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The Sisters

Page 28

by Kate Forster


  As Violetta looked around the room, she saw many familiar faces smiling at her and a figure in green caught her eye at the back of the room. Jeff was leaning against the wall in scrubs and his big ugly black parka. Violetta’s heart leapt and then she felt the tears fall.

  ‘You see I fell in love during this time. I have learned that love can rescue us and we can become who we were meant to be when we are under fire. My love held my hand and my heart and helped me to become the woman who stands before you.’

  The room started to murmur and Violetta looked at Jeff who nodded at her and smiled in the darkness as she lifted her head and looked out to the room.

  ‘I would like to introduce you to the man who saved my mother and myself. My love, Doctor Jeff Carson.’

  Jeff walked up to the podium, took Violetta into his arms and dipped her into a deep kiss.

  The room erupted into spontaneous applause, led by the nurses’ table. Violetta and Jeff came up for breath and smiled at the room. She clutched his hand tightly.

  Jeff leaned into the microphone. ‘Sorry I was late, I had an emergency craniotomy. And please excuse my attire but I ran from the hospital and she didn’t answer her phone when I rang.’ Violetta looked at him, soaked in sweat despite the cold winter’s night, and she knew he wasn’t lying.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he frowned at her and spoke quietly. ‘It meant so much to you and I was late.’

  Violetta shook her head. ‘Is your patient OK?’

  ‘He will be now,’ said Jeff quietly.

  Violetta's heart filled with pride at the man who would put another person before a party. ‘I love you,’ she said.

  The TV cameras came up to the small stage and started to shoot. Jeff looked horrified and turned to Violetta. ‘How can we get rid them?’

  ‘Well, they don’t want to shoot married people. The producer said they were boring,’ Violetta said, her eyes dancing.

  ‘I like being boring,’ said Jeff, not looking at her.

  ‘Boring is underrated,’ Violetta said, feeling nervous.

  Jeff turned to look at her. ‘Violetta de Santoval, will you be boring with me and be my wife?’ he asked quietly.

  ‘I will, I can’t wait to be boring with you,’ she said, and reached up and touched his face.

  ‘Mr and Mrs Boring,’ he said, and held her close as they walked off the stage.

  He led her onto the floor and the band played the Frank Sinatra standard, ‘Hear my song, Violetta.’ And they danced, her in her black silk and Jeff in his green scrubs. And somehow, it looked right.

  The next week Violetta hit number one ranking on the Daily Socialite. But she had stopped looking a while ago. Not looking back, only forward, she’d decided.

  Epilogue

  Grace tapped her wine glass with her knife. ‘Excuse me, I have something to read,’ she said loudly.

  ‘No, Gracie,’ moaned Violetta as she sat next to Jeff at the table in Spencer and Birdie’s home.

  Finally Spencer’s wish was fulfilled and he and Birdie married, this time under his magnolia trees, all their children and their partners in attendance. Frank’s parents came, and Frances was so thrilled to meet with Birdie again she stayed for an extra two days to reconnect with her old friend.

  It helped that Grace and Frank were married now, the bond of son and daughter-in-law was enough to reignite their friendship and they were already planning the layette for any children Grace and Frank were planning to have.

  Violetta had designed her mother’s white silk suit, elegant with a tiny blue bird beaded onto one shoulder. ‘Makes you a little rock and roll, Mom,’ Violetta had said when she showed Birdie the finished creation.

  The girls wept as their parents said their vows and Birdie’s younger brother gave her away. Spencer was as nervous as any young groom, and Birdie announced to the guests that she would be staying in Atlanta forever.

  Now Grace and Violetta had reunited at their parents’ table for Christmas, and Grace insisted on reading aloud as she stood up in front of the family.

  ‘I was going to wait for Carlotta but she texted me to say she was en route, so I will save it for her to read later,’ said Grace, and she read from the paper in front of her.

  ‘New York Times – Wedding announcements.

  Jeff Carson almost didn’t make it to his own wedding. Not because of nerves but from an emergency resection that went right up until the moment he had to be at the church. Thankfully his groomsmen and brothers-in-law, Frank Thurlow of the Thurlows of Chicago and Chris Koch of New York, attended the hospital where Jeff is a neurosurgeon and brought the suit and cars to him. The pictures of the groomsmen were taken in the hospital gardens.

