by NC Marshall
We reach the end of the walkway where the opera house looms from the shadows, looking quite eerie now that the sun has set, and the darkness of the night ahead quickly draws in. We head in the direction of a bar which is situated under the eaves of the opera house. It is busy, with a live band playing in the centre of the outdoor area.
I luckily manage to find a table that a group of young girls is just leaving. Lola heads to the bar to get drinks, pushing her way through the many people standing in its path. I hoist myself onto the tall bar stool and slip off my sandals, letting them fall to the ground, appreciating the coolness of metal against my hot and swollen feet. I decide to take my phone out of my bag, ready to take more photos of the bridge, now directly opposite me. Its dominant structure is brightly illuminated by hundreds of white lights. The Australian flags are flying high and proud in the breeze, at the highest point of its arch.
As I search through the many pockets that I could have put my phone in, I hear a strong Australian accent and a hand taps me lightly on my shoulder. I put down my bag and glance up in the direction of the voice.
A tall, well-built man stands in front of me, with short sandy blond hair which has a slight curl to it and the brightest, greenest eyes I have ever seen. He looks around my age. He’s wearing jeans and a white shirt which is casually unbuttoned at the top, flashing a perfectly tanned, smooth chest.
“Are these seats taken?” he asks, pointing to the two free stools opposite me.
I shake my head, feeling like I have lost the ability to speak. Lola returns from the bar and promptly moves her handbag from the seat opposite her for the guy’s friend to sit down. Quickly, she has her hand out and introduces herself as he takes the seat across from her.
I glance back and see the guy sit down and take a quick sip from his large bottle. He smiles at me, flashing a perfect row of brilliant white teeth. I can’t seem to look away. I feel nervous, which is definitely a first for me. I’m usually confident around guys and can make the first move at the drop of a hat, but somehow this is different. I take a long drink from the exotic looking cocktail Lola has put in front of me, praying the alcohol will loosen me up and give me a little Dutch courage. The man holds out his hand towards me, and I notice that his wrist is dressed in leather string bracelets. I take his hand and shake it gently.
“Hi, I’m Jessica, everyone calls me Jess,” I say timidly. He smiles again, and I melt. I swear I feel electric pulses running the full length of my arm as he speaks.
“Nice to meet you Jess, my name’s Adam.”
Chapter 14
The following day I pack my bag, ready for the Christmas party and our overnight stay at the golf course hotel. After returning home the previous day, I had taken the pregnancy test and sure enough, as I’d half expected, it was positive. I’d spent probably about half an hour in the bathroom, staring at the digital black letters in front of my eyes literally spelling out the answer to my question: PREGNANT.
I assume that my contraceptive pill has somehow failed, allowing me to conceive. I had been stressed out the past couple of months. I know I had missed one, or maybe even two tablets during this time, but stupidly I hadn’t thought much of it. I’m not going to mention anything just yet.
Dan has worked incredibly hard during the past year. He deserves the chance to enjoy this party without having any pressures on his mind. I have to try to put my pregnancy to the back of my head for now, although I know that will be virtually impossible. I still feel a little on the rough side, but nothing compared to yesterday, so I hope to have a pleasant time. I could do with a little relaxation too, after the past few weeks.
Dan has gone to drop Josh off at Ryan’s place. He and Lola agreed to take him for the night, and they are going to take him to Mum’s. I know that he will be spoilt rotten and have an excellent time with Liam; the boys get on really well.
I pack the rest of my bag and pop out to pick up Dan’s tux from the dry cleaners. I had bought myself a new dress. The party has a black tie dress code, and although I already had loads of suitable outfits, it had been a good excuse to splash out on a new one. I just hope it still fits.
Dan returns from Ryan’s and puts our overnight bags into the boot of the car. I hand him the two suit carriers holding our evening outfits, and he kisses me on the cheek.
“You okay, Nat?” he asks with concern in his voice, “You look a little pale today.”
