by Chant, Zoe
“No, I don’t want that,” Rosie insisted again, before she dropped her eyes. “Anyway, Mum’s busy at the moment. She’s always way too busy for me.”
Delilah opened her mouth to say she was sure that wasn’t true, before hesitating. It was true that both Jenny and her husband Greg were very busy people. Aside from Greg’s work as a lawyer and Jenny’s blogging business, they also attended events and dinners, gatherings for philanthropic causes, and a whole range of other things that meant a very busy social calendar – something that honestly made Delilah shudder and realize that as beautiful as Jenny’s home was and no matter how much she might envy her massive pool, her view of the harbor, and her spacious garden, she’d never really want to swap lives with her.
“I know she’s busy. But I’m sure she’s never too busy for you. It’s two different things, Rosie-posy.”
Rosie just looked down at her lap. “I know.”
Her voice was soft, and Delilah reached out, squeezing her hand. “You know you can always come talk to me though, right? I’m not busy at all. Your total loser aunty is always here for you.”
She watched as the tiniest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Rosie’s lips. “You’re not a loser, Aunty Dela.”
“Well, thank you. That means a lot to me. I expect an invite to your next slumber party, since I’m so cool.”
This time, Rosie laughed quietly. “I don’t really have those. I just like reading at night.”
“Well, we can have a reading party, then. I liked reading too – I used to sit up all night under my covers with a book and a torch. But you shouldn’t do that, you’ll hurt your eyes.”
“I just read stuff on my phone,” Rosie said.
“That’s even worse!” Delilah cried, throwing her hands up. “From now on, all secret reading has to be done with adequate lighting. You’ve got a room all to yourself, so you have no excuses! Is that clear?”
Rosie giggled a little, finally allowing herself to be won over. “Okay, Aunty Dela. I promise.” Only a moment later, however, another dark cloud of an expression passed over her face. “Is Mum really down there making food for Emma’s party?”
Delilah nodded, watching Rosie’s face carefully. “You could probably go down and get some if you like. You can taste-test my fairy bread, or anything else you like.”
But Rosie only shook her head to that. “No, thank you.” She was quiet for a moment, before she spoke up again. “Emma’s party’s going to be really big, and Mum wants me to be in all the photos.”
“I’m sure she’d like to have you there for when they’re looking at them in the future,” Delilah said cautiously.
Rosie shook her head again. “No, I don’t care about photos for, like, the family. But I don’t like it when she puts photos of me on her blog. Facebook and stuff is okay because it’s for friends and family, but I don’t like strangers looking at me.”
Delilah blinked, a little surprised. She’d thought teenagers these days put their whole lives online.
But then, is it really so surprising? she thought a moment later. Rosie was clearly going through a stage where she felt awkward and self-conscious, the same way everyone did when they got to adolescence. Was it really so weird to think she might not want a lot of photos out there documenting it? Delilah herself had seen enough horrible photos of herself through the years that still made her cringe – and it wasn’t even like those had been available to a wider audience!
“Have you talked to your mum about this?” she asked.
Rosie glanced up at her through the long fringe she seemed to be trying to grow over the whole of her face. “No. She seems really excited about it. So I just kind of didn’t.”
“Well, she’s not a mind reader, and you’re right – she probably is pretty excited about it, so she might not have realized how you felt. How about you talk it over with her? She probably won’t mind.”
I hope she won’t mind, anyway, Delilah thought to herself as she pulled Rosie into a quick hug. She knew Jenny wasn’t all that bad, but she could be pretty insensitive at times, once she got an idea in her head.
Delilah still had recurring nightmares about the time her sister had pushed her into joining her high school dance group, thinking it would be so cool for them to dance a duet at a school assembly, completely forgetting about Delilah’s two left feet and complete lack of rhythm. She hadn’t let her back out, determined that Delilah would get better with practice, and so she’d actually had to go through with it, making her red-faced, stumbling, horrific way through the whole five-minute routine, until finally she was able to flee the stage to go bury her face in her hands and remind herself that she didn’t have any cool points to lose or a social life to ruin anyway. It would have been bad enough if it’d just been her up on the stage, but as it was, Delilah knew she looked even worse next to Jenny’s graceful, swan-like performance.
Jenny doesn't mean any harm, she just… doesn’t think, and she can’t imagine what it’s like to not be perfect at everything, Delilah thought.
“Will you be at the party, Aunt Dela?”
Delilah was pulled out of that especially horrible memory by the sound of Rosie’s voice.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” she said. She was surprised to find Rosie looking at her with huge, hopeful eyes.
“Do you promise? If I could hang out with you, Mum probably won’t mind if I’m not in so many photos.”
Well, as long as I can escape from Davy, I suppose.
Delilah nodded. “Of course I promise, Rosie. Cross my heart.”
As she said goodbye to Rosie before leaving the room and closing the door behind her, Delilah wondered if she should talk to Jenny on Rosie’s behalf, before deciding against it. One of Rosie’s defining features was that she was extremely independent, and she might not like the idea of Delilah interfering.
I’ll give it a few days, she thought
Squaring her shoulders, Delilah let out a long, slow sigh, and prepared to head back to the kitchen.
