Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The cafe wasn’t busy the next morning, which gave Matilda a chance to do some cleaning and tidying of the pantry. Rita found her there, seated on a step ladder with cans and packets of food lying around her in piles.
“This is fantastic,” Rita said, clapping her hands together with glee. “This pantry has needed a thorough clean out for months. Thank you for doing this.”
“You’re welcome. I love to organise things. It’s kind of a superpower.”
“It’s a blessing, for sure.”
“What are you doing today?”
“I have some follow-up tests at the hospital.”
“That must be tiring for you. So many tests.”
Rita nodded. “I’m ready for this surgery. I can tell you that. Just as soon as my cardiologist gives them the go-ahead, we’ll book it in. Hopefully, I’ll start to feel better after the surgery and can get my life back.”
“You’ve been keeping up with everything pretty well, considering. You’re an inspiration.”
Rita crossed her eyes. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”
They both laughed.
“Hey, I wanted to talk to you about the issue with the cafe and Cathy’s claim on the ownership. I’ve showed the paperwork to my lawyer, and she thinks I have a case. That Cathy’s father abandoned the business as an active and equal partner and that legally the ownership then defaulted to my father. It’s not airtight, but it’s something. We’re going to argue for it in court. But the problem is, I really do need help with the place. Julie can’t do much, she’s in school and she’ll be busy with her career when she graduates. The only other person I could ask for help is Cathy. But you know what she’s like.” Rita rolled her eyes. “So, since you’re now one of my closest relatives and you seem to enjoy working here, I wondered if you might take on a little more responsibility? And if you plan to stay a while?”
Matilda offered her a wide grin. “I would love to stay a while and help you out. The cafe is great, I’m having such a good time working here. I was stressed out in my job back at home. I needed a break. And this has been the perfect change for me. I’m actually happy and relaxed. I feel good for the first time in a long time. My anxiety is gone. I enjoy interacting with the customers. And I feel a real connection to this place—there’s something special about it. Besides, the food is amazing.”
“I know you can’t commit forever … but it could be just the argument we need in court to bolster my ownership claim—that you’re a part of the business.”
“Great, I hope it helps.”
“I do too.”
There was a knock on the pantry door, and one of the kitchen staff let them know that Ryan was waiting outside in the courtyard to speak with Matilda. She excused herself and strode through the cafe to look for him. What did he want? She was embarrassed by how she’d behaved the last time she saw him, and her heart began to race as she considered what he might say.
He could be angry. She wouldn’t blame him at all if he was. She’d thought through their interaction a thousand times since then, and every single time, she wished she’d done things differently. Still, she didn’t know how she felt or what she wanted. Things were resolved now with her family—she’d uncovered the truth and felt much more settled. Maybe the timing was right. Although he’d probably moved on already. Men as good-looking as Ryan didn’t wait around for a woman’s mind to change.
He stood in the courtyard, hands in his pockets, staring at the honeysuckle vine which was in full bloom. The white flowers seemed to reach out for him, buttressed by thick green leaves as it climbed around the arch over the doorway and onto the timber pergola that framed the courtyard. As soon as she stepped outside, the sweet, heady aroma filled her nostrils.
“Hi,” she said, shoving her hands into her jeans pockets to subconsciously match his energy.
Ryan stepped closer. “I had to come and see you. I’ve been meaning to catch you at home, but we both seem to be coming and going at different times.”
“I’ve been busy with the cafe and helping Rita…”
“Me too—with work.” He sighed. “I know you say you need time and I was upset about that. But I understand. My breakup was years ago. It took me a long time to recover. I can’t expect you to be in the same place as me. That wasn’t fair of me.”
She wasn’t sure what to say. Her heart ached for him. She wanted nothing more than to give in. To let the flowing river of his words carry her away. But something held her back.
“I’m glad you came to see me.”
He offered her a hesitant smile. “Would you have dinner with me tonight?”
“That would be lovely.”
“Great.” His smile widened. “I’ll pick you up around seven.”
“I’ll have to ask for the evening off, but I’m sure Rita won’t mind.”
The sound of yelling drifted through the shut glass doors. Matilda frowned and glanced through the doors, back into the cafe. She saw Cathy, waving her arms around wildly, her voice booming.