  The bride, however, having been used to Jeff’s schedule and dedication to his job was calm and sanguine.

  ‘Jeff is a total dream as both a doctor and as a boyfriend,’ Violetta said when asked about her and Jeff’s meeting over her mother’s hospital bed. When asked about their first date, they both blushed and said they went to a movie.

  ‘Love is never convenient,’ Violetta said. ‘While it wasn’t love at first sight, it was more immediate fascination.’

  ‘Speak for yourself,’ Jeff interjected. ‘I thought she was lovely but so far out of my league.’

  Violetta and Jeff had a stressful beginning to their relationship when her mother was treated by Jeff for a head injury but things are brighter now in everyone’s lives.

  Violetta and Jeff were married at St Peters Episcopalian Church on a Saturday afternoon in Spring. The bride wore a white lace gown designed by herself, with a train and a full-length veil.

  The bride’s sisters and bridesmaids, Carlotta Koch and Graciela Thurlow, wore Pajaro lace dresses in mascarpone and carried white roses.

  Naturally, the bride Violetta, carried violets.

  The reception was a wonderful evening at The Plaza where Jeff had proposed to Violetta. Violetta changed into a short Elie Saab gold dress for dancing at the reception, and new handmade, dancing shoes.

  The Plaza is a special place to us,’ she said. ‘We plan on spending every anniversary there for the rest of our lives.’

  Jeff looks forward to Violetta's plans. ‘She is very creative and I think my life has opened up enormously since I met her. She has decorated our apartment, it looks amazing. She is so much fun, I am learning about new music and new artists thanks to my in-laws,’ he laughs and kisses her on the nose.

  Jeff and Violetta will reside in New York, where she is the Head of Design and Creative Director at Pajaro and Jeff is the neurosurgeon at Bethlehem Hospital.’

  Grace put down the paper.

  ‘So funny,’ she said.

  ‘Why?’ asked Violetta, frowning.

  ‘Because it is so perfect and everything I thought I would have and instead it is you. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. It’s just that I married in Vegas, wearing a white cocktail dress and here you are in The New York Times and a doctor’s wife. It’s funny how things work out.’

  Grace smiled lovingly at her sister across the table.

  ‘I know what you mean,’ said Violetta, as she watched Jeff out on the grass with Frank, looking at something in the garden.

  ‘Where’s Carlotta?’ asked Birdie impatiently, as she poured more wine for her and Violetta.

  ‘She should be here soon but you know how long it takes her to organise everything,’ said Violetta.

  ‘I love the wedding announcement, Violetta. I had so many calls this morning,’ Birdie said.

  ‘Thanks, Mom,’ said Violetta, raising her eyebrow at Grace. Birdie was still a little bit of a snob, even after all that had occurred.

  ‘I have photos of my girls married now,’ said Birdie as she placed an image of Violetta and Jeff next to Carlotta and Chris, in Liz Lange maternity on the steps of the New York registry office and Grace and Frank in Vegas.

  ‘Where is one of you and Spencer, Mom?’ asked Violetta.

  ‘Oh, no one wants to see that,’ said Bir
die, but she moved her photo from the sideboard to the sit with the others.

  ‘Yes, Mom, we do,’ said Grace, winking at Violetta.

  ‘How’s the gallery?’ asked Violetta to Grace.

  ‘It’s great. We have a new artist showing next week, a photographer that Frank and I found in San Francisco. You coming to the opening?’

  ‘Sure. I might be stag though if Jeff gets called in at work.’

  ‘No problem.’

  Violetta saw Frank and Jeff walk across the lawn and wave. ‘Carlotta must be here,’ said Grace and walked to the front door.

  Birdie, rushed to the front door. ‘Hello,’ she cried.

  Carlotta walked through the door with a chubby little baby boy in her arms.

  ‘Hello Artie,’ called Birdie, and clapped her hands together at the child who reached out for her.

  Chris walked into the house, his arms filled.

  ‘Come here,’ said Grace, and he handed her his load. ‘Hello little Annabella.’ She walked towards the garden with the little girl in her arms.

