She couldn’t resist looking over at Tom. He was staring straight ahead and his expression gave nothing away. Oh how she’d love to peel open his heart and read its history.
‘Having said that,’ the minister added, ‘I don’t mean you should all just sit around and accept things that you can change. Go forth this Christmas and live your life the best you can. Be kind, compassionate, and spreaders of love and hope. Merry Christmas everyone.’
The choir, who’d been sitting cross-legged on the carpet and surprisingly quiet, rose again. The kids sang Christmas Where the Gum Trees Grow and then everyone joined in again for Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. When the last line was sung, no one seemed in a great hurry to leave. A number of people rushed forward to chat with Barbara, May, Ned, Alf and Nancy; all of them congratulated Tom for taking the initiative and giving them an outing.
Tom shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with the praise, and gestured to Lauren and the other volunteers. ‘I couldn’t have done it without my team.’
‘But it was all Dr Lewis’ idea,’ Lauren informed them, wanting him to get the glory he deserved.
Behind them others milled around talking in groups, but it was getting late and already well past the time the residents usually went to bed. Lauren didn’t want them to be too tired to enjoy tomorrow.
As if Tom’s thoughts matched her own, he caught her gaze and mouthed, ‘Shall we go?’
She nodded, feeling stupidly pleased that he was asking her and not one of the other volunteers. It took a while to muster the wheelchairs through the crowd and out into the pleasantly warm night air and when they did, they walked the long way home in order to view a few of the Christmas light displays on the main street. Although Tom had led the group on the way and Lauren brought up the rear, somehow she found herself walking beside him on the return journey, while Ned and Barbara debated in their wheelchairs about which displays deserved to win.
‘That one with the kangaroos is better than that one,’ Barbara declared, jabbing her finger from one display to the next as they argued over the post office’s roof—which held a European winter wonderland—and the window of the second-hand shop—which featured miniature kangaroos wearing Santa hats.
‘What have kangaroos got to do with Christmas?’ Ned grumbled. Despite having lived in Australia most of his adult life, he still spoke with a hint of an English accent.
Lauren tried to stifle her laughter, not wanting to make them self-conscious.
‘I like the winter wonderland one too,’ Tom confessed, leaning towards her so he could whisper. His hot breath caressed her neck and she shivered, goose bumps rising on her skin.
Not wanting him to sense how aware her body was of him, she swallowed, then met his gaze. ‘I agree. Don’t get me wrong; I adore kangaroos, but I’ve always wanted to experience a white Christmas. You know, build a snowman and then lie down in the snow and make snow angels.’
‘It’s the best,’ he said.
‘You’ve had a white Christmas before?’
He nodded and she held her breath, dreading the thought of him sharing some memory about a romantic holiday with his ex. ‘My family went to Austria for Christmas when I was eight,’ he said instead. Her heart relaxed. ‘My sister Monica couldn’t wait to get out in the snow but almost the moment she did, she started whining about how cold and wet it was. She complained for the entire time we were there, whereas I couldn’t get enough of it.’
He chuckled at the memory and Lauren felt as if she could listen to him talk all night. ‘And have you been since?’ she asked.
He frowned. ‘No. I’ve been to Europe again but never in winter. Maybe one day, hey?’
It almost sounded like he was including her in that possibility but she told herself to stop being ridiculous. The only reason they were even together tonight was because he’d needed her assistance to bring the residents out.
They continued their trek, everyone taking turns to exclaim over different displays. Each time one of the old folks made an excited remark, Lauren and Tom shared a knowing, happy smile and when they finally made it back to the hospital no one seemed in a hurry to go to bed.
‘Thank you for a splendid night, Dr Tom, and you too Lauren,’ May said, a satisfied smile on her face. ‘I can’t recall the last time I had such fun.’
‘Nor me,’ Barbara and Ned chimed together, then looked at each other and chuckled.
‘It’s not over yet.’ Tom grinned and Lauren joined the others in looking at him questioningly. ‘Everyone into the dining room.’
