by A. E. Radley
Emily turned to face Olivia. “It’s cute how you still jump a foot in the air when Henry catches us,” she said with a grin.
Olivia threw a tea towel at her.
Emily stood in front of her wardrobe, wondering what to pack for the upcoming week. The freezing cold of the office was a stark contrast to the airless theatre. The answer could only be what everyone suggests when packing for the unknown: layers.
Her phone rang, and she dashed back to the bed to answer the call she had been expecting.
“Hi, Nicole. Thanks for calling me back.”
“No problem, I just got in and thought I’d contact you now. You sounded a little tense in your voicemail.”
Emily grimaced. She’d been trying to go for light and airy, but the situation was obviously already affecting her.
“Yeah, well, um… I think something might be up,” Emily tried to explain.
Suddenly she felt like she was making a big deal out of nothing. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realised what time it was in London and felt extra guilty about bothering Nicole.
“Are you unwell?” Nicole asked. “You were a little sniffly last week, has that blown up into a cold?”
Emily sat on the edge of the bed. “No, no, that was dust in the air. Um. No, you remember the envelope? The one with the ticket that you gave me?”
“Oh, yes,” Nicole recalled.
Emily bit her lip. Telling Nicole that something might be wrong seemed like a huge step, especially as she was going to ask her boss, and Olivia’s best friend, to keep it a secret. A real secret. Not a Nicole secret.
“I got another envelope. I found it in the bottom on my bag this afternoon. It had my name handwritten on the front, and inside was another ticket, a new one. For this Thursday.”
Nicole remained silent, and Emily felt her heart plunge. Now that it was out there, it seemed ridiculous.
“A-and then there’s the flowers. Well, maybe, I’m not sure,” Emily continued.
“What flowers?” Nicole asked.
“Um, the other night, after the happy hour, there were flowers delivered to my hotel room. I thought they were from Olivia, but she said she didn’t send any. The card didn’t say anything, it was signed from a secret admirer. I assumed they were for someone else, you know, delivered to me by mist—”
“Okay, cancel your hotel room for the upcoming week,” Nicole cut her off. “I’m going to book you something myself under another name. Only you, Olivia, and I will know where you are staying.”
Emily felt a weight rise from her shoulders. She hadn’t realised until that moment how worried she was. Having someone else take her worries seriously was such a relief.
“Thanks, Nicole.”
“Not a problem. I’m sure it’s nothing, but there’s no need to take a risk. We’ll get to the bottom of it, I’m sure. But for now, we’ll take every precaution.”
Emily walked over to the bedroom door and gently clicked it closed.
“One more thing,” she murmured. “Could you keep this from Olivia? I… I just don’t want her worrying. It’s such a long way, and I know I’d be in pieces if something was happening here. I don’t want to worry her when it’s probably nothing.”
“I understand. I know how… unreasonable Olivia can be. She’d probably chain you to the bed and wouldn’t let you fly out again.”
Emily glanced at the white negligée she’d laid out on the bed for later that evening. She mused that being chained to the bed wouldn’t be such a hardship, considering she’d missed her newly wedded wife so much the previous week.
“Yes,” Emily agreed. “I think it’s best to not say anything, for now.”
“Agreed. I’ll sort you out with a new hotel in the morning, and I’ll phone you with the details. Do you still have the envelope and the ticket?”
“Yes.”
“Good, bring it with you, and we’ll do some detective work of our own. I’m sure it’s not as nefarious as it first seems. Don’t worry, Emily. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Emily breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, I thought I was being silly. I’m sure it’s nothing but… well, it’s pretty scary when I think about it.”
“I can imagine!” Nicole said. “Try to put it out of your mind. Enjoy your time with Olivia and Henry, and we’ll deal with this when you get back here.”
“I’ll do my best,” Emily said. “Sorry to bother you so late.”
“Oh, this isn’t late,” Nicole reassured her. “Now, as your boss, I order you to worry about this no more. Spend some quality time with Olivia. She already semi-hates me for taking you away.”
Emily chuckled. “She doesn’t. But I will take up your suggestion.”
Nicole laughed. “Goodnight, darling.”
“’Night, Nicole.”
Emily hung up. Now she just had to get the strange events out of her mind and enjoy the evening.
As her mind whirled with questions, she knew that would be easier said than done.
17
“But it’s not fair,” Henry sulked.
“Henry,” Olivia warned. She looked at Emily, hoping that she’d be able to stop the imminent tantrum.
Unfortunately, Emily was frozen to the spot, staring down at Henry, where he had placed himself on the floor, squarely between Emily and the front door. She rested her hand on the extendable handle of her suitcase and looked helplessly down at him.
“It’s not fair,” Henry repeated. “You were away last week.”
“And I told you that I’d be away this week, too,” Emily explained gently.
She took her hand from the suitcase and crouched down in front of him. Olivia took a step back to give mother and son a little more privacy, though she remained nearby in case she needed to mediate.
“I wish I didn’t have to be away from you, Henry,” Emily said. “I love you very much, you know that.”
