Sunshine Reservations, page 9
After she cleaned up the mess and forced Madi to drink a glass of water, she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling and trying to get back to sleep. But she couldn’t. She was wide awake. Those few hours on the couch had tricked her body into thinking it was time to get up, and all she could do was think about everything on her to-do list, her relationship with Aaron and where it was headed, and her sister’s illness. Finally, she reached for her phone and dialled Aaron’s number.
She didn’t expect him to answer, since it was three am, but he did. He sounded sleepy.
“Hello?”
“Hey, baby,” she said.
He yawned loudly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Sorry I woke you. I thought you wouldn’t answer and was going to leave you a message.”
“You called me in the middle of the night. Of course I’m going to answer,” he said.
She smiled to herself. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” he replied. “When will I see you next?”
“I’m not sure. Whenever you like. I’ve finished classes and exams, but I’m working now. So, I know my schedule about a week in advance.”
“Oh, yeah. How did it go today? I didn’t get to call you because I had that work dinner. And when I got home, I thought you’d be sleeping.”
“It was good. I learned a lot. But you’re right—I went to sleep soon after I got home. Then Madi came in about half an hour ago and woke me up when she couldn’t get her key to work. She was too drunk to get it into the lock. And then she threw up on me. So, I’ve been cleaning up vomit and getting her to bed.”
He laughed quietly. “I’m so sorry, baby. That’s a lot to deal with when you’ve been sleeping.”
“I didn’t know having a roommate would be more trouble than doing full-time caring work.” She was feeling more than a little irritated about the whole thing.
They chatted for a few more minutes, then hung up the phone. She lay in bed for a while longer, then finally arose. The birds were beginning to sing anyway, and soon the sun would be climbing up the sky. Maybe she could go for a run before it got too hot. Later she had another afternoon shift at the café.
She got dressed in workout clothes and tied her hair into a ponytail. Then there was a quiet rap at the door. She walked out of her bedroom and stared at the front door. Another knock, this time louder. Her heart rate increased. Who would be coming over at this time of morning? It was only four thirty. She walked over to the door and leaned against it.
“Who’s there?” she asked.
“It’s Aaron. Let me in.”
She opened the door, then leapt into his arms. He kissed her fiercely, lifting her feet off the ground. She laughed against his chest.
“What are you doing here?”
“Somebody woke me up,” he said, giving her another kiss.
She grinned. “What an inconsiderate person.”
“Since I haven’t seen you in far too long, I thought it might be nice to take a walk together and then grab some breakfast before I have to go to work. What do you think?”
“That would be perfect.”
Chapter Nineteen
When Gwen pulled into her condo driveway that Monday morning, she saw that her husband’s vehicle was parked on the street outside. She was confused as to why he was there. They mostly communicated over the phone these days. She hadn’t seen him in weeks. It was strange to go so long without talking after being married for decades.
She met him outside the apartment complex, unlocked the gate, and let him in.
“Hi, Duncan. What brings you over to this side of town?”
He carried a folder beneath one arm and nodded at her awkwardly. He was obviously as uncomfortable with their new arrangement as she was. There was no hug or kiss—it was very strange. But this was how things would be, and Gwen would get used to it.
“I wanted to go over the divorce papers with you in person. You still haven’t signed, and I guess I’d like to know what’s holding you up.”
She could see he was doing his best not to lose his temper. She hated it when he yelled at her, and he didn’t want to jeopardise his chance to get her to sign. The truth was, she was ready. She and Chris had gone over the finances a dozen times, and she was happy with the outcome. He would get the house in Wanaka, and she would get Fall’s Creek. They both loved to ski, so it made sense to divide those properties, one each.
She led him to the lift, and they caught it up to her flat. She let him in and offered him a seat at the kitchen table. He glanced around with a surprised look on his face.
“Can I get you a cup of tea?” she asked.
He sat and nodded. “Thanks. That would be great.” He laid the folder out on the table. “I didn’t picture you living somewhere like this.”
She filled the kettle with water. “Like what?”
“Is there room for all the grandkids?”
“It’s enough for one person, and I have two guest rooms. Besides, I love the view. You can see the waves from my balcony.”
“As long as you’re happy, I suppose.”
“I will be,” she replied. The truth was, she was still adjusting. She hoped that at some point in the future, she’d find happiness again. But for now, she was doing her best to survive this new existence she’d been catapulted into against her wishes.
“How is Clarissa?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Haven’t seen her in a while. I’m dating someone new. Samantha.”
“Samantha?”
He smiled. “She’s Brazilian.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” What else could she say? He’d left her for Clarissa, and now he had moved on to someone else. “I thought you had something special with Clarissa. Wasn’t she meant to be the love of your life?”
“I thought so too, but apparently she only wanted me for my money.”
“Who would’ve imagined?” she murmured with a little more sarcasm than she’d intended.
He didn’t take the bait, but his face turned a shade of red she recognised. It meant he was angry, but he held it in. He wanted her to sign the papers. She knew it, but she wouldn’t do that until he was ready to leave. Otherwise, she’d have to deal with his bad temper.