Curious, Lauren pushed Barbara’s wheelchair down the hall, the other volunteers following with the other residents. Sheila and Taryn, the nurses on duty, helped settle the residents around the table and they all laughed when Tom pulled a bright Christmas apron out of a box and tied it around his waist. To their surprise and delight, he then proceeded to make proper hot chocolate over the stovetop in the kitchen that was rarely used. Lauren knew she wasn’t the only woman affected—who could resist a man in an apron fixing something chocolatey?
As if that wasn’t bad enough, once Tom had poured the amazing-smelling drink into melamine mugs, he conjured a tin from his box of tricks. He pulled off the lid and placed the tin on the table. Lauren blinked as she laid eyes on the cutest little gingerbread biscuits in the shapes of bells, stockings and wreaths.
‘Did you make these?’ she asked, looking at Tom.
He nodded. ‘Just a little something I whipped up earlier.’
He must have done so while she’d been at work one day this week. Was there anything he wasn’t good at?
While she lamented this fact, Tom offered the tin around, and the next thing she registered was him holding it right up close to her nose. ‘Come on, can’t I tempt you, Lauren?’
Their gazes met again and it wasn’t just the gingerbread that taunted her nostrils but also his irresistible scent. Oh yeah, she was tempted all right. Tempted to throw all her good intentions out the window and beg him to kiss her again. She had no doubt it would be unforgettable, the best night of her life.
‘Sure, why not?’ Hoping he couldn’t read her thoughts, although her cheeks were burning, she plucked out a wreath and wrapped her lips around it. The soft sugary, buttery, gingery goodness melted on her tongue.
‘Well? What do you think?’ Tom seemed anxious for her opinion.
‘Um…’ The only words that came to mind were not at all suitable for their audience. Saved by the bell, she shrugged an apology and swallowed her mouthful when her mobile phone started ringing in her pocket. She wasn’t on duty so she had no qualms about answering it. Besides, it would give her the chance to get outside and inhale some fresh air. She tugged her phone out of her pocket and saw Frank’s name on the screen. ‘Sorry, I’d better take this.’
She pushed open the door that led out into the hospital courtyard. ‘Well, hello stranger,’ she said, trying to recall the last time they’d actually spoken. ‘About time you phoned home.’ She’d sent him an email when Tom had first arrived but he hadn’t bothered to reply, and she’d long ago given up trying to call him when he was overseas. Even when she got the time differences right, he always seemed to be working.
‘Hey, don’t be like that, little sis. I’m calling to wish you a Merry Christmas.’
‘Really? I thought you were ringing to say Happy Easter.’ She rolled her eyes, unable to contain her joy at the sound of his voice. Despite their differences and the fact they lived so far apart, she felt closer to Frank than she did to her parents. He’d never made her feel like she wasn’t good enough.
‘Hardi-ha.’ He chortled. ‘What’s the latest with you? Anything exciting happening in Hope Junction?’
‘Did you get my email?’
‘What email?’
‘The one I sent you about a month ago asking why you forgot to tell me you’d invited a friend of yours to come stay with me?’
‘That’s right. Sorry, I meant to reply. How is Tom? I hope he
’s behaving himself. Do I need to call him and read the Big Brother Riot Act?’
I wish, she thought. ‘Tom is being the perfect house guest, but it would have been nice to have a little warning about his arrival.’
‘Sorry sis.’ Frank sounded only slightly remorseful. ‘I thought you two would get on like a house on fire. He’s a great bloke. Lots of fun. I hoped he might stop you from being lonely over Christmas.’
‘To be honest, he keeps to himself most of the time.’
‘Really? That’s not like the Tom I know.’
‘I think he’s still cut up about breaking up with his girlfriend,’ she suggested, hoping Frank might be able to shed some light on that relationship.
He was quiet a moment and then said, ‘Maybe you’re right. I must admit I was surprised when he told me he and Lisa had split.’
Lauren swallowed. Lisa. Now she had a name. ‘Did you know her?’