If she was lucky, Jenny might even let her take a few slices of fairy bread and some chocolate crackles home with her.
* * *
Two hours later, Delilah had managed to extract herself from Jenny’s kitchen, and was sitting on the train with a Tupperware container full of honey joys and chocolate crackles on her lap. The train rattled along the tracks, jerking her around in her seat.
She’d had a good day, but she was tired – cooking wasn’t something she’d ever say she’d do just for the fun of it – and she was still a little worried about Rosie.
Though really, I shouldn’t be all that worried, should I? She knew Rosie’s feelings were important, but she didn’t want to make too big of a deal about her drama with her friends, and chances were the issue of not wanting so many photos of herself around could be solved with a simple conversation with her mother.
No point in making mountains out of molehills, Delilah thought. But if this Amanda kid hurts Rosie’s feelings again, ooh, won’t her mum be hearing about it from me.
She clenched her fists involuntarily at the thought, before forcing herself to relax, laughing a little at herself. Though she had to admit, ‘over-protective aunt’ was a role she wouldn’t mind playing. It didn’t seem likely she’d be having any kids of her own any time soon – but even if she did, she always knew she’d be a big part of her nieces’ lives.
Sighing, she looked at her reflection in the window. She needed a haircut – she usually twisted her hair into a bun or braid for work, but looking at it hanging over her shoulders now, Delilah realized how uneven it was getting. And her fringe was too long. It hung shaggily over her eyebrows – soon she wouldn’t be able to see through it. She poked at it, frowning, before pulling it back over her forehead. Would she look better without it?
Am I just thinking about this because of Jenny trying to set me up with Davy the investment banker? Delilah wondered, as she let her fringe fall back into place.
Maybe so, she
had to concede. She sighed, looking away from the window. Maybe she’d been wrong to give Jenny such a hard time about him. Maybe Jenny was right – maybe it really was time to let go of all her childish fantasies about the kind of man she dreamed about – one who’d whisk her away to a life of excitement and adventure.
It was a bit silly, after all. Maybe she’d be better off trying to make a good impression on Davy, and see how things went. As long as he didn’t end up singing her name – Why, why, whyyyyy, Del-IIIIIII-lah? – in the middle of a bar like the last guy Jenny had tried to set her up with, then surely he couldn’t be all that bad.
She was jerked out of her thoughts as the train juddered to a stop at Kings Cross. A woman came up the stairs in front of Delilah, her head stooped, a mobile phone in one hand, the other pressed against her forehead.
“… I’m sorry,” she was saying, her voice tense and slightly distressed. “I tried, but I got held up at work, and even though I ran I missed the shop closing by two minutes… I know. I’m sorry, I just forgot, and you didn’t remind me. If you’d let me know in the morning, I could’ve gone on my lunch break!”
Delilah didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the poor, obviously stressed-out woman.
“We should have some cake mix in the cupboard,” the woman said as she sat down across from Delilah. “I can stay up tonight and bake a couple – no, I know it won’t be the same, but it’ll have to do.”
Was this woman experiencing some kind of cake-related emergency? Delilah glanced down at the Tupperware container in her lap, filled with all the delicious little cakes and crackles she and Jenny had spent the afternoon making.
Could I…?
“I’m sorry if you don’t like packet cake mix, but it’s the best I can do,” the woman said, her fingers massaging her forehead. “If we just put it down on the table, I’m sure your boss won’t know it was us who brought it.”
Delilah bit her lip, looking away. Yep – definitely sounded like some kind of cake-related emergency.
Well, luckily, she had it in her power to solve that kind of issue.
She looked up as the woman hung up the phone, sighing and shaking her head.
“Sounds like a bit of a tough day,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound like an eavesdropping creep. The woman glanced up, her face wary, though then she just shook her head and gave Delilah a tired smile.
“Yeah, just a bit.” She hesitated, and then continued on. “I forgot I was going to a picnic lunch tomorrow for my sister’s work. It’s a bit gimmicky I suppose, but we’re all supposed to bring something nice. I’m not much of a cook so I was just going to pick up a fancy cake or something, but it’s too late now. I think my sister’s more worried than I am – it’s a chance for her to make a good impression on her boss, and she was hoping to bring something either fancy or homemade.”
“Oh. Homemade?” Delilah smiled at her, before lifting the Tupperware container on her lap. “Like chocolate crackles and honey joys? Maybe even some angel cakes?”
The woman blinked, before her eyes fell on the container in Delilah’s hands.
“I – oh, no, I couldn’t do that. Aren’t those for you?” she asked, stammering and waving her hands in front of her.
“I can’t eat all of these,” Delilah said. “Believe me – you’d be the one doing me a favor. There’s no way I need all these. Anyway, I’ll be eating a lot more of them tomorrow. These were just some spares.”
“I really couldn’t,” the woman said again, shaking her head. “It’s my own fault I forgot – it’s my own problem.”
“And I have the solution right here!” Delilah held out the Tupperware to her. “I promise, there’s no cocaine in them or anything like that. Just sugar.”
The woman laughed at that, and Delilah could see temptation in her eyes.
