Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Emily peeked out from behind the couch. There was no one around, so she tiptoed across the small lounge room and sneaked into the hall closet. As she shut the door behind her, it squeaked loudly, and she grimaced. There were slats on the door, so she was able to see out. Down the hallway, a three-year-old boy crept along the carpet, eyes darting back and forth and a huge grin on his face. Mason was looking for her.
They’d been playing hide-and-seek for fifteen minutes, and Emily was certain he would never want to stop. Mia was hiding under Mason’s bed, but since she’d hidden in the same place the last two times, it wouldn’t be long before her brother discovered her. She’d squeal and laugh and stamp her feet up and down, just as she had each time. Mason found it frustrating that she didn’t look for somewhere new to hide.
It was her last week staying with Wanda and the kids. Next week, she would be back on campus getting ready for the new semester to start, and she was looking forward to it. She’d gotten some work in Sunshine over the summer at a vacation childcare centre. But between looking after fifty preschoolers all day and then coming home to Mason and Mia at night, she’d had more than her fill of playtimes and toy-strewn floors. As much as she loved children, and she really did, she was ready to get back to her dorm room and Madi’s partying just so she could finally have some rest.
Over the summer, she’d done everything she could to help her sister out. She’d played with the kids and taken them out whenever she had the time. She’d done dishes, laundry and housework. And she’d babysat so Wanda could go on a few dates. The dates hadn’t gone anywhere, but her sister swore that she felt alive for the first time in years, especially after having gone through chemotherapy the previous year. She had a new lease on life, and she was ready to get out and about on the town. Emily was glad she could help her sister to do that, and she was beyond grateful that Wanda was in remission. She hated to think how Mason or Mia would cope with losing their mother. Emily wasn’t ready to deal with losing Wanda herself—how could she help her niece and nephew face it? Thankfully, she didn’t have to. Wanda was well again.
Christmas with the kids had been everything she’d hoped it would be. They were excited about every aspect of the holiday, and it had brought Emily and Aaron so much joy. The two of them had gone with Wanda and the kids to the Carols by Candlelight on Sunshine Beach. They’d driven the kids around to look at Christmas lights. They’d had several BBQs while watching the sun set over the ocean. And they’d helped decorate the tree, buy and wrap the gifts, and had watched with delight as the children emerged on Christmas morning with bleary eyes to see what Santa had left them.
Emily couldn’t wait to celebrate the holidays with her own children, but she knew that could be many years away. She and Aaron had only recently begun dating, and as much as she cared about him, she didn’t know for certain where they were headed. Would he want to marry her? She couldn’t say. It was too soon, and they hadn’t spoken of it yet. But she knew she would never find someone she loved more than him. He was the one for her. Hopefully he would see that too—someday.
Squeals emerged from Mason’s bedroom. He’d found his sister. She could hear him complaining that she should find a new place to hide next time, as she made it too easy. Emily smiled to herself, covering her mouth with one hand to keep from giggling out loud.
“Come on, Mia. Help me find Aunty Emily,” Mason said.
He emerged from the bedroom, and Emily watched as he searched the laundry room, the kitchen, and then the lounge room. Mia trundled after him, asking questions and generally getting in the way. Finally, he reached the hall closet and tugged the door open.
Emily shouted, “Boo!”
Mason startled, his eyes wide. Then he grinned. Mia burst into tears.
Emily quickly scooped up her niece and kissed her cheeks, laughing. “Oh, dear. It’s okay. I’m sorry I scared you.”
Mason jumped up and down. “I found you. I found you.”
“You sure did. You’re good at finding.”
She made each of them an ice cream. Mia sat in her high chair, smiling, ice cream dripping down her chin even as tears still glistened on her cheeks. Wanda was out shopping. She was taking the opportunity to get every last errand done before Emily left for university again. She didn’t want Emily to leave and had tried to convince her to stay and commute, but Emily needed to have the space to study. She was already finding nursing school far more difficult than she’d anticipated, and she knew the subjects would only get more challenging as she progressed through the course.
The doorbell rang. Emily checked that the kids were fine and hurried to answer it. It was Aaron. He leaned against the doorframe with a grin on his handsome face.
She reached up to kiss him. His lips were warm. His arms found their way around her and pulled her close.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” she whispered against his mouth.
He laughed softly. “I wanted to surprise you. Can you get out for a while?”
“Wanda is shopping. But when she gets back…”
“Great. Because I want to take you out for dinner.”
“That would be fantastic. Come on in. You can watch the kids while I get changed and wash the ice cream off myself.”
After Wanda returned from shopping, Emily, freshly showered, went out with Aaron. He wore a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. She’d donned a floral skirt and a white singlet top. It was still warm outside, but there was a light breeze. They walked on the beach, hand in hand. The waves were small and gently curled to shore. Seagulls hovered overhead, calling.
“It feels so good to be back in Sunshine,” he said.
“I’ve really enjoyed this summer. I missed this place.”
“I know what you mean. I want to move back here. It’s just too far to commute.”
“One day. Maybe you can live here again.”
“I’d like that,” he said. “We should move back here when I finally get a full-time-from-home job or something closer to the island.”
“We?” she asked, smiling brightly at him.
He met her gaze. “Yes, we. You don’t think I’d let you move back to the island without me. I’d be so jealous.”
He was speaking about the future. A future with the two of them together. It caused a surge of joy inside her chest. “I don’t want to make you jealous. We should definitely think about that. But I’ll have to work at a hospital for a while after I graduate, and that will likely mean finding a job in the city.”
“You’re right,” he said. “We’ll be city dwellers for a few years at least. But one day…”
“One day…”