‘Yeah, we all went to med school together. Great chick. Gorgeous. And a very competent doctor too. They got together just after we started. I thought we’d be hearing wedding bells for those two any day and then out of the blue he tells me they’ve gone their separate ways. Apparently he wasn’t ready to settle down.’
Lauren frowned. That was not the way he’d made it sound to her. He’d told her his girlfriend had ended it. She thought back to the other brief conversation they’d had about his relationship on that awful night she’d bared her soul. If she remembered correctly he’d mentioned having issues to deal with—not being ready for another relationship. The only time he’d ever appeared anything less than under control had been that night his father disappeared. And he’d changed after that. Withdrawn into himself so much that sometimes she’d felt as if she were living with a ghost.
‘Such a shame about his dad,’ she said. ‘Do you know him?’
‘Who? Rick?’ Frank asked. ‘Sure. He’s a top bloke. What’s a shame?’
He doesn’t know. Lauren glanced back in through the window and saw Tom chatting and laughing, entertaining the nurses and old folks alike. It wasn’t her place to share such personal information, but… ‘He’s got Alzheimer’s disease.’
‘What?’ Frank spoke so loudly she pulled the phone back from her ear. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. He went missing a week or so ago and Tom almost had to go home. They found him, but he’s pretty cut up about it.’
‘Fuck. Fuck. Rick and Anna had their family young. I don’t think he’s even sixty yet.’
‘Seriously?’ When Tom had told her about his dad’s illness, Lauren had assumed he was old. Her head spun as she digested this nugget of information.
‘I should talk to him.’
‘No, don’t.’ Her heart rate quickened. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sure he’ll tell you when he’s ready.’
‘It must be early onset,’ Frank said, his medical knowledge kicking in.
Lauren racked her brain for everything she knew about the various types of Alzheimer’s. The theory part of her degree had been her weakest link but in her role at Hope Junction Hospital she dealt frequently with dementia. Alf’s wife Nancy was a classic case of old age dementia, having been well into her eighties when she was diagnosed. This type of dementia affected many elderly people but wasn’t hereditary. But early onset Alzheimer’s was also known as Familial Alzheimer’s because it was often associated with a genetic condition.
‘Do you think Tom might have the gene?’ she asked, cold flooding her body at the thought of healthy, vibrant, lovely Tom being struck down by something as debilitating as Alzheimer’s.
‘It’s a possibility,’ Frank replied, sounding uncharacteristically glum. ‘Early onset is a rare form of Alzheimer’s only manifesting in about five percent of all sufferers but there’s strong genetic linkage. If Tom has a risk gene he’s got a good chance of inheriting the disease, but if he has a deterministic gene, he’s guaranteed to.’
Lauren gasped, that thought too terrible to ponder. ‘They can test to find all that out these days, right?’
‘Yep. A sample of blood can tell you almost anything—but not everyone wants to know such information. I’m not sure I would.’
But they weren’t talking about Frank. They were talking about Tom. Her Tom. ‘Do you think he would?’ she asked, admitting Frank knew him better than she did.
‘I’d say no…’ Yet he didn’t sound a hundred percent sure.
‘But…?’ she prodded.
He sighed. ‘But I reckon Lisa would have wanted to know. Don’t get me wrong, she’s great but she’s a planner. She likes everything to be just so and she likes to be in control of her life. If they were still together when Rick was diagnosed, I’d say she’d have wanted Tom to get tested too.’
‘But surely it would have to be his choice.’ No matter what nice things Frank said about her, Lauren didn’t like the sound of Lisa.
‘Yes, of course. Anyway, this is all speculation. Why are you so interested anyway?’
‘I’m not.’ Liar. Lauren’s heart jolted against her chest. The last thing she wanted was for Frank to suspect she had feelings for his friend. ‘I’m just concerned for a colleague.’
‘Sorry. I understand that. Hell, I’m concerned too. This is a lot to take in. I can’t believe Tom hasn’t mentioned it.’
