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ChapterTwenty-Five

D uring dinner with her family on Thursday night, Allison asked Lucy about the two suitors.

With her fingers crossed behind her back, Lucy told her she was going to the movies with one on Friday night and probably seeing the other over the weekend.

She felt a little uncomfortable not explaining to Allison, but truthfully, she kind of knew Allison wouldn’t like her mother dating two men together.

To allay her conscience, she reminded herself it might not work out between the three of them and she’d cause unnecessary tension between her and Allison for nothing.

Surprisingly, she didn’t think Geoffrey would be as bothered.

She soon got side-tracked from her worries by the twins demanding her attention. Getting down on the floor, she helped them build a Lego castle with their father while Allison made coffee for the adults.

It was disappointing when the twins had to go to bed, but Lucy really enjoyed her time with them. As usual, Geoffrey got her to read their bedtime story while he helped Allison clear away the dinner dishes.

Lucy stayed for another hour before saying goodnight and heading home. Allison wished her good luck for the outing to the movies. Geoffrey whispered that he was so happy she was finally getting out more and enjoying herself.

Still ill-at-ease by not filling them in truthfully, Lucy smiled and thanked them both.

****

O n Friday evening, Lucy dressed in a pair of black slacks and a green top. She grabbed a shawl in case it got cooler later on in the evening and left it at the door with her shoes and bag while she waited for Jack.

It was actually good to be going out with just one man. She would be able to learn more about him and about his relationship with Sebastian.

Jack arrived just before six and, after complementing her on her outfit, settled her in the car for the drive into Katoomba.

“Do you have a preference for movies, Lucy?”

“Actually, I love adventures, thrillers, and Sci-Fi. I’m not that keen on girly type movies.”

“Gee, that’s great! Similar to my likes.

I do like a good comedy, too. Seb likes adventures and Sci-Fi, but he hates coming to the movies.

He’d much rather veg out on the couch with some homemade popcorn and watch something on cable.

But all the same, it looks like we have overlapping interests in movies. ”

“I have to admit I enjoy good British comedies and scary movies, too.”

“ Presence is on at the moment. Have you seen it?”

“No, but I really want to.”

“Okay, then let’s watch it.”

They managed to get tickets for the seven o’clock session. Jack bought a coffee for them both, and Lucy had to laugh when he got popcorn as well. They settled in their seats toward the back. Jack was clearly happy to be with her.

“I forgot to ask if you’d had dinner, Lucy.”

“I made a sandwich earlier.”

“Want to have a late-night snack somewhere after the movie?”

“Be good.”

The movie was great and Lucy enjoyed the fact that Jack either held her hand or had his arm across her shoulders the entire time. He would give her a squeeze whenever she jumped at the scary parts. At one point, she had her head buried in his chest.

When it was over, Jack drove them to Zest, an informal local restaurant which served Middle Eastern and Mediterranean style food.

After going through the menu, they settled on a shared meal of lamb koftas, kangaroo shishlik, baharat minced lamb, tahini, hummus, samfaina, beetroot dip, bulgar salad, eggplant jam, Moroccan carrot salad, fattoush, patatas bravas, and pita bread with freshly ground coffee.

It was relaxing to sit and talk over the food.

Lucy discovered that she and Jack shared so many common interests.

They both had the same tastes in fiction and enjoyed bush-walking.

Jack loved to cook and seemed really eager to share his love of it with Lucy.

She had always wanted to be able to cook but had never really given herself a chance to delve deeper than pre-made sauces and flavorings with basic meals.

When she told him he could teach her, he got excited and wanted to arrange a day to start there and then.

She soon discovered he was very easy to talk to.

In fact, she found herself opening up and talking about Allison and the heartbreak she’d felt when she’d left home disgusted with her mother.

It had hurt her so much when all her life she’d only tried to do the best for Allison, and it had felt as if Allison considered she’d done nothing.

Jack reached out and held her hand across the table as her eyes filled with tears.

It had been a terrible time in her life and she had never told a soul just how painful it had been. Now, she poured it all out to Jack.