“Excuse me,” Matilda said. “I have to help Rita with something.”
“I’ll see you tonight,” Ryan said before ducking out the back gate and into the parking lot.
She opened the glass doors and stepped inside, careful to shut the doors again behind her. It would shield the neighbours from the ruckus going on inside the cafe since Cathy appeared to be having what looked like a total meltdown in the middle of the dining area. Matilda was grateful there were only two customers—both watched with shocked expressions on their faces.
“I’m so sorry,” Matilda whispered to them as she went by. “I’ll get you some cake. On the house.”
Rita stood her ground in front of Cathy, arms patiently folded over her chest. Her face was stoic, her stance confident.
“You can’t take this away from me. This cafe is as much my heritage as it is yours!” Cathy shouted, her face red. She flicked the end of the green silk scarf that was tied around her bouffant behind her shoulder to emphasise her point.
Rita’s voice was steady. “You wanted to take this to court, not me, Cathy. But if you do, we’ll fight back. You know our fathers had a falling out. And because of it, your dad walked away from the business. We don’t know exactly what happened. None of us can say for sure what all the details were, and my dad certainly didn’t talk about it with any of us. But nevertheless, it occurred, and we’ve all got to live with that.”
Cathy huffed, red-faced, as though her voice had been stolen.
“When your dad walked away, he gave up any claim he had to the place. According to the law. He didn’t have a financial stake in the business, my dad was the one who put up the capital to start the place. They didn’t have a formal partnership agreement; it was a handshake one. There’s no evidence that you and your family line has any connection to the cafe. I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”
Matilda hurried to the kitchen to get the slices of cake and carried them back to the table. By the time she was done, Cathy had stormed out of the cafe in a fit of anger. Rita turned towards her office, her face thunderous. Matilda met her there.
“Everything okay?”
“Just peachy.”
“Well … good.” Matilda’s phone rang. She ducked back into the courtyard to answer it. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Stella. Is this a bad time?”
“This is a great time. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. Are you coming home yet?”
“Not yet. I have news though…”
They talked about Julie and how she’d reacted to the news of her heritage.
Finally, Stella said. “I can’t believe this has happened. When you first went over there, I thought you were crazy. That there was just some mishap that’d happened, and it would all work itself out. I never imagined we’d find out you were swapped with another family’s baby. And it just makes me so sad.”
“Don’t be said,” Matilda said with resolve. “I’m not. I have a whole new family to enjoy, and I still have you, right?”
“Of course you do. Nothing’s ever going to change that.”
“And now you have another sister as well. What could be better than gaining a new sister? I’m a little bit jealous, honestly.”
Stella laughed through her tears. “You have a point. I’m sure I’ll be happy about it all eventually. But for now, I just feel emotionally wrecked. I suppose I should hang up and call Todd and Bryce. I haven’t told them anything yet. They’re going to be flabbergasted.”
“Thanks for doing that. I’d rather not call everyone individually since it’s an emotional rollercoaster ride for me at the moment.”
“I understand that. It’s a lot for you to take in. But as you’ve already said, it doesn’t really change anything. We’re still family and we always have each other.”
“I hope you’ll also understand me wanting to stay for a while longer?”
Stella sniffled. “I wish you’d come home, but I get it. It makes sense you’d want to spend some time with your aunt, cousins, and everyone. Hopefully, I get to meet them all someday.”
“Julie’s already talking about taking a trip Down Under. She’s very cute about it all, actually. I’ll send you a photo. The family resemblance is uncanny. Oh and by the way, I got married.”
Stella didn’t speak for a moment. Then she shouted. “What? What do you mean you got married?”
After a heated conversation in which Stella accused her of being thoughtless and selfish, Matilda hung up the phone. She stood silent in the courtyard for a few minutes, pulling herself together. They’d ended the conversation on a more peaceful note, even though Stella was still upset.
Despite her brave front with Stella, the conversation had taken a lot out of her. She felt as though she’d been run over by a dump truck after all the ups and downs of the past few days. Between the DNA comparison results, Cathy’s claims to ownership of the cafe, and the marriage of convenience with Ryan, she could really use a day or two of rest. She needed to catch up on some sleep and maybe binge-watch a romantic comedy series. Then again, a few good books would probably do the trick. She’d stop at the bookstore on the way home from work.