47. Alexis
Evelyn finally returned, taking back her penthouse and officially ending her agreement with Alexis. Evelyn seemed quite satisfied with the level of care Alexis had given the apartment and Tofu—although she wasn’t aware of the couple of times Alexis had left the cat on its own after 7pm—and Alexis didn’t think it would do anyone any good to tell the truth.
She moved the last of her things to her new place, not feeling too sad about leaving the building since her boyfriend still lived there. Now, she was allowed to stay overnight with him without having to worry about a certain Khao Manee designer cat.
David stayed true to his word and messaged through the details of the health centre in Dorrigo where Alexis’ mother worked. After a quick phone call, she found that she was, in fact, on staff there.
She contemplated inviting Levi along for another road trip, but after what happened with his family business, he had to stay around town for a while.
But he didn’t want her to wait, so she arranged to leave on the Monday after Evelyn’s return. He even lent her his Jaguar, which Alexis had been a little nervous about driving.
‘It’s just a car,’ he pointed out. ‘And it’s covered under insurance if you happen to get into any trouble. I’ve also mapped out a few charging stations along the way for top-ups.’
‘I can wait a little longer if you want to come with me?’
‘No, please go see your mother. I promise I’ll be fine here. And they invented phones for a reason. We can video chat anytime.’
She kissed him goodbye, feeling like she was heading off on a much longer journey than an overnighter five hours away. But the drive went smoothly, and she cruised down the highway, again feeling strangely zen about her latest life choice.
Her dad hadn’t yet been arrested, but Alexis knew it was going to happen soon. Since his dealings were spread farther afield than Levi’s, it was taking longer to put together a case. She could see the toll Levi’s family’s mess was taking on him, even though he tried not to show it when she saw him, and she knew her situation was going to be just as bad.
She reached Dorrigo by mid-afternoon, having stopped to grab some lunch and charge the car on the way. She hadn’t booked anywhere to stay, but she wasn’t expecting her mother to put her up after not seeing her for twenty-five years, so she found a small motel not far from the health centre and booked a room there.
After checking in, she sat on the bed, suddenly overcome with nerves. What was she doing here? Why hadn’t she given her mother warning? What if she turned her away and refused to see her?
No. She had to trust that it would all work out for the best. And even if Lily didn’t want anything to do with her, that would at least give her more information than she currently had.
She fixed her makeup and smoothed down her hair before getting back in the Jag and driving to the medical centre.
It was an impressive looking facility for a regional health service. She entered the timber and glass structure and approached the front counter.
‘I’d like to see Lily Hall when she’s free, please.’
‘May I ask your name?’
‘Alexis.’
‘Surname?’
She hesitated. If she said Hall, her mum would know immediately.
‘Uh…’ Oh, what the hell. ‘Hall.’
The receptionist looked at her curiously. ‘Are you a relative?’
‘You could say that.’
‘Just a moment.’
She made a call and then hung up, looking back at Alexis. ‘Take a seat. She’ll be right out.’
Alexis sat beside some of the patients waiting to see medical professionals. She hoped Lily had time to fit her in around her duties.
Five minutes passed, and Alexis started to worry her mum had realised who she was and had made a speedy exit out the back. But then a woman walked into the waiting room, and Alexis’ heart filled with hope.
It was her. And she looked almost the same as Alexis remembered. Which was strange. People usually changed a lot in twenty-five years.
Lily stopped when she saw Alexis, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
Alexis stood and slowly approached her. ‘Hi,’ she whispered.
Her mother reached out and gently took her hands. ‘Alexis?’
‘That’s me.’
‘I can’t believe you’re here.’
‘I wouldn’t have been that hard to find if you’d looked,’ she said, trying not to sound too hurt.
‘You’re right. I deserved that. Come outside, and we’ll talk.’
Lily led Alexis to a grassy area shaded by gum trees and motioned for her to sit on a nearby picnic bench.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Lily said, the tears still flowing. ‘I couldn’t come to you. Your father said if I left quietly and didn’t get in touch, he would make sure you had everything you wanted, and you wouldn’t be harmed.’
‘Are you saying he threatened to hurt me if you protested?’
She nodded miserably. ‘I should have tried, though. After a while, I figured at least you would have every opportunity money could buy. And you loved your dad. Even before I left, if I took you to visit my parents overnight on my own, you would cry because you missed Jack.’
Alexis wanted to tell her how she had cried rivers over her. How she had felt like something was wrong with her for years because her mother had abandoned her. But now knowing what Jack was capable of, she understood her mother’s fear.
‘Jack is probably going to go to jail.’
‘Really?’
‘He’s been doing God knows what for who knows how long. I even found evidence of a corrupt case he worked on twenty-five years ago. Just after you left.’
Lily’s face crumpled. ‘That’s awful.’
‘I had no idea until recently either. I was working at his firm, and it was the first case we took together. But I suspected something was off when I started it, and by the end, I was almost certain.’
‘So you think he’ll be arrested?’
‘Yes. I’ve given the police enough evidence to take him down. And I have a good lawyer helping me.’
‘I can’t believe you’re a lawyer too.’
‘That’s not exactly true right now.’
‘Oh. You quit?’
‘Unofficially. I have my own concierge business for now.’
‘My poor Lexi. It sounds like you’ve had it tough. I’m so sorry everything turned out this way.’
‘How long have you been living here?’
‘Twenty-five years. When I left Brisbane, I just drove without a goal in mind. I ended up stopping here in Dorrigo, and I saw a job advertised at the pub in the middle of town. The owner allowed me to live upstairs as part of the deal, so I did that for five years. But at some point, I decided I wanted to be a nurse, and I trained for that before getting a job as one.’
‘Did you ever remarry? Or have other children?’
‘No. Jack never allowed me to divorce, and I haven’t met anyone I like enough to go through a court case to force the issue. I also didn’t think I deserved any more children.’
Alexis’ heart clenched. While she felt terrible about her mother’s situation, it would take a while to untangle all the complicated emotions surrounding the years of what she believed was Lily abandoning her. Although now that she knew the truth, she was determined to try.
‘Please don’t think that way. It’s Jack’s fault you couldn’t see me.’
‘Still… I’ve thought about you every single day since I left. I contemplated sneaking back to Brisbane to check on you dozens of times, but I was scared Jack would find out. Plus… I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me.’
‘I am so mad at Jack for causing all of this. I really hope he gets his just desserts sooner rather than later.’
There was a beep from Lily’s pocket. She removed her phone and looked at the screen.
‘I have to go back in and see a patient, but will you stick around? I’d love to see you again after I get off work.’
‘Sure. I’ve booked a motel nearby, so I’ll give you my number, and you can call me after.’
‘I’d love that.’
Lily handed Alexis her phone, and Alexis typed in her number.
‘I’ll see you a bit later.’
She watched Lily head inside and sighed. She was relieved the reunion had been amicable, and her heart felt a little lighter, but she was sad she’d missed out on twenty-five years with her mother because of Jack.
She supposed it was better late than never.