I gasped and clapped my hand over my mouth. ‘Oh, my God, Jed! That’s huge. How did it feel?’
He grinned at me. ‘Amazing. It was just the once and I don’t know if it slipped out through an old habit or was intentional but I’m going to believe he meant to say it.’
‘I don’t think he’d have said it if he wasn’t feeling that way. I’m so happy for you. But there’s a but, isn’t there?’
He sighed. ‘I want to be positive but it’s so hard when we haven’t a clue what Ingrid’s going to do next. What if she takesthe kids back to Australia? The thought of not seeing Aaron again… and the twins too.’
Piper and Savannah had definitely stolen a piece of his heart, as they had mine.
‘If that’s what happens, would you rather have had Aaron back in your life for a short time – and the twins for a while too – or not at all?’
‘I’d rather I’d had this time with them.’ He gave me a weak smile. ‘I’ll always be glad they came to stay.’
I drew him into a hug and gently kissed him. ‘I think we’re both going to need to play “the glad game” a lot to get through the coming weeks but the point is we’ll get through them – no matter what happens – and we’ll do it together.’
A stunning handtied bouquet of yellow flowers was delivered for me from Seaside Blooms later that morning accompanied by a greetings card featuring Whitsborough Bay’s lighthouse.
We are deeply sorry for causing you more pain yesterday. Please be assured that we understand and respect your need for some space. We haven’t just chosen yellow flowers because they’re your favourite colour but because they represent the beam from a lighthouse. We remain your lighthouse, here for you any time, hoping that beam will guide you back to us soon. All our love and understanding, Mum and Dad xx
I swallowed down the lump in my throat, deeply touched by their message and the reassurance it gave me thatI hadn’t lost them.
To Mum and Dad
The flowers are stunning and the card was perfect. I see your beam and it’s strong. Thank you for understanding my need for space. Love always x
The Chocolate Pot was closed after a busy day, the staff had gone home and I was in the kitchen buttering myself a scone when I heard a knock on the door. I smiled, thinking it was probably Jed coming over to check on me but it wasn’t him. There was a woman standing by the door, her head dipped forward. Zoe?
I unlocked the door and my stomach lurched as Zoe raised her head before rushing into the café with an anguished cry.
‘What’s happened?’ I asked, my heart pounding.
I pulled out a chair and guided her down onto it, wincing at the blood-soaked tissue held up to her nose, the blood stains down her chin and neck. Her cheek was bruised and there were bruises around her neck which, on closer inspection, had the distinct shape of finger marks.
‘Oh, Zoe! Griff?’
‘I thought she was going to kill me.’
I could hear the fear in her voice, see it in her eyes. ‘This is too much. I have to call the police.’
Zoe nodded. ‘She needs to be stopped.’
The fact that she’d given me her instant approval told me exactly how shaken she was. I grabbed a pile of fresh serviettes so Zoe could swap out her tissue then made the call. I was told there was a first responder in the area who’d be with us shortly which was a relief because it was possible Zoe’s nose was broken.
‘Can you take photos?’ Zoe asked. ‘Need evidence.’
I whipped out my phone but I had to concentrate hard to keep my hands from shaking. What was wrong with this Griff woman? Why was she victimising Zoe like this? It was heartbreaking.
‘What happened?’ I asked, sitting down beside her.
‘Someone told her it was my birthday today and she decided that turning eighteen deserved a gift. Not sure I like Griff’s gifts. Maybe a gift card next time?’
She attempted a smile but winced from the evident pain and I placed my hand gently on her shoulder, marvelling at her ability to try and make light of a dire situation.
‘I’d say happy birthday, but it probably doesn’t feel very happy right now.’
‘It will be if Griff’s arrested.’
The first responder arrived – a lovely woman who said her name was Connie – and she soon had Zoe cleaned up and the bleeding stopped. After examining Zoe’s nose, Connie confirmed that it wasn’t broken. Jed had spotted the marked car outside and came over to make sure I was okay and was shocked to see the state of Zoe. A couple of police officers arrived moments later, just as Connie was finishing her write-up. Zoe felt up to making a full statement so Jed and I accompanied her to the police station and sat in the reception holding hands.