“Oh, I'm all right,” I reply, “Just the tail end of this stomach bug thing.”
I feel awful for lying to him, but would much rather just wait until Monday to take it any further. I have a doctor’s appointment booked first thing Monday morning just to confirm things.
*
We arrive at the golf course in just over an hour. The drive has helped relax me a little, and I’m glad that I’ve come. As we pull up to the glamorous looking hotel entrance, Dan hands the car keys over to the valet, then the porters arrive to take our bags up to the room. We walk into the reception area to be greeted by the company’s director, Dan’s boss.
Phil Maguire has been Dan’s boss for a lot of years. He’s a short, slightly overweight man with a full head of white hair. He always looks well groomed, with immaculate dress sense and an all year round tan due to the amount of Mediterranean holidays he and his wife Karla take. Who could blame them? They are very well off, and their kids have now grown up and have families of their own.
Karla is standing near the reception desk, talking to another of Dan’s colleagues. She waves as she sees us arrive and heads over towards me. She is dressed in a pure white figure hugging dress and wears jewellery that I’m sure cost an obscene amount, more than she would ever let on. Her hair is a mass of brown, bouncy curls.
We stand talking for a while. I try to keep my attention focused, but can’t help my mind from straying back to the baby. I nod in all the right places and laugh when everyone else does, but I miss the best part of the conversation.
I pull my attention back into focus as Karla tells me all about the new holiday home that she and Phil have recently purchased on the Italian Riviera. As always, she is very modest and never brags about the material things that her husband’s wealth has brought them. Instead, she says that they are merely lucky and blessed with what they have been given. I have always liked Karla. Although clearly very wealthy, both she and Phil have always remained very grounded, and Dan and I look at them as close friends.
As I peer through into the large room that holds tonight’s dinner event, I can see that it looks beautiful. The event has been given a theme of ‘winter wonderland.’ Even just the small part I can see through the partly open doors resembles a scene from a film, dressed tastefully with fake snow, blue lighting and delicate ice sculptures. I can feel a smile develop on my face as I once again start to relax, throwing myself fully into the conversation as more of Dan’s colleagues join us, eventually beginning to enjoy myself.
A short while later we head to our room to get ready for the evening. I know what to expect, as we were kindly given the same suite as we stayed in last year. A thank you from Phil for yet another year of hard work and dedication from Dan. The room is huge, with a large four-poster bed and separate living area. The big windows are draped with old fashioned style swags and full-length curtains, and the whole area is lavishly dressed. The view looks out onto a large and beautifully landscaped garden, beyond which lies the golf course.
I open my bag and start to unpack as Dan sits down on the bed and smiles up at me, watching me contently, his head tilted to one side. I have no doubt that he can sense something is wrong. We have been together far too long for me to be able to pull the wool over his eyes. He pats at the space next to him, inviting me to join him. I start to walk over, but as I do his mobile phone rings, and he reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket to answer it. I am quite relieved if truth is told, as I know that I’m on my way to being busted. He checks the display and sighs loudly.
“No rest for the wicked,�
�� he declares, shaking his head as he holds the phone to his ear. “Hi John,” he says enthusiastically. Either my husband does love his job or he is a damn good liar.
I leave him to it. John is one of his partners in the company, who he has worked with for many years. Although Dan will be seeing him in a couple of hours time downstairs when the party begins, I know that there are a few things he will want to discuss now so he doesn’t have to talk business all night long. I take the opportunity to slip into the bathroom to take a shower. I point to the bathroom miming my intentions, and Dan nods. I kiss him on the cheek as I pass, and take a dressing gown from the wardrobe.
The hot water hits me powerfully. I turn, allowing it to hit my back and wash over my soapy hair. As I lather up the soap on my body, my hand crosses my stomach and I let it hover there a few moments. I know that there will be very little in there at this early stage, but I’m sure I can feel a slight swell beneath my fingertips. I turn towards the water and move my face into its flow. Maybe a baby is a good thing. Josh had been the best thing to happen to Dan and me, and although we had doubted ourselves at first I think we had become pretty good parents.
