“Good for you,” Olive said. “You’ve already got her worked out.”
“Some of the time, at least,” Courtney laughed. “I’m still figuring a lot of this out.”
“You look like a natural to me.”
“Would you like tea or coffee, Olive?”
“No, I won’t put you to any trouble. I just wanted to stop off and say hello and meet the little one and give you this. It’s a little something I brought back for you from Canada.”
Olive reached into her handbag and pulled out a wrapped gift.
“You didn’t have to do that, Olive,” Courtney said, surprised by the gesture.
“Don’t be silly. You had your beautiful baby while I was gone. I wanted to give you something to wish you well.”
Courtney accepted the gift and peeled back the pastel pink wrapping paper. Inside, she found a gorgeous baby romper suit in a summery green colour and covered with a print pattern of cartoon moose.
“Oh, this issooolovely!” Courtney squeaked. “Look at these gorgeous moose!”
“I was quite taken with them, too,” Olive laughed. “Moose are a big deal over there in Canada, and it seemed like the perfect gift. I bought a larger size with the idea that it will fit Hope throughout the summer.”
“It’s perfect. She’s already outgrown her newborn outfits, so this is just what she needs. Thank you, Olive.”
“And there’s a little something else in there, too.”
Courtney looked back at the wrapping paper and realised there was an envelope tucked beneath the romper suit. Opening it, she found a lovely new baby card, inside which was a gift token for the baby shop on the high street.
“Olive, this is too much,” Courtney protested.
“Don’t be silly. There’s no end to the things babies need when they’re small. I’m sure it’ll come in handy.”
Touched by Olive’s generosity, Courtney swept the older lady into a hug. “Thank you, Olive.”
“You’re quite welcome, dear. And don’t be a stranger once you move to your aunt and uncle’s house. I want regular updates about Hope and you should feel free to drop by and visit anytime, so I can enjoy a cuddle with her.”
“I promise I’ll come and see you.” Courtney released Olive from her embrace and smiled. “Thanks for being such a lovely friend, Olive.”
Olive patted her on the arm and smiled. “It’s really my pleasure, dear.”
“Now, tell me all about your Canada adventures.”
For the next ten minutes, Courtney listened as Olive recounted her exciting trip to Canada and showed her photos from her grandson’s wedding. The older lady’s face lit up as she talked about the beautiful wedding day and her joy at being there in person to share the special occasion with her family. Courtney smiled at the photos depicting Olive grinning amongst her family and standing side-by-side with the bride and groom.
“You look fantastic in your wedding outfit, Olive.”
“Thank you. I admit to worrying about whether the dress and jacket would be crushed beyond repair in my luggage, but thankfully, they survived. And I spent a wonderful day with my daughter, Gillian, shopping in Toronto for a hat to complete the outfit, because I wasn’t about to try to fit something like that into my suitcase or carry-on luggage. Once we’d found the perfect hat to match for my outfit, she treated me to a champagne lunch at her favourite waterfront restaurant in Toronto. We had a fabulous time and that, along with my grandson’s wedding day, will stay with me forever.”
“Are you sorry to be back here instead of still over there with your family?” Courtney asked, hearing the wistful tone in Olive’s voice.
“Naturally, I miss them all and am sorry our time together rushed by so quickly,” Olive replied. “But I made my peace a long time ago with my daughter’s decision to emigrate. And my home is here, in Hamblehurst. So, no, I’m not sorry to be back here. I’m just glad I got to attend my grandson’s wedding. A little over a year ago, I thought I wouldn’t be able to go at all becausethe thought of the long flight just about scared me to death. I was almost resigned to missing one of the most wonderful days in my family’s life because I had let myself believe I was too old to endure a long-haul flight. Once I realised I was wrong about that, and that I could do anything I put my mind to, well, everything changed.”
Olive’s smile widened and she let out a soft chuckle. “So, how’s that for a nice little motivational pep-talk, should you need it.”
“I think that’s a lovely story, Olive. You should be proud of yourself.”
“I’m not so much proud of myself as pleased that I set aside my doubts and worries and refused to let them rule my life.”
“That’s a nice way to put it.”