‘Maybe he’s not ready yet,’ she said, praying Frank wouldn’t think it his job to pry. Although Tom hadn’t said the stuff about his dad was confidential, she didn’t want him to feel like she’d broken his confidence. She wanted him to trust her.
Hell, she wanted so much more than just that.
‘Yeah, you’re probably right. Hey, I’ve got some leave owing. Maybe I might come home for a few weeks soon and have a beer with him.’
‘That would be great,’ Lauren said, excited at the thought of seeing her big brother, but more so at the thought that Tom might relax around an old friend.
‘Look I’d better go now. You have a good Christmas and look after Tom, won’t you?’
She swallowed, desperately wishing he would open up enough to let her. ‘I’ll try,’ she promised instead. When he’d disconnected, Lauren stood outside for another few minutes, going over and over the conversation in her head.
It was all speculation as Frank had reminded her, but now that the seed had been planted about early onset Alzheimer’s, she wouldn’t be able to get any of it out of her head until she knew the truth. Was his father’s disease familial? Had Tom been tested for the related genes? And then another even more awful thought struck her.
Was that why Lisa had left him?
No. She shook her head. You don’t leave someone you love, simply because life might get harder down the track. She had to have that wrong. She wanted to make Lisa into someone nasty because she couldn’t find any room within her to like someone who Tom had once loved and maybe still did, but that wasn’t realistic.
‘Hey.’ Tom appeared in the doorway. She hadn’t heard him even open it. ‘What are you doing out here? Our company not good enough for you?’
She struggled to speak past the emotion swimming inside her.
He frowned and stepped outside, the door closing behind him. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes,’ she lied, knowing that now wasn’t the time or the place to grill him on any of this. ‘That was Frank. I always get a little teary when I talk to him near Christmas.’
A look of sympathy crossed his face. ‘That’s understandable.’ For a moment she thought he might offer a hug of comfort, but the moment passed and instead he pulled the door back open and gestured inside. ‘Come in and have another one of my cookies.’
‘Good idea.’ She pasted on a smile, held her chin high and stepped past him into the kitchen. Her friends looked up. They had almost finished their drinks and in place of the cookies the tin now bore only a few crumbs. ‘I think I’m too late.’
Tom laughed and then leaned towards her again. He put a hand to her ear and whispered, ‘Luckily I left half the
batch at home.’ Lauren flushed at Tom’s closeness. Was he flirting with her? She shrugged that thought aside and went back to the task at hand. Although she wasn’t officially on duty, she helped the other nurses get the patients settled into bed. When she emerged half an hour later, she found Tom crouching on the floor with a bottle of talcum powder and what looked to be some sort of stencil.
He looked up at her and pressed his finger against his lips. ‘Shh.’
Obeying his command, she stood off to the side and watched while he made large ‘Santa’ footprints down the corridor leading to and from the residents’ rooms and then back to the Christmas tree, which now had a massive pile of presents bursting from beneath it. He’d been busy while she’d been gone.
‘Is there anything you haven’t thought of?’ she asked, her feelings for him getting stronger by the second.
Standing up and dusting off his hands, he smiled. ‘Dad used to do this for us when we were kids. We got such a kick out of seeing snow footprints in the morning. I thought it might make these guys smile as well. You all finished?’
She nodded, imagining what it would have been like to have a dad who went to that kind of effort to amuse his children. Hers and Frank’s certainly never had.
Together they made their way down the corridor and out of the hospital, saying a quick goodbye to the night nurses as they left. Lauren found the short journey in his ute back to her place infuriating, and not just because of his overpowering male scent and the closeness of his muscular thighs alongside her own. Mostly it was because now when she looked at him, all she could think about was the hurt he might be barricading inside.
Was the reason he’d all but run away from his family because he couldn’t bear to watch his father’s decline, knowing he might be next? At that thought her heart ached so bad that the pain spread into her limbs. She desperately wanted to ask him what was going on but the last time he’d started to open up, it had freaked him out so much that he’d just about stopped talking to her altogether. She couldn’t bear that treatment again so she decided to bide her time, waiting for the right moment.
The Road to Hope Page 20