Henry screwed his face up and turned away from Emily to face the door.
“The last thing I want is to leave,” Emily explained. “But I have to go to London for a couple more weeks. I have to be there to make sure that my play is ready so lots of people can pay lots of money to go and see it.”
“I hate your play,” Henry mumbled.
“Henry,” Olivia warned again.
“It’s okay,” Emily said. “I know why you hate my play. Sometimes, I hate it too because it means that we’re apart. But then I also love it because it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. And it’s important to me.”
Henry peeked his head over his shoulder. “I don’t like you going away.”
“I don’t like going away. But I have to. And I’ll be back on Friday night and we’ll spend the whole weekend together.”
Henry’s watery eyes blinked, and a couple of fat tears ran down his red cheeks.
“Promise?” he asked.
“I promise,” Emily said.
She held out her arms, and Henry fell into the embrace.
Olivia let out the breath she had been holding since it became clear that Henry wasn’t happy with Emily’s departure. Olivia knew how hard it was for Emily to leave them, especially Henry.
The fact that Emily could leave just went to show how important the scriptwriting was to her. Olivia knew that Emily had found her dream.
She looked at the mother and son on the floor of the hallway and understood just how much Emily wanted the job of her dreams to work out. Suddenly the cold bed and the lonely house during the week weren’t as bad. Not when she knew that it was all in aid of Emily’s dream.
Olivia looked at her wristwatch. Soft tones of classical music sounded from the speaker system she’d had installed. It was the first day of the second week of Henry’s new school routine. It had taken a little while to develop the right schedule, but she’d managed it.
“Henry,” she called softly.
A moment later Henry appeared at the top of the stairs.
“I’m ready,” he
claimed as he hopped down each step one at a time, holding onto the handrail as he went.
She walked towards the hallway and picked up his rucksack and jacket. Everything slid into place perfectly, and she ushered him out of the door with a kiss on his cheek.
Once she had safely seen him off, she closed the door.
She smiled to herself in the knowledge that she’d cracked the whole getting ready for school procedure.
She walked into the kitchen and started to unload the dishwasher. As she did, she calculated approximately how many more days of school Henry would have in his lifetime.
She always found mathematic problems soothing. However, this one appeared to be giving her palpitations. She focused on the music playing throughout the house and quickly finished emptying the dishwasher.
When she finished, she closed the appliance and wiped her hands on a tea towel. She placed the towel back on its hook and looked around the kitchen to ensure everything was in place.
She looked at her wristwatch again.
Henry had been gone for six minutes.
She unlocked the back door and walked into the garden, taking a deep breath and enjoying the fresh morning air. Strolling up and down the various paths, she occasionally bent down to pluck an errant weed. There weren’t many. She’d been outside the previous evening doing the same thing after Emily had left for the airport.
They’d agreed that Emily would travel to and from the airport herself. Olivia wanted to see her off from the airport but had agreed that the traffic was too much for her and Henry.
Emily had also changed her bookings to economy seats, much to Olivia’s confusion. When Olivia had discovered that Nicole was booking her wife into economy seats for the journeys back and forth, she’d quickly paid the difference for the upgrade to first-class.
Why anyone would willingly choose to downgrade themselves to the bowels of the aircraft was beyond her, but Emily was strong-willed and knew what she wanted.
Olivia wished for such clarity in her own mind. She should be happy, living a life that many people dreamed of. No boss, no responsibilities beyond home and family. She had time to start hobbies, she could learn an instrument or read entire collections of classic works.
Instead she stood in her back garden, three tiny weeds clutched in her hand while she wondered how on earth she was going to fill the next few hours, never mind the next few days until Emily returned.
As soon as Henry left the house, it was as if all the light and energy left with him. The same was true of Emily, as if Olivia’s world was operated with two dimmable light bulbs.
“It takes time,” she reminded herself. Time to settle into a new pattern. New was something that Olivia had never been fond of. There was a good reason why she had lived by her schedule for so many years.
She thought back to her beloved schedule. She enjoyed being busy. The business world was something she understood, something she was passionate about. She’d come to understand that her work-life balance was ridiculously tipped in favour of work. But now it seemed like the scales had been reversed.
There was no way she could have balance now. She’d made a commitment to Emily that she would remain home and watch over Henry. Now she was a stay-at-home mother, a homemaker. But she didn’t feel equipped to be those things. She was sure there were things she ought to be doing, but she didn’t know what they were.
But she wouldn’t worry Emily about such things. She would figure them out for herself eventually. Her entire reason for taking on the role of homemaker was to allow Emily to spread her wings and do something she enjoyed.
Emily had been a veritable superwoman during the first few years of Henry’s life. She’d worked several jobs at any one time, she’d always given Henry what his medical condition required no matter how difficult or expensive. And Henry was a well-adjusted boy, no worse for wear. Olivia knew that was down to Emily’s exceptional abilities at doing whatever it took, and pushing her own needs to one side.
