.”
“Is your back playing up?” Betsy asked as she reached for the glasses hanging around her neck and slipped them onto the bridge of her nose. Her grey hair hung around her face in beach-style waves, and she wore an aqua silk kaftan with large pink flowers on it.
“It seized up for a few minutes, but I think I’ve worked out most of the kinks.”
“You should take something.”
“I would, but everything is upstairs and I’m not sure I can climb…”
“I’ve got something in the first aid kit. I’ll get it for you.” Betsy disappeared through the back door and then returned with two pills, which she handed to Charmaine with a glass of water. “Drink up.”
“Thanks, Betsy. You’re a life saver.”
“Can’t have you limping around here in pain, can we?”
Charmaine took the pills then returned the glass to the kitchen. She felt strangely emotional about the exchange. Betsy wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type. She was a strong, resilient woman who rarely showed how she was feeling. But her stoic form of affection was to do things for people — to serve them in the way they needed to be served. And it warmed Charmaine to have someone care for her. It’d been a long time since she’d had that with her own mother, and now Betsy had become something of a grandmotherly figure to her.
“You haven’t been outside all day. You should get a coffee, relax and enjoy the day a little while,” Betsy recommended. “I’ll watch the shop for a couple of hours. You can close up when you get back. It’s not likely to be busy.”
