~~***~~
Mom was able to get a flight for the following day. She wasn’t actually looking forward to it, but having survived the flight over the Pacific Ocean, a couple hours down to Melbourne was nothing, right?
A quick call to Debs confirmed that no, she and Ian hadn’t yet returned from Paris, but there was no-one at the apartment, and certainly we could all stay there. She’d left a key with a neighbour, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Debs was disappointed to be missing Mom’s visit, but it couldn’t be helped—Ian had agreed to stay on for a few extra months so they weren’t returning to Melbourne until the end of November.
Sam wasn’t too keen on us staying with Debs however, so instead, Tom moved out of the spare room so that Mom and Ceylona could have it. Tom didn’t mind. He was more than happy to spend a bit of time with Erranase, or not—it didn’t particularly worry him either way.
The following morning, as we were getting ready to go to the airport to get Mom, it was proving impossible to convince Crystal that it would be too crowded for her to come with us. Sam’s car was quite comfortable, but four adults, a baby, and luggage, would surely be too much. In the end, I gave in. She was not letting us go without her.
Standing in the arrivals area, I couldn’t believe how nervous I felt. I’d been separated from Ceylona for only a few days, but it felt longer. I’d missed her and couldn’t wait to hold her. But I think it was more to do with the fact that Mom was about to meet my husband for the first time. Would she like him? Would she understand why I’d married him?
The flight was on time, so at least we didn’t have to wait long. I was relieved as I saw Mom approaching with Ceylona safely snuggled into her chest. Mom was smiling. Everything was fine; so far.
She met my eye, and her smile widened. Then her gaze shifted to my left, where Sam was standing, and it was as if someone had walked over her grave. Her face went white, and her eyes widened. Surely she wasn’t about to faint was she?
‘Mom, you made it, safe and sound. And was Ceylona good on the plane? It was probably a good test, this short flight,’ I was desperately trying to ignore the look I’d seen on her face. Everything needed to be fine. It had to be. She had to like Sam.
‘Mrs McIntyre, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I trust you had a good flight? Coming over from California, as well as this short one,’ Sam said in a voice that was soft, and warm. He was staring at Mom so intently. And as he stared, her colour returned to normal, and her eyes softened. I sighed out of relief, and Sam quickly winked at me.
‘Yes, thank you. The flights were fine. But the pleasure is mine, Sam, I assure you. I’ve been quite anxious to meet the man who has swept my little girl off her feet.’
Crystal stepped forward with her arms outstretched. ‘Mrs McIntyre, I’m Crystal. It’s so nice to meet you. Lili has told me so much about you. Now, may I take Ceylona and give you a rest?’
Mom looked a bit reluctant to give her up, but I came over and lifted Ceylona gently from the carrier, giving her a big kiss and cuddle, before passing her over to Crystal’s waiting arms. Crystal would have so little time with her, so even though I too had missed her, I didn’t have the heart to deny Crystal this moment. As I took the carrier off Mom so I could place it over Crystal’s neck, I noticed she was looking much more relaxed.
‘Crystal’s been such a big help, Mom. And Ceylona adores her, see?’
I helped Crystal put the carrier on, and she popped Ceylona into it. Ceylona snuggled up against Crystal’s chest, cooing softly. Mom seemed to relax further when she saw how comfortable they were with each other. Then she turned her focus back to Sam.
‘Mrs McIntyre, may I take that bag for you?’ he said, still in that deep, mesmerising voice of his.
‘Anita. Call me Anita. And yes, you may take it, thank you,’ she said, handing the carryon bag to Sam, swaying a little as she handed it over.
I quickly walked back over and stood next to her. ‘So, shall we go get your suitcase then, Mom? The baggage claim is downstairs.’
‘Oh, yes of course. I’m sorry, I just suddenly feel so sleepy. I guess the jet-lag is beginning to catch up with me.’
I looked over at Sam, and he just smiled. It was great that she had something to blame her light-headedness on. We wouldn’t mention Sam’s abilities. There would be no point in it.
