Page 174 of Deep Blue Sea

‘It’s okay. We’ll get through this. We’re family. Family stick together.’

66

Dot came out of the bakery kitchen holding an enormous six-tiered coconut cake. It was covered in frosting and sparkles and had one big candle protruding out of it like a rocket.

‘Are we all supposed to start singing “Happy Birthday”?’ grinned Charlie, slurping his vanilla lemonade.

‘I’m only going back to Thailand,’ grinned Rachel, feeling herself getting quite emotional. ‘What’s all this for?’

‘I want to remind you how fantastic Boughton is so you come back and see us all as often as possible,’ said Dot bossily.

‘Cake always works as a bribe for me,’ said Rachel, sticking a knife through the creamy stickiness.

‘A cake feels like a celebration and I don’t feel like celebrating,’ smiled Sylvia sadly, hooking an arm through Rachel’s. ‘My little girl is going halfway around the world again.’

‘Well, your big girl is loaded so there shouldn’t be any problem with you all getting plane tickets at least twice a year to come and see me.’

Rachel squeezed her mother’s arm and rested her head momentarily against her shoulder. She half expected Sylvia to pull away but when she did not Rachel almost laughed out loud with contentment. She wasn’t sure whether she’d ever have a close and unconditional bond with her mother but right now she at least felt as if Sylvia finally accepted and liked her youngest daughter for who she was. And it made Rachel feel unusually proud.

‘When are we going then, Mum?’ said Charlie. ‘Liam said that the best diving is about now. And I’m old enough to get my PADI certificate.’

‘How about next month, before school starts?’

‘Really?’

‘Truly,’ grinned Diana. ‘Who’s up for it?’

Everyone put their hand in the air.

‘Hang on. I’ve got a surprise for you,’ said Charlie. He retreated to a corner of the café, where he fiddled around with a laptop before calling Rachel over. ‘You’ve got a phone call,’ he said.

Rachel walked across hesitantly and almost stepped back in shock when she saw Ross’s face on the computer screen.

‘What the hell’s this?’

‘Skype, you idiot,’ grinned Charlie.

She put on a pair of headphones and sank into a chair, her fingers brushing the screen. Ross’s face was still bruised and scarred, but he was awake, propped up in bed, and the twinkle in his eyes told her that he was on the mend.

‘All right, Rach? What trouble have you been getting into this time? You see, I can’t turn my back for a minute.’

‘Ross . . .’ She was lost for words. ‘I’ve got you a job,’ she said finally. ‘A great one, actually. All sorted out by Elizabeth Denver, would you believe, but I’ll save it for non-alcoholic beers when I see you.’

‘Well I’m on a plane home tonight. Will you still be there?’

‘I think so, I hope so,’ she grinned.

‘Let’s talk later. I believe you’re having a party.’

Rachel was still smiling five minutes later. Diana put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug.

‘There’s something I want to do before I leave,’ said Rachel, turning to her sister. ‘Come with me.’

Rachel drove the Range Rover north. Even before they were on the road towards Hanley Park, Diana knew where they were going.

The church was quiet when they arrived. Somewhere in the village they could hear the sound of a lawn-mower, but other than that it was still. The two sisters linked arms as they walked up the path towards Julian’s gravestone.

Rachel crouched and laid a little bunch of purple and yellow freesias from Dot’s café on the soil.