“I mean… that would be so lovely of you, if you really don’t mind,” she said. “But I couldn’t just –”
“I really don’t mind,” Delilah promised her, pressing the Tupperware into her hands. “Honestly. I don’t need them. If they’ll help you and your sister, please take them.”
“How would I get your container back to you, though?” the woman asked, as she finally took the container from Delilah’s hands.
“No need,” Delilah said, shaking her head. “My sister gets them for free, so she’s always trying to give them away.”
It was true – one of the perks of being a lifestyle influencer was that homeware companies were always just giving Jenny stuff to review on her blog, even though she could easily have afforded to buy anything she needed. But it meant Delilah herself had a cupboard full of expensive pots and pans and plates she could never have afforded by herself.
“Oh my God, you’re like a guardian angel or something,” the woman said, eyes wide. “I really mean it – you’re a total lifesaver.”
“It’s fine,” Delilah told her – but she wasn’t about to deny herself the ego-boost of being called a lifesaver, that was for sure! “I’m glad I could help you and your sister out.”
“You really have.” The woman looked up as the train shuddered into Martin Place. “Oh, this is my stop – but are you sure I can’t give you my phone number so I can give you back your container?”
“Totally sure. Have a good time at the picnic, though – I hope your sister’s boss loves the crackles!”
Delilah sat back in her seat as the train pulled away, waving back at the woman who was waving at her through the window, looking a little teary. She couldn’t deny it felt good to help someone out who needed it – even if she had kind of been looking forward to sampling the fruits of her afternoon’s hard work.
Oh, well. She’d get her fill of sweet stuff at the party tomorrow.
But having said that…
Delilah grimaced a little as her stomach gurgled uncomfortably. She hadn’t realized until now that she was kind of hungry. And she had kind of been looking forward to a bit of a sugar rush.
I’ve done my good deed for the day – I think I deserve a treat, Delilah thought. She’d never really been one to deny her impulses, anyway – so it didn’t take a lot of time for her to decide what she needed to do to replace her given-away sugar.
Next stop, gelati!
Delilah got off the train at Town Hall, and from there, it wasn’t a long walk to her favorite late-night guilty pleasure spot: a gelati bar in Darling Harbour, where she often came if she was in need of a bit of rest and relaxation after working some long hours. It was a bit too pricey for her to come here regularly… but today, she felt like she’d earned it.
She got herself two big scoops – chocolate malt and honeycomb, and made her way out of the shop with a huge smile on her face. The night was warm and mild, and it seemed a shame not to be out walking in it.
Happily, she twisted her little plastic fork into the smooth, creamy gelati before letting the sweet taste slide over her tongue, closing her eyes in bliss.
Really, who needs a man when you have gelati? she thought. Maybe she’d let Jenny know to tell Davy or whatever his name was not to get his hopes up after all. No need for love, just give me sugar!
The streets were still crowded, even after sunset, but that was usual. People were busily making their way home from work or just coming out for dinner – Delilah loved living here in the hustle and bustle of Sydney, even though she had to admit that she could probably afford a bigger place if she were willing to move further out. But despite its small size, she loved her little room, and if it meant she got to stay here where the action was, she was willing to make a few sacrifices.
Resisting the urge to skip, Delilah passed along the harbor, watching the reflection of the city lights flickering in the water. The night was so nice and she was feeling so energized from her gelati that it was kind of tempting to just keep walking. Delilah made her way through the streets, resisting the voice inside her head that told her that if she didn’t start heading back toward th
e train station she’d get home late and be tired tomorrow.
She checked her phone. There’d be a train coming through in seven minutes – she could make it if she walked fast.
Or… if I took a little shortcut down this alleyway.
Delilah knew the hazards of trying to take ‘shortcuts’ in the older parts of the city: the crooked little alleys that ran between the sandstone buildings that seemed like they should follow the main roads, but ended up spitting you out at some seemingly random location a million miles from where you wanted to go. But Delilah knew them well – and this one would shave at least a couple of minutes off her walk to the station.
Hurrying, Delilah moved through the alley. It was dark, and she tried to put out of her mind what Jenny had said about things being dangerous for a woman on her own.
It’s just a couple of minutes, she told herself – but all the same, she found herself walking faster, glancing over her shoulder as she went.
A strange sense of unease slithered down her spine, her stomach feeling unpleasantly cold, and not just because of the gelati she’d eaten. She licked at it again now in an attempt to calm herself, but instead, she felt her stomach twisting even more.
It’s fine, it’s fine – I’ve been down here dozens of times, Delilah thought – but somehow, nothing she could do would unknot the weird coil of tension in her stomach. Her pleasant mood of just a few moments earlier had totally evaporated, and now she was hurrying not out of concern that she’d miss her train, but because she was frightened.
She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a noise not too far ahead of her – she almost turned and darted back the way she’d come, until she identified the sound as a groan.
Breathing heavily, Delilah paused. Was it possible that there was someone there who needed her help?
“H-Hello?” she called out, even as her brain yelled at her to turn and walk away. Someone passed out in an alley could mean danger – but then, if it was someone passed out in an alley, then shouldn’t they get her help, no matter how they got there?