by Kim Petersen
The alluring tone of his words was enough for her to reach her threshold. She moved the white flesh of her legs to encompass the length of him and moaned louder and louder with each penetrating thrust until the gush flowed from within her to the sweet melody of their lovemaking.
Afterwards they lay snuggled in an entwining cocoon of flushed skin and tingling moist delight. Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight filtered mildly through the room against the crackles of the fire. Ace smiled lazily and glanced down at the woman in his arms. He liked the way she felt so close to him. He blew a gentle breath of warm air into her ear.
‘We leave in the morning,’ he said huskily.
‘To see your sister?’ she inquired.
He nodded. His brows creased thoughtfully as a plan revealed itself in his mind’s eye. ‘Hmmm …. Or rather we will make her comes to us. So much quieter here than in Sydney,’ he said.
Madison smirked. ‘Nobody around to hear her screams,’ she cooed.
‘Exactly,’ Ace chuckled. His expression darkened. ‘Never trust a sleeping snake – we can see right through our eyelids.’
He reached for her waist playfully and gave her a little tickle. She squirmed under his light poking fingers and laughed.
‘Have you ever thought about why you’re so ticklish?’ he murmured.
Her eyes narrowed with her smile. ‘No,’ she said with a shake of her frizzy red head.
His expression grew serious. ‘Your tickle sensation is your body’s reflex warning you to something that may potentially harm you,’ he said.
His voice was almost a hiss.
August 15, 1998
Dear Journal,
There is nothing that comes into physical form that is not first perfected in the higher planes of consciousness – these are the words of my angel and for my use to ponder this week. When my thoughts shift to Craig and Damon, I can see how this makes sense. For my thoughts and desires have longed for Damon ever since he reappeared in my life. No more has transpired between us intimately since that afternoon Craig saw us kissing. I cannot pursue a relationship with Damon until Craig will talk with me … until I can find the right time for truth and tell Damon we share a daughter.
Craig has finally agreed to see me this afternoon, and although I am apprehensive, I am also relieved – this is a man I don’t want to see fade from my life.
Oh, how I miss Emily even more at times like this! I know her advice may have been somewhat misconstrued … but I know she would have made me laugh, and her heart would have been present in her words.
Perhaps she will come to me some day … I wait eagerly.
Millie xo
Her eyes lingered over the flower-filled vase in the corner of the room. The shimmer of the paint she had used to colour the vase gleamed blue-green under the fluorescent lights above, and the flowers stood fresh and pink, their joyful presence ineffective at deflecting the heaviness that hovered over her heart.
A feeling of failure drifted through Bella’s consciousness and settled in her stomach with an agonising twist. She recalled the day her angel had come through the veil to intensify the healing rays she had charged into the vase for her mother. And yet, here she lay in a bed of stiff white sheets in a hospital for the terminally ill. Her eyes skirted the floor. She gave an audible sigh and tried to gulp back the tears that sprang behind her eyes as she remembered the angel’s words about freewill, “Her health depends upon the consciousness she has of it, and the will she is free to manipulate.” – she didn’t understand why her mother would want to leave her here alone.
There was no other family that she knew. Her parents had never spoken of other family members. When she had grown older and ventured to ask about relatives, her parents told her they had all passed. It made sense to her when she considered her parents’ ages. They were much older than any of her friends’ folks.
‘You are our miracle child, Bella,’ her mother would often chime.
Her father would chuckle from behind the paper that seemed almost permanently in front of his face. ‘A gift from the angels to the world,’ he would declare.
‘Hmmm … never mind the world, Bella. You are a gift to us,’ her mother remarked with a tender smile.
Her father lowered the newspaper to throw her a quick wink. ‘This one will save the world. She’s like Wonder Woman; our own little Wonder-Bella!’ he beamed.
Bella almost lost the cereal in her mouth as she broke out into a fit of giggles. ‘Wonder-Bella? Sounds silly, daddy,’ she laughed.
‘Yeah, Wonder-Bella. What’s so silly about that? I think it has a nice ring to it.’ Henry smiled at his young daughter.
