The January Wish (8 page)

‘Sometimes it’s due to eyestrain, but often it’s a simple magnesium deficiency. Do you have trouble winding down, or falling asleep at night?’

‘Definitely trouble winding down, I can’t seem to switch my mind off sometimes. But I can also find it hard to get going in the morning, especially now I’m not at school anymore. It’s easy to sleep in.’ Grace went off on a tangent, as she often did. ‘I’m also really tired in the afternoons, but as soon as I’ve had dinner I’m wide awake!’

Mark nodded. ‘That’s common with magnesium deficiency. It can make it hard to relax, but also contribute to fatigue. But if you’re tired often, that’s not great for someone as young as you, so if it concerns you it might be good to come in for an appointment so I can assess your diet and lifestyle.’

‘Sure, I’d like to actually.’ Grace picked up one of Mark’s business cards, then looked at the computer screen. ‘What’s that ugly spot thing?’ She pointed to a dark patch on the lower part of her right eye.

‘That’s a psoric spot. They usually appear over areas that have a genetic inefficiency of some kind. Are there any kidney problems in your family history?’

Family history was one thing Grace had no idea about. Maybe she should bring it up with Sylvia? ‘Um, I’m not exactly sure,’ Grace replied, twisting her lips to one side. ‘But I have had a problem with my kidneys once. Actually, there’s something I should probably tell you…’ Grace filled him in briefly on her medical history and left the stall with a photo of her irises, an appointment booking for Wednesday morning, and a questionnaire she was to fill out and bring to the appointment.

* * *

Thank God, here she comes.
Sylvia had just about memorised the entire display of jewellery and their prices, as she tried to look interested while waiting for Grace. The stallholder must have presumed she was concocting a tactical strategy for stealing jewellery, as she hovered back and forth wherever Sylvia was standing. She asked ‘Can I help you?’ and ‘Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?’ and ‘You’re sure there’s nothing I can help you with?’ several times, and each time Sylvia replied, ‘No thanks I’m just looking.’

‘Thanks for waiting, what did you get?’ Grace asked as she approached.

‘Er, nothing,’ said Sylvia.

‘Oh, I thought you must have wanted to get something, you seemed keen.’

‘Nothing really caught my eye.’

‘Oh well. Hang on…unless, you weren’t trying to avoid talking to
him
were you?’ Grace’s eyes glanced in the direction of Mark, who was now busy talking to another interested customer.

‘Huh? What do you mean?’ Sylvia said, trying to shut out the shaving cream fantasy from her mind again, and most likely turning a deep shade of crimson. Now that she worked with Mark, it would be best to keep a professional distance. Plus she didn’t want him to know Grace was her daughter, didn’t want to give off a false impression or be judged in any way.

‘You two, you haven’t been…
involved
or anything, have you?’

‘Oh no, definitely not!’

‘Oh good, I wouldn’t want to cause any awkwardness between you. I’ve booked in for an appointment with him, he’s going to assess my diet and give me some health tips. Look at the picture of my eyes!’ Grace showed Sylvia the print-out.

‘Hmm, interesting. Well, I’m glad to see that you’re health conscious,’ Sylvia replied. But why did she have to believe all this hype about iridology; surely it wasn’t an accurate way to assess someone’s health?

‘So, I take it you’re not married,’ Grace said, eyeing Sylvia’s bare fingers. ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’

Sylvia almost replied, ‘Yes, his name’s Richard,’ but the memory of him storming out that night caught her words.

I didn’t sign up for this.

I just can’t take on anything complicated right now.

All of a sudden she was classed as ‘complicated’, even though all her life she’d strived to be the reliable, consistent, successful, organised, and easygoing woman that any man would be happy to have in his life. Grace’s arrival
had
complicated things. Part of her was so pleased to have met her and to be with her right now, and the other part was wondering whether it would have been best to leave the past in the past, and keep living the stable life she’d worked so hard to create. The life where no one knew what happened eighteen years ago, and her reputation could remain intact. So many people in town that she knew as a child still lived here today. They’d smile and wave as she passed them in the street, and some had even become patients. It would be a shock for them to find out the real reason she’d left town all those years ago.

‘So, do you?’ Grace nudged Sylvia’s arm with her elbow.

‘No, I’m single,’ Sylvia replied coolly. She couldn’t say, ‘I did until you turned up.’ It wasn’t Grace’s fault, and she didn’t want to make her feel like she was intruding.