She poured two cups of tea and set one in front of him. Then she added a plate of shortbread. She knew how much he liked it, and despite everything that had happened, and was happening, between them, she hoped to keep things friendly. They shared four children. They would always be family. And she didn’t need any friction between the two of them to cause problems for everyone else.
“Thanks,” he said. He reached for a biscuit and took a bite. “You’ve always made the best shortbread.”
She smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Let’s get these papers signed.” He opened the folder and pushed a copy of the divorce papers towards her.
She sighed and took a sip of tea. “Sure, in a moment. I wanted to ask you about something. When you initially filed, you didn’t include all of your financial assets. In fact, you made it seem as though you were in debt and hardly had a penny to your name. It was only after Chris went back and forth with you repeatedly that you finally added the other assets to the pool. Why is that? What are you trying to do?”
He frowned and brushed the biscuit crumbs from his hands onto his plate. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I overlooked a few things. It’s not a big deal. Besides, I worked hard for my money. It doesn’t seem right that I hand over half of it just because you decided to leave me.”
Her eyes widened. Decided to leave him? He really had a revisionist view of the past. She was often surprised by his perspective on things. It very rarely ever matched her own.
“I didn’t simply decide to leave you out of the blue, Duncan. You had an affair. You left me, really. You left our marriage. You were the one who chose to walk away from our vows to one another.”
“We could’ve stayed married. I told you that.”
She shook her head. “That’s not marriage, Duncan. That’s you lying and pretending to care about me, with me living in a fantasy world.”
“I care about you. You know I do. I always have.”
“I need you to love me. To treat me with respect. And you weren’t able to do that. And the assets that we built together as a married couple aren’t yours alone. It’s not your money—it’s our money. We were a team for a very long time. You changed that.”
His face grew redder still. “I’m not going to get into this with you. You won. You get the prize. Congratulations. Just sign the papers.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I won?”
“You know what I mean.”
She had a sudden moment of clarity—he was never going to understand her point of view. Never going to see things through her eyes. He didn’t realise how much he’d hurt her and didn’t seem to care enough to try. There was no point in arguing with him. The only thing she could do now was to move on. She no longer cared what Duncan Prince thought of her.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll sign.”
She reached for the papers. He handed her a pen, and she signed her name. Then he signed as well.
“Don’t we have to get it witnessed?” she asked.
He huffed. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay. Whatever you say, Duncan.”
And then he left, taking the papers with him. It was over. She was divorced. She no longer had a husband. The thought left her reeling. She went out onto the balcony with her cup of tea and sat, watching the waves roll to shore over and over, her mind blank.
An hour later, it was getting cold. A wind blew in from the east, and the sun dipped towards the horizon. Gwen went back inside and checked her emails. There was a message from the architect. He’d sent through a sketch of the changes they’d discussed.
She clicked on the file, and it opened on her laptop screen. It looked amazing. A few things needed revision, but otherwise, she was very happy with it. Now that the divorce was finalised, she could proceed with the purchase. And she was glad she’d gone ahead and commissioned the architect early so they’d be ready to apply for permits and get going with the construction as soon as possible.
She picked up the phone and called the real estate agent. “Hi, it’s Gwen. I’m ready to finalise the contract on the old bed-and-breakfast. Let’s make it happen.”
Chapter Twenty
The television was set to play Joanna’s favourite home improvement show. She had a glass of pinot noir on the small table beside the couch and a tray with her dinner set up in front of her. She looked around the empty den and sighed. It wasn’t so long ago that she’d had a full house with plenty of activity. It’d been over eight months since Aaron and Emily had moved out, and she missed them both more with each passing day.
She didn’t much like the quiet. Having raised a family, she preferred the noise and bustle. At least she now had Eva living with her, but her teenaged granddaughter kept mostly to her bedroom. She spent an inordinate amount of time lying on her bed, scrolling on her phone. Joanna did what she could to get her to engage with life outside of her phone and iPad.
So, she was alone tonight. Eva tucked away in her bedroom. Emily and Aaron off doing whatever it was they did these days. Gwen hadn’t returned her calls all afternoon. Debbie was having some kind of crisis at the office and couldn’t get away. And so, Joanna had been left to her own devices.
Most of the time, she was fine with it. But tonight, she’d wanted some company. She was feeling a little sorry for herself. Nothing major. She knew she was blessed. But sometimes she really wished Ron hadn’t died and left her alone for the last decades of her life. It wasn’t fair.
There was a knock at the door. She set down her cup of hot chocolate and hurried to answer it. She flicked on the porch light first, then peered through the peephole. It was Chris. She opened the door with a smile.
“Good evening. How are you? Why don’t you come on in? I’m having hot chocolate.”
He grinned and stepped over the threshold, then leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I love hot chocolate.”
Her heart fluttered. If there was one person in the world she would like to spend the evening with, it was Chris. He was always so positive, encouraging and kind. He was the best kind of company. And when she was feeling lonely, he always seemed to know the right thing to say to help her feel better.
She made him a drink, just the way hers was made with a spoonful of honey, and carried it to the den, with him trailing after her.
“I’m watching this show where they take an old home where a family is living and turn it into their dream home. It always makes me cry. Do you want to join me?”
