Chapter 34
Thanksgiving
Josie stretched out in the sunshine by the pool.
It was her last day in Sydney, and she was still blown away by the place.
David and Anna’s cream-colored detached home in the Watson’s Bay suburb was stunning, with its wide, lush garden overlooking the water, downtown Sydney shimmering in the distance.
They must be paying David a fortune at the bank.
“How long have you got?”
Josie shaded her face. Anna, red hair gleaming in the sun, in a light blue sundress and red flip-flops, had six-week-old Daisy at her shoulder and an iPad tucked under one arm. Anna lowered herself onto a lounger, allowing the tablet to drop.
“Still a couple of hours. I’m all packed,” Josie replied. “The taxi’s booked for three. Is David on his way?”
“Yeah, ten minutes with the groceries, and we’ll have a farewell lunch for you. Turkey sandwiches, by way of celebrating Thanksgiving. I can’t believe you’re going! I’m not sure when we’ll see you next.”
Josie felt a lump form in her throat as she set her lounger upright and held her arms out for Daisy. Anna handed her over and the baby snuggled happily into her aunt.
Josie closed her eyes. Never again.
“I know.” Her voice was husky. “I’m going to miss you all so much. Especially seeing this little one grow.”
“Well, hey,” said Anna, brightly, “I have just the thing to keep us occupied until lunch, I was just showing Iris and Laura. The photographer emailed me the wedding photos. Wanna see?”
“Fantastic,” Josie exclaimed, making an effort to cheer up.
Anna pulled her lounger closer and started flipping through images of what was a glorious day, in those very same gardens, two weeks before.
They began with Anna getting ready in the hotel the women had stayed in the night before the wedding, while David had stayed at home.
The obligatory hair up-do shot, white strapless dress laid out on the bed.
Josie remembered thinking she wouldn’t have chosen a strapless dress and an up-do if she had been Anna, with that dolphin tattoo on her shoulder. But Anna didn’t care.
The next set showed the wedding car bearing Anna and her parents to the house, a parade of family members greeting the bridal party.
David was nowhere in sight, as was befitting, but their mother was dressed in her finery, holding a prettily dressed Daisy, with a bow tied around her head.
Guests settling into the chairs lined up in the garden, in front of the flower-covered pergola, the bay glittering silver beyond.
There was Josie herself, beaming away in her poppy dress.
And then David, at the end of the aisle in a beige summer suit.
Josie welled up at the pictures of Anna being led down the aisle by her father and greeted by David, who was almost in tears.
The vows, the rings, the kiss. Their mother handing the baby to them as Daisy had started bawling, the congregation laughing.
It was a lot like Josie’s own Hawaiian wedding to Rob.
Finally, the garden reception, a dance floor and string lights on the pool terrace, live band at one end.
The speeches, including the best man’s offering, which had half the guests falling about laughing while older guests were shocked by tales of David’s wilder days.
Sunset over the bay. Cavorting revelers, loose from free-flowing champagne.
Glorious, glorious day.
Josie wished she could forward these images to herself in her other life, to remind herself of this extraordinary time with her brother and niece.
But it was impossible. No, if the switch-back plan worked, her memories would be the only thing she had.
Other Josie would see the photos, though, if she returned.
At least Josie had witnessed the real thing.
“You’re so sweet.” Anna reached out to stroke Josie’s hair, misinterpreting Josie’s emotion. “It was a beautiful day, wasn’t it?”
Josie nodded. “Could you send these to me?”
“Of course.” She took back her iPad, typing on it, as Josie snuggled Daisy again, breathing in her baby scent. “There, I’ve emailed you the Dropbox link.”
Hearing the front door slam — David and Adam back with the groceries — Anna rose, taking Daisy back from her aunt’s arms. “Perfect timing — lunch. You chill here, I’ll get you when it’s ready.
We’ll make sarnies and bring them outside.
Hopefully your mum will be fine if we put her under the umbrella. ”
Josie nodded again, glad of the chance to compose herself.
