A New Beginning

by Samantha Hicks

  The woman stopped at the sound of her name a few steps past Laura’s table and glanced over her shoulder looking at Laura through narrowed eyelids.

  “Sorry, do I know you?”

  “Laura Reynolds.” Laura stood, holding out her hand. “We met at the cemetery a few months ago.”

  A shy smile graced Amy’s pink lips. “Oh, that’s right.” She took Laura’s hand in her own, giving it a firm shake. “Nice to see you again.”

  “You too.” Laura gestured to the spare seat at her table and said, “Would you like to join me? It’s a little busy in here today.” She watched as Amy glanced around the cafe and then back to her.

  “Sure, if you don’t mind.”

  “It’s no problem,” Laura replied as she re-took her seat. She cleared away the rest of her things off the table while Amy went to the counter to place her order. After Amy returned Laura said, “I was supposed to be meeting a client, but he had to cancel at the last minute.”

  Amy settled into the chair then added an un-Godly amount of sugar to her tea. “What is it you do?” she asked as she stirred her drink.

  “I’m an architect.”

  Amy’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I mostly freelance, but I have worked for a few corporate places. I have an office up town.”

  Amy leaned forward in her chair, her face open with interest. “What kind of things do you design?”

  “Anything really. I’ve done shopping centres and office blocks, but my focus is designing houses for clients.”

  “That’s brilliant.”

  Amy’s wide smile was electric, and Laura felt her cheeks warm.

  “You’re just the person I need,” Amy continued.

  Laura’s face heated as a flash of them in bed together filtered through her mind at Amy’s innocent words.

  “My parents have been looking to retire someplace but they can’t make up their mind on what they want,” Amy said. “All the places they’ve looked at don’t do anything for them. I’ve suggested they just build something themselves. That way they get exactly what they both want. Is that something you could do?”

  Laura cleared her throat, giving herself a moment to get her head back into the conversation and not on the lewd images running rampant through her mind. “I have a pretty full schedule now, but I can meet with them and discuss the type of thing they might want. If they don’t mind waiting a couple of months for the designs to be completed, I should be able to fit them in.”

  “Do you have a business card?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Laura opened her briefcase and searched for her cards. After pulling one out she scribbled her mobile phone number on the back. She didn’t usually do that, preferring to keep her professional life separate from her private, but she wanted Amy’s parents to be able to contact her at any time. The thought of maybe seeing Amy again not allowing her to think clearly. “Here you go. They can call me anytime to set up an appointment.”

  “That’s great.” Amy’s fingers traced over the embossed letters of her name on the card. “Thanks,” she said as she placed the card in her purse.

  They sat quietly for a moment as Laura searched for something to say. Amy stared into her tea, a pensive look on her face. Laura wondered at what she was thinking. “How did Aaron’s birthday go?” she asked, trying to find something to fill the awkward silence that had sprung up between them.

  “He loved it.” Amy’s features lit up again at the mention of her son, her eyes crinkling at the corners when she smiled. “My dad bought him a new gaming system and he hasn’t stopped playing it since he’s had it. Julia would have a fit if she knew he was spending all his time on it.”

  “Julia?” Laura enquired.

  Amy’s eyes dimmed. “My wife. Well, I guess she’s my ex-wife now.” She pulled in a deep breath, and after letting it out slowly and focusing back on Laura, she continued, “She died six years ago. Hit by a drunk driver.”

  “I’m sorry.” What else could you say to something like that? Laura really was sorry for Amy. She could see the heartbreak clearly written on her face. She had the urge to reach out and touch her to offer some comfort, but she couldn’t do that. Amy was a stranger and most strangers didn’t like being touched. She herself knew she didn’t like anyone in her personal space.

  “S’okay,” Amy said, a sad smile forming on her lips. “Anyway, she hated all things techno. Aaron having a gaming system would have sent her into a two-hour rant on the destruction of the human psyche. She believed in fresh air and connecting with people in person.”

  “And what about you? What do you believe?”

  “I’m not that heavily into tech myself. I think that comes from being with her, but I do have a smartphone and laptop. I’m not a complete technophobe.”

  “I don’t know what I would do without my computer. I can get so much more detail into my blueprints, even creating 3D dimensions. It makes it easier for the client to visualise the final design.” She abruptly stopped talking. All too easily she could sit here talking for hours about the way she did her design work. She loved it. She was much more comfortable talking about work than she ever was about personal stuff. That was one of the reasons her last relationship failed. Apparently, she was closed off and cold. When she had heard her ex use that as an excuse for cheating on her, she didn’t have the heart to argue with her. She never really saw a future with Becky anyway. That was probably why she held herself back from her. The less people knew about her, the less they could hurt her. She didn’t even care when Becky left. Not one minute after her front door had closed she had gone to the office and worked.