  Alexia wheeled in behind her father, wearing a harness, with another child attached to her lap. ‘Hey Amos, hey Alexia, here are my two favourites,’ said Violetta, as she got up to greet her nephew and niece.

  ‘He loves this new contraption,’ said Alexia, wheeling around fast to make Amos laugh.

  ‘It’s very cool,’ said Violetta.

  ‘Carlotta found it when she was searching for new saddles for the riding school.’

  Carlotta walked in, sat on the chair and poured herself a large glass of wine.

  ‘Need a little toddy for the body?’ asked Spencer, as he came in holding Arthur.

  ‘You have no idea, Spence,’ said Carlotta, as she held the glass like it was the last drink on earth.

  ‘Like my harness?’ asked Alexia to Spencer. ‘Carlotta says I’m the baby whisperer. When one of the triplets scream, Carlotta puts them in this and I wheel them around and they either quit crying or go to sleep from the movement,’ she said proudly.

  ‘It’s true, they do. ’ Carlotta said to Violetta.

  ‘When does the school open?’ asked Violetta.

  ‘Once I finish my training in Florida. That’s where the best teachers are for teaching people who have had spinal injuries to get back on a horse.’

  Birdie walked into the dining room. ‘Now Carlotta, Spencer and I have decided to go to Florida with you to help out with the boys.’

  Carlotta smiled at her mother. ‘Thanks, Mom, that would be great. I will bring Claire and Amy, of course, because they have been with us since the boys were born but it would be nice to have the company.’

  The rest of the family walked into the room and Grace and Spencer put the boys onto the floor and let them roll on the Aubusson rug. Alexia unclipped Amos and handed him to Jeff, who held him and kissed his little face and put him next to his brother and sister.

  ‘Darling, Mom and Spence are coming to help me in Florida,’ she said to Chris.

  ‘Thanks guys, that’s great,’ he said, and laughed as Anton pulled his brother over and onto his back.

  The family laughed as they watched the three children on the ground and Chris nudged Frank and Jeff. ‘Your turn next.’

  ‘Not yet,’ said Violetta to Chris. ‘But soon.’ She smiled at Jeff who looked at her in a way that made her stomach flip.

  ‘Yes, still a bit of a way off for me,’ said Grace, as she watched the triplets rolls around on the carpet.

  ‘I would love to,’ said Frank. ‘But she is all about the art first,’ he said, laughing.

  ‘Says he who flies us off to Paris for dinner,’ said Grace. ‘Not sure babies fit into that just yet.’

  ‘Well, hopefully. They have a vested interest in the future of Pajaro, you know,’ he said.

  He smiled at his wife, who was so beautiful and happy as she stood with her family. Grace smiled back at him; she knew babies were in their future. One thing at a time though, she reminded herself.

  Birdie looked at the babies on the floor and her girls standing, with their rightful father beside her, and thought her heart would burst with joy.

  ‘Look at them,’ she cried, as she felt tears coming. ‘A new Trinity is born.’

  The sisters looked at each other and sighed. ‘Dad,’ they said in unison, ‘Mom’s lost it.’

  Then they looked at each other and realised they had all called Spencer Dad for the first time.

  Birdie looked at them and the tears fell freely. ‘I haven’t lost anything,’ she said indignantly. ‘It’s quite the opposite. I have found everything and I don’t want to miss a moment.’

  The sisters looked at each other and smiled. Birdie was right.

  Birdie was always right.

  We hope you enjoyed this book.

  Kate Forster’s next book is coming in 2019

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  About Kate Forster

  KATE FORSTER lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two children and dogs and can be found nursing a laptop, surrounded by magazines and talking on the phone, usually all at once. She is an avid follower of fashion, fame and all things pop culture and is also an excellent dinner party guest who always brings gossip and champagne.

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  We are Aria, a dynamic digital-first fiction imprint from award-winning independent publishers Head of Zeus. At heart, we’re avid readers committed to publishing exactly the kind of books we love to read — from romance and sagas to crime, thrillers and historical adventures. Visit us online and discover a community of like-minded fiction fans!

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  First published in the United Kingdom in 2018 by Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus Ltd

  Copyright © Kate Forster, 2018

  The moral right of Kate Forster to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ISBN (E) 9781788544351

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