The January Wish (22 page)

After eating lunch and splurging on her favourite hummingbird cake (it
was
her birthday), Sylvia slid her arms into her cashmere cardigan and secured the single button at the front, as a breeze left goose bumps on her arms. ‘It’s getting cooler, I might need to put the heater on at home in the mornings.’

‘I already have. As soon as April arrives it goes on. Luke hates it; he sleeps in boxers all year long, never feels the cold,’ Larissa said.

‘So I’m guessing you hog all the blankets at night, yes?’

‘Sure do. Luke just folds his half over onto me so I get double layers.’ Larissa grinned. ‘Although he takes up so much room in the bed I’m thinking we should switch to a king-size bed. Half the time I end up teetering on the edge of the mattress!’

The good thing about being single, Sylvia thought, was that you could sleep in the middle of the bed, have as many or as few blankets as you needed, and not get woken up by your partner moving, or worse, snoring. But, there was nothing like having someone to cuddle up with, and someone to talk to about your day.

Sylvia turned her wrist. ‘Geez, that’s gone fast. Time to get back to work.’ Sylvia stood and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Larissa. ‘Thanks for my birthday lunch. And my voucher.
And
these,’ Sylvia said, lifting the bunch of colourful gerberas.

‘My pleasure hun. I hope you get an early mark from work,’ Larissa said.

‘Mark what?’

‘An early mark, you know—go home early?’ Larissa said slowly.

‘Oh, yeah.’ Sylvia’s face flushed.

‘Still got Mark on the mind, huh?’

‘No, not really, I just didn’t catch what you said at first.’ Sylvia brushed a wisp of hair from her face. ‘Anyway, things are okay. He’s even coming out to dinner tonight with everyone else from work.’

‘That’s an improvement. Luke hasn’t spoken to him in a while. Whenever he calls, Mark says he’s on his way out, or just getting in the door, or something like that.’

‘Yeah, he’s been pretty quiet and distant, but seems better this past week. He even brought a fruit platter into work the other day to share. Although, he did say he simply needed to use up his supply of fruit at home before it went off.’

‘Men. Always practical,’ Larissa said.

‘Not just men. I’m practical too,’ Sylvia said.

‘You’re the Queen of Practical.’

‘I know.’ Sylvia smiled, and just then Grace walked slowly towards the café.

‘Oh, hi Sylvia,’ Grace said.

‘Hi, how are you? On your lunchbreak too?’

‘Yeah, but I’m just grabbing some takeaway and going back to the caravan. Not feeling the best today, but I’ll be right,’ Grace replied.

She did look pale. ‘You sure? I can take you to the clinic with me if you like and check you over.’

‘No, no. I’ll be fine. It’s just…
women’s
problems, if you know what I mean.’ Grace made quotation marks with her fingers as she spoke.

‘Oh, right then. Well, call me if you need anything, okay?’

‘Okay.’

Sylvia rubbed a concerned hand up and down Grace’s arm, then realised Larissa was frozen still, her mouth gaping. ‘Oh, Larissa, this is Grace. Grace, this is my friend, Larissa.’

Larissa enveloped Grace’s right hand with both of hers. ‘It’s so lovely to meet you. Wow, after all this time,’ Larissa said, her eyes wandering over Grace’s features, just as Sylvia’s had when she first met Grace outside the clinic back in January.

‘So…you know who I am?’ Grace asked.

Larissa nodded. ‘Sylvia and I have been friends since school, no secrets between us at all.’

‘Well, it’s nice to meet you too.’ Grace smiled, then glanced at the flowers and greeting card Sylvia was holding. ‘Is it your birthday, Sylvia?’

Sylvia nodded.

‘I wish I’d known, I would have bought you a present!’ Grace leaned in to smell the flowers.

Sylvia flicked her hand forward in the air. ‘Don’t worry about that, no need to celebrate my advancing age.’

‘Why not? Every birthday you reach is a gift, you
should
celebrate.’

For someone with hardly any life experience she was right. How could her own daughter be smarter than her? ‘That’s true Grace. Well, I
am
celebrating tonight at Bayside with my work colleagues,’ Sylvia reassured. ‘You’re welcome to come along, if you like?’

Grace shifted on her feet. ‘Thanks, but I’ll probably just take it easy and get an early night. Besides, I’d be out of place with your colleagues; you should just celebrate with them,’ Grace replied.

‘I guess you should rest, but the offer still stands if you change your mind, okay?’

