Page 157 of In Sheets of Rain

We grabbed a quick coffee together. My lunch hour finished, but I stayed to talk to Tayla.

When we parted, she told me she’d missed me.

I walked back to my car, and I realised time did heal everything.

* * *

The shadows were long as the sun was close to setting, but I had one more stop to make before I could head home. Auckland CBD rose up all around me.

I found a park on Queen Street and slipped some coins into the meter and then walked into the shop. They’d gift wrapped Michael’s present for me.

I carried it out awkwardly and placed it on the back seat of my car and then got in and pulled out into traffic. The route to the motorway on-ramp took me past the Viaduct. I didn’t see any blood.

I waited at the lights, the Auckland Harbour Bridge stood off in the distance, the setting sun making the metal gleam. It was pretty.

And I didn’t hear the silence of a very sick child.

An ambulance rolled past, lights flashing and sirens blaring. I watched it and thanked my lucky stars. Nightshifts sucked.

The light turned green, and I pressed down on the gas pedal and merged onto the motorway.

I didn’t think of parting the traffic.

I didn’t think of upside-down cars and teenagers screaming to be let free.

I didn’t smell petrol or skin burning.

It started raining. For a second, I thought it was blood. But that was just the brake-lights of the car in front of me.

The rain was a plethora of diamonds and rubies.

It was stunning.

I pulled into the driveway and Michael met me at the door.

I held his present out to him and said, “Happy Birthday.”

He looked like an excited little child as he unwrapped it.

And then he was kissing me.

Time heals all things; I thought as he led me to the bedroom to unwrap hisrealpresent, as he told me.

Time heals all things.

* * *

Mum called. She was keeping busy. Sad but not curled up into a little ball.

We talked about my aunts, the grandkids, Sharon and Doug. We talked about Mum taking a trip to England to scatter Dad’s ashes.

“Will you go alone?” I asked her.

“Sharon might come with me. Why don’t you, as well?”

“It’s a long way to go, Mum.”

“It would be good for us.”