  “That’ll be good for my parents.” Amy’s voice penetrated her rambling thoughts. “They both have no imagination when it comes to things like that.” Amy glanced at the big silver clock on the wall behind Laura’s head. “Oh, shoot. I have to go, or I’ll be late picking up Aaron from school. It was great to see you.” She stood. “Expect a call from my mother.”

  “I will. It was nice to see you too.” Amy smiled one more time at her and turned to leave. “Say hello to Aaron for me,” Laura called after her. Amy looked back around, her gaze laser sharp on Laura’s face. She nodded then left.

  Laura gathered her belongings then left also. She strolled back to her office, the late May sun warming her as she walked. She hadn’t given Amy, or her son, another thought since she had met them in October, never expecting to see either one of them again. A grin stretched her cheeks. If Amy’s mother called her, Laura would try to arrange a home meeting, hoping Amy might be there. It was a ridiculous notion, Amy more than likely lived in her own place, but if Laura could stack the deck in her favor, and arrange a place where Amy might be, then she would. Any chance to see her beautiful face again would be a welcome gift. She was under no illusions that Amy would be interested in her. It was clear Amy was still very much in love with her deceased wife. The look in her eyes when she spoke of Julia testament to that. But that didn’t stop Laura from having a little crush.

  Laura arrived in her office on the third floor of office space she rented with nine other businesses and dumped her laptop and briefcase on her desk. She headed over to her drawing board where another of her projects sat waiting completion. This design wasn’t for a client though, this was her own vision of the house she wanted to build for herself. After renting apartments for most of her life, she had finally decided to put her dream of building her own house into action. She had the funds, she just needed the guts to complete it.

  Laura worked into the night re-designing some of the features. Adding an addition for a kid’s play room not fully registering in her mind.

  Chapter Three

  Laura pulled her Mercedes SLK up in front of a large two-story glass and brick house located on the edge of the sea front on the Sandbanks in Poole. This area of Dorset was what her nan would call the ‘posh end’ of town. Most of the homes on this little island cost more than a million pounds and Laura wondered at what busin
ess Amy’s father was into. To live here you had to have money. She herself would have loved to have a home here, but even with some of the high-end commissions she acquired over the years, her budget would never stretch to buying a home here.

  She stepped out of her car and scanned the area around the property, looking out to sea. The sun was just beginning to dip down in the sky, the rays causing an orange-yellow glow to reflect off the water. She drew in a deep breath, letting the salt air fill her lungs. She grabbed her laptop and ever-present briefcase out of the boot then strode up the neatly groomed walkway to the front door. Before she reached the threshold, the door opened, and a slightly taller and older version of Amy came out to greet her.

  “Hi, I’m Laura Reynolds,” Laura said as she held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Martha George and this,” she indicated a ruggedly handsome man behind her, “dope is my husband Jim. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You too. Are you sure you don’t mind me coming over here?” she asked as she followed the older couple into a large foyer. Laura glanced around noting the white marble floors and wooden staircase leading up to the first floor. Her mouth nearly fell open at the opulence and architecture of the home. She would love to spend time exploring the property, her love of all things design making her cast a critical eye over every nook and cranny.

  “No, it’s fine. We appreciate you being able to fit us in. To be honest, you’re doing us a favor. Amy keeps on at us to finally get the retirement home sorted.” She leaned in and whispered, “I think it’s just because she wants to get her hands on this place.”

  “Martha, come on,” Jim said. “That’s not fair. We promised her three years ago she could have the house. After Julia, she needs to settle down again, in her own space.”

  Martha blushed as she looked back to Laura, as if mentioning Amy’s dead wife was not for the company of strangers. “Sorry dear. You don’t need to hear all this.”

  “It’s okay.” She lifted her laptop in her hand. “Um, do you have somewhere I can set up my laptop?”

  “Jim, take our guest into the dining room. I’ll make us all some tea and join you in a moment.” Martha walked away, Laura assumed in the direction of the kitchen.

  Jim took her elbow, steering her to the dining room. The dining room was just as impressive as the foyer and outside. A large twelve-seater oak table sat in the middle of the room, floor to ceiling windows looked out over the back garden, and tasteful ornaments were scattered around the edges of the walls.

