Almost Lost

by Blake Pierce

  Dylan strolled back in, wearing the torn overalls that was his costume.

  “You look one hundred percent the part,” he complimented his sister, and Maddie gave a shaky smile.

  It was time for her to leave. The teacher was hurrying over, holding the sparkly dress that would go perfectly with the makeup she’d just applied.

  “Good luck to both of you,” Cassie said.

  But Dylan shook his head. “For plays, you’re not supposed to say that. You’re supposed to say ‘Break a leg.’”

  “Why’s that?” Cassie asked, surprised.

  “It’s because it is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you. So actors wish it to each other and then because you have said it out loud, it won’t happen.”

  “So it’s a superstition. Well, break a leg, Dylan. Break a leg, Madison. And enjoy it.”

  Cassie made her way out of the makeup room, which was now crowded with actors and filled with the babble of excited voices.

  Ryan was waiting outside the theater door, and they hurried to take their seats.

  Seated in the front row of the auditorium, Cassie started growing even more anxious about Madison’s behavior earlier.

  “Ryan, did anyone tell Madison she wouldn’t be able to do the play if her marks weren’t good enough?” she whispered.

  Ryan frowned. “I don’t think so. Surely a teacher wouldn’t do that? Her marks haven’t been that bad.”

  “She didn’t want to go on stage. I thought maybe it was nerves, but it sounds like there’s a genuine reason.”

  Ryan shook his head.

  “Perhaps she misunderstood the situation. I did tell her that doing the play was an extra activity and mustn’t interfere with her schoolwork.”

  Cassie wasn’t convinced, but then remembered that Madison was only nine, and might have misinterpreted what she’d been told.

  “That might be it. I hope she’ll be OK once the curtain goes up.”

  “I hope so, too,” Ryan said.

  In a few more minutes the hall was full, and it was time for the performance to start.

  In the dark, Ryan’s hand found hers.

  The words “Break a leg” kept repeating themselves in her mind as the curtain rose. She hoped that the worst would not happen, and wished she’d been able to stay with Madison longer to ensure she was back to her normal self.

  Her worry increased when Madison walked onto stage.

  Cassie could see immediately, from the young girl’s body language, that she was unhappy and didn’t want to be there. Madison glanced at the audience, her eyes narrowed against the bright lights, and then looked down.

  “No, Madison,” Cassie whispered soundlessly. “Don’t give up on it. You can do this.”

  Then it was her moment to speak, and in the play, her first lines couldn’t be easier. All she had to do was introduce herself and say, “I’m Veruca Salt.”

  But Madison said nothing, and the silence stretched on and on, every moment filling Cassie with greater fear.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Cassie could see Madison’s drama teacher waving anxiously from below the stage, ready to help the young girl with her cue. Madison wasn’t looking at her. Instead, she raised her head again and stared at the audience, as if taking in the entire hall.

  Cassie could hear concerned murmurs from around her. People had realized this silence had gone on too long. She wished she knew what to do, but short of running onto stage and holding her hand, she felt utterly helpless.

  “Go, Madison,” she heard Ryan whisper.

  Then it was as if Madison reached a decision that this was all OK. Cassie saw, with pride and relief filling her, how the young girl lifted her chin and summoned her confidence from deep inside herself.

  “Well, Mr. Wonka. I’m…” she began, and surveyed the crowd, aware of the tension her pause had created.

  “Veruca Salt,” she finished, spitting the words out in a haughty tone, with an arrogant shake of her curly head.

  The audience erupted into delighted applause.

  From that moment, Madison aced her performance. Word-perfect and on cue, she epitomized the spoiled brat she was playing. Especially after her nerve-racking crisis at the start, she was the star of the show whenever she spoke. Cassie’s heart swelled with pride.

  Dylan, running on stage during the scene changes, showed more of a sense of humor than Cassie had thought he possessed, and seemed to feed off the audience’s energy to embrace his role. She could tell how delighted Ryan was, because every time the audience laughed, his hand tightened involuntarily in hers.