‘Okay, thanks.’ Grace motioned towards the counter of the café. ‘Well, I better go get some lunch and head back home.’

‘Look after yourself, Grace, and don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything,’ Sylvia said.

Grace smiled and walked into the café, Jonah waving to her from the kitchen, his hands busily picking up plates of food. He gave Grace a quick peck on the cheek as he walked past, and she whispered something in his ear. He gave her another brief kiss and pouted as he walked away to serve customers. Young love, so cute. Sylvia remembered her fleeting relationship with Grace’s father. For a short amount of time he was her world, but then everything changed.

* * *

Grace walked out of Café Lagoon with a chicken and salad wrap, munching on it as she walked. She couldn’t help but rub her belly with her free hand, the cramps getting a bit worse. But walking seemed to ease them somewhat, even though she just wanted to lie down. She had some period pain tablets at the caravan, so she’d take them as soon as got back.

It was a shame she was feeling this way now, as she’d felt fairly good this morning, and was looking forward to the variety concert in a couple of months time. When Sylvia called last week to tell her that her grandparents were coming, excitement welled up inside. And nerves. But as Sylvia had been telling her, she need only focus on the piano and remember to breathe, and she would be fine. Sylvia likened it to performing a medical procedure. If you worried about everything else going on around you, and what people were thinking, you’d mess up. But if you put all your attention calmly on the task at hand, and took it one step at a time, and in Grace’s case, one key at a time, then you wouldn’t fail. Grace wasn’t feeling as worried about performing now.

And no longer was she worried about Lauren and Jonah either. When she’d woken from her nap after the grading last weekend and met up with Jonah for dinner, she’d asked him straight out whether there’d been any history between him and Lauren, or whether he thought she had feelings for him. Jonah had seemed genuinely shocked, and reassured her that there wasn’t any history between them, that Lauren was like a sister to him, and that she had in fact fallen head over heels for Jonah’s cousin. It didn’t completely explain their secretive exchange after the grading, but after Grace saw Lauren canoodling with an older guy in the park on the way to work this morning, she no longer felt concerned that Lauren was after her man. In fact, she felt kind of silly for thinking it, and bringing it up with Jonah. Thankfully, she hadn’t scared him off, if anything, he was showering her with more attention than before. Which Grace didn’t mind in the least.

When she arrived at the caravan, Grace swallowed the last two tablets from the packet of pain relievers with a gulp of water, and took to the bed like a lost bear cub reuniting with its mother. She woke a couple of hours later feeling much better, ducked out to the bathrooms, then went back to bed, deciding to read for a while and keep resting in order to be well for work tomorrow.

Hours passed, and darkness eased its way inside the caravan. Grace switched on the light above the bed, engrossed in a new release she’d picked up from work, although her eyes were straining a little. After a while she could no longer focus on reading, as a familiar ache resumed its hold on her stomach and lower back. Damn hormones! The tablets had given her relief, but they must be wearing off. She reached for the packet of pain relievers then remembered she’d used up the last of them. Crap, she’d have to walk to town and get more. Or maybe she could call Sylvia and ask her to bring some around? No, it was her birthday and she’d be enjoying dinner with her colleagues. She couldn’t ask Jonah, that would be way too embarrassing. Lauren? Nah, she might as well go and get some now in case the pain got so bad that she couldn’t.

Grace walked over to the bathrooms first, tidied up her hair a little, then walked in the direction of the town. Grumbles accompanied the growing cramps in her belly, and she realised she hadn’t eaten since lunch. She’d have to pick something up in town, or eat the remaining half of the chicken wrap she’d failed to finish earlier. It was too late to join Sylvia, who’d probably be halfway through dinner by now, and Grace wasn’t up for a social gathering anyway.

She walked discreetly past Bayside, peering in briefly through the gap between the top and bottom curtains to see Sylvia with a glass of wine in her hand, talking and laughing with five other people, including Mark Bastian. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice her. It was now seven-thirty, and luckily the pharmacy stayed open till eight. Grace bought a packet of pain relievers and a bottle of juice, and took two tablets as soon as she walked back outside.

Her legs weak, it felt strangely like she was trying to walk through water. And a wave was coming in from the side, causing her to wobble a little. The footpath appeared distorted in shape, and she couldn’t quite sense her feet on the ground. Grace grasped hold of a telegraph pole as an uncomfortable flutter inside her chest took her breath away. And then another. She’d had a few of these heart palpitations recently, but they were over before they began really, so she’d dismissed them. But now, they kept coming. It felt like her heart was made of bubbles, and at any moment they’d all burst, releasing blood throughout her chest and paralysing her with weakness inside a pit of darkness.