~~***~~
An hour later we were home. Mom disappeared upstairs to freshen up while Sam spent a little bit of time getting to know Ceylona. Then, when Mom came back downstairs, Crystal took Ceylona upstairs to rest, while I made some coffee.
Mom and Sam sat at the kitchen table, waiting for me to join them. I was close enough to see and hear their conversation, but far enough away that they didn’t seem to feel the need to include me in it.
‘So, Sam, let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Is my daughter safe here with you, or not?’ Mom seemed to have gotten over her jet lag—there was nothing foggy about her voice or her demeanour.
‘Mrs McIntyre … er, I mean, Anita … look … normally I would say yes. But lately, things have been a bit crazy. So, no, it’s probably not the best place for her and Ceylona to be right now.’
‘And so you have no issues with us taking Ceylona then? With her going to California?’
‘No, of course not. I want nothing more than for both of them to be safe, of course.’
‘Good. Lili told me that, but I wanted to hear it from you. I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be starting up some sort of custody battle.’
‘No, there’s nothing to worry about, I promise you. Even when Lili left Mladen’s … you do know about Mladen, don’t you?’ he asked.
Mom nodded, and Sam continued.
‘Well, even when she left there, I had no intention of trying to find her. She needed to be somewhere that she felt safe, where she felt Ceylona was safe. And I understood. But now, well, I must say I can’t think of a better place for her to be, than with you.’
Mom beamed when she heard this. I hadn’t married a dummy—Sam knew how to butter up his mother-in-law.
I walked up and placed three empty cups on the table, one in front of Mom, and the others at the two empty seats. Then I placed a small pitcher of milk on the table, and the pot of freshly made coffee. Mom watched me set them down, and I thought she was about to ask why I hadn’t put a cup in front of Sam, but then I could almost see her mind ticking over. She got it.
‘The coffee smells wonderful, Lili,’ said Crystal as she walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Mom. ‘Ceylona fell straight asleep. She’s such an angel, don’t you think? You’re so lucky, Lili. You know how much I envy you, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I know I’m lucky,’ I said, smiling at Sam, who was also beaming with pride.
‘And I consider myself very fortunate, to have not only my daughter, but also my grand-daughter, coming back to live with me,’ said Mom.
‘I think we are the fortunate ones, Anita,’ said Crystal, nodding in Sam’s direction before pouring herself a cup of coffee. ‘To have someone with your experience at bringing up babies, and your knowledge of the possibilities that we have in this—situation—well, indeed, we are the lucky ones.’
We all sat there quietly, sipping the hot coffee. It felt like we were all waiting for someone else to speak, but eventually I decided to break the silence.
‘So, Mom, I told them about Francis. But I wondered if you might tell them the story, the way you told me. I mean, in case I didn’t get it right. I think I may have left some things out.’
Mom looked at me, and seemed almost startled. Had she not expected me to tell them? But of course I had to—not just for my sake, but so that they’d understand more about Ceylona. Mom sighed, then told the story from the beginning, exactly as she’d told me. When she was finished, it was Crystal that spoke.
‘I knew Francis,’ she said, smiling.
‘Did you? Well, it is a small world, isn’t it?’ said Mom.
‘Yes, indeed. Francis was one of t
he teachers at Mladen’s.’
‘This Mladen sounds very … interesting,’ replied Mom.
‘He is. And he’s the closest thing to a father I’ve ever known. But as for Francis, he was always so restless, surrounded only by the other teachers. He wasn’t cut out for the solitary life, if you know what I mean. As I told Lili, he started going into town—not that it was much of a town in those days. But he said he needed to expand his horizons, to talk to people who came from other parts of the world, and had interesting tales to tell. Anyway, none of us ever suspected that Francis was having such intimate relations with any of the people he met off the school grounds. But hearing it now, I can’t say that I’m overly surprised.’
Crystal paused, a soft smile touching her lips.
