by Lindy Dale
Mum picked up a cute pink grow suit and examined the stitching. “You have to tell him, darling. He’s your boyfriend and this is your baby. He has a right to know that if he continues in a relationship with you, his life is going to change in a couple of months.”
I knew she was right of course, but since the day at Little Bangor Pool, I’d been reluctant to tell Cole about my adoption agreement with Mum. He’d been so distraught over Phoebe. How could I lump another baby girl on him? How would that make him feel? I know he’d said he wasn’t fussed when I’d explained my childbearing situation and I loved him for the fact that he was able to accept me warts and all. But this was an entirely different kettle of fish. Being around a newly born baby and being asked to care for it would have to bring back memories he didn’t want to have.
“I can’t tell him. Not yet.”
Mum had wandered further down the aisle and stopped in front of a display of beds. “Time’s a running out. What do you think of that cot? Isn’t it adorable?”
“It’s sweet. I like the detailing on the ends. What if I tell Cole and he runs for the hills?”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be. But if you don’t tell him and he turns up at your house one day to find you changing the nappy of a child that looks remarkably like you, then what? He’s going to be a lot more upset. Especially since he was willing to accept that you can’t have children.”
Another fair point.
“I s’pose I don’t want to have to choose between him and the baby.”
“It will never come to that.”
“How do you know?”
“I know; that’s all. Cole’s not that sort of man. Tell him. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Mum turned away, suddenly distracted by a display of snow globes, nightlights and other decorating items essential for a baby’s bedroom but not before I saw a twinkle in her eye, the type of twinkle that usually got me worried.
She took a porcelain snow globe containing a merry-go-round from the shelf and wound it a couple of times. The tiny striped canopy inside the glass ball began to rotate. The tune of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ filtered through tiny holes in the base. “I might get this one. It would look lovely on that chest of drawers we bought.”
Oh God. I couldn’t listen. All I could think of was Cole sitting on the rocks, sobbing.
“Put it back, Mum.”
“Why?”
“Put it back.”
“It would be so soothing for the baby.”
“No.”
“But why?”
“Choose something else. Now.”
It would be bad enough if Cole stepped into the house, found me with a baby and decided he wanted nothing to do with a child that wasn’t his. He’d never speak to me again if I let my mother put that snow globe into the baby’s room.
*****
Late the next afternoon, after I’d watched the final busload of tourists pull away from Death By Cupcake and Mrs Tanner had collected her dog, I stood with the keys to my shop poised against the lock. I’d been thinking about what Mum had said the entire night. I knew I had to tell Cole and that I was being a sook about owning up to it but it seemed to me that Mum knew something I didn’t know. Either that or she was up to something. She’d burst through the door like the world was going to end earlier on in the day. Her face had been so twisted with tears, I’d thought she was having a miscarriage and made her sit on the stool out the back while I called the ambulance. It was only after they arrived she informed me — well, us — it was an attack of hormones and she was worried for my future if I didn’t break the news to Cole ASAP. Apparently my stars were only aligned for news breaking of any kind for the rest of the week, so time was of the essence.
Honestly, she’d have been better off being worried about her future right about then. I wanted to strangle her for frightening me that way. I don’t think the ambulance people were overly impressed either. But that had been one in a string of crazy events that had me questioning my mother’s sanity. She had also rung twice to ask if I’d spoken to Cole yet and became quite hysterical when I told her I hadn’t plucked up the courage. I was taken aback by her abruptness, to tell the truth. Mum had been on about avoiding stress for weeks. She didn’t want the baby to come out ‘all angry’. Yet, there she was blasting me for not giving Cole the heads up about the baby.
So, when you thought about it, I had no choice but to take the bull by the horns. If I didn’t, Mum was going to begin a fifteen-minute vigil and I couldn’t handle that.
Digging up my courage, I stepped off the kerb and headed for Cole’s.
“He’s not here, love,” Shannon-down-from-Perth told me as I opened the door. “Have you come for your bit of cake?”
“Not today, thanks Shannon.” And who’d have thought there’d ever be a day when I’d be turning down cake? The last six months had seen so many changes in my life but that one was the most amazing. “Is Cole coming back?”
“He said he had some stuff to take care of at home. Won’t be in till the morning when that reporter’s coming.”
The Today Tonight people liked to keep up with Cole’s antics in his little cake shop. He could always be relied upon to provide a feel-good story in the sea of rising petrol prices, how to spot a meth lab in your neighbourhood and which school was the best pathway to get your kid into university. Plus, I think the fact that he was supremely hot was good for their ratings.