Jess had never had the chance to start a family. She was good with kids and had doted on Josh and Liam as her nephews. She had loved spending time with the boys, taking them out and spoiling them. I’m sure she would have been overjoyed to become a mum, but the time just hadn’t been right for her and Matt. Maybe, if she was still alive now and they had returned back to a better place in their relationship, they would have been thinking about children. Now they won’t ever have the chance to have a family together.
I suddenly feel very foolish. Here I am, selfishly wondering if a second child is a good idea, when it’s a blessing. I nod to myself as I turn off the shower and step out onto the tiled floor. Yes, I think to myself, feeling positive about the future ahead. We can do this. I reach for the towel on the heated rail in front of me. It’s just out of reach, so I move closer to grab it. My foot hits a wet patch on the tiled floor and slips forwards. I go to grab the sink, but my other foot moves too, and I miss it. Both my feet slide up into the air, and I hit the ground with a sickening thud that I assume came from my own head hitting the hard floor. I am aware of seeing a pool of blood, which is slowly starting to gather in front of me, just before I pass out.
Chapter 15
Jess
I’ve been in this wonderful country for almost four months now. I never want to go home. I’m no longer in Sydney as Lola and I have now travelled to Western Australia and are currently staying in Perth. Perth is beautiful. It has a real friendly, laid back, cosmopolitan feel surrounding it. I adored Sydney, but it seems quieter here. Perth moves at a slower pace and is much more relaxed in comparison.
Of course, there is more than one reason Lola and I have found ourselves here. Originally we had planned on Melbourne as our next goal after Sydney, and then eventually we would travel west, towards the end of our journey. However, there was a significant and rather delightful change in our plans.
I’ve been in a relationship with Adam since the first week we arrived in Australia. After meeting him in the bar on Sydney Harbour, Lola and I went to a club with him. I connected with Adam immediately, and I can honestly say I have never felt like this about anyone before. I’ve spent almost every day with him since I arrived.
Lola doesn’t seem to mind. We have met a lot of friends since arriving in Sydney. Most of them followed us to Perth, so she’s having a blast with them. We are staying in a hostel near the central business district, so we are in the heart of the city where there is a lot to see and do.
Adam lives here in Perth. He has a small apartment on the outskirts of the city, which he shares with a friend. He had only been on holiday in Sydney. His sister Sarah lives there, so he had been visiting her and Sam, his brother-in-law.
It had been a magical four weeks, but when it came to end and it was time for Adam to travel home, I couldn’t bear for him to go without me. Lola and I had planned on staying in Sydney a lot longer and doing so much more, but I couldn’t do it, I no longer wanted to. The pull I felt towards Adam was too strong. Wherever he is, I feel the need to be there, too.
We’re lazing on the grassy banks of the Swan River. The delicious scent of food travels on the breeze from a nearby restaurant, where groups of friends lounge on outside terraces enjoying the late afternoon heat. The tall office blocks of the city stand directly behind us, dominating the skyline. But here, the hustle and bustle of the approaching rush hour seems a million miles away. I can make out the sharp point of the bell tower peeking out above the trees ahead. Locals jog and cycle along the pathway which runs alongside the river in front of me. I struggle to comprehend how they can bear to exercise in this searing heat, building it into their daily routine and committing to its torture.
It’s now mid-January and blazing hot. The heat is intense, and it is almost too hot to breathe properly. Even after being here for a while, I still haven’t acclimatised to the weather and seriously doubt I will during my time here. Adam assures me that this isn’t really that hot. I don’t believe him. If the temperatures increase, as he promises they will, I'm sure I will spontaneously combust.
