Chapter 16
‘ I ’m glad we went,’ I said as we arrived back at the guest house after our walk and a nice lunch at The Rainforest Cafe (people around here didn’t seem capable of coming up with unique business names). ‘Thanks for organising it, Lorena.’
‘My pleasure.’ She plonked her bag on the kitchen counter. ‘Rest of the day we’ll take it easy I think. Might put my swollen feet up for a while.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Mel agreed.
‘I might do that too, then I’ll get started on the lamb roast.’ Georgie grabbed a glass of water and headed for the couch.
‘I better put away all my goodies.’ I picked up the gifts from the coffee table that I’d received during Pass the Parcel. My eyes lingered on the silver heart-shaped photo frame and a wave of sadness rolled through my body.
I was going to put a wedding photo in that.
Over two years of my life with Greg and it had come to this? An empty photo frame, never to hold the memory of what would have been our special day. The other gifts fell from my grasp as both my hands held on to the heart. In an instant Lorena was beside me, followed by Mel and Georgie .
‘Leave that,’ Lorena said. ‘I’ll put it away.’
She took it from my hands but I stayed where I was, as though the heartbreak had zapped all my energy and my brain had forgotten how to move my muscles.
‘C’mon, sit over here.’ Mel led me backwards to the couch and I sat, my gaze fixed on my palms where I’d held the frame. Then it started all over again. The pain and hurt built up and rolled out like a wave onto the shore and, once again, my friends held me until I could cry no more.
I needed a sleep, to shut out the world for a while, so I went upstairs and buried myself under the covers. When I awoke, for a moment I forgot all that had happened. That temporary amnesia you sometimes get on waking up was a relief. Then reality shoved all that aside and took centre stage. I switched my phone back on. There were three messages from Greg. I still didn’t feel like talking to him.
When I rolled over and sat on the side of the bed, preparing to return to the land of the living and be with my friends, someone cleared their throat.
I flipped my head to the right. Red was back. She stood in the corner of the room, holding her arm awkwardly with her hand and nibbling her bottom lip.
What? ‘Why are you still here?’ I asked. ‘You’ve done what you came here to do, you can go now. ’
‘I can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘There’s something else.’ She walked towards me slowly. ‘I need your help.’
I stood and shook my head. ‘You’ve just helped my marriage break down and now you want me to help you ?’
‘Hey, I did you a favour!’
I turned away. ‘It’s just that… every time I see you I’m reminded of Greg and what he did.’
‘Well excuse me for helping to stop you from making a huge mistake!’
‘I have enough to deal with now, I can’t take anymore. You’ve done your bit, so could you now, please, leave me be?’ I went for the door. ‘Goodbye, Red.’ I pulled the door open.
‘Nancy.’
I turned my head slightly. ‘What?’
‘Nancy. That’s my name. Nancy Silverton.’