  When the cast took their final bows and the curtain fell, Cassie was so emotional she was on the point of tears. She couldn’t have been prouder of Madison’s courage and the way she’d managed to defeat whatever demons had been tormenting her before the start.

  “She was brilliant. Dylan, too. I’m so proud.”

  She felt like kissing Ryan, but with everyone filing out of their seats, there wasn’t the chance.

  “They were stars. We’d better go and congratulate them personally, and make sure their overnight bags get put onto the bus,” Ryan said.

  When Madison saw Cassie she ran up to her and hugged her tight.

  “You were a hit,” Cassie reassured her. “The superstar of the show. You can do it again, can’t you? You’ll be fine tomorrow?”

  “I will,” Madison whispered to her. “You know, Cassie, I stood on stage and I looked at every single person in the audience. Then I knew it would be OK. I remembered what you told me, and I decided to be brave.”

  “You were very brave,” Cassie agreed.

  After Dylan had received his congratulations and back-slaps, it was time for the children to get changed before they boarded the bus, where Ryan had already stowed their overnight bags.

  The drama teacher remained behind.

  “A quick question, please, Mr. Ellis. We’re starting a drama club for the under-twelve students next year, and I’d like to invite Madison to be the club’s first president. She’s very talented and I think she’ll be a great role model for the younger juniors as she’s well liked. I wanted to ask your permission before we announce it. The club will probably meet twice a month and of course there’ll be rehearsals when they do a show.”

  Cassie felt a surge of excitement. What an achievement for Madison. This was a feather in her cap.

  She expected Ryan to agree instantly but to her surprise, he hesitated.

  “Let me give it some thought,” he said. “Can I confirm with you on Monday?”

  The teacher also looked surprised and rather perturbed.

  “Of course. We were hoping to announce it after tomorrow’s performance, but we can wait a couple more days.”

  “Thank you,” Ryan said.

  As they walked to the car, Cassie wondered why Ryan hadn’t said yes immediately. She was tempted to ask him, but it felt too much like questioning his authority, especially since their relationship was in the early days. There must be a good reason, perhaps something to do with Madison’s sports commitments.

  “You know what, Cassie?” he said as they climbed inside.

  Cassie felt a surge of relief. He was going to share the reason with her.

  “What?” she asked.

  I have an idea. Let’s go away for the night. The kids are out of town. That happens once in a blue moon. We’d be crazy not to make the most of it.”

  Cassie was blown away by his words. She couldn’t have imagined a more perfect suggestion. Only yesterday, while buying his travel kit, she’d dreamed of going away with Ryan and had wondered if they ever would.

  “It’s a brilliant idea. Where shall we go?” she asked.

  “There’s a beautiful hotel on the coast to the north of here. I was invited to its opening event last year. This morning, I received an email to say that they have a room available due to a last-minute cancellation, so I booked it. I hope that’s OK with you?”

  “It’s mor
e than OK. It’s wonderful,” Cassie said. She was floating on her cloud of happiness again. A romantic overnight getaway was the next step in their relationship, and much sooner than she’d dared hope.

  “It’s the last word in luxury. Huge bathtubs, roaring log fires, sumptuous food. I can’t wait to go there with you.”

  As they headed home, Cassie wondered when she should tell her friends about her incredible new relationship.

  Even though she wasn’t ready to announce anything on social media, there were a few close friends who deserved to know what a fairytale her life had become.

  *

  When Cassie arrived home the next day, bubbling over with joy and excitement, she knew it was time to share the news.

  The night at the five-star lodge had been the most incredible experience of her life. She needed to tell somebody about it, and share the fact that she and Ryan were an item now.

  With a happy sigh, she collapsed onto her bed and took her phone out of her purse, smiling as she saw the thoughtful gift he’d given her on arrival at the hotel—a gorgeous silver and white leather wallet which she knew she would treasure forever.

