Chapter 2
Debbie Holmes had been practicing law for thirty-eight years, and she wondered if she’d ever grow tired of it. She loved being a barrister. Loved going to bat for her clients. The excitement of it never failed to get her adrenaline pumping. But now she was sixty years old, her husband, Caleb, had asked her to slow down.
“Don’t you ever think about retiring?” he’d said to her the previous week.
She’d wanted to reply with something snarky like, “Don’t you?” Because the truth was, he worked as many hours as she did, and he hadn’t mentioned one thing about retiring yet. But maybe he was thinking about it more than he’d let on. After all, why would he ask her to retire if he didn’t intend to do that himself?
She’d always thought they would both retire at sixty-five and travel the world, lounge around tropical swimming pools, and visit all of the cathedrals and museums they’d never had time for in the past. But now that time had almost come, she found she wasn’t quite ready for it. She still felt young. The thought of hanging up her barrister’s robe terrified her. What would she do with her days? She wasn’t the type of woman who’d fostered a series of hobbies or who liked to do charity work. She didn’t have a garden; they lived in a high-rise apartment in the city. She couldn’t imagine how empty a day would be without work in it.
Still, she couldn’t work forever. Could she?
The phone rang, and she answered it as her heels clacked along the tarmac on the way to her car. “Yes, this is Debbie.”
“Hi, Deb. It’s Evelyne. I need those reports signed by the end of the day.” Debbie’s firm was a small one. Boutique was the term she preferred. And as the senior partner, she had a very competent assistant. Evelyne was reliable, focused, detail-oriented and had become indispensable in Debbie’s life. And because of that, she’d stepped into more of a management role than assistant, really. Debbie had increased her paycheque to reflect that.
“Of course, I forgot. I’ll have to do it on my phone because I’m going to be late for the potluck brunch with my friends in Sunshine if I go back up to the apartment now.”
“That’s fine—you can sign digitally. Also, you have a client appointment at nine am Monday, so don’t forget to bring what you need with you. It’s right after the partner’s meeting.”
“I won’t forget,” Debbie assured her. “Is this for the Herberton lawsuit?”
“That’s right. They don’t want to settle. Otherwise, I would’ve set up a mediation. But apparently they want to go to court. It’s going to be huge.”
“Can you forward me the documents so I can read up on the case before the meeting?” Debbie asked as she unlocked her red sports car.
“Will do,” Evelyne replied. “Also, you didn’t hear it from me, but Phil is on a rampage again about the dishwasher.”
Debbie sighed. “What now?”
“He put up a sign in the office kitchen calling anyone who doesn’t put their coffee cup in the dishwasher a slacker.”
Debbie stifled a laugh. “Okay, I’ll deal with it when I’m in the office on Monday.”
“It all falls apart when you’re not here,” Evelyne replied in a singsong voice. “We need you.”
Debbie rolled her eyes. She couldn’t be out of the office for more than a day or two before the political argy-bargy between the partners began. It was always someone pushing their weight around, attempting to assert their dominance. She wasn’t sure what would happen when she finally retired. Phil was the next in charge. He had the most seniority in the partnership besides Debbie, but she couldn’t imagine how the rest of the team would survive his tyrannical leadership.
“I know you do. I’ll be back on Monday. I’ve only been gone for three days.”
“And it feels like three weeks. See you then!”
She hung up the phone and started the car engine. Three days at a conference in Sydney, and the office was coming apart at the seams. She’d hoped to pull back to a part-time position rather than retire entirely, but if she did that, how would they manage? Would Phil and the other partners collapse in an all-out brawl? And what would the clients think? She’d spent twenty-five years building this firm into a top-notch corporate law firm. Businesses throughout Australia relied on her and her team to manage their legal affairs in court. The last thing she wanted was for her reputation to be ruined by a premature retirement. Especially one she wasn’t sure she wanted.
But then there was the issue of Caleb and the fact that they barely talked anymore. They’d been so passionately in love in the early years. But these days, she felt almost as though she didn’t know him. Who was he? Who was this man she’d spent the vast majority of her life with? They shared an apartment and a bathroom, even a bed, but they hardly exchanged words more than twice a week. And when they did, it was more like a business discussion than a conversation between lovers.
Was that normal? She was sixty, but she still wanted more from her romantic relationship than that. Did other couples go through the same thing? She hadn’t been game to ask her friends. She liked them to think she and Caleb were still as hot and heavy as ever. After all, they’d sacrificed so much for the life they’d built.
Debbie drove through the city and jumped onto the highway. She stopped at a nearby bakery and bought a package of twelve vanilla slices. It wasn’t exactly Mexican fare, but she wasn’t sure what Mexican desserts looked like, and she was certain she wouldn’t find any in a Brisbane café. Besides, the Potluck girls all knew she didn’t cook. They wouldn’t expect her to bring anything other than her regular café purchase and her camera.
Speaking of the potluck brunch, would Caleb come? She had asked him the previous evening, and he’d grunted something indecipherable in response while he watched the latest cricket match on their enormous flatscreen television set. She couldn’t be sure if it was a yes, no or maybe. And she hadn’t wanted to push him. He hated when she pushed him.
He hadn’t attended one of the brunches in months, but she knew for a fact he didn’t have anything on today. He’d gone golfing first thing, but surely he’d be done with nine holes in time to drive to Sunshine. He might be late, but that wouldn’t matter. She flicked on the Bluetooth in her car and dialled his number. It went to voicemail, and she left him a message reminding him. She didn’t much like the chances of him coming, but it was worth a try.
For a moment, her heart ached. The thought that this was how their marriage would be from now on scared her. She had to do something to pull them out of this free fall, if it wasn’t too late already.