After that conversation, Wonder-Bella had become the pet name her father favoured to call her, and she had quietly loved it.
Bella’s thoughts were interrupted when Rose stirred. She reached out and clasped a hand over her mother’s, squeezing gently with a smile as Rose’s eyelids fluttered open to rest on her.
‘Shouldn’t you be at work young lady?’ Rose croaked. Her thinning brows crossed momentarily before softening again.
Bella smiled. Still as feisty as ever! she marvelled. ‘Mum, I’m going in a little later. I wanted to stop by and see you first,’ she said.
Rose winced as she attempted to squeeze Bella’s hand. ‘You were here last night, Bella. You mustn’t miss out on your shifts … your work will help to keep you busy. Better than sticking around this old joint,’ she mumbled.
‘How are you feeling?’ Bella leaned closer and kissed her mother on the forehead.
Rose eyed Bella thoughtfully. Her eyes narrowed when they settled on the dark circles that traced under her daughter’s eyes. ‘Better than you by the look of it. Bella please, you need to look after yourself. Are you eating okay?’
Bella shook her head slowly. A look of bafflement plagued her face. ‘Don’t worry about me, mum. I’m a big girl.’
She avoided her mother’s penetrating glare as Rose scrutinised her.
‘Bella, I’ll always worry about you,’ Rose said quietly. She reached a bent finger under Bella’s and lifted her daughter’s face to her. Her chafed lips broke into a pliable smile, yet her eyes fused with concern as they searched Bella’s features.
‘I know you are finding this hard, Bella, but you are stronger than you realise.’ She gave a rueful cackle. ‘You are Wonder-Bella, remember?’
Bella’s eyes brimmed with the salt of the tears she had fought hard to contain. Her smile was meagre as she succumbed to the inevitable flood that would smear her face.
‘You are my miracle baby – our gift from the angels. When I leave this old and tired body, it doesn’t mean I will leave you, do you hear me? I will never leave you alone, I promise,’ Rose uttered.
Her voice broke with the last of her words and she beckoned her daughter closer. Bella fell into her arms like she had a thousand times before. Her body shook against the slender curve of her mother’s shoulder and trembled within the frail grasp of her weak arms as she sobbed harder than she had allowed herself since this illness had crept into their lives like a relentless vile stench.
Rose clung to her daughter with all her strength, rocking her gently and hushing her tenderly until her rattling body stopped shuddering and her cries grew silent.
Bella pulled away reluctantly. ‘I’m sorry, mum.’ Her head hung with the shame that fluttered through her body.
Rose smiled and wiped at Bella’s tear-stained face with her crooked hands. ‘It’s okay, Bella. Now, why don’t you go off to work; I have a full day planned ahead of me here,’ she said with a playful wink. ‘I think that male nurse, Jeffery, has a little crush on me,’ she laughed.
Bella laughed softly. ‘Okay, mum. I’ll be back tonight. Would you like me to bring you anything?’
Rose nodded wearily. ‘Yes, dear. Please bring me my good letter-writing set; you know the one with the gold edging and the butterfly background? I have a letter to write.’
Bella gathered hers
elf up, her legs unsteady. She cast a surprised look at her mother. Who would she be writing to?
‘Sure. Who are you going to write to?’ she asked.
‘Oh, I think I have to break the news gently to this nurse … I am a married woman, you know,’ Rose remarked as haughtily as she could.
Bella rolled her eyes and tusked. ‘Okay, well I’ll bring you your writing set. I love you,’ she murmured, leaning to kiss her on the cheek.
‘I love you too,’ Rose smiled.
Bella turned and walked towards the door, pausing when her mother called out to her again. Her voice was so soft that Bella was uncertain if she had called out to her at all or whether she had been hearing things. She frowned.
‘Remember when that lovely real estate man gave you that card, dear?’ Rose said.
Bella nodded.
‘Now is the time to make the call,’ she murmured with a knowing smile. She fluttered the tips of her fingers in a wave. ‘Bye dear.’
