Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The drive to North Georgia made Matilda feel as though she was heading away for a month-long holiday, but it was only a weekend.
At this time of year, right before Christmas, a weekend away was as good as a lifetime.
The pressure that’d sat on her chest for the past twelve months had lifted, and she was happy.
Deliriously happy, in fact. She couldn’t remember feeling this light — it’d been so long.
She rolled the window down and let the rushing wind pummel her face and lift her hair. It was frigid, and she soon couldn’t feel her nose. When she rolled the window up again, she heard Ryan laughing.
“You seem to be in a good mood,” he said.
She sighed. “Isn’t it heavenly? I love it up here. The air is so fresh…”
“Freezing, you mean.”
“Yes, it’s freezing, but in the best possible way. Do you think we’ll see snow?”
“No, I don’t.” He grinned at her. “But you never can tell. Maybe it’ll happen just for you.”
“I hope so.”
“You’re still feeling good about the clinic?”
The sale had gone through faster than she’d expected it to.
The new owners wanted to rush it in before the end of the financial year, and she’d been happy to do it.
The staff weren’t quite as thrilled as she was.
And she’d turned down the offer to manage the place.
She didn’t want to stay there, not as an employee.
She would start again—do something else.
Her life was full of possibilities again, and she kind of loved that.
“I feel great about it. Like an enormous weight has been lifted off me. I thought it was such a great opportunity to own a clinic, work for myself, make all of the calls. But it turns out, I’m just a worker bee.
I don’t want to call the shots, or manage the staff, or deal with conflict, or handle lawsuits and bills.
I want to show up for work, treat each animal that comes in, and then go home and forget about it.
” She sighed. “It’s a pretty confronting ephiphany. ”
“That’s okay—running a business isn’t for everyone. I sometimes wonder why I do it.”
“But you’re so good at it,” she pointed out. “It comes naturally to you. You’re lucky.”
He chuckled. “I don’t know if I’d put it that way. It took me years to be able to deal with everything the way I do now. When I first started out, I thought I’d die from the stress.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s hard to make an income out on your own. But gradually, over time, I learned how to manage my workload, how to deal with clients, the types of boundaries that I needed, what was important, and what wasn’t. Now I love it. Most of the time, anyway.”
She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I’m proud of you. Your business is incredible, and you’re so good with the staff. They love you. The Christmas party last week was so much fun, and everyone kept telling me over and over that you’re the best boss they’ve ever had.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like my staff.”
She laughed. “It’s true. And I especially love that you didn’t ask me to organise the party because I’ve been so overwhelmed at the clinic that pulling together a Christmas party would’ve tipped me over the edge.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you. Besides, it’s not hard — I just booked a restaurant and paid the bill. Easy.”
“And you got gifts for everyone.”
“My assistant did most of that.”
“She’s a keeper.”
He smiled. “Yes, she is.”
“I love your big heart. You always encourage people.” The longer they were married, the more she loved everything about him.
She’d never been with anyone like this before — usually she’d get sick of boyfriends, irritated by the little things.
But not with Ryan — as time went by, she only wanted to spend more time with him.
They didn’t always communicate well, but they were working on it. And their love only seemed to grow.
“Thanks for coming away on this weekend with me. I really needed to get out of town and have a break. And now that you’ve sold the clinic, maybe we can take an actual vacation sometime.”
“I would love that.”
Helen was a quaint town in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in North Georgia.
Matilda loved it there, even if it was a little bit cringe with its toffee-making shops and German-style buildings.
It was a tourist destination and didn’t try to hide the fact one little bit.
But the atmosphere felt similar to a town called Montville in Queensland, which gave it a charm that she enjoyed and made it feel like they’d gotten far away from their everyday lives in Atlanta, even though it was only a two-hour drive.
They checked into their hotel and then donned coats to walk down the main street. The wind on her face was icy and she pushed gloved hands deep into her coat pocket, grateful for the woollen scarf around her neck.
“Where should we eat?” Ryan asked.
“Something’s making me pine for German food.”
“I’ve got the same craving,” he replied with a wink.
They found a German restaurant and ordered a plate of sausages, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, pork knuckle, and a bottle of red wine. The food was delicious, smothered in mustard and packed with flavour.
After she’d eaten as much as she could manage, Matilda leaned back in her chair with a sigh and patted her stomach. “That was amazing. I wish I could eat more, but there’s no way I can fit another bite into my belly.”
“It’s good to see you eating again. You’d lost your appetite lately.”
“You noticed that?”
“Of course. You’re getting thin. I worried, but didn’t want to make you feel worse by saying something. I’m glad you’re doing better…”
“You can always speak up, you know. I don’t want you to feel as though I’m so fragile that you can’t share concerns with me.
You’ve held so much in lately, not telling me how you really felt about the clinic, or the stress you’ve seen me under.
I don’t want you to hold back. I want you to be honest with me.
Talk to me about things.” She hadn’t known he’d been so reluctant to speak his mind and wondered what had caused him to feel that way.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m not used to it. My parents don’t really talk about anything. In my family, problems, stress, conflict—it all gets pushed under the rug and we don’t deal with it. We ignore it and move on with a smile.”
She laughed. “In my family, we shout about it, have a huge fight, and then forgive and make up.”
“That doesn’t sound very appealing either. Perhaps we could find a happy middle ground.”
“A new family tradition…”
“We talk about things, without shouting, and then we move forward with a smile. A combo, if you will.”
“A combo. I like that. I don’t want you to see me as this injured little bird you have to take care of.
I want us to be equal partners. To share everything together.
And if you’re worried about something, or you think I’m heading down the wrong track, you should speak up.
I can handle it. In fact, I’ll feel a lot better knowing I don’t have to shoulder the burden alone, that you’re in it with me.
I’ve felt alone over the past few months — the clinic has been my responsibility.
And I get that you have your own business to worry about, but I would’ve loved you to pipe up a little more often. ”
He sighed and reached for her hand across the table. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should’ve said more. I could see you were floundering, but I didn’t want to overstep. I thought you’d see it as interfering, and I know you’re really capable.”
“We’re both capable, but it doesn’t mean we want to do it alone.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to manage on my own either.”
“Good. I’m glad.” She smiled and wound her fingers through his. “Now, do you think we could find nice brandy somewhere? I’d like a nightcap before bed. Then I want you all to myself.”
He grinned. “I’m sure we can manage that.” He signalled for the bill, and the waiter hurried it to the table.
Then, arm in arm, they returned to their hotel room by way of a convenience store. Matilda couldn’t remember feeling so at ease, relaxed, and happy. She felt a peace that she’d done the right thing, and she couldn’t wait to see what the future might hold.