Sunshine Reservations, page 5
Emily had spent the past five years with mostly senior citizens as friends, so it was good to be around some people closer to her age. And she was doing her best to embrace every part of the college lifestyle.
The door opened, and Madi waltzed in. She flung her book bag onto the floor.
“What are you doing?”
“Cleaning up,” Emily said.
Madi grimaced. “Ugh. I hate cleaning. Mum always did that at home.”
“I can tell,” Emily said with a smile.
“Sorry. I’m not really into housework.”
“It’s fine,” Emily replied. She hated to act like the house mother, but she’d been holding it in all semester. “Maybe you could try working on a few habits, like putting your dirty dishes in the kitchen. Or even washing them after you eat. We don’t want to get cockroaches or mice in our rooms, do we?”
Madi looked horrified. “What? Ew! No!”
“Okay, well, it’s something to think about.”
“Yes, Mum.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying…”
“Fine, I hear you. No more food scraps in the bedrooms.”
“What are you doing next year?” Emily asked.
Madi changed out of her jeans and into a long skirt. “What do you mean? I’m still studying forensic science…”
“Yes, but for accommodation. Are you planning on staying here?”
She shrugged. “I guess so. I haven’t really thought about it. But I’d like to stay here. What about you?”
“I will, if you’re okay with that.”
Madi grinned. “Yes, please. You know I love you. And guess what?”
“What?” Emily asked as she wiped up the coffee mess.
“We’ve been invited to a party tonight over at the boys’ dorm.”
“A party? I don’t know…”
Madi groaned as she brushed her hair. “You never want to party. But you’ve finished exams. The semester is over. Come on, you’ve got to have some fun. YOLO.”
“YOLO?” Emily laughed.
“You only live once.”
“Ha! That’s a good one. Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll come with you to the party. But everyone’s going to think I’m old.”
Madi shook her head. “You are so silly about that. No one has a clue how old you are, nor do they care. You’re only a few years older than me and the same age as some of the fourth years and post-grad students.”
“That’s true, I guess,” Emily mused. “When do we leave?”
The party in the dorm room across the way from their own was very loud. Emily followed Madi up the staircase to the top level. There were students everywhere. Music blasted from several of the dorm rooms, mixing in the common areas into one big glob of noise. There were beer kegs and tables with bags of chips and other easy snacks. She hadn’t been to a party like this in years. It brought back her high school days.
“Where are we going?” she shouted above the sound of raucous laughter.
Someone was holding a dance-off in one of the rooms. She could see their silly antics from where she stood.
“I’m looking for Connor. He said he would be here.”
“Who’s Connor?”
Madi smiled coyly. “He’s someone I’m hoping will be my boyfriend very soon.”
“He likes you?”
She pursed her lips. “Um… I’m working on it.”
Just then, a young man tapped Madi on the shoulder. He was very tall, looming over her. He had an athletic build and was a little sunburned with freckles across his nose and floppy blond hair.
“Hi, Connor,” Madi said, leaning into him and holding on to his arm. “This is my roommate, Emily.”
“Hi,” he said. “Hey, you wanna get a beer?”
“Sure,” Madi replied. “Come on.” She beckoned to Emily.
Emily trailed after her, suddenly feeling very out of place. She wanted to be snuggled up on the couch with Aaron, not at a frat party with a bunch of beer-drinking boys. But she was determined to join in, and this was all part of it. She took the beer offered to her by Connor and downed a swig of it, then grimaced. If only there was wine instead, and maybe a good baked camembert with crusty French bread. She’d lived with Joanna far too long to be able to fully enjoy a keg party. And she chuckled at the realisation.
Chapter Ten
Joanna stood by the side of the road, staring at the vacant block. There was still some blackened debris and the remnants of the foundation where her restaurant used to be. Memories flooded through her mind, but they didn’t overwhelm her the way they used to. Did time heal all wounds, or was it her willingness to face the pain and work through it in recent years the way she hadn’t been able to in the past that had done it?
Time hadn’t helped her for years. But therapy and friendships, forgiveness and bravery had given her the strength to stand up to the panic and the anxiety that threatened to knock the breath from her lungs whenever she remembered the trauma of that time. For too long, she’d let it control her. But not anymore.
With a deeply inhaled breath, she looked up at a group of gulls that circled on an upwards breeze overhead. She closed her eyes and listened to the roar of the ocean beyond the dunes behind the empty block. This was what she remembered—the smell of salt lingering in the air, the cawing of the birds as they called out to one another, the monotone of the crashing waves. She loved it here, and she was so glad Gwen would buy and rebuild the place. It would give them all closure over what’d happened.
Her eyes blinked open as Gwen’s car pulled up behind her own, and Gwen climbed out.
“There you are! What do you think?”
“I’ve always loved it here. Such a great location. It’s going to be fantastic, Gwen. I can’t wait to see what you do with the place.”
“It seems so long ago that your restaurant was here… Sandpiper’s. I loved the name.” Gwen walked forward onto the block.