Now Olivia wanted to allow Emily to do things for herself. Even if that meant pushing her own needs aside.
She strolled to the patio furniture and sat on a chair and looked over the immaculate garden. She pictured Henry playing there, maybe with a sibling.
Emily had seemed quite against the idea of adoption. And after reading some of the horror stories, Olivia could understand why. The hoops that people were required to jump through to become approved were an eye-opener. The possibility that you may not get approved would be something that could easily eat away at someone. And even if approval did come, waiting for the right child to fit in with your life was another obstacle.
Olivia liked the idea of adopting a child. But she knew she liked it for all the wrong reasons. She wouldn’t be the type of person who would be able to attend to the complicated needs of a child who had suffered during their early years. While she knew she could lavish them with love and material goods, she also knew that she didn’t have the right skillset to help them with difficult psychological issues. It was only last week that Henry climbed into the washing machine during an impromptu game of hide and seek.
She liked the idea of adoption because it removed the possibility that she could be to blame for a child being like her. A child who carried her defective genes and became a fish out of water in society, just as Olivia had often felt.
But Emily had spoken at length of how much she adored Olivia’s unique personality. And Olivia knew that she would never want to fix herself, should such an option become available. She knew that in some ways, her differences made life difficult, but in others it gave her an edge, an insight that others lacked.
Adopting a child just because she didn’t want her biological child to potentially be like her was the wrong reason to adopt.
She made a mental note to set up a monthly donation to a few of the adoption organisations she had spoken to during her investigations. While adoption wasn’t for her, she knew their work was essential and they deserved the funding they needed.
She let out a long sigh and looked down at the weeds she still held in her hand.
Olivia stood in the corridor and watched through the glass panel of the door as Natalie Costa finished up the day with her class. The tall, slim woman exuded energy and drama, walking up and down the rows of desks and reading aloud from the book in her hands. The children giggled and gasped at the story.
“May I help you?”
Olivia turned to see a male teacher approaching her. “I have an appointment with Miss Costa,” Olivia replied. “Regarding Henry White.”
The man nodded solemnly. “Oh, yes, I heard about Henry. My apologies.”
Olivia frowned. She hadn’t expected the news of his potential diagnosis to be common knowledge, nor a cause of such sympathy. She glanced at the floor, eager to break eye contact.
“If there’s anything we can do, then please don’t hesitate to let us know.” The man turned and walked away.
Olivia glanced up and watch his retreat. Something seemed wrong, as if he already knew of the diagnosis, as if Henry was about to be sent to the gallows. She spun to look through the glass door again and focused her attention on him. He was smiling, engaged in the story being told. No sign of whatever horrors the supposed teachers had apparently unearthed within him.
A few moments passed and the bell signalling the end of the day sounded. Mayhem followed. Children of all ages spewed out of doors and filled the hallway. The sudden switch from the quiet murmuring of classes being taught behind closed doors to loud chatter was deafening and disorientating.
Olivia took a step into Henry’s classroom, away from the masses.
“Olivia!” She felt Henry’s arms around her waist as he cuddled against her. “This is my mommy.”
She blinked and looked down at him in confusion. He’d never referred to her as his mother before, and now he was introducing her to a group of children from his class.
“Hello, children,” Olivia said quietly as she looked at
the pairs of eyes staring up at her.
The group of children murmured and oohed and ahhed.
“Children, it’s rude to stare.”
Olivia looked up and locked eyes with Natalie Costa, relieved to be rescued.
“Sorry, Miss Costa,” the children said in a frighteningly synchronistic buzz. They dispersed, and she was left with Henry clutching hold of her.
“Henry, maybe you’d like to go to the playground while I speak with your mother?”
Henry nodded and released his hands from Olivia’s waist. Olivia watched him go with a heavy heart, knowing that he was clueless that they were speaking about him and his development.
“Would you like to sit down?” Natalie offered.
Olivia was about to shake her head when she remembered Emily’s words about taking a seat even when she didn’t want to. Apparently, standing would only make an uncomfortable situation more so.
“Thank you,” she said.
They walked to the desk at the front of the class and both sat down. Natalie looked out of the window at Henry playing on the climbing apparatus.
“Henry really is remarkable, very resilient.”
“He is,” Olivia agreed.
“He was saying this morning how much he missed his mother, his other mother,” Natalie explained.
Olivia nodded. “She only recently left us,” she explained. She thought of Emily’s face as she’d said goodbye to catch her flight the evening before. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“Of course, I’m sure with time it will be easier for him. For both of you.”
“I hope so, for Henry’s sake. Although I doubt it will become easier for me, the house is so very quiet without her,” Olivia admitted, almost surprising herself at her admission.
Natalie stood and pulled her chair around the table to sit beside Olivia. She reached out and took Olivia’s hand.
“It will get better,” she promised.
Olivia looked at their interlocked hands and frowned. Natalie was clearly one of those touchy-feely people Olivia rarely understood. She squeezed Natalie’s hand carefully before removing hers from the grasp.