Okay, breathe Grace. Breathe. In and out.
She looked for a bench to sit on but the nearest was several metres away. She wanted to sink to the ground but kept hold of the pole, urging her heart to beat normally. Maybe it was low blood sugar. She wolfed down some juice, but didn’t feel any better. Tears of fear formed in her eyes, and Grace’s first thought was that she wanted her mum, but she was gone. And her dad was far away. Then in her mind she saw Sylvia, felt her gentle hand on her arm, and without thinking she mustered all her energy and hauled herself over to Bayside and leaned heavily against the window, her chest rising sharply with shallow breaths. Grace grasped hold of the door, but couldn’t find the strength to open it, nor could she bang on the window. Her eyes strained to see as her surroundings became darker, and they urged Sylvia’s eyes to look this way. Why had no one noticed her yet?
Please see me Sylvia, I need help!

‘I don’t think I can fit in dessert now,’ Sylvia said, as she leaned back in the chair at the dinner table and lifted her glass to her lips. She had no problem fitting in more wine.

‘You have to, it’s your birthday!’ Joyce said. ‘And the waiter needs something to put a birthday candle on,’ she added.

Mark nodded in agreement. ‘You know you’re getting old when you only get one birthday candle. It’s too much hassle to count out the correct amount,’ he said with a charming smirk. ‘Either that or there’s not enough room to fit them all on,’ he added. Everyone erupted in laughter and Sylvia kicked him under the table. He simply grinned, then winked at her. ‘Just teasing,’ he said. ‘You look great for someone your age, Sylvia.’ She kicked him again.

They say that one of the best signs that someone is recovering well from illness is the return of their sense of humour. Sylvia wondered if the same could be said for grief. When she’d first met Mark, his humorous charm had attracted her, but after their discussion about his wife’s death, he’d lost that charm. He’d become quiet and serious. Lately though, she’d begun to see a subtle re-emergence of his sense of humour. Tonight, it was obviously back in full force.

‘Look Sylvia, there’s lemon meringue pie.’ Joyce held the menu in front of Sylvia. ‘And coconut panna cotta with raspberry coulis and almond biscotti. Or what about Death by Chocolate?’

Maybe she
could
fit in some chocolate. ‘That sounds like a good way to go,’ Sylvia replied. ‘I mean, in terms of dessert choice, not death,’ she added with a chuckle, and hoped the mention of death wouldn’t upset Mark. She’d tried to keep their few discussions at work lighthearted, but that was difficult considering her profession. The subject of death was bound to come up occasionally. Thankfully, Mark didn’t seem rattled in the slightest, and in fact continued to mock her ‘old age’ by suggesting she tuck her napkin into her shirt collar and ask for her dessert to be pureed for ease of consuming.

‘Is the naturopath allowed any dessert?’ Sylvia asked Mark.

‘Of course. All things in moderation,’ he replied. ‘Tell you what, I’ll splurge on Death by Chocolate too.’ Mark placed his menu down on the table and signalled a waiter.

As the waiter made his way towards the table, Sylvia noticed Grace outside the restaurant. Strange, she thought. It’s a bit late to change her mind about joining them for dinner. Well, she could always just have dessert; there was room to pull up another chair. Sylvia was about to wave at Grace to come inside when a sense of dread filled her stomach. Grace looked different. Ghostly, in fact. And she was clinging to the window. A strange facial expression crossed Grace’s face as their eyes connected. Fear mixed with relief, Sylvia recognised. And within moments of their gaze locking on each other, Grace’s eyes rolled back and she slid down the window like a raindrop losing its grip on the glass.

The lower curtain on the restaurant’s front window obscured Sylvia’s view. Her chair skidded loudly as she pushed it back and ran outside.

‘Grace!’ She knelt down and patted her cheek, not unlike the first time they’d met when Grace had fainted. Back then, she’d come around quickly. This time, Sylvia could tell there was something wrong. She’d had a feeling earlier today when she’d seen Grace at lunch; now she wished she’d insisted on checking her out. ‘Grace, can you hear me?’ Sylvia urged. She went to put two fingers on the side of Grace’s neck when she found that Mark had beaten her to it. He was on the other side of Grace, and kept still as he felt for her pulse.