Three
Today was the monthly lunch with her three friends, and Gill hoped they wouldn’t ask about Max again. The four women had met as young mothers and their friendship had continued over the years, now having evolved into lunch once a month with each of them taking turns to host. She had become accustomed to their not-so-subtle enquiries about the progress of her divorce and, although Gill knew they only did it out of concern for her, it made her feel uncomfortable.
None of them knew what it was like. Liz was the only other one of them to have undergone a divorce and hers hadn’t been nearly as bitter as Gill’s. Both Poppy and Rachel had been widowed and while she empathised for their loss, they had no idea of her pain.
Today they were meeting at Poppy’s, and Gill wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to seeing them all again.
It was strange, she thought, as she drove to Poppy’s clifftop home, how only a year ago, all four of them were single. Now Poppy and Cam were a couple and Liz had recently paired up with Finn, the editor of the local newspaper. Only Gill and Rachel were still on their own and likely to remain so. Gill had no desire – or room – for a man in her life, too caught up in the divorce battle with her hopefully soon-to-be-ex-husband. She couldn’t imagine wanting to become involved with a man ever again.
Poppy’s home was so different to Gill’s. It was built on a clifftop with views to the marina in one direction and to the Boodalang River on the other. The river, whose name was the Aboriginal word for pelican, was what gave the town its name, that and the large number of pelicans who made it their home. The house hadn’t changed much since Poppy and Jack built it and raised their three girls there. All three were now married, but they still lived in Pelican Crossing, as did Rachel and Liz’s daughters. Gill’s daughter was the only one of the three babies who had brought the women together to have chosen to live overseas, though Rachel’s younger child, her son, did too. But, unlike Freya, he kept in touch with his mother and even made it home from time to time.
Gill and Rachel arrived together. ‘You okay?’ Rachel asked, making Gill wonder if her distress was showing on her face, despite her attempt to hide the dark shadows under her eyes with makeup. She wasn’t getting much sleep these days and rose early for her morning swim, the only thing that helped her get through the day.
‘Any word from Amber?’ Rachel asked Poppy, once they were inside, the three had greeted each other with hugs, and Rachel was petting Poppy’s West Highland Terrier, Angus, who sniffed at her ankles, no doubt scenting Molly, her own little Westie.
‘Not yet. I’m carrying my phone with me everywhere,’ Poppy said, holding up her iPhone. ‘Chris has promised to call me as soon as there’s any sign. Let’s hope I don’t get a call during lunch.’
‘Excited?’
‘You have no idea… though maybe you do. You’ve already gone through this with Jess’s twins. I know Megan and Scarlett have already given birth, and I have two perfect grandchildren, but Amber was my first baby and it’s been so difficult for her.’ Poppy wiped away the tear which slid down her cheek. ‘Oh, I don’t know why I’m crying.’ She gave a weak laugh. ‘Look at me, and I haven’t offered either of you a glass of wine.’
Poppy took a bottle of semillon blanc out of the fridge and filled three glasses. ‘To grandchildren,’ she said raising her glass.
‘To grandchildren,’ Rachel replied.
Gill raised her glass too and took a gulp of the chilled wine. She always felt awkward when the others talked about grandchildren. Poppy’s oldest daughter, Amber, who was the same age as Freya, was due to give birth to twins any day, adding to the two grandchildren she already had. Rachel had three grandchildren too, and now Liz’s daughter, Mandy was pregnant, and Liz had recently discovered a teenage granddaughter from the daughter she’d given up for adoption in her own teenage years. Gill was the only one of the group without grandchildren, and with a daughter who refused to communicate with her. It made her feel as if she didn’t belong in the group anymore.
Maybe if she and Max had had more children… But she had never become pregnant again, and once her practice took off, she had been glad there had been no more babies to take care of.
There was a knock at the door, and Liz arrived.
‘Ooh, you’ve started already,’ Liz said, seeing the glasses of wine.
‘Toasting grandchildren,’ Rachel said.
‘Oh, has Amber…?’ Liz turned to Poppy.
‘Not yet,’ Poppy laughed, ‘but any time now. We were just toasting them in general.’
‘I’ll drink to that,’ Liz said as Poppy poured her a glass. ‘I’m sorry, Gill,’ she said, turning to Gill. She and Liz had been in the same boat till Liz discovered her teenage grandchild, then her youngest daughter announced she was pregnant. ‘Your turn will come.’
Gill grimaced.
‘Still no word from Freya?’ Rachel asked.
Gill shook her head and took another gulp of wine. Freya was overseas and had cut off all communication with her mother. There was nothing any of them could do or say to make it better.
‘Let’s go into the dining room,’ Poppy said. ‘I thought we’d eat inside today since it’s turned cooler.’
They all trooped into Poppy’s large dining room where the table was already set with red and green table napkins. It looked very much as if…
‘You didn’t!’ Rachel said as she spied a Christmas garland sitting in the centre of the table.
‘Christmas in July? I did.’ Poppy laughed. ‘I know it’s a bit early, but we’re planning to make a big thing of it at Crossings later in the month, and I thought why not? I love all the Christmas food and trimmings.’
‘If we’d known, we could have had another Secret Santa too,’ Liz said, referring to their Christmas lunch the previous year.
‘Just as well not,’ Gill said. ‘I’m not sure I agree with all the Christmas in July stuff. It seems so American. But, like Poppy, I do like turkey and all the trimmings. I assume…?’ She looked at Poppy.
‘Turkey, roast potatoes and pumpkin,’ Poppy confirmed, ‘but I’m afraid I stopped there. Dessert is a lemon meringue pie from the bakery.’
As expected, the meal was delicious, and the conversation revolved around the new newspaper, the first edition of which was eagerly awaited. Although Liz was now close to the editor, she was unable to tell them when it would appear, and she took their friendly bantering in good part. Gill wondered if Liz now regretted her previous tendency to gossip about others, having recently been the subject of it herself when the daughter she’d given up for adoption at fifteen had arrived in town.
Gill was just heaving a sigh of relief when Liz asked, ‘What word on your divorce, Gill?’
Gill took a deep breath. ‘Still nothing to report. It must be the longest divorce proceedings on record,’ she said trying to inject a note of humour. It fell flat.
‘Oh, Gill. I’m sorry. It must be hard,’ Rachel said, her face etched with concern.
Gill shrugged in an attempt to make light of what kept her awake at night. ‘It is what it is,’ she said. ‘Worse things happen at sea.’ She looked down at her hands to avoid the sympathetic expressions she knew she’d see if she met her friends’ eyes. She didn’t need their pity. She just needed Max to come to his senses and agree to a settlement… and Freya to talk to her. She had never been clear on exactly why her daughter had taken Max’s side in the divorce proceedings.