‘Me too,’ Grace said. ‘Although I’ve seen a few cute guys around here!’

‘I’m sure you’ll find someone special when the time is right.’

‘I hope so.’ Grace glanced around. ‘Oh, hey—do you mind if we check out the bookstore?’

‘Sure.’ Good idea. Sylvia had nearly finished the book she was currently reading and would need another one soon. She only ever bought one or two books at a time, refusing to buy any more until she’d read the others. Unlike Larissa, whose To-Be-Read-Pile resembled the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

‘I’m a bit of a bookaholic,’ Grace said as they walked across the road.

‘Well, it’s a good addiction to have, I guess.’ Sylvia smiled.

‘Wow, this isn’t like any other bookstore I’ve seen, it’s so…homely.’ Grace’s eyes widened as they entered Mrs May’s Bookstore and wandered along the creaky timber floor aisles. Tall wooden shelves divided the shop into sections, and in the corner were a couple of old-fashioned velvet upholstered armchairs. There was even a separate room housing the children’s books, complete with tables and chairs and a puppet theatre.

Sylvia always welcomed the warm, rich scent of timber and books, and each time it brought her back to her childhood. This store had been around for as long as she could remember. She’d come in here after school with her mother in the days when Mrs May herself worked in the store. Now in her eighties, Mrs May still owned the store but it was run by her daughter and granddaughter now, although she still came in occasionally to check on things. Sometimes Sylvia saw her at the clinic as she was a patient of Dr Bronovski, and always admired her strength of character and resilience. She’d had a few health challenges, but just as she’d start to look frail, she’d bounce back again. A penchant for hard work seemed to run in the family. Sylvia had gone to school with Mrs May’s granddaughter, Olivia, who now seemed to work at the store every day while raising a daughter on her own.

Sylvia remembered flipping through books in the store with her mother and tugging on her skirt in hope of having one bought for her. Sometimes they’d sit at one of the chairs and read together. On Fridays, the children’s room would be packed full of kids, waiting in anticipation for Mrs May’s weekly puppet show.

‘Yes, the store is definitely one of a kind,’ Sylvia said.

‘So, what sorts of books do you like reading?’ Grace asked.

‘Um…a bit of a mixture I guess. I like suspense and mystery novels, but I also like real life stories—you know, people who have overcome difficult odds and survived, or have been through something major—that sort of thing.’

‘So you like stories with a bit of
meat
in them?’

‘Yeah I guess, but nothing too gruesome, more psychological and intellectual suspense than anything.’

‘Oh! Have you read this one? It’s totally amazing.’ Grace shoved a copy of
A Difference of Opinion
in her face, and Sylvia had to lean back to be able to read the cover properly. God, she wasn’t losing her perfect eyesight was she? She hoped it’d be a while before she’d have to wear glasses like both her parents, who had to lean back, squint, and extend something in front of them as far as their arm would reach in order to read it. She saw it all the time, people over the age of forty-five or fifty, whose ability to read and focus on things up close gradually diminished. There was a name for it: presbyopia. One of the most common eye problems affecting middle-aged people.

‘No, I haven’t.’ Sylvia turned the book over to read the back cover.

‘It’s got everything—mystery, suspense, secrets, lies…and then, just when you think you have it worked out—bam!’ Grace clapped her hands together. ‘A twist appears that throws everything you ever thought out the window.’

Hmm…sounds like my life.
Sylvia held the book close to her side. ‘I’ll take it then.’

‘Great! You’ll love it. Okay, now let’s find you another goodie. Oh, here’s one,’ Grace said enthusiastically.

‘Actually, I usually only buy one book at a time. When I’ve finished this one I’ll come back and get another,’ Sylvia stated.

‘Really? Okay, well remember this for next time. This one’s about a woman who travels to India in search of her missing husband. It’s like the TV show
24
on steroids. There’s fast-paced action, but also a lot of mind games and stuff that you’d probably like.’

Sylvia nodded, impressed by Grace’s sales ability.

‘And this book,’ Grace said, holding up a copy of
The Stranger
, ‘is more of an emotional mystery than suspense, but it totally hooks you in from the start and you really feel like you know the characters personally. The last few chapters were so intriguing I stayed up half the night to finish them!’