Bella drove from the hospital with an air of relief flooding through her. She shivered. It was cold out, yet she knew her shudders did not stem from the wintery chill. Willing the car heater to kick in and produce the warmth she longed for, she mentally shed the suffocating feeling the hospital evoked in her. At every turn she could feel death creeping in around her, and despite the growing speed of the car, she could not shake its unwavering claim on her mother.
‘Noooo!’ she screeched out loud to the gushing wind of the air vents.
A flat palm smashed against the steering wheel in an outburst of frustrated helplessness as she cursed death and its unavoidable obliteration. She drove on. She drove past the aquatic centre where she was to begin her shift. She drove with the warming air of the heated vents blowing over her yet doing nothing to ease the paralysing churn that knotted her stomach. She drove without a destination in mind, yet with every corner she took it seemed as if a part of her she was not privy to, knew her objective.
When the car finally came to a halt, she absently gazed through the windows at the grey day. Her eyes narrowed as she became aware of her whereabouts and recognised the bay; she was in Rockton, a town on the other side of Sydney. A town she did not know well. The ridge of her nose screwed up with the crease of her frown. What am I doing here? She had astounded herself. Pulling the black woollen scarf tighter around her neck, she opened the car door and braved the thick fog that shrouded the bay’s edge like an entwining misted rope.
Bella drew in a quick breath of cold air that felt like a gentle lick of needles as it filled her lungs. She tugged at the scarf, bringing the warm fabric over her lips to soften her next breath and began to walk towards the old wooden wharf that stretched out over ashen choppy waters.
She stopped when she reached the wharf’s end to lean against the rickety wooden railings. The fog curled around her and clung heavily over the relentless lapping of the water as it rocked against the thick wooden pillars that held up the wharf. She peered down and studied the green slimy moss that covered the submerged section of the pillars. She watched a small crab clambering over the crustaceans and barnacles that traced the pillar’s surface as it made a desperate attempt to escape the rising tide.
She ventured down a row of slippery stairs that led into the bay and reached out for the crab. ‘Come here crab,’ she whispered.
The tiny crab crawled onto the sanctuary of her fingers. She watched the crab taking little tedious steps over her hand. She was mesmerised at its miniature shell and its bitsy legs, forgetting that she stood precariously on slimy moss-laden stairs. She wished with all her heart she could join the crab in its uncomplicated world of existence.
‘I’d be careful down there if I were you. The tide is rising fast and those stairs are as slippery as hell.’
A woman’s voice broke through her reverie. Bella turned with a jolt, causing the little crab to fly off her hand. She looked up with a frown and spotted the fiery dark stare of a mature woman staring down at her disapprovingly.
Bella forced a smile. ‘Uh, thanks,’ she called, waving her hand briefly.
Her eyes fell back to the stairs, scouring for the whereabouts of the crab.
‘I think it went that way,’ the woman’s voice boomed down towards her.
Bella’s glance found the brightly cloaked woman pointing disjointedly somewhere beside her. She nodded towards the woman, hoping by the time she made her way back up the stairs that she would be gone. She searched once more, unsure why this little crab was suddenly so important to her; she just knew that it was.
A moment later she spotted her miniature friend safe and sound and crawling its way to the dry haven of a crevice between the wharf and the pillar. Relief flooded through her and a meek smile crept over her lips. Death won’t claim you today, little one.
She turned on her heel to make her way back up to the wharf, pivoting just a little too fast as she did so and losing her footing on the slimy stairs. Hands flew about wildly as she grasped at the rusted metal poles that passed for handrails. She managed to take firm hold just in time and steadied herself while cursing under her breath.
‘Oh my goodness! Would you please come up here now – you almost gave me a heart attack!’ The woman bellowed down at her.
Bella looked up to her as she began the incline, holding the rail tightly. The woman stood bright as a beacon in an aqua coloured trench coat that cinched smugly at her waist with a hot pink sash. She wore a matching pink beanie that revealed wisps of red hair poking out from beneath it.
Bella smiled as she neared her. ‘Almost gave myself a heart attack too,’ she remarked.
