Chapter Thirteen
The girls gathered in the beer garden at the Magnolia Tavern after another stint at the hospital. The evening air was still warm enough to be outside, with the help of outdoor heaters, and they chatted about the babies they’d held, the new babies they’d met.
‘I’ve got a little something for us,’ Gemma admitted, with a raise of her eyebrows that told them they’d all love it.
‘Oh, I like surprises!’ Bella enthused as Gemma produced a carrier bag from beneath the table.
Gemma pulled out what looked like a bundle of T-shirts and when she unfolded the first and held it up to reveal The Magnolia Girls emblazoned on the front of each black T-shirt in pink writing, Carrie was more than impressed. ‘They’re brilliant! What a fab idea!’
‘Oh, I hope mine will fit.’ Rosie took one and peered at the label.
‘They come up big but I think there’s one in here that’ll fit over your pregnancy tummy, plus another for once you’re back to your normal size.’
‘You’re a star. I’m going to try it on now.’
Rosie marched off towards the pub and presumably the bathroom and Bella yelled, ‘Wait for me!’ and followed her.
When they returned, Carrie and Gemma took their turn and within minutes they were all seated at the table in their matching T-shirts.
‘Are we allowed to wear these on the ward?’ Bella asked.
Carrie nodded. ‘Of course. We’ll have the plastic gowns over the top, but these are great. What a lovely idea, Gemma.’
‘Actually it was Andrew’s idea. He found the website and made the suggestion.’
A collective sound of approval swept around the group.
‘You know Molly will want one when she and Ben next visit, don’t you?’ said Rosie.
‘Andrew already ordered her one.’ Gemma grinned.
When they drew the attention of a couple of the regulars and explained why they were called the Magnolia Girls and what they did, they posed for a photograph that Carrie said she’d use in the hospital’s next media release. ‘Look out, girls, you’re going to be famous!’
As they laughed into the evening air and chatted with people curious about what these T-shirts were and why they were wearing them, Carrie caught sight of Noah with Owen over the other side of the beer garden. If they’d spotted the girls they’d obviously decided to leave them to it, and with neither of them looking over Carrie watched Noah and thought back to how he’d been with Maria beside the lake. He was, she supposed, what you might call a natural. People used to say that about her and she knew she was good with the kids at work, but work was totally different.
‘The triplets are doing well,’ said Gemma.
‘They really are,’ Rosie agreed.
Bella had been cuddling Peter, the smallest of the babies, that afternoon. ‘Peter’s operation went well and he’s fighting his way back. He was unsettled when I first arrived but couldn’t fight sleep forever.’ She smiled. ‘I never realised how special baby cuddling would be, how much it would give to us as well as to them.’
‘I’m glad it’s all working out.’ Carrie looked around at this group of women, this group of girls with whom she had bonded so easily in such a short space of time.
Bella tutted when her phone rang. ‘I do apologise, I thought I’d switched it off.’ She moved away from the table to take the call.
‘How’s Noah?’ Rosie asked when Gemma went to buy a few packets of nuts for them all to share.
Carrie had wondered whether Rosie would remember seeing them together by the lake. ‘He’s upset, of course, but he’s accepting too. Norma was old and it was her time.’
Rosie swirled the orange juice around in the bottom of her glass and finished the dregs. ‘Is everything OK with you? You seem a bit away with the fairies.’
Rosie had become a friend – an unlikely one given Carrie’s history with Owen, but this girl seemed to understand and see through Carrie more than anyone had in a long time. Maybe it was time she confided in a friend and told her why she’d really walked away from her big job in the city.
But the opportunity of saying anything disappeared when Rosie asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ as Bella came back over to the table.
Flustered, Bella garbled, ‘It’s Rodney…he’s had a heart attack.’
*
Over the next couple of weeks Carrie witnessed the true meaning of friendship. The girls had taken Bella to the hospital straight after she received the phone call, and the second they returned to Magnolia Creek it was all systems go.
Carrie, Gemma and Rosie had pulled together other residents to help out one of their own. Bella gave everyone a brief rundown of how the café worked and Rosie collated all the information into easy-to-follow charts, diagrams and explanations so they could produce a workable rota for the time being while Rodney was still in hospital. Bella had suggested the café simply close, but it hadn’t been reopened that long and Owen had hinted to the girls that Bella wouldn’t be able to afford to lose the income. Chris worked the early shifts in the café since his pub hours didn’t start until later, Andrew helped at lunchtime while Gemma managed the chocolaterie, Carrie took over the final shift on the days when she had Maria but wasn’t needed at the hospital, and Rosie and Owen slotted in wherever they could.