  She was home alone, because Ryan had rushed off to check the progress at work as soon as they’d arrived back. That meant she had plenty of time to compose an email and start telling her friends how her life had changed.

  Cassie decided her first email should be to Jess. She owed Jess a huge debt of gratitude, because if they hadn’t met for lunch on that exact day, and if Jess hadn’t recommended Ryan and practically forced Cassie to give him a call, she would never have ended up here.

  She still couldn’t believe what a lucky coincidence it had been.

  “Hey, Jess,” she began, feeling warm inside as she chose the words. “I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip to London, and I wanted to say thanks a million for putting me in touch with Ryan. This job has turned out to be more than I ever thought it would—and by ‘more’ I mean much more! Long story short, Ryan is divorced—that’s why he was looking for help. He and the kids have had a tough time but they are coping well. The kids are great, just like you said they would be.

  “Now for the happy ending to all of this. Ryan and I are dating! Jess, the minute I arrived I felt there was a spark between us. You didn’t warn me he was so super cute! Anyway, it turned out that he feels the same way (lucky me) and we’ve just gotten back from an incredible overnight stay at a luxury hotel.

  “I’m obviously taking it slow and not letting myself fall for him too much, too soon, but I have to admit I’ve fallen for him quite a lot. He is so generous, so caring, and such a genuine person. Who would have thought that I would find someone so special in this small seaside village where I was just hoping to get on my feet and earn a bit of extra cash!

  “Anyway, I wanted you to know first.

  “Write soon, I can’t wait to hear your news!

  “Love, Cassie.”

  She checked the message quickly and then pressed Send. She was sure Jess would be thrilled to hear about her good fortune, although Cassie reminded herself that she must be careful about what she shared, as her life had become so magical that some people might be jealous.

  As Cassie started her next email, she heard the front door open.

  “Hey,” she called, getting up from off the bed. “That didn’t take long.”

  She hurried down the corridor.

  Cassie stopped in her tracks as she saw that a stranger had just walked in.

  A tall, slender, well-dressed woman with shiny brown hair was wheeling a suitcase inside.

  When she heard Cassie she spun around and stared at her, frowning.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  “Wait a minute,” Cassie said, feeling completely unsettled and on the back foot. “I should be asking you that. Are you sure you’re in the right place?”

  She wondered if Ryan had locked the door when he left. There was a guesthouse a block away and she wondered if that was where this rather rude mystery woman had meant to go.

  “Oh, I’m very sure about that.”

  Folding her arms, the woman looked Cassie up and down in a way that made her feel awkward. It seemed as if this woman was entitled to be here. At any rate, she believed she was. Cassie wondered if Ryan might have a lawyer’s appointment, or some other business arrangement. She’d have to phone him and tell him that the person he was meeting had arrived here.

  “So, what are you doing here? Are you a cleaner?” the woman asked.

  Intimidated by her stare, and not wanting to offend her if she was Ryan’s friend or business associate, Cassie capitulated.

  “I’m not a cleaner. My name is Cassandra Vale, and I’m staying here and helping with the children.”

  The woman frowned.

  “Ryan never told me he was hiring anyone.”

  A dark suspicion was starting to form in Cassie’s mind.

  “I’m sorry, could I ask for your name?”

  “Trish Ellis,” the woman told her, sounding impatient. “I’m Ryan’s wife.”

  As Cassie stared at her, frozen in shock, the woman brushed past her and headed toward the master bedroom, her suitcase wheels whirring over the wooden floorboards.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Cassie stared after her, aghast at the bombshell the woman had dropped.

  This was Ryan’s ex-wife. Did Ryan know she was going to be here? Why had she just walked in and not called first? And why on earth was she disapproving about him hiring staff? It wasn’t as if she was around to look after the kids.

  Then another horrific thought struck Cassie.