Joanna followed her, memories bringing tears to her eyes. “That was Ron’s idea. He wanted something that reflected the atmosphere of the place and was modern, since we served modern Australian cuisine.”
“I loved your dishes. They were the ultimate in comfort food, but with a modern and refreshing twist with its Asian infusion.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun putting the menu together.”
“Since I’m just starting out with this project and there’s a lot at stake, do you have any advice? What were some of the things you wished you’d known or would’ve done differently?”
Joanna sighed. “So many things. I think my biggest downfall was the grief I felt at losing Ron. I couldn’t focus or concentrate on the business. And it happened during an economic recession, so we were losing money before I even realised it. I was so mired in grief, I didn’t notice the business was sinking until it was too late. And then I did everything I could, but once you start haemorrhaging money, it’s hard to stop.”
“I wish I could’ve done something to help, but I didn’t know what you were going through. None of us did.”
“I couldn’t talk about it. You were there for me in the ways I needed you to be. You took care of my heart, helped me deal with the pain of losing Ron. Especially when all my children moved so far away. They thought I should be over it, but it wasn’t so easy for me.”
Gwen put her arm around Joanna’s shoulders. “I know it wasn’t easy. But you made it through. I’m only sorry you had to lose this place in the process. But maybe I can resurrect it for you. It won’t be the same, but it can be in your honour.”
“I would love that. I haven’t wanted to buy or rebuild it myself. I’ve certainly thought about it many times over the years, but I don’t want to go backwards. I want to move forwards. And I’m not a businesswoman. I tried that, and it literally burned to the ground.” She shook her head.
“That wasn’t your fault,” Gwen replied.
“I know it wasn’t. It was an accident. There’s nothing anyone could’ve done, although I wish I’d gone home instead of falling asleep at my desk. Then I wouldn’t have almost died in the fire.”
“I’m so glad you made it out.”
“You know, there are a lot of happy memories bound up in this place too. I was standing right about here, in the middle of the kitchen, when I found out I was pregnant with Karen.”
Gwen grinned. “Oh, yeah?”
“I felt sick, and then I noticed my breasts were sore. And I thought… No, I can’t be pregnant. We’re not trying yet. So, I went to do a pregnancy test in the bathroom and carried it back in here to the kitchen. There was no one else here yet because we hadn’t opened up. But Ron was in the small office behind the kitchen, and he heard me shout. He came running out, and he saw the pregnancy test. He beamed from ear to ear, picked me up and twirled me around. He was so happy, he had tears in his eyes. He kissed me and told me it was going to be the best time of our life. And he was right. It was. I was so happy.” Her throat ached over the memory, but in a good way. The remembered snapshots of her days, the happy moments and the hard, were the things that brought her peace and joy in her later years. She was grateful for every moment.
Gwen smiled, eyes shining. “How beautiful. It seems like yesterday, and yet so much has happened since then.”
“Karen has her own family now. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them, since they’re busy and I’ve been housebound for years. But now, I think I could manage a trip down to Melbourne to see them. I miss them so much.” Joanna longed to see her family again. She hardly dared to hope.
“That’s a great idea,” Gwen said. “You should book something for Christmas. It’ll be here before we know it.”
“Maybe I’ll do that,” Joanna replied.
“And after Christmas, do you think you’ll have time to help me rebuild this restaurant as a bistro?”
“I’m more excited about it than I can say.” Joanna winked. “It’ll have the best eats in the region.”
After Joanna and Gwen had finished walking through the empty block and thinking about how the bistro might look, and then the old bed-and-breakfast next door and picturing the renovations, Joanna drove home alone, her thoughts in a whirl. She had so many ideas, so many thoughts and plans to share with Gwen. The two of them had been like giddy schoolgirls.
Her mind was full to the brim with what could be done. But underneath all of it buzzed this one thought—Christmas in Melbourne. She could do it. She could manage to take a flight now, when she couldn’t in the past. Her anxiety was under control.
The airport would be full of people. The plane engine would drone and she’d be stuck in the sky for over an hour, and the idea of that made her feel tense. But she knew she could make herself face it, as she had so many other things in recent months.
She drove home, humming along to the radio. She felt happy. None of the women had complained about her doing the morning show alone. And with everything else that was going on, she hadn’t had a chance to talk to them about it. But they seemed fine—on the surface, at least.
She was happy to see Gwen moving on and tackling this exciting new project. Emily seemed to have settled into university well, although she didn’t get much sleep, if her late-night texts were anything to go by. No doubt she’d adapt to the study schedule before long. And Joanna had been spending more time with Chris, so her house didn’t feel as empty as it had right after Emily and Aaron moved out. Life was good.
She pulled into the driveway and waited while the garage door hummed up. There was someone seated at her front door. Whoever it was, they were perched on a suitcase. She squinted through her prescription sunglasses, then gaped in surprise. She could’ve sworn it was Eva, her granddaughter and Aaron’s little sister. What was Eva doing here? She lived in Melbourne. She’d probably finished her school year. Perhaps she’d come to visit. But why didn’t she call first?