He sat on the couch beside her and took the offered mug. “I was about to watch the same thing myself. I enjoy seeing the way they fix the places up. They have such great ideas.”
“Yes, they do,” she said, eyeing him curiously. She hadn’t picked him as the type to watch such a tear-jerker. “I’m surprised you like it.”
“I love a good reno. Mmmm… Delicious. What is this flavour?”
“Honey. I love to sweeten it up a little more.”
“It’s delicious.” His eyes gleamed. “You really have a talent for improving things.”
“Thank you,” she replied. Why did his words impact her so much? People told her she was good with flavours all the time. It’s what she’d dedicated herself to. But having Chris compliment her hot chocolate had encouraged her deeply.
“What have you been up to today?” she asked.
“Gardening and some bill paying. I went into town to look at vacuum cleaners. Can you believe mine gave up the ghost after twenty-two years? I was beginning to wonder if it would outlive me.” He chuckled and took another sip.
“They don’t make them like that anymore,” she said.
He nodded and murmured his agreement. “And how is Eva? Did she speak to her parents yet?”
“She called them earlier,” Joanna replied. “There was a lot more shouting than I’d hoped for.”
“Oh no,” he said. “That’s not good.”
“No. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with her. But she’s staying here for now, at least. And then we’ll have to talk about the future.”
“It won’t be long until the baby arrives,” he said.
“Two weeks,” she replied. “Not long at all. And I haven’t had a baby in the house in thirty-odd years. That will be a strange thing. If she stays, of course.”
“I can’t imagine—all that crying, no sleep, toys all over the place. But I suppose that’s what happens when my grandchildren visit, and I cope fine with it. Although, they’re not so small anymore.”
“Yes, that’s all true. But I have to admit I love every moment of it. It’s been far too quiet around here lately. It will be nice to have some noise again. I miss it.”
He studied her for a moment, his eyes crinkling around the edges. “You like the noise?”
“I like having people around. Since Emily and Aaron moved out, it just hasn’t been the same. But now that Eva is here, I’m hoping she’ll emerge from her bedroom on occasion and spend some time with me.”
“It does get lonely,” he said suddenly. “I know what you mean.”
She smiled at him and took a sip of wine. “I’m glad you came over tonight.”
“Me too,” he replied.
“Would you like some wine? I have pinot noir—it’s delightful. And there’s biscotti. I made it a few days ago, so it’s perfectly crunchy.”
He grinned. “That sounds delicious. Sign me up.”
After the show was over and they’d finished off the bottle of wine and eaten several pieces of biscotti, Joanna pulled out her Scrabble set.
“Do you play?” she asked, holding it up.
“I haven’t in a while, but I’ll try. Of course, you’re an author, so I’m sure you’ll beat me resoundingly.”
She laughed. “I write recipes. It’s not so hard to do. I don’t think it gives me a Scrabble advantage.”
“You’re far too modest,” he said, getting comfortable in his chair. “Let’s play.”
They played for an hour before Eva waddled out of her bedroom in search of something to eat. Joanna got up to fix her a bowl of ice cream and some biscotti. She kissed her granddaughter on the cheek.
“I heard the yelling earlier. Are you okay, honey?”
Eva shrugged, her lower lip protruding slightly. “They don’t understand. I want to stay here and have my baby with you. They said I have to come home, that you’re too old to help me raise her.”
Joanna’s eyebrows arched in surprise. What a thing for Karen to say about her own mother. “Too old, huh? Well, this old lady is happy to help you in any way I can. But of course, you should respect your parents’ wishes.” She wasn’t exactly sure what to say. She was on Eva’s side, but Eva was still a child and under the guardianship of her parents. Karen and Bill wanted the best for her—she knew that. But they had a lot of friction with Eva, no doubt after years of teenaged angst and arguments.
“I’m staying here. I told them that. I said you didn’t mind at all.”
“I don’t mind, but I don’t want to cause problems with your parents. I’ll call Karen later and make sure she knows you’re going to be fine.”
“She reminded me to tell you that I’ve got to take my prenatal vitamins. I always forget, will you remind me?”
“Yes of course, I’ll set an alarm on my phone. Also, you’ve got that OBGYN appointment coming up.”
“Thanks, Gran. I’m going to eat this and go to bed. I’m exhausted.”
Chris cleared his throat, startling Eva. “Is there someone in the den?” She peered around the kitchen doorway into the den, where Chris was going over his Scrabble tiles with a pair of glasses balanced on the tip of his nose.
“It’s just Chris. He’s playing Scrabble with me.”
“Oh, okay. Well, good night, Gran.”
Joanna kissed her goodnight and reminded her to brush her teeth. It felt strange to be mothering a pregnant sixteen-year-old. How much should she instruct her? How independent should she expect her to be? And would it be crossing a line to ask her who the father was, and whether they should expect him anytime soon? She had so many questions, but she didn’t want to scare her granddaughter away. Joanna hadn’t seen her as much as she would’ve liked because of the distance between them, and she wasn’t sure what had led to the girl’s current circumstances. The last she’d heard was that Eva was a straight-A student, studying ballet and with a good group of friends. Clearly something had changed in the past year.