“It hurt so much. I’d tried to be the best mother I could be under the circumstances. I gave her all the love I had, let her go on school camps, paid for dancing lessons and soccer, anything she wanted to do. It was so hard trying to scrimp up enough money, but I managed.”

Lucy looked blindly across the room then focused back on Jack.

“I can’t imagine what it would have been like if she hadn’t come back into my life.

It would have broken my heart completely to know she had children and I couldn’t see them.

” She gave a watery grin. “Having grandchildren is the best part of being a mother.”

“My son, Andy, recently married, no grandchildren yet. We had a kind of shaky relationship, but at last he’s accepted Seb and I being together. Jennifer, his wife, is supportive of us, and I think it’s her influence that has made Andy look at things in a different way.”

“I’m so glad. You wait until the grandchildren come along. It makes it all worthwhile.”

“I have to admit I’m looking forward to being a grandfather. Jennifer wants to have children soon. I got the impression last time I was visiting up there that they’re trying to get pregnant.”

“You’ll love it!”

“I know. Actually, there is a good chance they are going to move down to Sydney. Andy works in computers too, and the company he’s with wants him to manage their Oceania head office in Marsden Park.

He’s still deciding, but I think he’ll accept.

Jennifer’s parents live in Kellyville, so I know she’d like to be closer to them, especially if she falls pregnant.

It’s only a fifteen or twenty-minute drive.

She’ll want her mum nearby. Plus, Andy’s mother lives in Parramatta.

Andy has a good relationship with her and his step-father. ”

“That would be great, Jack. Marsden Park’s only about an hour away from here. If they come down, it would give you a good chance to get back into their lives.”

“I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

“I know how happy I was when Allison came back.”

He looked at Lucy seriously. “Was it hard getting back into things after your mother died? It was a long time to look after someone ill.”

“Hell yes.” Lucy looked off into the distance again, gathering her thoughts.

Then she said to Jack, “The last six years of her life, I wasn’t really able to get out.

I could have put her into nursing care, but I wanted to look after her while I could.

I had to do virtually everything for her.

It was like having a baby except adult sized.

Then she would get distressed if anyone else looked after her.

I had Home Care in to clean the house and help bathe her. ”

“What was wrong with her, Lucy?”

“She had a brain tumor. Although it was benign, it still kept growing. It was what they class as infiltrating, so it was inoperable. Instead, it just kept spreading out. Her brain was being destroyed along with her body. She lost the ability to walk, and she couldn’t hear or see very much.

Sadly, she couldn’t speak properly or understand the things people would say.

Early on, I had to take responsibility for all her treatments.

I still don’t know if I chose the right paths. ”

Jack took her hand in both of his as she spoke.

It was a comfort to finally talk to someone about the horrors. She’d never opened up before.

“You don’t have to go on, Lucy, unless you need to.”

“I’m fine.” She smiled over the table at him and took up her story. “Someone from Home Care would come in for four hours once a fortnight so I could get out and do anything essential. In the last two years, someone would also come in a few times a week and wash her for me.”

Lucy gave a deep sigh. “Anyway, when she died, I found it so hard to leave the house. It felt wrong.” She cocked her head, looking at him, trying to put things into words.

“It’s hard to explain. It was as if my life had been put on hold.

All those years of not being able to go out became the norm.

I could have very easily turned into a recluse, but I knew I had to force myself out.

So I took up temping again and gradually got used to being with people.

The last six months have been good. Guess I’m back to normal. I feel great and enjoy company.”

“I’m so sorry you had to bear such responsibility, Lucy, but I understand completely that it was something you had to do.” Jack’s fingers rubbed her hand.

It surprised her to feel a tear running down her cheek.

Reaching up, she caught it with a finger and looked at it.

She had never cried when she cared for her mother.

She’d known that if she started, she’d never have been able to stop, so instead she’d bottled it away.

Really, she hadn’t grieved properly, afraid that it would open floodgates.

This solitary tear was a dangerous sign.

Somehow, she had to change the subject before her grief for her mother and the grief for herself overwhelmed her. One day she knew she’d have to let it all out so she could move on completely, but she wasn’t ready. Certainly, it wasn’t going to happen in the middle of a restaurant.