I briefly wonder what the weather’s like at home. When I spoke to Mum on the phone yesterday, she told me that heavy snow is expected by the weekend. I struggle to believe it as I look out across the haze of heat as it bounces off the river in front of me. I miss my family, we have always been very close and it pains me to think of the nine thousand miles that currently separate us.
I hear Adam approach from behind as I sit on the grass. I’m barefoot with my legs spread out in front of me, looking up at the palm trees where numerous brightly colored birds make the rational choice to take cover under the shade of the leaves.
Adam puts a cold bottle of water against my bare back; I feel its condensation trickling down under the cotton fabric of my vest top, appreciating its coolness against my sizzling shoulders. He drops down onto the grass beside me, rolls me onto my back and kisses me hard and full on the lips, his hand cupping my chin.
“You okay, babe? You look like you’re a million miles away,” he asks, then puts a water bottle to his lips and takes a generous sip.
I smile and pull him back towards me for another kiss, feeling his rough stubble on my chin and the heat from his body against mine. Shifting position, I sit in front of him, placing myself between his legs. I lie back onto his chest and close my eyes, soaking in the sounds of the atmosphere and feeling more relaxed than I ever thought humanly possible.
“I’ve never been better,” I reply. I’ve never said those words and meant them as much as I do now.
Chapter 16
I’m instantly aware of a strong antiseptic smell hanging in the air as I fight to open my eyes. My head hurts like mad, waves of nausea wash over me and I can feel that my right foot has been wrapped in some sort of constraint, maybe a bandage. The pressure from it feels tight and uncomfortable, as if it’s cutting off my blood circulation. Where the hell am I?
As my eyelids flutter open, I can see the white fluorescent glow of strip lighting above me. I squint hard against the unnecessary brightness, adjusting my focus. There is a blue patterned curtain, pulled closed around the bed where I lie. I can vaguely hear a voice that sounds like Dan’s in the distance.
The room I am in is small. A chair sits near to me with a dressing gown thrown over the back of it. There is a curled silver emblem embroidered on the robe, along with a name I think I know, but can’t yet place. I prop myself up onto one elbow, Am I in a hospital?
I reach my hand to my head and pull it back. Specks of fresh blood shimmer on my fingers. Oh my God, the baby. I instinctively put my hand on my stomach.
“Well, look who’s awake!” I hear a woman’s voice say. As the curtain around me is drawn back, I glance around, now noticing I’m in a small area of a hospital; a hospital I don’t recognise as one I've ever visited before.
Then I remember. We are supposed to be away from home for the night. The emblem and name that I can now identify on the gown is from the hotel we were staying in. Dan must have dressed me in it to get me here. I look down at my body which is now clothed in an NHS hospital gown, and I start to panic.
“Where’s my husband?” I urgently ask the nurse standing by me. My voice is trembling and sounds tiny and small, lost in the space of the large and quiet ward.
“It’s going to be okay, I’m here.” Dan’s voice grows closer. I look up to see him running over from a nearby nurse’s station. He arrives at my bedside and crouches down next to me as the nurse fiddles with a chart hanging at the bottom of my bed. I manage a reassuring smile when I notice the look of anguish plastered on his face.
“How are you feeling?” Dan asks, grabbing my hand from my side and holding it in his.
“Like hell,” I reply honestly, rubbing my pounding head, which is feeling worse by the minute. “What happened to me?”
“You slipped in the hotel bathroom. I heard the crash and came running in but you were unconscious, so I called the paramedics straight away and they rushed you here.”
I nod as images of the hotel bathroom come flooding back to me.
“You’re badly concussed because you hit your head, and you’ve got a nasty sprain to your right ankle from the way that you fell, but apart from that, you’re fine. The doctors say you were relatively lucky.”
“But the blood,” I say, remembering the small pool of it that I had seen gathering on the bathroom floor just before I lost consciousness.
“It’s only from your hand,” he says, nodding towards the dressing on my left hand. “You must have caught it on your way down. There was a smashed perfume bottle next to you. You have a small cut on your head as well, from the shattered glass.”