Chapter Thirty-Three
Friday, 5 th January
‘I can’t believe you’ll be gone in two hours! It’s been the quickest Christmas ever.’ Emily was perched on Stacy’s bed, watching her pack.
Stacy squeezed in the Christmas jumper her mother had knitted her. It was daft enough to be fun, with its square snowman on the front, and would be just the thing for a Swiss winter. Rico had arrived back at Lakeside yesterday and sent her a photo of the snow, which he’d shovelled into huge piles in the corners of the car park.
‘I know. But you’ll be over for the opening party in a few weeks.’
‘That’s going to be brilliant. I’m so glad Alan can come too. It’ll be great to see your tubs! When’s your course again?’
Stacy pulled the lid of her case shut. Rico had enrolled her in a day course run by the manufacturer, to learn how to operate the new tubs. She would be in charge of the spa rooms, so she would have to know what to do if anything went wrong with the machinery or plumbing, as well as advising guests with medical issues about which tub would be best.
‘Next Monday. I’m glad it’s in St Gallen – I wouldn’t like an early start in Zurich in weather like they’re having now.’ She zipped the case up and slid it to the floor. She was ready to go, away from this place that was home and yet not home, back to Lakeside that was home and yet not home too.
Manchester Airport was mobbed all over again. Stacy checked in her bag, crossing her fingers that the cheese would be all right in the hold, then went back to her parents and Emily, who had come to wave her off.
‘It’s a pity we won’t be there for your opening,’ said Janie, her mouth turned down. ‘But it’s the busy time for the shop, with the January sales.’
John gave her arm a little shake. ‘You’ll enjoy a summer visit much more than a cold, dark January one – we’ll splash out on a really good holiday then. And Stacy’ll be home again for Easter, won’t you, love?’
Claustrophobia was setting in again. Stacy did her best to sound cheerful. ‘Possibly not – the hotel’s open over Easter and it’ll be a busy week. But I’m sure I’ll manage a spring visit at some point.’
‘Oh, you must, darling,’ said her mother, dabbing her cheeks with a tissue. ‘I so wish you were staying over the weekend. You haven’t been here five minutes, and you’re leaving us again.’
Stacy pulled them all into a group hug. She should go; this was only prolonging the agony.
‘Time I was going through. Thank you for a lovely holiday, guys. I’ll text when I arrive back at Lakeside.’
She walked through airport security, turning to wave from the other side. Her mother was in floods, being cuddled by Dad and Em. Stacy blew them a kiss and strode round the corner, and she shouldn’t say it out loud, but she was glad to be going back, even if she wasn’t quite going ‘home’. Maybe there wasn’t a ‘home’ in her life right now.
The extent of the winter she was returning to became clear even before the plane touched down in Zurich, and Stacy sat peering out of the narrow oval window. Wow. Huge banks of white stuff had been ploughed to the side – there was more snow here than they’d seen on the San Bernardino on the way home from Lugano. Hard to imagine what it would it be like up there today. What would the outside temperature be like? She’d been gawping so hard at the snow she’d missed that part of the captain’s announcement. Stacy queued up to get out of the plane, then went with the crowd to baggage reclaim. If she was lucky, she’d make the ten to four train.
The railway station was underground, below the airport, and to Stacy’s surprise, the train was on time in spite of the weather. It was a bleak, black and white landscape they passed through on the way out east, dark grey clouds towering overhead, increasing the gathering dusk. At Romanshorn, Stacy heaved her case onto the platform, feeling cold, damp air seep into her skin. Winter weather, yuck. Judging by the cars swinging past the station, however, the roads were okay to drive on. Stacy contemplated her feet. Pumps that were comfy on the plane wouldn’t be so great for walking from the station to the hotel. Was Rico at home?
She texted:
Train about to leave R’horn. Any chance of a lift from G’bach?
The answer came a few seconds later:
On my way!
