Twenty-nine
Next morning, both Gill and Freya were up before sunrise, Freya making good her agreement to join Gill and the other wild swimmers. As was typical on Sundays, the group was smaller than usual, but Olivia was there and welcomed Freya to the group. Gill saw Erica too, but they didn’t speak.
‘That was amazing, Mum,’ Freya said when they were back on the beach, ‘so exhilarating. It almost made me forget…’ She stopped, as if realising what she’d been about to say.
‘What?’ Gill asked.
‘It’s nothing.’
But Gill noticed how her daughter’s lips tightened and determined to get to the bottom of what was upsetting her. She was sure it was more than Max.
Freya was quiet again on the way home.
‘Why don’t we go out to breakfast?’ Gill asked, when they were back in the apartment, remembering how much she’d enjoyed her breakfast with Olivia at The Blue Dolphin Café .
‘Okay. I need to shower and change first.’ Freya disappeared into her bedroom, and Gill headed for the shower in her ensuite.
When they met again in the kitchen, Freya was wearing a pair of jeans with a University of California sweatshirt, which made her look younger.
‘Ready?’ Gill asked, picking up her bag.
‘Ready.’
As they walked down to the café, Freya commented on the pelicans sitting around the harbour. ‘I’ve missed the pelicans,’ she said. ‘It’s good to be home.’
‘It’s so good to have you here.’ Gill gave her daughter a hug, and linked arms with her. Freya hadn’t given any indication of how long she intended to stay, and Gill was afraid to ask.
When they reached the café, Gill saw Poppy and Cam at their usual table. This morning, they were accompanied by Poppy’s oldest daughter, Amber, and her husband. Beside the table was a double stroller containing two tiny babies.
‘I heard your babies had arrived,’ Gill said, stopping to greet her friend and peeping into the pram. ‘Aren’t they just perfect. Two boys?’ she asked Amber who was looking tired but beaming.
‘Jack and Andrew,’ Amber said proudly. ‘Jack for Dad, and Andrew for Chris’s dad.’
‘You must be so pleased,’ Gill said, knowing the difficulties Amber had experienced in becoming pregnant. ‘These two will keep you busy.’
Amber nodded. ‘I’m glad Mum’s here to help out, though she’s had her hands full with Megan and Scarlett’s little ones as well.’
Seeing the way Poppy was beaming too, Gill knew her friend didn’t mind.
‘Good to see you back,’ Poppy said to Freya. ‘Will we be seeing more of you?’
Freya didn’t answer, but Gill could see how moved she was at the sight of Amber’s babies.
‘We must catch up, Freya,’ Amber said. ‘Call me.’
Freya nodded.
‘Wasn’t it lovely to see Poppy and Amber and the twins?’ Gill said once she and Freya were settled at a table inside the café, and some distance from the others. ‘It’s my first glimpse of them.’
When her daughter didn’t immediately reply, Gill peered at her. ‘What’s up?’ It wasn’t like Freya to be so withdrawn.
‘It’s all these babies,’ Freya said at last. ‘Amber, Dad…’
Gill thought she was about to say another name, but she buttoned her lips. ‘And…? Is there something you’re not telling me?’ Was Freya pregnant? Was this what it was about?
‘Oh, Mum!’ Freya’s eyes moistened. ‘I thought he loved me, wanted me to have his babies.’
‘What happened?’ Gill asked gently, relieved her daughter was at last going to confide in her.
‘Hugh… he was another professor. We taught together. I thought…’ She wiped her eyes and sniffed. ‘I thought he loved me,’ she repeated, ‘then he told me he’d got one of his students pregnant. How could he? It was just after that, that Dad told me about him and Mercedes. Men!’ she said bitterly. ‘They can’t be trusted. It’s when I decided to come home. I couldn’t face seeing Hugh with her next semester.’
‘Oh, my darling!’ Gill reached over to squeeze Freya’s hand. She wanted to hug her again but didn’t want to embarrass her by doing it in the café.
‘I’m fine, really.’ Freya said. ‘It was just seeing Amber… and her babies. It brought it all back. But…’ she gave a wry grin, ‘… I’m not going to fall apart every time I see a baby. I promise. But I can’t go back to the university. It’s why I’m going to look for a position back here.’ She straightened her shoulders. ‘Now, what about breakfast?’ She wiped her eyes again.
Gill sighed inwardly. She should have known there was a man involved. She wondered how long Freya had been with him… long enough for her to consider it to be a serious relationship, obviously. No wonder she was bitter about Max. His timing couldn’t have been worse as far as Freya was concerned.
They ordered breakfast, cappuccinos and eggs benedict, but Gill didn’t enjoy hers and she was sure Freya didn’t either.
‘I will call Amber,’ Freya said, when they left the café, ‘but I’ll leave it for a bit.’
Gill gave her daughter the warm hug she’d wanted to give her in the café. ‘It gets easier,’ she said. ‘I know you don’t think so now, but believe me, it does. At least you weren’t married to the bastard.’
‘I’m sorry, Mum. I didn’t realise what it must have been like for you when Dad…’
Gill couldn’t speak. She hadn’t known Freya was aware of Max’s other women, even when they were still married. ‘It’s okay, honey,’ she said, hugging Freya again as if she was still a little girl. How she wished she could do more to help. But this wasn’t another skinned knee she could kiss better.
*
When they returned from breakfast, Freya decided to go for a walk along the beach, shrugging off Gill’s offer to accompany her.
Feeling at a loss, Gill made herself a cup of lemon and ginger tea and carried it out to the balcony with her iPad, intending to finish her book before Wednesday’s book club. Wednesday was also the monthly lunch with her friends, though she wondered if she should attend either now Freya was home. She turned on the audiobook, but soon had to turn it off again when she realised she hadn’t been paying attention and had lost track of the story.
Her poor daughter. Gill knew what it felt like to be betrayed by a loved one and she’d have walked over hot coals if she thought she could have prevented Freya from experiencing the hurt she had. But there was nothing she could have done, could do. It was something Freya would have to cope with. The one bright spot in all this was it had brought her home to Australia, to Pelican Crossing, and with luck, one day she’d meet someone else, someone more worthy of her love.