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EDEN
One Week Later…
On Saturday morning, I bathe Rose then dress her in a cute little summer dress before placing her in the stroller to wander along the esplanade on my way to meet Yasmine and Amy at our favorite café in Glenelg.
I’m grateful I didn’t have to rush off for clothes suitable for feeding in since Faith gave me most of the clothes she wore after Seb’s birth. She gained more weight with James and bought freer-flowing styles. My family has thought of everything, and I’ll only need to buy more clothes for Rose when she grows into the next size.
I pull the stroller cover down to protect Rose from the sun’s rays as I head outside. A slight breeze with a hint of jasmine mixed in the salty air hits my senses, and I smile.
Home.
My thoughts shift straight to Samuel. I hope he loves it here as much as I do.
The optimism remains, and yet there’s always underlying doubt. After all the effort it would take for him to come to me, it could all go pear-shaped if he hates living not only in a strange country and knowing a handful of people but living in society in general.
I stop walking the esplanade path. A man behind me grumbles as he walks around the stroller.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
It hit me why Samuel’s gone into the jungle.
Is it his intention to get lost and never come out so he doesn’t have to return to society?
I shake my head to dispel the thought.
No.
No, he wouldn’t do that to us. He’dtry.
My own bloody thoughts are going to be my undoing.
Instead, I smile at everyone sitting on the grass enjoying the morning sunshine. Yet it’s hot enough that I’m eager to get Rose and me inside the café and out of the heat.
A woman greets me at the door. “Welcome. I’m Deanne. Do you have a booking for a table?” She has short brown hair and the kindest eyes, maybe because they are the same color as Kaikare’s.
“My friends should be here.” In the corner of the café by a window, Yasmine is chatting with Amy. “There they are.”
“Yas and Amy. Oh, you must be Eden. I feel like I know you already.”
“I hate to think what they have said about me.”
Deanne laughs once. “All good, I promise. They are here at least once a week. Today they requested a larger area to fit the stroller by the table.” I follow Deanne, and I’m surprised when she introduces me like she’s part of our little group. “Eden is here.”
Yasmine’s expression tells me I’ve interrupted a serious conversation, but a smile soon grows on her lips when she acknowledges me.
“We thought Rose might be napping.” She stands and peers into the stroller before hugging me.
“I’ll come back in five and grab your order,” Deanne says, leaving us alone.
“Thanks, babe,” Yasmine shoots over her shoulder.
Babe.
“Deanne is new here,” I say.
“She started working the week you left,” Amy says. “We were both upset one day, and she sat down and comforted us.”
“By giving us brownies and extra caffeine on the house,” Yasmine adds. “We became friends, and she meets us at the Shores if we’re in the mood for cocktails.”