Stacy smiled, then hesitated. Should she let Martin know she was back? But it was his turn to start a conversation; she’d initiated the last real text exchange on Christmas Day, though they’d both texted a brief
Happy New Year!
on Monday. It seemed she and Martin had run out of steam on their long-distance relationship that wasn’t a relationship at all yet. He knew when she was coming back, and no doubt she’d see him next week in his capacity as project accountant at Lakeside. Hm. She stuffed her phone back into her bag.
***
Rico thrust his hands into his jacket pockets, stamping his feet on the tiny platform. It would be great to have Stacy back. It had been so brilliant, all those texts – maybe, oh maybe, absence did make the heart grow fonder. The train drew up, doors opened – and there she was. He strode up, unable to suppress the huge grin creeping over his face.
‘Hi, there! Happy New Year!’ Half a second’s hesitation, then he hugged her quickly. And oh, joy – she hugged back. Briefly, but it was definitely a hug and hopefully an omen too.
She allowed him to take her case. ‘It’s lovely to be back. Mum was beginning to drive me bananas. She’s such a love, but…’
Her eyes clouded, and Rico realised why. She was worried she’d put her foot in it, mentioning annoying mothers when his mum was gone.
He rushed in with some reassurance. ‘That’s what mums are for, I guess. And why kids our age don’t live at home any more. Come on, I’ve got lentil soup waiting, and a bottle of red breathing, all ready to toast your return and heat you up.’
He poured two glasses as soon as they arrived back, and saw her squinting at the kitchen clock. It was well after five, that wasn’t too early for a celebration glass, was it? Heck, now she was staring at the empty wine bottle in the recycling basket in the kitchen. Talk about the drinks police – but she was looking out for him, so that was positive.
‘Three of us drank that – Andi and Martin were here last night to chew over progress and make plans for the next few weeks.’
And Martin had left a huge bunch of flowers as a welcome home gift for Stacy. Rico glared at the vase on the kitchen worktop. Had Martin and Stacy exchanged Christmas presents? Short of asking, there was no way to know. Stacy was pleased to be back, no doubt about that, but was she pleased because of Martin – or Lakeside itself, or – but it wouldn’t be him, so he’d forget that before he started hoping too hard. She’d be happy to be doing her own thing again, that was all, away from what sounded like a typical mother-hen mum.
Rico gave up, and raised his glass. ‘Cheers!’
Stacy clinked and sipped. ‘What’s the latest with Lakeside, then?’
Rico went into the living room and lifted a cardboard folder from the bookcase. ‘Here are the details of your course on Monday. It’s in English and German, so no worries about the language.’
Stacy accepted the folder. ‘Good. What else?’
‘The new plan is, instead of having an open day and showing people round the place like we’d originally thought, we could invite a few people here the Saturday before we open, to try it all out. We’d give them the spa experience in the afternoon, followed by dinner in the evening kind of thing.’
Stacy looked impressed. ‘A trial run? That’s a fab idea. So that would be on the thirteenth?’
Rico basked in her approval. ‘Yes. Then we’d have time to clean and polish before opening for proper guests on the twentieth. We have quite a few reservations already, mostly from Swiss people, but two couples from your English guest list are coming. And the only other thing is, I have to go back to Lugano on Sunday for a day or two, to sign papers – and then Lakeside will be officially mine by the opening.’
Stacy grinned. ‘My dad said it’ll be your most expensive present ever!’
‘Yup, downhill all the way from now on. I’m hoping to save a bit of back and forward by combining my trip to Lugano with my final hospital appointment in Chur. I emailed them today to ask if I could change the appointment to the ninth.’
‘Excellent.’ She sipped her wine, then put the glass down and raised her eyebrows. ‘Where’s this soup, then? I’m starving!’
Rico almost danced back to the kitchen. Absence had made a difference, anyway, and it was a good one. Somehow, being apart had made him and Stacy easier in each other’s company. She was chatting to him in the same kind of fun way she chatted to Emily, or Kim. There was a bit to go before he could truthfully say they were soulmates, but it was a step in the right direction, and it felt like a big one.