  Trish had headed straight for the master bedroom, and in the craziness of the previous morning, Cassie couldn’t remember if she’d made the bed after sleeping there the other night. After the power had gone out, she probably hadn’t even thought of it. If Trish had come to pack up the rest of her clothes, she would notice that both sides of the bed had been slept in, and that the covers were rumpled.

  Cassie didn’t want to have to explain that she had been sleeping there. It could get awkward or even acrimonious and it might put Ryan in a difficult situation.

  She tiptoed along the hallway, treading as quietly as possible over the shiny wooden boards. From inside the master bedroom, she heard the bathroom door close. Quickly, Cassie opened the bedroom and peered inside to check.

  To her relief, the bed had been made. Very neatly; Ryan must have done it yesterday.

  Then a realization hit Cassie and she felt physically jolted as she saw it.

  She and Ryan had slept under pale blue bedding. She remembered it vividly. Now, there was a cream duvet and beige pillowcases on the bed. Ryan hadn’t just made up the bed, he’d changed the sheets completely. Why? There was no reason to have done that, unless he’d known Trish would be arriving, and if so why hadn’t he told her?

  With another shock, she realized Trish had put her suitcase on the ottoman and opened it. It wasn’t empty, as Cassie had expected. It was full of clothes. Packed full of shirts and folded blouses and a toiletry bag and a few pairs of shoes in clear plastic holders.

  From inside the bathroom she heard the toilet flush and she turned hastily away from the door and hurried back to her own room, not wanting to be caught peeking.

  She collapsed on her bed, her head spinning from confusion. What was happening? She felt as if someone had taken her familiar world and yanked it sideways so that nothing was as it seemed.

  Then another thought hit her, this one the most shocking yet.

  When she was introducing herself, Trish hadn’t said she was Ryan’s ex, or that they were separated.

  She had said she was Ryan’s wife.

  Cassie’s head shot up as she heard the heels click past her bedroom. Trish must be on her way to the kitchen. Much as Cassie didn’t want to have to face her again, and was worried she’d made a complete fool of herself, she had to find out more.

  Drawing a deep breath and summoning every fragment o
f courage she possessed, Cassie got up and followed Trish to the kitchen.

  She was pouring herself a glass of water, and the kettle was on.

  “Tea?” she asked in a not-very-friendly tone, seeing Cassie come in.

  Cassie stared at her. She couldn’t believe how long it had taken her to realize that this woman was Trish. Looking at her features, and her thick, perfectly bobbed hair, she could see the resemblance to both the children, particularly Madison.

  “I was rude earlier,” she said. “I haven’t been here very long and for some reason I thought that Ryan stayed here alone. I thought I’d better check with you. Do you live here?”

  Trish was regarding Cassie with puzzlement.

  “I do live here, most of the time anyway. I travel often. I’m an international events organizer, so I’m frequently abroad.”

  Cassie felt breathless with shock, as if Trish had punched her in the face. Somehow she got herself down onto a chair.

  “That must be a fun job,” she said.

  She was trying for a conversational tone, but she didn’t actually have a clue how she was coming across—whether she sounded normal or if Trish thought she was a raving lunatic, because she couldn’t get past the panicked confusion in her own head.

  Trish shook her head.

  “I wouldn’t describe my career that way. It’s extremely demanding. I’m a senior manager in a global communications company that specializes in large-scale events worldwide. I work with elite industry leaders across the board, who are top professionals in their field. Scientists, politicians, celebrities, you name it, they know my firm and they use us. I specialize in the hands-on running of these events, and have just coordinated an eight-day speaker tour across the USA. Five experts on the world economy, six cities, a total audience of thirty thousand. That was one of our smaller events.”

  She poured her tea and then glanced at the hardware bag on the counter.

  “What’s in there?”

  In her shock, Cassie found herself babbling.

  “It’s rodenticide. I bought it because they were out of traps and there’s a mouse in the house.”