‘I’ll add it to my mental list.’ Sylvia decided. And later she’d add it to her
actual
list, or more precisely, her ‘Books I Want To Read’ spreadsheet, with books listed in categories and in order of priority.

Grace had other ideas.
Click!
She took a photo of the two books. ‘I’ll give you a copy of the pic so you remember exactly what they look like when you come back to find them.’ Grace ran a finger along the bookshelves. ‘Do you have a favourite book? Like, a favourite book of all time?’

Sylvia rolled her eyes upward and thought for a moment. ‘Actually, there’s one book that stands out for me. It’s a classic, written in the 1860s.
The Woman in White
by Wilkie Collins, have you heard of it?’

‘Oh my God! I
so
want to read that one! I’ve heard of it but haven’t got around to finding a copy yet.’ Grace rubbed her hands together.

For a girl of eighteen Grace seemed quite ‘literary-aware’.

‘Tell you what, you can borrow my copy if you like.’

‘Yeah? That’d be great, thanks!’

‘If we walk to my place after we finish here, I’ll give it to you.’

‘Sounds good, I promise I’ll get it back to you as soon as possible.’

‘Take your time,’ Sylvia replied.
But please don’t have it for too long,
she thought. She hadn’t lent many books to people over the years, but just in case, she’d made a special chart that had room to write the name of the book, the author, who had borrowed it, the date it was borrowed, and a reasonable time frame to allow before giving them their first reminder notice to return it. She would have made a kick-ass librarian.

Grace grabbed a book she wanted and took it to the counter.

‘Here, let me buy this for you.’ Sylvia held out her hand for the book.

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to,’ Grace replied.

‘I’d like to, and since I’m buying a book too we might as well do it all at the same time,’ Sylvia said.

‘Well okay then, thanks Sylvia.’ Grace handed her the book and Olivia rang it up at the counter.

‘Has it been busy at the markets?’ Olivia asked Sylvia.

‘Yeah, quite busy actually. How are things here at the store?’

‘Despite the ebook surge in the marketplace, things are still going strong. In fact, I’ve been a bit overworked, hoping to cut down my hours so I can spend more time with Mia in the afternoons after school.’

Sylvia nodded. ‘How old is she now?’

‘Five. She’s just started kindy and loving it, thank goodness.’ Olivia seemed happy, but weary, her eyes sheltering dark shadows. ‘You seem to know a lot about books,’ she said to Grace. ‘Sorry, I overheard you talking.’

‘I’m an avid reader, always have been. If I could get paid to read books all day I would.’

‘Would you settle for being
around
books all day?’

Grace eyed Olivia curiously.

‘We need a casual assistant at the store. With me reducing my hours, and another staff member off on maternity leave as of tomorrow, we need someone as soon as possible. You interested in applying?’

Grace looked at Sylvia in surprise, then at Olivia. ‘Um, I might be, I mean I am, I’m just not sure how long I’ll be in town, that’s all.’

‘Will you be here at least the next two weeks?’

‘Yes, I can’t see myself leaving just yet.’

‘And if you liked the job, could you see yourself hanging around a bit longer?’

‘It’s possible, I’m just getting to know the town, see where I want to be and what I want to do. I just finished high school last year, and I’m taking the year to figure out what to do next.’

‘Would you have time right now to answer a few more questions, out back in our storeroom—slash—office?’ Olivia gestured to the door behind the counter.

Grace looked at Sylvia with enquiring eyes. ‘Go ahead,’ Sylvia said, gesturing to the door as well. ‘I’ll wait out front.’

Olivia asked a very pregnant salesperson to take over the counter and led Grace to the office as Sylvia went to walk outside.

Then she stopped.

Why not?

She walked back to the shelf of books she’d been looking at before and picked up the two books Grace had recommended, taking them to the counter. ‘I’ll take these,’ she said to the lady.

‘Good choice,’ she replied.

‘First baby?’ Sylvia asked.

‘No, my fourth. I’m an old hand when it comes to having babies!’

Sylvia could barely get over having one, let alone four, and she didn’t even keep hers! It was the most pain she’d ever experienced, such a shock to the system. She wouldn’t go through it again in a hurry, but part of her ached for a second chance. A chance to do it right from day one. Be a proper mother. Which was why she’d also wished for that when she tossed the coin into the Wishing Fountain at the festival.