Chapter 19 #2
Gayle faltered but not for long. ‘It worked out well. We needed the help and she was happy to earn some extra cash on her holidays.’ She set the napkin dispenser back in its place at the end of the counter before offering them a quick smile.
‘I’d better start pulling my weight for the afternoon.
’ And she disappeared into the kitchen again. Escaping.
Susanna’s smile was replaced with a frown as she and Addie left the café. ‘I think she’s hiding something.’
‘Like what? She’s already tricked us once, not sure what else she could possibly be keeping from us.’
‘I’ve just got a feeling, that’s all. I really don’t want any more surprises.’
‘I’m pretty sure no surprise from now on could be as big as finding out she’s not actually dead.
’ When they reached the end of the path that led to the street, she glanced back at the Sweet Life Café and the beautiful balcony.
The venue really had stood the test of time – it was just as she remembered, and she’d never forgotten the joy of baking with their aunt until it seemed that Gayle had her own life and it was time for Addie to get on with hers.
When her phone rang, she took it from her pocket and smiled to see it was Maurie, although the first thing she asked was, ‘Is everything okay?’ when she saw Maurie’s face.
‘Of course.’ And she was soon pushed off screen by a beaming Isaac.
‘Hi, Mummy!’ His infectious smile had always had the power to transform her in an instant if she needed a pick-me-up.
When Susanna leaned so that she was on camera, Isaac’s smile widened. ‘Auntie Susie!’ He was the only one ever allowed to call her Susie. He’d called her that from when he was tiny and the habit stuck.
‘Hello, you. How’s my favourite nephew?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m your only nephew.’
‘Wait a minute,’ said Addie, registering the fact he wasn’t at school, ‘What’s going on? You’re not at school. Are you sick?’
‘My tooth was hurting,’ he said, putting a hand to his mouth.
‘Your tooth?’
Maurie leaned into the picture. ‘He was complaining of toothache this morning so I took him to the dentist. I did send you a text.’ She disappeared briefly but was soon back on screen holding her device. ‘Ah, it didn’t send. Honestly, I am useless. I was rushing, I should’ve checked.’
‘Don’t apologise, Maurie, please.’ She went above and beyond for her grandson, and Addie had zero complaints.
‘I let the school know,’ said Maurie.
‘Is he okay?’
‘Totally fine. One of his adult teeth is starting to push through and it’s hurting a bit, that’s all. It was a little inflamed, so I thought better to get it checked in case it was infected, and now he’s had a couple of painkillers he seems settled. Oh, and I bought some Bonjela—’
‘It’s yummy!’ Isaac piped up. ‘It tastes nice. Can we get some?’
‘It’s not for eating,’ Susanna told him, ‘although from memory it does taste pretty good.’
‘Not helping,’ Addie whispered to her sister. Then to Maurie she said, ‘The dentist saw you quickly.’ Maurie and Jarrett had all of Isaac’s particulars because they looked after him so often, but they’d never had to take him to a dentist or a doctor until now.
‘I took him to our dentist instead.’
Oh no – that meant it was a private appointment. ‘You didn’t have to do that.’
‘To be honest, it was easier.’
‘How much do I owe you?’ She dreaded to think of how much it cost.
‘He’s our grandson, so we’re happy to cover it. I could’ve called your regular one, but it was my choice not to because it made things easier. You forget about the money, love.’
Jarrett’s voice from the background called out, ‘Listen to her, she’s always right.’
‘Well, thank you.’
Isaac was soon hogging the whole screen again and Susanna joined the conversation.
‘Are you at the beach?’ Isaac wanted to know.
‘Not right now,’ said Susanna. ‘But we’ve just had pudding.’
His eyes widened. ‘At the Sweet Life Café?’
‘Yes, at the Sweet Life Café,’ said Addie.
Susanna told him all about the butterscotch brownie, how the menu had so many choices they could probably have something different every day for a fortnight at least.
‘Mummy, I have to come to the island. Pleeeeease…’
Addie wished she could agree just like that. ‘We’ll see.’
‘Jaimie at school says we’ll see is what parents say when they have no intention of doing something.’
She almost laughed. Since when did Isaac – or his little friend, Jaimie, for that matter – use the word intention?
‘Well, you can tell Jaimie that this mummy does mean it. You can visit one day.’ She exchanged a look with Susanna, who actually didn’t seem as against the idea as she might once have been.
‘And I can try a pudding?’ he rambled on. ‘And go to the beach, and run all the way around the island?’
‘Hold on, squirt, one thing at a time.’
Isaac started talking about the Lego boat he’d built with his grandad and how he’d been allowed to use it in the bath and it hadn’t fallen apart, and when she hung up Addie felt a yearning so vast for her son that she thought she might cry.
‘He’s fine,’ Susanna assured her. ‘He’s having a great time. Talking of a great time…’
‘What, you’re going to tell me that’s what you’re having?’
‘Not exactly. But look, we’re almost done with the sorting, and we still have six days to go until the event itself. I have some work but not much. I’m walking a lot and so are you, but why don’t we do something else?’
‘Such as?’
‘Why don’t we try to have a bit of time for ourselves? I haven’t had a holiday in ages, I know you haven’t, and we don’t get much time together, just the two of us.’
‘I miss it.’
‘Me too. So what do you think?’
Addie beamed. ‘Actually, I think it’s the best idea I’ve heard in ages.’
And when they let themselves into the cottage it was the first time that Addie had really felt like most of the weight they’d been burdened down with for years had been lifted.