Chapter 13
Chapter thirteen
Imogen, Robbie, and Janka sat at a table waiting for them. Carl was also having a lunch break and Meredith still hadn't returned.
"What makes you think they want to get back together, though?" Janka asked.
Robbie poured water from the jug into their glasses.
Imogen sat back, a knowing smile on her face.
"I have vague memories of Billy being around when I was really little…
so vague, I used to think I'd made her up, but I knew I hadn’t because Mum always talked about her.
She'd say, ‘Your other mum loves you so much, but she's having a hard time right now so she can’t be with us.’" She looked at each of her friends in turn.
"With us. Not with you, always with us."
Robbie shrugged. "Okay, but maybe that was just her way of explaining it to a small kid."
Imogen nodded. "Maybe… But then as I got older and started to question who my dad was and where was this other mum I had, Mum would always tell me the truth.
She softened it, but it was honest. She'd say, ’Sometimes grown-ups can feel too much going on at once, and that pressure means they can't be who we need them to be, and they have to go away to fix themselves so they can come back… when they're ready.’"
"Right, and she did come back, but they didn't get back together," Janka added.
"Yeah, because Billy had met someone else," Imogen said, "and for a long time, I just thought that was how it was…
but when I started to be allowed to spend time with Billy, she'd always want to talk about Mum and how she was doing.
The new girlfriends never lasted more than a few months.
And then I'd get home and Mum would ask, 'How's Billy doing?
Is she well?' At first, I just put it down to being curious, but it's been years and they're still doing it. "
"So, why don't they just get together again?" Janka asked.
"Honestly, I think Mum is scared to get hurt again, and Billy is scared she'll get rejected.
Right now, they have each other in a weird way because of me…
but I'm sixteen in two days, I'll soon be off to uni and then my own life, and they won't have the excuse to speak to each other much.
" Imogen's shoulders dropped as she sighed.
"And life is too short to have found your person and not be with them for as much of it as you can be. "
Robbie nudged her arm. "Heads up." Her chin jutted towards the other side of the room where Billy and Rosa were walking in, side by side, Rosa laughing at something Billy said.
Imogen leaned in, whispering, "Tell me that's not love." She then called out, "Mums!"
Rosa and Billy both turned. Rosa waved and changed direction, and then Billy smiled and followed.
"How was the spa?" Janka asked as they reached the table.
"Better than I expected, but this weather..." Rosa pointed out the window as the flurrying snow picked up and a wind blew the surface snow up into the air. "Are you sure it's safe to be skiing in this?"
"It's what we live for," Robbie declared, laughing.
"Carl wouldn't let us do anything dangerous. Chill out, Mum," Imogen gently chided.
"So, where is Grandma?" Billy asked, looking around the room. "I thought she said she'd meet us for lunch?"
Imogen shrugged. "I'm sure she'll be here soon. Anyway, I am famished." She picked up the menu then put it back down. "I don't know why I'm looking…I'm having the burger."
"Me too," Janka said, adding her menu to the pile. They both turned and looked at Robbie.
"I'm going to have the wiener schnitzel."
"Okay..." Imogen teased.
"What? It sounds nice, and I like trying new things."
Rosa patted her arm. "Take no notice of them, you have whatever you want. In fact, I might have the same. You're right, it does look nice." She glanced up at Billy as she said it.
"Well, I'm going to have…Tyrolean Grostl," Billy said, turning to find Rosa still looking at her. Billy smiled and Rosa's lips curved in response.
Imogen kicked her feet out, each one bumping into a friends’ foot. "See?" she whispered, "Tell me it's not."