Joanna was happy to see her granddaughter but worried about why she’d arrived with no warning. Karen wasn’t likely to send her to Queensland that way, since Eva was only sixteen and finishing up year ten in school. Maybe Karen was here as well, but that didn’t help Joanna feel any better about it.
She parked the car in the garage as the door whirred shut. Then she hurried out through the kitchen to unlock the front door.
“My goodness! Is that my darling granddaughter? What on earth are you doing here? Give me a hug.”
She pulled Eva into her arms and embraced her. Then, shocked, she stood back and looked down. Eva’s stomach protruded beneath her singlet top. She was pregnant.
She met Eva’s gaze. Her granddaughter’s cheeks were pink, and she shrugged. “Surprise.”
Chapter Eleven
Joanna helped Eva into the house and lugged the giant suitcase over the threshold with a grunt. The girl hugged her, then immediately headed for the refrigerator.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Joanna said, following her into the kitchen.
Eva reached for a yoghurt, then found a spoon in a drawer and began to eat. She sat at the kitchen table with a sigh.
“I just had to come,” she said.
“Oh?” Joanna couldn’t stop looking at her belly, though she tried hard to resist.
“I’m having a baby,” Eva said.
Joanna nodded. “So I see.” She sat at the table and reached over to pat Eva’s hand. “Are you okay, honey?”
Eva’s eyes grew misty. “Mum’s impossible.”
Joanna waited.
“She doesn’t understand the way I feel. And she always wants to control me. Do you know what that’s like?”
“I’ve been sixteen,” Joanna replied in a comforting tone. “It can be a tough time. You feel like an adult, but you’re still a child and in need of guidance from your parents.”
Eva’s eyes flashed. “I don’t need their guidance. I can make my own decisions.”
Joanna eyed her stomach and held her tongue. “What happened, honey?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay, that’s fine. You can tell me when you’re ready. I assume you’re staying?” She studied her granddaughter’s puffy eyes, rosy cheeks and messy hair. It looked like she hadn’t been getting enough rest.
She finished the yoghurt. “Could I please take a shower, Gran? I could use a lie down, too.”
“You make yourself at home, honey. I’ll throw together some dinner. I’m glad you’re here. You’re just the ray of sunshine I needed today.”
She gave her another hug and showed her to the guest room. She found her a towel, then headed back out to the kitchen to look through her recipes for something Eva might like. Her granddaughter had always been headstrong and had often clashed with Karen over the years. But this was worse than Joanna could have imagined. Why hadn’t Karen told her Eva was pregnant? Who was the father? And why had Eva shown up on her doorstep without warning? She didn’t want to push her granddaughter or drive her away. But she was dying to know what was going on. She flicked through a recipe book with her phone to her ear. The phone rang, then Karen’s voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetheart, it’s Mum. I’m calling to let you know Eva showed up at my door just now. She’s fine and taking a shower.”
“Thank God,” Karen said and burst into tears.
Debbie yawned widely, then set the phone back in its cradle on her desk. Another client gone. They were leaving the firm en masse. She’d called everyone on Phil’s client list now, and it seemed he’d been preparing them for his exit for a while. He had most of them onside to transfer across to the new firm with him. She could probably sue him for it, but how much would that benefit her or the firm? They were gone. There was no bringing them back now.
With a sigh, she let her forehead fall into her hands. What she needed was a good night’s sleep. The adrenaline faded and her shoulders sagged, leaving them achingly tired. It was too much. She’d done everything she could. Now what? She would have to get back to working hard for the clients who’d stayed behind. If she neglected them to spend all her time chasing those who had left or going after Phil for his betrayal, she’d only lose more clients. No, she should focus on what she had rather than what she didn’t.
Back at their apartment, Debbie changed into a long dress and padded to the kitchen to start dinner. She found Caleb there slicing up vegetables, music playing on their sound system.
“You’re home early,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
He smiled at her. “I thought I’d make you a nice steak for dinner. You’ve had such a hard week since Phil announced he was leaving.”
Her throat tightened. “Thank you.”
She sat on a bar stool at the bench and munched on sticks of celery he’d deposited in front of her.
“How’s it all going?” he asked, one eyebrow quirked.
She shrugged. “Not great. He’s taken about half his clients with him. The other half say they’ll stay, but I’ve had to offer them all kinds of discounts and benefits. It doesn’t feel worth it somehow. Especially after all I’ve done for them over the years.”
“It’s part of the business,” he replied.
She nodded. “I know. Maybe I’ve had enough.”
“Do you think it’s time to let go?”
“I don’t know anymore. I had intended to hand the firm over to Phil after I retired. Now that he’s gone, who will take over? What legacy can I possibly leave behind? What if the other partners all take this opportunity to exit? There are so many unknowns, my head is spinning.”
He smiled and poured her a glass of red wine. “Take a break from thinking about it. You can’t do anything else until the morning, and you need to wind down a little.”
