‘India will be here in five minutes,’ she says, ‘so you can ask her yourself.’
Grazia and Dianne arrive together, thick as thieves, Rose thinks.
Then India and Keera. India looks like a goddess in a flowing turquoise-and-white dress with strings of cool rainbow-coloured crystal beads around her neck. She deliberately doesn’t look at Dan, and Rose can see him deflate a little at this.
Rose gets everyone to sit, then they do their final group deep-breathing session.
‘Thank you, everyone,’ Rose says. ‘When I left LA, I never thought I’d work with people again. I thought my years as a therapist were over, so I want to say thank you to all of you for trusting me.’
‘Thank you!’ says everyone.
‘Rose, you’ve changed my life,’ says India.
‘Mine too,’ says Dianne.
Keera’s elegant head bows. ‘I can never thank you enough,’ she says. ‘When I’m back on social media, I’m going to tell everyone how wonderful Villa Artemis is, and that includes all the gorgeous staff and you, Rose.’
‘You told me what I needed to hear,’ says Grazia formally.
‘Me too,’ says Dan. ‘I understand a lot of things now.’
Rose doesn’t dare look at India.
‘There’s just one more thing before you leave,’ Rose announces. ‘I want you all to pick up a pebble from the beach. Or a rock or a shell. Small is better so you can carry it on board your planes.’
Everyone instantly seizes upon this activity with greatdelight. Grazia takes off her slip-on designer sandals and is soon squelching her toes in the wet sand.
‘Sea glass!’ says Keera delighted, holding up a piece of pale-blue glass.
‘You can get a hole drilled in that and wear it as a necklace,’ says India knowledgeably.
When everyone has their pebble or shell, Rose invites them all to join in a circle.
‘I want to say thank you to you all for this week: for your participation and your being here in the first place.’
‘Will you do more retreats?’ asks India.
Rose smiles. ‘I hope so but I don’t know. Now, these pebbles are to remind you of what you’ve learned here. Everyone takes a different lesson but if life is hard, hold on to your pebble and remember that you’re strong, that you have all come through so much and that there is always help out there for you.
‘I will talk to all of you next week to schedule follow-up therapy online. I am here if you need me but I am so proud of all of you and what you’ve come through.’
And then the group is crowding around her, hugging her and telling her she’s done so much for them.
Rose finally allows herself to cry happy tears.
She’s still helping people, the way she planned to all those years ago when she was a teenager.
She’s always known the value of helping people.
At half ten, Adriana, Rose and Christos gather at the front door as an enormous limo rolls onto the forecourt outside Villa Artemis.
Bernard marches out of the dining room after his breakfast, holding on to his small leather folio and his two phones.
He walks with irritation, as if he’s been greatly inconvenienced by every single person in the villa.
‘You’re leaving? You missed our closing session on the beach,’ Rose reminds him, taking her own coffee out into the sunshine to talk to him.
Bernard waves his fingers at the driver, signalling that there are bags and they should be transferred into the limo by said driver.