Bella hugged each of them as they herded into the café the morning Rodney came home. ‘I couldn’t have managed without your help. I owe you all so much.’ Her eyes pooled with tears of gratitude because the girls had banded together and not only looked after the café, but had also filled Bella’s freezer with enough home-cooked meals to last a few weeks.
‘Nonsense,’ Rosie insisted. ‘We know you’d do the same for any one of us.’
Bella enveloped them all in another group hug. ‘Too right I would.’
‘The Magnolia Girls stick together.’ Gemma hoisted Abby up onto her hip. ‘But now I have to get this one organised for swimming lessons. Are you still OK for us to stop off at your place, Carrie? I can’t wait to see the progress.’
‘Sure, it’s even clean inside now. Owen has a few bits to do but mostly we’re there. I’ll see you in twenty minutes or so?’
‘Sounds good to me.’ Gemma waved her goodbyes before crossing over Main Street to head for home.
Carrie and Rosie left Bella to it and as soon as they were outside the café Carrie lowered her voice. ‘I’d help any of you out in the same way as we’ve done for Bella, but I’m exhausted.’ There were a few times when she’d been tempted to share her story with Rosie since the night at the pub when catastrophe for Bella had meant she didn’t get to say anything after all, but she’d never managed to come out with the words. And today didn’t look like being any different.
‘You and me both,’ Rosie confessed. ‘I’m going home to put my feet up, sit and read a book on my window seat. Which reminds me, how’s your window seat looking? She pulled her sunglasses down from the top of her head.
‘I love it. And I never would’ve thought to have one but after seeing yours…’
Rosie’s eyes sparkled. ‘What colours did you go for?’
‘It’s painted white and I’ve put a very light grey base on top with white scatter cushions.’
‘Did you go for pull-out drawers below?’
‘No, I went for a lift-up seat so I’ll stash blankets in there for the colder months.’
‘You’ll love Magnolia Creek in the winter. We get frost sometimes and when the sun comes out it looks beautiful.’
Carrie didn’t doubt it, and it was early May already so she wouldn’t have long to wait. Slowly she was realising that, for a self-confessed city girl, she was falling head over heels for the country. Over the years Carrie had usually wanted the best of everything. Not in a selfish way, but she liked to have the designer shoes, the posh frocks, a fashionable apartment, exotic holidays and a nice car. But then there was nothing like a traumatic life-altering event to give you some perspective.
The girls parted ways at the bottom of the hill and Carrie walked up to the house, where she found Noah in the garden watering the freshly laid turf. She watched him from the kitchen window, wondering if she should go out and say hello. Things had been so manic with Rodney in the hospital and everyone pitching in that they hadn’t spoken much since Norma died.
But she’d missed her chance, because Gemma had just pulled up on the driveway and was calling through the front door.
‘Come in!’ Carrie waved at Abby, who toddled in first and flung her arms around Carrie’s legs, but then Gemma handed her a wrapped-up box that immediately caught her interest instead.
‘Something to keep her amused,’ Gemma explained. ‘Otherwise she’ll be into everything.’
Carrie took them both into the lounge, which was now finished apart from a second coat that Owen needed to put on the architraves. ‘Sorry I only have beanbags,’ she said to Gemma but they both grinned when Abby reserved one by plonking her bum down straight away.
‘It seems Abby doesn’t mind your choice of furniture.’ Gemma looked around. ‘Wow, this place looks so different already. I haven’t been up here in months. We came and had a nosy when it was put on the market and both Andrew and I could see the potential.’
The smell of fresh paint lingered. The fireplace surround had been scrubbed to within an inch of its life and now the white tiles gleamed, the pomegranate and olive-green foliage detailing stood out, the grate was filled with fresh logs ready for a winter fire and the brass fire front was polished so that it shone proudly. In the corner of the room was a collection of accessories waiting to be installed: chrome door handles; a lacquered chrome light fitting with incandescent bulbs and transparent petal shapes; a silver mirror with bevelled edges to put above the fireplace.
With Abby amused with her new jigsaw depicting a collection of colourful Disney characters, Carrie showed Gemma the other room at the front of the house.
‘I love the wood burner,’ Gemma enthused straight away. ‘We’re thinking of installing one at the house.’
‘You’ll have to come up here and test this one out,’ said Carrie, completely at ease inviting her over. ‘You and Andrew, and Abby of course.’
‘That’d be great. Andrew has rejected the suggestion of doing anything more to the house for a while, but I think if he could see this it might be a whole different story.’ She raised her eyebrows conspiratorially.
‘It’s a bit over the top having a fireplace and a wood burner,’ Carrie admitted, ‘but I was thinking this room could be a library, so it would need to be cosy.’ With a set of shelves already replaced, all they needed was more on the rest of the walls along the same side. ‘I’ve got a lot of books in storage. Some of them have been boxed up since I moved out of home: there was never enough room in my apartment to unpack them all. But here, they can stay.’