None of that was helping me though. I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
It took a minute before my phone chirruped in reply.
Ever since the day at the pool Cole had changed too. It was only subtle and I’m fairly sure not everyone would have noticed but he was bursting with something. It was like he’d started on a new course, not taken up dancing — which he hadn’t by the way. He was taking the piss again.
This was perfect. I hadn’t wanted to break the baby news in the middle of the shop. Being alone would make it easier. At least I hoped it would. Quickly I typed my answer.
Within five minutes — give or take, because I had to stop the car once because I was so nervy I almost ran Jane down as she crossed the road with Jim — I pulled into Cole’s drive. He was sitting on the front steps looking very pleased with himself and rather handsome. His hair was mussed the way I liked it and his shoulders filled out the checked shirt he was wearing that was just the right side of cool. He’d forgotten to do the last two buttons up, so I could see the faint trail of hair that led down his torso and into his jeans.
Oh Lord.
I couldn’t look. I had to have my wits about me and that view was something of a distraction.
I walked up the steps and sat beside him. “Anderson.”
“Merrifield. You look gorgeous today.” I probably didn’t — one of my earlier clients had cocked his leg on me and there was a large stain on the side of my trousers — but it was nice of him to say so.
“Thanks. You don’t look too bad, yourself.”
He reached over and squeezed my knee. Damn, I hated it when he did that.
“So are we going to sit here complimenting each other or are you going to tell me the reason for this impromptu visit — apart from wanting my body like crazy of course.” He let out a chuckle.
“I do not want your body!”
He threw a disbelieving look at what was clearly a lie.
“All right, I do but that’s not the reason I’m here.”
“Pity.” He moved closer, snaking his hand so it cupped my shoulder. He pulled me nearer. I could feel the warmth in his side and the firm muscles of his thigh. “Am I going to like this reason? Or is this one of those talks?”
“Oh s
hit no! God! I... I.”
“Yeeesss?”
I had the distinct feeling he was enjoying my discomfort. His eyes were twinkling a tad more cheekily than normal. I swallowed and blurted it out. Everything. The baby, the adoption, the fact that I’d understand if he wanted to end our relationship and the reason I’d been too chicken to tell him sooner.
“I love you. And I’m not saying that to influence you in any way; I wanted you to know it’s why I’ve found it so hard to tell you about the baby. I was afraid you’d break up with me and I love you and I don’t want that to happen.”
Cole went silent. He removed his arm from around my body and leant back against the heels of his hands. He looked off into the distance.
“Right.”
Crap. This couldn’t be happening again. He was going to dump me. I’d stuffed up the best thing I’d ever had because I was too weak to tell the truth. Shit. Bum and bugger.
Then he began to speak. “If we’re being honest, I guess I should tell you I already knew.”
“Pardon?”
“I already knew.”
“Knew what? That I was in love with you?”
It figured. I’d never been good at keeping my emotions to myself. I probably had some sign written across my forehead.
“Yeah. That too.”
Call me dim but I had no idea what he was on about. What was I missing?
“I knew you were in love with me because I’m in love with you. I have been for ages. It’s been sneaking up on me slowly and I can’t pinpoint the moment I realised but it’s true. I love you and I don’t want to be without you.”
I could feel that goofy smile spreading across my face but it was tempered with worry. “So what’s the rest? You said —‘that, too.”
“I knew about the baby. The adoption, I mean.”
“How?”
“Before I answer that — and risk you having a meltdown — I think you should come with me.”
Cole got up, dusting the bum of his jeans. Then he held out his hand and helped me up. Then he led me into the house. I had no idea what was happening or where we were going. I was so confused but I followed along because I couldn’t think of another way to get to the bottom of it. We took the stairs two at a time — great for him, not so easy for me with him grasping my hand like we’d been super-glued together in a prank — and came to a stop on the landing.
“I’ve found a use for the secret room.” He was panting. But then so was I, we’d dashed up those stairs so fast; I’d nearly stripped the carpet from them.
“Go on. Go in.” He indicated the door, open a crack.
Reaching across, I pulled the heavy timber door open. I stepped into the room, looking around me. Someone had been busy. Very busy, indeed.
The space I’d loved so much as a child had been redecorated in girlie hues of pink and mauve. The dollhouse had been revamped and the bookshelves painted and filled with every possible toy and book a little girl could want. Chequered and floral bunting swagged the picture rails. A clothes rack filled with dress ups stood under the window next to an old fashioned rocking horse with a chocolate brown mane and a pair of red leather reins. There was even a rocking chair.
