Dancing Through The Night

Chapter 21 - Cohen

My night shift starts in twenty minutes. If I'm lucky, I'll make it just in time. Vicky was stuck in traffic. She was going to meet me at the hospital to pick up Jayden, but then he had a minor accident at the skate park right before we had to leave. Just the knees and elbows. Nothing I couldn't fix at home. He didn't need stitches but I had to clean the wounds and bandage them and by then, Vicky was already here.

I grab my bag and jog to the car. Vicky and Jayden are still inside. They'll leave whenever they're ready. My sister has keys to my place and can come and go as she likes. Not that she really would do that, but she could, and I wouldn't mind.

At the red traffic light just before turning off towards the hospital, under the light of one of the street lamps, I see Alannah getting up from one of the benches in the park. My hand lifts off the steering wheel in a small wave. There's no way she would have seen that. It was just a reflex.
Alannah bends down and puts something in the little basket underneath the stroller. Or maybe she gets something out. Slowly, she then walks away, leaning forward against the pushbar, literally dragging herself. Thinking about it, it's been a while since I saw her dancing along the streets, the way she used to.

The traffic light turns green. I should have turned down the window and called out to her. Just a hello. Now, she disappears in the darkness of the rearview mirror.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

It's been a long night at the hospital: Two severe accidents, and we nearly lost one of the patients. The positive side to a busy night is that I don't feel the tiredness as much. It usually hits me around three in the morning during a night shift. When I get home, I'm often all hyped up. That's why I tend to go out for a surf or swim, sometimes a jog. Not today. I'm exhausted, but I know better than to go to bed. It would completely mess with my system. I make a strong coffee and settle on the outdoor lounge. It doesn't bother me anymore to sit in full view and the more I think about it, I really don't want to lose my view of the beach. Vicky told me about her friend who had a good landscaper design her outdoor space. Maybe I should talk to her to see what I could do. I take a large gulp of coffee. It's still too hot and now my tongue and lips are burning. Stuff it, I'm going to call that landscaper now.

It takes Vicky a good thirty minutes to get back to me with Loula's Landscape Architects number. I'm on my second coffee, Winston lying at my feet, when I talk to Loula personally to arrange a meeting. So she can prepare a thing or two, I give her a brief run-down on the issue at hand when I notice Alannah walking further up along the promenade. At least I think it's her. It's a bit tricky to tell from the distance. By the time I hang up with Loula I'm finished with my coffee. Winston could use a walk. He's excited when I tell him we're going out but instead of letting him drag me to the dog park I steer him towards the promenade. Every once in a while I put my foot down. I didn't mean to look for her. I don't even know why I am, but I'm disappointed and feel like a fool when Alannah is nowhere in sight. "Let's go to the dog park, Winston."

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Loula's idea of extending the veranda and adding a higher level doesn't convince me. It would take part of the view from Jayden's and the guest room. I do love the pictures in the catalogue she brought of the sunken fire pits. Jayden used to play a lot in the yard when he was little. Now, not so much anymore. I'm hesitant though to give up part of the lawn area. Winston loves running around the lawn and just in case Jayden wants to play some ball again, I at least want to keep that option open.

The sun begins setting and I feel the tiredness weighing on me. It's not unusual for me to be in bed by six or seven after a nightshift. After all, I have to be up again at five tomorrow morning for the early shift.
I turn on the lights on the veranda as Loula continues talking me through ideas. I offered her something to drink out of politeness and she asks for a glass of white wine which I don't feel like joining in. Doesn't she have a husband or kids to get home to? Or she is just a very determined sales person. I have seen enough for today and just want to go to sleep but Loula doesn't seem to think about leaving.
"If you're worried about losing level grass area, how about something a bit more along the side." Loula takes a slow sip of her wine, then places her free hand onto my back, guiding me to the side of the verandah. How did we end up talking about changing my backyard? I just wanted to put some privacy screens up. I lose this thought when I lift my glance towards the park next to the beach. It's Alannah, sitting on the bench in the dark, her head lowered and the pram in front of her.
When Loula finally leaves, forty minutes later and after telling her that I'll get back to her, Alannah is gone.