‘I’ll be visiting your library in the future,’ Gemma grinned. ‘I read most of mine on my Kindle now but it’s always nice to browse a new collection. What will you put in the middle of the room? It’s a huge space. How about a rug?’
‘I’m going to have my baby grand transported up here.’
‘You play the piano?’
‘I’m a bit rusty. I don’t really play it enough, but I might do more out here.’ The truth was, Lachlan had bought it for her after she reminisced about the time she’d spent as a teen playing the piano. But she’d given it up along with a lot of things when career became her focus.
‘A piano would fit well – there’s certainly plenty of light coming in.’
Gemma peeked in on Abby, who had got all the large jigsaw pieces out of the box and had fitted two together already.
Carrie led the way to the kitchen. ‘What do you think?’
‘It’s lovely.’ She nudged Carrie. ‘I’m glad you kept the sink by the window – you need that when you’re washing up.’ After a quick glance out the window she added, ‘If I were you I’d stand here washing up all day.’
Carrie knew she was referring to the view of Noah, who was bending over tending to the grass by the decking. His physique stood out in a pair of shorts and it was an impressive sight. ‘You sound exactly like Rosie,’ she laughed. ‘Come on, I’ll show you the upstairs.’
Gemma did her best to coax Abby into coming with them but the girl had certainly learnt the word ‘no’ and they left her to try and fit another piece onto the jigsaw, although moments later they heard Abby on the stairs having decided she didn’t want to miss out.
Once Gemma had supervised Abby’s climb to the top, they looked at the spare room. ‘Owen suggested adding an en suite in here,’ Carrie explained, ‘in case I ever want to rent the place out. The only bathroom is off the main bedroom.’
Gemma checked out the en suite that had been installed in the far corner, with built-in wardrobe and shelving completing the look and giving the appearance of it always having been there. ‘It’s amazing what he’s done with the space. And you’ll be able to get a double bed in here no problem. It’d be a great source of income come tourist season.’
‘I’m not sure I want anyone else to be living here.’
Gemma grinned. ‘Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed – because it means we’ll be seeing a lot more of you.’
Carrie took the compliment and passed Abby a piece of discarded bubble wrap. Abby made them both laugh at her giggles every time another piece of it went Pop!
In the main bedroom, as Abby carried on popping, Gemma admired the window seat. ‘It’s gorgeous. May I?’ She sat down when Carrie gestured to go ahead and looked out of the window to see views of fields and trees beyond. ‘I’ll have to get onto Owen and have him make me one or I’ll be left out.’
‘Come see the bathroom.’
With Abby popping away, Gemma admired the room that had been completely transformed. The glass in the window pane was frosted now but didn’t make the room any less impressive as the chrome taps gleamed in the light and the scent from the vase of lavender on the inset shelf lingered in the air.
When Noah’s voice called up the stairs Carrie left Gemma admiring the bathroom and excused herself to join him. He was clearing up for the day and had said he’d be back to put a few more plants in the flowerbeds.
‘Thank you, Noah. It’s all looking really amazing.’
‘My pleasure.’ With silence between them he said, ‘I’ve watered the grass and I’ll do it again tomorrow. You’ll have to do the watering yourself a few days when I’m not around.’
‘I think I’ll manage.’ She shook her head but smiled at his lack of faith that she’d tackle the task.
‘You can handle a hose?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Of course I can.’
When they heard Gemma yelling, both of them darted from the room to go upstairs.
‘What’s wrong?’ Carrie looked for blood in the bedroom, an unconscious child, something that had made Gemma yell so loudly. But Abby, momentarily stunned by her mother’s outburst, launched into a crying fit so loud Carrie thought she’d need noise-reduction headphones if she didn’t stop soon. ‘Is she hurt?’ she asked above the din.
‘That’s very naughty, Abby. So naughty!’ Gemma scolded.
Noah looked as though he wanted to run the other way. It was a complete contrast to a couple of weeks ago when he’d basked in Maria’s company.
‘I’m sorry, Carrie. I thought she was still playing with the bubble wrap and when I looked down…’ Gemma’s voice trailed off because Carrie could see exactly what Abby had been doing.
Carrie crouched down and picked up the discarded bits of photograph that had been torn into little pieces, the photograph she usually kept tucked away so safely.
She fell back onto her bottom, clasping the pieces together in her hands, against her chest. She didn’t register Gemma’s repetition of apology, she didn’t acknowledge Abby screaming and kicking her legs as Gemma scooped her up against her will and took her downstairs when Noah said he’d stay here. Because all Carrie knew was that the tears had come, she was curled up in a ball on the floor, and she could barely breathe.