‘Francis was a very handsome man. Any wonder Lili is so beautiful. Between you, Anita, and the blood-lines on her father’s side, it was inevitable. He too had deep auburn hair, but he had brown eyes—very dark brown. And such a sense of humour—he had us in stitches sometimes, as he described some of the characters he’d met in town. But never, not once, did he mention Caroline. He kept that little bit of information all to himself!’
‘And is he still there, at Mladen’s?’ Mom asked.
‘No, unfortunately not. He went to Europe some years ago. And although I don’t recall the exact date, I believe it’s quite possible that it wasn’t long after Caroline’s death.’
‘That’s a shame. But perhaps someday he’ll return. And so, do you think Debs ever suspected anything, about any of you?’ Mom waved her hand around the room, implying that she was referring not only to Sam and Crystal, but to their friends as well.
‘Not that she ever let on. But I suppose she really didn’t spend a great deal of time with us. There was the wedding of course, and I believe she and Ian played cards at your place one night, didn’t they Sam?’ asked Crystal, turning to Sam.
‘Yes, there was that one time. And I went up to the apartment a time or two, but never for very long.’
‘Oh, and after she met Sam, she kept calling him my charming young man,’ I said, smiling at Sam. ‘I know she liked you, but if she ever thought there was more to you than meets the eye, she never said anything to me about it.’
Mom took a sip of her coffee, and picked up one of the short breads, ‘I suppose she wouldn’t have had any reason to suspect anything, yet. But I think she’d work it out, eventually, especially when none of you age over the coming years.’
Mom’s words weren’t lost on me, and if she figured Debs would have contact with them over the coming years, then that meant she saw me as having a continuing life here too. Her words comforted me, and when I looked over at Sam, he smiled and caught my eye, and gave me a little wink.
‘I think I’ll go lie down for a little while, if you don’t mind,’ said Mom when she finished her coffee. ‘I’m still a bit tired from the trip over. I won’t sleep long, just a little cat nap. Will I see you a bit later, Crystal? Sam?’
‘Yes, how about I cook us some pasta for dinner, Lili? There won’t be any food in this house,’ said Crystal as she too stood up from the table.
‘Oh, thanks Crystal, that would be great. Crystal’s a fabulous cook, Mom,’ I said, standing up to see Crystal to the door. ‘What time would you like us to come over?’
‘How’s six-thirty?’
I looked at Mom, and she nodded, so I walked with Crystal to the door, telling her we’d see her a bit later. When I came back to the kitchen, Mom had already gone upstairs. Sam was still sitting at the table, so I sat back down with him.
‘You know,’ I said, reaching across and taking his hand, ‘it’s only been just over a year since I first set eyes on you. Can you believe it? So much has happened. Who’d have ever thought I’d be married, and a mother.’
‘If you think it’s gone fast for you, then think about me. It’s been like the blink of an eye.’
‘And so, do you think the next few years will fly by too, then? While I’m living in California, and you’re still here?’
‘For me, the years will be nothing. Remember how different time is for us. Ten years is half your lifetime, but only a fraction of the time that I’ve existed.’
‘So, if I come back, in say ten years, or even twenty, do you think things will be as they are now?’
‘Yes, for me they will be. I’ll always love you, Lili. Time won’t matter to me. There will never be anyone else for me.’
He reached up and stroked my cheek softly, then pushed his chair back from the table, indicating for me to come over and sit on his lap. I obeyed without question, and sat on his lap with my head buried into his chest. One arm supported me, and with his free hand, he lightly caressed my cheek, and traced the shape of my eyebrows ever so softly, the way a blind man might study someone’s face.
The day was dull to begin with, and now, just after four, the room was starting to get dark. But we sat like this, neither of us speaking, just holding onto each other. Mom had said to make some memories that would last. I knew this one would.
Eventually my legs started going numb from sitting so still, and I started to squirm. Sam put his hands around my waist, and gently lifted me off his lap. He stood facing me, then leaned down and kissed me and I knew it was a kiss to remember; for both of us.
‘Come, let’s go sit outside for a few minutes; get some fresh air.’