The thing that brought tears to my eyes, though, was the oak writing desk. Cole had had it refurbished and painted crisp white. A colourful blotter protected its surface and a tin of pencils and pens sat next to a writing pad as if they were waiting for someone to sit there.
What the hell was going on? Phoebe was gone. We’d thrown her ashes into Little Bangor Pool. Surely, Cole wasn’t suffering from some delusion that she was going to walk through the door and sit at that desk to do her homework? Because he’d misplaced a few of the spanners from his toolshed if that were the case.
“It’s beautiful… but… Phoebe’s never going to come back. You do know that, don’t you?”
Cole gave me a quizzical look. He looked around the room and began to laugh. A great, loud, guttural guffaw of a laugh. “Is there any other woman in the world who could see the signs and yet get it so totally wrong other than you?”
I didn’t have to give him my baffled stare. I think he got it.
“Your mother told me about you adopting her baby.”
“So?”
“She seems to be suffering from the misconception that you and I are meant for each other. Must be the pregnancy hormones but she thinks we should get married and then the baby will have two parents. I tried to set her straight but she wouldn’t have it. She was pretty insistent.”
It was official. I was going to kill my mother when I left here. That was after I killed Cole, of course. The cheek of him. Saying we weren’t meant for each other.
“Not that it matters what she thinks,” he continued, a smile tilting the corners of his mouth. “I agree with her. We’re meant to be together, Merrifield — well, I think we are — and I couldn’t think of another way to show you that I love you and support your decision to adopt the baby than to decorate this room for you both. My efforts at cooking and being Johnny Castle fell on deaf ears.”
Okay, so I was in shock now. My mouth had begun to flap but no words came out. If the window had been open a few Willie Wagtails might have flown in though.
“I want to be a part of yours and the baby’s lives.” He said this extra slowly, like he was hoping I wasn’t going to faint at the thought.
“If that means somewhere down the track we officially become a family, I want that too.”
I could feel my brow tightening. “You’re saying you want me and the baby? Even though you know I’ll probably never be able to give you a house full of children.”
“Sometimes you behave like a house full of children. I’ll cope.”
“You don’t mind that cake will always be my enemy? That you’ll never be able to road test in the house?”
“I thought we’d solved that problem.”
“What about the singing? You know I run rings around you at karaoke. And dancing? Can you cope with being the second best entertainer in this relationship?”
He’d moved towards me, gathering me in his strong arms. He was laughing. “I’ll give you the singing, but there’s no way you’re better at dancing than me. You can’t even keep upright. Now, if you’ve run out of objections, I think you should shut up and let me kiss you.”
So I did.
Chapter 32
KING OF CUPCAKES FINDS HIS QUEEN
By Barry Bloomsfeld
Over the past twelve months, this reporter has followed the story of Cole Anderson, owner of Death By Cupcake in Merrifield. Regular readers to this page will remember Cole as the father of Phoebe Anderson, delightful Telethon Child of 2011. Sadly, Phoebe passed away in 2012 but to fulfill his daughter’s dying wish, Cole has opened a cupcake shop. This reporter is happy to announce that earlier this month Cole’s Phoebe cupcake was awarded with Best Cake in Show at the prestigious Perth Cake Bake-Off. Judges from a number of major cooking shows proclaimed it the most exciting new flavour in cake and sources report Cole has been offered a guest spot on Masterchef Australia.
But Cole hasn’t only been busy in the kitchen. It appears that, out of the women who’ve leant on his cake stand over the past year or so, he’s fallen for capricious ex-weather girl Olivia Merrifield. Olivia caused a stir after photographs of her shorts — or lack thereof — at The Killers Perth concert were splashed across Twitter. The photos trended on three continents with the hashtag #bootybabe, a ratings windfall for Channel Seven News who were set to promote her to The Morning Show before she then disappeared from the public eye.
The two celebrated an intimate wedding in the grounds of their renovated Georgian mansion, Oak Hill, last month. Olivia looked stunning in a custom designed gown by Wayne Cooper. Her headpiece was a vintage Chantilly lace veil worn by female members of the Merrifield family. Cole did not disappoint either, donning a Prada dinner suit for the occasion, despite calls for him to make one last appearance as the Reno King. Shortly after
, the couple announced the birth of their first child, Anna Phoebe Anderson. The child was delivered via surrogate on June 30th.
Olivia now spends her days caring for their baby. She has returned to the world of journalism, via a blog on parenting which she writes from the small refurbished room Cole decorated for her as a pre-wedding gift. Cole Anderson is busy developing his newest cupcake flavour, to be named after his baby daughter.
THE END