This again, and no doubt some of it came from Prue. ‘I’ve told you this before, but I’ll tell you again because I really want you to see it the way I do, Ruby. You are my children, you and Jacob. I might not be your mum but you’re very much my children. From the moment I moved in here with your dad, we became another version of family.’ She looked at Ruby now. ‘Is that what started all of this doubt? Why you’ve been misbehaving? Is it because you think I don’t love you two enough?’
‘You might run away and leave us again. Mum left. You might not have come back if Dad hadn’t found you.’
She kept Ruby close to her side. ‘I ran for reasons that had nothing to do with your dad or you kids.’ She took a deep breath, remembering the time as though it were only yesterday not more than a year ago. ‘I was very sad at the time about losing my own mum. I was sad that she would never get to meet her grandchildren, and by that I mean all of you. I was sad that she’d left my life when I was so young, that I never got the chance to know her more. The problem with sadness and grief is that you don’t have a timeslot in which it’s all dealt with, it creeps up when you least expect. It comes in waves.’
‘Like the waves in the ocean, you mean.’
‘Exactly. Think of the ocean, how calm it is sometimes.’
‘Not when there was the storm in Nantucket.’
‘No, not then, those waves were big, dark and angry. I guess that’s how my emotions go sometimes. The wave got bigger and that time it managed to topple me over and I ran away.’
‘Where did you go?’ Ruby turned to face her, her legs tucked up on the sofa between them, her expression inquisitive.
‘I went to a place that had very good memories for me. I went to Litchfield, where we’ve all been before, leaf peeping, do you remember?’
A guilty look crossed her face. ‘The place in the photos.’
‘We can print them all out again.’
‘Can we?’
‘Of course.’
‘I’m sorry I ruined them. It was mean.’
‘You were knocked over by a wave, Ruby, that’s all.’ She pulled her into her arms again.
‘You promise you won’t leave us?’
‘I promise. Not even when you’re a teenager and telling me you hate me.’
‘I’d never say that.’
Cleo smiled and didn’t say out loud that of course she would, and she’d take it, every single thing Ruby threw at her, and Jacob for that matter. ‘You need to promise me something too, Ruby.’
‘Anything.’
‘Promise me you’ll be the best bridesmaid ever and help me plan this wedding. I’m going to need all the help I can get.’
And with a smile Ruby flung her arms around her and told her she’d never let her down again. And Cleo wouldn’t let any of the kids down because she’d take it all, every single bump in the road of parenthood, because they were finally beginning to find their way to happiness in their peculiar patchwork family pulled together in a mishmash of colours.
Chapter Fifteen
Amelia
Amelia had been thinking about Nathan for the last twenty-four hours, since he’d almost kissed her. Good-looking, sophisticated, with a hint of trouble, a man she hadn’t liked at first but who she was very much attracted to. She’d thought about him all evening as she enjoyed another mulled wine, all this morning and the entire time helping out at the market stall, wondering whether he’d show up. He didn’t, and she found she was disappointed.
As she walked back to the apartment alone after Kyle stayed back to work, flat out serving people who’d left buying a tree ridiculously close to the big day, there was still no sign of the snow they’d been promised, the kind that would settle and blanket the city. It was still freezing however and the second Amelia got inside she ran a bath. She added in the lavender oil she’d bought herself from the chalet next to hers at the market. Today the cold seemed to have seeped through all her layers with no regard for how many there were, but it was time to relax. She didn’t manage it when Kyle was around but tonight he’d offered to hang back and help Mitch clear up after the rush died down. Mitch was paying him cash in hand, perhaps that was his incentive, and it would go towards a lovely gift for Scarlett this Christmas if that’s where his mind was heading.
She sank into the fragranced water for a bit of well-deserved relaxation and to carry on her daydream about Nathan, who she wished had come by to see her today or at least sent her a text. But he was probably busy with Scarlett, who’d be missing Kyle with the extra hours he was putting in. Kyle must be so wrapped up in Scarlett that he’d been in late last night and out first thing this morning. He’d even forgotten to open his parcel.
Blissful in the warm water, she only stirred twenty minutes later when a knock at the door had her attention. She climbed out of the bath, wrapped herself in a towel and tiptoed towards the door, hoping it was Nathan. Clutching her towel, she went right close to the peephole. But when she saw who it was, her heart plummeted.
Another knock.
Amelia gasped. ‘Just a minute,’ she called. There was no time to get dressed, no time to think about what to say. When she’d sent that text she hadn’t expected a reply let alone a visit in person.
