CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Nora
Three years later
‘Perhaps she inherited your oaf of a body.’ I tickled her feet as she squealed in delight, her grey eyes wide and bright.
I waited for the mum guilt everyone warned me about to kick in, but nothing more than happiness raced through my veins.
Knowing she’d spend the day with her father and Uncle Luke in a studio of children’s performers was more than I could ask the universe for.
Especially when I would only be one block away and we’d already planned lunch together.
I wrapped a scarf around my neck ready to warm me from the stormy weather outside.
My phone dinged with a reminder of my meeting with Jerbus’s new insurance company in an hour.
Three years of earning everyone’s respect as Finance Manager with my kind leadership skills paid off, and my new flexible work hours allowed me to say goodbye to Delilah after she woke each morning.
My heart still flipped each morning with the reality that I could have a successful career and a family.
‘Ben better have dropped our rate from the last policy he showed me,’ I said.
‘And risk pissing off my father?’ Corey raised an eyebrow.
We laughed knowing he’d likely dropped the rate even further than I’d requested.
His tactic to maintain clients based on loyalty was working, much to Craig’s disbelief.
Craig was slowly adapting to our new lives, too.
The networking photographs on his desk were replaced with his grandchildren, and framed behind his desk was an enormous family picture Corey drew earlier this year.
The picture had sat on Corey’s desk at home for weeks while waiting to see what our baby girl looked like so he could sketch her in, too.
Perhaps I’m biased, but I think she looks the best out of everyone.
I straightened our wonky exam results framed on the wall, where Corey had brazenly hammered his slightly higher than mine to represent his higher score.
With the additional qualifications he held, it was hard to be mad or surprised.
Especially now he’d added an art degree to his long list. Not that the results mattered in the end – we both proved and understood each other’s issues.
Not only proved and understood, but accepted.
‘I must admit. I don’t feel guilty, but I’m going to miss her,’ I sighed as I committed every hair on Delilah’s head to memory. ‘But I know she’s going to have a brilliant day with you.’
‘Everyone was so excited when I told them she’d be coming to work with me each day. Luke reckons he’ll be her favourite uncle because he gets all this extra time with her.’
‘Are you sure you don’t want your mum to watch her with Jess?’ I asked. ‘She loves having all the grandkids together.’
His eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around Delilah, not that he could bring her any closer than she already was.
‘I’m not ready. Besides, it’s like taking a piece of you to work with me, too.
She has your nose. Perhaps I’ll even draw it into the new picture book I’ve been contracted to illustrate. ’
My heart squeezed at the smile on his face while he stared down at her nose. I rolled two suitcases by the front door and grabbed my keys. ‘I’ll be home at four so we can drive out to Katoomba for the weekend.’
Corey nodded and poured me a travel coffee. ‘Oliver said if you spoil his proposal by crying when you see Diane, he’ll kill you, by the way.’
‘Well then, he shouldn’t have invited us to be there for it. Besides, if anyone’s going to spoil the proposal, it’ll be Mum blubbering the moment we gather.’
My life seemed to have healed a little piece of Mum’s heart.
She’d tried to apologise for pushing me so hard, but I’d clasped my swollen pregnant hands around hers and refused to listen.
Her encouragement – albeit a little intense – was the reason I’m now listened to respectfully in boardrooms at work, then loved fiercely at home.
‘Honestly, she’s softer than a marshmallow these days.’ I took the coffee and gave him and Delilah one final kiss before I walked out the door.
I stood by Gerald and waited for him to walk inside the elevator, just as Corey burst out of our apartment.
‘You forgot your umbrella.’ He passed it over and stepped back as the doors began to close.
I stared down at the green splotches against the black material.
‘Don’t let the lightning catch you.’ He grinned.
When the doors closed, I glanced between my hands at the umbrella and my travel coffee.
I would never depend on a man.
But it was nice to know I could when a cold stormy day called for it.