Meant To Be

Chapter thirty-one

Ronnie woke before her alarm. She got dressed and set up on the armchair in the living area; phone on one armrest, laptop balancing on the other. Both screens were blue, the timer a contrasting white. Ronnie took her credit card out of her purse and flipped it over so the number on the back was facing up. Her eyes swatted back to the time. The screen changed. Digits appeared. Her queue number lower on her phone than on her laptop. The number started dropping. Seconds later the screen changed again. Ronnie clicked the button to select tickets, her eyes seeing the number two first.

Ronnie put two slices of bread in the toaster and boiled the kettle. She leaned back against the worktop biting her nails. The toast popped. She let it cool, her phone in hand, staring at the number. Typing the message she kept it brief and hit send. Panic climbed inside her. Ronnie blamed Helen, confident that she never told Zac his number was given for emergency purposes. Her phone pinged. Recognising the email notification, the wild fizz in Ronnie's stomach died out as quick as it had come.

Ronnie!

How lovely to hear from you!

All is good with me. I'm delighted to hear you are in Tennessee. What brought you back? Did you finally get Patrick talked into making the move?

I cannot believe the coincidence of this, but Blake Reynolds is moving to Seattle with her partner. She is finishing in a few months as far as I am aware. She works on the children's ward as a senior pediatrician which would be perfect for you. 😊

I will find out the specifics and will come back to you soon. It hasn't been advertised and very few people know Blake is actually leaving yet, she is still sussing out dates.

I'll be in touch soon!

Chat then,

Sadie

Ronnie heard the name before, Blake Reynolds, but she couldn't put a face to the woman.

Her phone pinged again.

*

Helen was rolling dough, pushing her weight through her arms. Her hands dusty and white. Every Saturday she made some sort of desert. A traditional treat after Sunday's dinner. Sunday remained her favourite day of the week even though good habits had come undone and vacant spaces rung louder at the dinner table. But she promised herself she'd always make desert even if she was the only one there to eat it.

"Mum!" Jacob called into the house.

Helen's rolling pin bogged in the dough. "What's wrong?!"

"Get out here!"

She glanced down at her dusty apron but did nothing about it. Time already leaking into the past. She grabbed her car keys and rushed to the back door, Jacob shouting hurry up. Reaching the porch inside a few seconds, Helen's panic halted at the sight of her son leaning over the railing like he was bird watching.

"Jacob?! I thought something was wrong! You made all that fuss for nothing?!"

"Can you not see?"

"See what?"

Jacob pointed across the yard into the far paddock. "There!"

Helen squinted, standing on her toes, stretching her neck. "My good Lord." Her hands fell over her heart, a watery smile coming and going as she watched Hank's old pickup truck lap the field.

"Maybe miracles do happen," said Jacob.

Helen's face grew cross. "Course they do! That's one right there," she said. They stood side by side, quiet for a moment. "But isn't it bittersweet."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's trying honey. And he can't do that without letting Dena go, at least a little bit."

Jacob followed the truck, watching it move at a steady snail's peace. He could hear Helen stutter on the other end of the phone. Dena and dead spaced so far apart it made no sense. 'Whose dead Mum?' he had asked, irritated that she was keeping him back from hitting the town. He was already late having sat the exam out to the end. Helen said Dena's name again, nothing came after but silence.

"Do you think will Zac ever be with someone again?" asked Jacob.

The brackets deepened around Helen's mouth. "Dena is irreplaceable to Zac, but he has so much life ahead of him. Love will surely come again and my God, it's going to be hard."

"What if he doesn't want it?"

"To live is to love Jacob. It doesn't have to be romantic. It just has to be real."

"Maybe we'll be enough."

"I would be happy either way."

"You'll always be enough for me."

Helen laughed, swatting him away. "Pull the other one baby. I see the way you smile at your phone."