The woman’s eyes softened for a moment before the frown returned. ‘What were you thinking going down there in such precarious conditions, sweetness? Those stairs aren’t safe even on a fine day,’ she said. The throaty husk of her voice pitched a little as pink gloved hands waved through the air to emphasise her point.
Bella could see the woman had been genuinely concerned for her safety, and a rush of guilt surged through her.
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I’m sorry if I upset you,’ she said solemnly.
The woman’s frown relaxed. ‘Holly,’ she said.
Bella’s face lightened. ‘Annabella. Please to meet you, Holly.’
They exchanged a grin.
‘So, what were you thinking coming out here on a day such as this?’ Bella asked curiously.
Holly leaned against the railing and stared out towards the stretch of water. Her eyes glazed for a moment. ‘Most people tend to avoid the bay in weather like this,’ she said wistfully. A deep chuckle vibrated through her throat. ‘I discover the bay’s secrets in all types of weather.’
Bella followed her gaze. She could barely make out the heads that sanctioned the large bay in the distance through the fog. She took a gulp-full of breeze through her mouth. The air drifted and circulated through her lungs with the thick taste of salt lacing her tongue. She closed her eyes and smiled. For one sweet instant she pretended she was a crab. All tension and stress fell away and she allowed herself to just be in the moment. She became aware of the cool dense fog against her cheeks, and savoured the salty scent of the bay as it curled through her flaring nostrils.
‘You see. You have discovered it too,’ Holly said softly.
Bella opened her eyes and looked at Holly. A slow nod communicated her agreement. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
Holly grinned. A mischievous expression struck her pencilled brows. ‘I have hot chocolate and cookies nearby. Come Annabella, I think that’s enough secrets for one day.’
She hooped an arm through Bella’s and directed her back towards the beach.
‘You can call me Bella,’ Bella said as they strolled together.
Holly grunted. ‘Annabella suits me just fine,’ she grinned.
Holly chatted away as they walked through Rockton’s main road, treating Bella to idle tales about the locals they passed along the way.
‘Oh, don’t look now but here co
mes Mr Anderson,’ Holly hushed discreetly. ‘He is the father of one of my dearest friends. His story is quite interesting to say the least.’
Bella watched the tall man as he approached them. His shoulders were scrunched as he huddled against the chill, and his hands were hidden deep within his pockets. When he lifted his eyes, they found her instantly, as if drawn to her like a magnet.
Bella’s gasp was swift when her eyes met his and she was surprised at the sudden lug of air trapped within her as she unwillingly held onto it.
‘Good afternoon, Mr Anderson,’ Holly said as they passed.
Glen dragged his eyes away from Bella reluctantly. ‘Hello Holly. Enjoying the lovely weather?’ he said.
He paused, gesturing towards the drizzling oyster-coloured sky with a half laugh. He looked back to Bella with an odd expression crossing his face.
‘Funny. I thought I knew every face in Rockton,’ he said. Curiosity afflicted his voice as he tilted his large spiky head towards her.
Bella smiled uncertainly. ‘Perhaps you thought wrong,’ she said flippantly.
Her gaze fell to the pavement. Damn I need some chocolate! she thought as her stomach knotted and she silently cursed her response.
A wide grin appeared over Glen’s features. ‘Perhaps I did,’ he chuckled. ‘You seem so familiar though,’ he added almost to himself.
Holly introduced them briefly then graciously ushered Bella down the road, muttering excuses about hot chocolate and escaping the cold.
Bella glanced at Holly. She screwed up her nose in puzzlement as she contemplated her reaction to the man who had briefly passed them by.
‘So, what’s the interesting story?’ she ventured.
Holly grunted and her faced darkened. ‘A story best not told, Annabella,’ she said.
Bella noted the ominous tone in her voice, before peeping over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of Glen before he merged behind a group of people.
‘Oh look, here we are!’ Holly chimed.
Feeling somewhat confused and disoriented, Bella turned to face a heavy glass door that bore the inscription, “Holly’s Art Studio”. She stiffened and her mind began to whirl as her eyes tracked the lettering several times over. She looked at Holly who was watching her with amusement.