We walked out the door, and sat down on the front step, watching the world go by. Another memory opportunity I thought as I looked across to the gardens and then to the left at The Cauldron. When I come back, will it all look the same?
‘Why did you want to come out here?’ I asked when Sam was silent for several minutes.
‘Oh, I often just sit here in the afternoons after I’ve finished at the market—before it gets dark. I like this time of day. The sun’s power has waned and the night hasn’t yet taken hold.’
‘I never knew that. I suppose there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other. We’ve had so little time, really.’ Once again I could feel a lump in my throat, and a deep sadness threatened to overcome me.
Sam turned to me, and smiled, his eyes penetrating mine, making me feel calm. ‘There will be time, Lili. It’s like when you were leaving before, remember? Crystal said not to worry because things would work out as they should. It’s no different this time, things will work out. This is right, for now.’
One side of me was so glad I was here, but the other side was regretting this reopening of wounds. Every minute that we spent together made me more certain that I belonged here. And yet, here I was, preparing to leave for what might turn out to be many, many years.
I shivered, and immediately Sam put his arm around me and held me close. ‘You’re getting cold. Shall we go in and see if Ceylona’s awake? I’d love some play time with her.’
‘Oh, yes, of course. She should be awake now.’
We stood to go in, and I suddenly remembered, ‘I meant to ask, at the airport, when Mom first spotted you, it was like she’d seen a ghost or something. Did you drop your illusion?’
‘Yes, well, I’ve never had to meet a mother-in-law before so I was pretty nervous and yes, I think I did—just for a moment—but it was pretty obvious by the look on her face.’
‘I was afraid that might have been what happened.’
‘But I cleared the memory straight away. She won’t remember anything about it,’ he said. Then he took my hand, and putting it to his lips, he kissed it gently. ‘I couldn’t very well have her picturing me like that for the next twenty years now could I?’
~ Chapter Twenty-six ~
As soon as Michael confirmed that Ceylona’s passport would be ready within a fortnight, I spoke to a travel agent; there’d be no problem getting flights. We would leave in two weeks.
While one side of me said I should be starting to distance myself from Sam and this place that had been my home for such a short time, the other side of me couldn’t resist spending every mi
nute with Sam that he was prepared to give me.
We spent some time alone, just walking in the gardens, and down along the docks near Debs’ apartment. And we spent some time as a family, with Ceylona. I felt torn seeing them together—watching the bond growing stronger every day. And each time I watched them, ideas went round and round in my head as I tried to come up with solutions that didn’t involve taking her so far away. But I’d always end up back at the same place—California, with my family. It was the only option that made sense.
Mom seemed happy. I supposed it was because she was getting to meet her daughters’ family, and see Australia for the first time—the place where the love of her life came from. Sam and I figured it was quite possible Mom would never come back, so we took her on a few day trips—up to the Dandenongs, down the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles, and up to the Yarra Valley wineries. Crystal didn’t mind staying with Ceylona on those days—in fact, she encouraged us to go.
I was relieved when Claire rang to say she wouldn’t be coming to Australia after all. She’d met a surfer named Shane and he was taking her to Lake Tahoe to his family’s summer house on the lake. It was just what she needed—a bit of a romantic interlude. When I asked her about Tom she just sort of ummed and awed and said that she hadn’t heard from him for ages, and figured he’d lost interest, and besides, if Sam and I weren’t together it wouldn’t be half as much fun going out with him anyway. So that simplified things: I wouldn’t have to tell Claire anything about Ceylona. Not for the moment anyway.
Tom, however, was disappointed. He’d been looking forward to seeing Claire more than she knew. But I was able to distract him by giving him a mission. He was to find a computer for Sam, and then teach him how to use it. Tom was a whiz with technology so it was quite a simple task for him. He had it set up and connected to the internet the same day. We tested it by sending emails to Michael. There’d be no excuses for Sam not keeping in contact; even he would be able to operate this one.
Sacrifice (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 2) Page 22