But the foreboding sense of imminent goodbyes — possibly forever — made her panic, so she went inside to eke out as much time with David and Daisy as possible.
Even the simple act of putting away groceries, and making her brother’s favorite sandwich, precious to her.
The turkey and avocado baguettes were delicious, and it was a beautiful setting, with those Josie loved most around her — yet she picked at her lunch.
She felt like she was going to lose it at any moment, weeping and flinging her arms around her brother’s neck, clutching Daisy to her chest, and swearing to never let her go.
But she didn’t. She wanted her last moments with them to be a happy memory.
Maybe the plan wouldn’t work. If she ended up staying in this life, it wouldn’t be goodbye forever. She might even see them again in a year.
But Josie knew that wasn’t enough to make her happy. She had to get her life with Rob back. If David and Anna’s marital bliss had shown her anything, it was that.
“You okay?” Laura was watching her sister carefully. “Not like you to snub a tasty sarnie.”
Josie attempted a smile. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Emotional about leaving, especially Daisy. I don’t know when I’ll see her again, and she’ll change so much. I’ll definitely never see this little baby again.” That last bit did it, and a tear spilled down her cheek.
She excused herself before Laura could comment and went to the bathroom to blow her nose. She looked at herself in the mirror, trying to pull herself together. She didn’t want her last memory with David and Daisy to be of her sniveling.
When she emerged, her family was sitting around the living room with coffee. As Josie finished the last dregs of her tea, car tires crunched on the gravel drive, and a horn beeped.
She inhaled deeply, then rose to her feet. “That’s the cab, guys.”
“You’ve got everything?” asked her mother.
“Thanks, Mum, I’m good.” Josie hugged her, as well as her sister, Laura, and little Theo, grabbing him as he ran around the kitchen island. Josie wasn’t worried about them — they existed in whatever life she chose. She’d see them in a few months either way.
“It’s been lovely to have you. Thanks for coming all this way.” Anna gave Josie a side-hug, Daisy on her shoulder again.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Josie told her with a warm smile. She reached out to hold Daisy one last time. The infant stretched her fat little hands as Josie took her in her arms.
“Say bye to your Auntie Bosie,” Anna told Daisy. The baby looked up at her aunt’s red-rimmed eyes and seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Daisy stuck her thumb in her mouth as Josie kissed the top of her finely haired head.
“Bye, baby girl. I love you,” she whispered, giving her a final squeeze before handing her back over.
“Come ’ere, ya big softie.” David gave Josie a sudden, big hug as the taxi honked again. Their mother went outside to tell the driver his passenger was coming, but Josie was in a panic. This was really it.
She dropped her carry-on bag on the floor and hugged her brother with all her might, burying her head into his shoulder, trying to disguise her sorrow. He laughed, patting her back. Composing herself after a moment, Josie looked up at him.
“I love you, bro. I love you and your family. I’m going to miss you so much.”
David ruffled Josie’s hair, gave her another squeeze, and pulled away, picking up her shoulder bag and grabbing her suitcase handle. “Love you too, ya dork. Don’t be sad, sis, we’ll see you soon, okay? We’ll work something out. Come on, let’s get you in the cab, before it drives away.”
David put Josie’s luggage in the trunk and slammed it shut.
“Good to go.”
He stepped back onto the porch and put his arm around his wife and child. Josie looked at them all one last time and took a mental photograph. So beautiful, so happy, so perfect.
This, exactly this picture, was what she would take back to her old life.
As the cab pulled away, Josie’s whole family stood in the driveway, waving farewell.
At the airport, in the lofty waiting area beyond security, she opened her email to pore over the wedding photos again. She could have gazed at them forever. She had never seen anyone happier than those two on their wedding day. It made her ache for Rob once more.
As much as she was going to miss David and little Daisy, even Anna, it was the knowledge they existed, in any world, that gave her courage.
Instead of David dying tragically without ever having been truly in love or becoming a father, Josie had had the privilege of witnessing him experience both those things.
It wasn’t something she could have ever thought possible.
Knowing that, in some universe, her brother was happy with a wife and child — their happiness set Josie free.