  “Jim, your home is beautiful.”

  “Thank you. I’d love to take credit for it, but this is the work of my wife. Well, her and the interior designer.” He smiled. He motioned to the head of the table and Laura set her laptop on top, careful not to scratch the high shine of the surface.

  Half hour later Laura had guided Jim and Martha through her portfolio. She had hundreds of images on her laptop, but she also had some of her best homes printed and laid out in an A3 folder.

  “Laura, you really are very talented,” Martha said. “These cabins are wonderful.” The cabins she was referring to were a set of three she had designed for the owner of a car dealership. He had wanted homes for his three children that blended in with the surroundings of his part of the woods he owned. The cabins were some of her best designs, the rustic outside off-setting the lavish interiors. It had been a challenge to get all the aspects he wanted and on budget, but she had managed, and she was immensely proud of them.

  “Thank you. This one is my favorite. As you can see, I can design pretty much anything you desire. If there is something you don’t like as we go, we can change it, so it suits your vision. It really is up to you.”

  “Mum, Dad?” Amy’s voice sailed over to them from the front door. “We’re back.” Laura watched as Aaron came running into the dining room, skidding to a halt when he noticed Laura standing by the table. Amy came in a moment later, her eyes going wide when she saw Laura too. “Oh, hi,” she said to Laura. She looked between her parents. “I didn’t realise you had company.”

  “That’s okay,” Laura said. “We were just finishing up.”

  Martha touched her arm. “Won’t you stay for dinner? I’d love you to show Amy some of your designs, to get her opinion on things.” Laura swore Martha was batting her eyelids at her.

  “Um...” Laura glanced between the three of them, unsure off how to respond.

  “Mum, I’m sure Laura has better things to be doing than eating with us.”

  “Nonsense, dear. She looks like she hasn’t had a homecooked meal in months.” She smiled sheepishly at Laura. “No offense.”

  “S’okay,” Laura replied. “You’re right. I usually eat takeaway.”

  Aaron piped up from his place next to Laura. “Please Laura. I can show you what I got for my birthday.” He surprised her by taking her hand.

  She noted Amy’s frown and pinched eyebrows, obviously not happy about having her family being so friendly with her. Laura looked back to Aaron, putting Amy’s hostility out of her mind. “I heard about that,” she said to Aaron, who was still clutching her hand. “Still playing it non-stop?”

  “It’s the best present ever. Come on.”

  He tugged her, and she had no choice but to follow along. “I guess you have one more for dinner, Mrs. George.” She pretended she didn’t hear Amy blow out a frustrated breath. Laura didn’t understand what she had done to piss her off, but it was clear Amy wasn’t happy Laura was in her home, and about to have dinner with them all.

  “So, Laura,” Martha said an hour later. “You married?”

  They were all sitting at the dining room table feasting on spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread that Martha had ‘just whipped up’. Martha and Jim sat at the head and end of the table, Aaron sat next to Laura, while Amy sat on her own side of the table by herself.

  “Mum!” Amy said through clenched teeth.

  “Hush, now. It’s a simple question.”

  Laura cleared her throat and took a sip of water to give herself a moment before answering. “Um, no. I’m single. I work too many hours to find the time for dating.” She glanced at Amy who sat with her head in her hands, elbows on the table.

  “That’s a shame. A pretty thing like you shouldn’t be alone.”

  “Martha,” Jim warned.

  “What? I’m just saying.”

  “You’re just meddling. Leave the poor girl alone.”

  “Well, either way, it’s always nice to make new friends, isn’t it, Amy?”

  “Mum.”

  Amy’s anger was clear. Usually Laura would think her blush was cute, but the flaming of her cheeks wasn’t embarrassment, it was fury. Martha continued as if she didn’t notice her daughter and husband’s warning.

  “You’re about the same age. I’m sure you have some things in common.”

  Abruptly Amy pushed back from the table, her chair groaning across the tiled floor. “Excuse me for a moment. I need some air.” Without looking at anyone she turned and headed out of the room. A moment later the garden’s security lights came on and Amy could be seen just sitting down on the decking at the far end of the garden.

  “Can we get ice cream for after’s?” Aaron asked, unaware of the sudden tension and his mother’s quick exit.

  “Sure,” Jim said, pushing back from the table. “Finish up and we’ll pop down the shop.”

  Before Aaron got up from his seat, he turned to Laura. “Do you want to see my Lego set, Laura?”

  He looked so earnest, big blue eyes full of hope. She didn’t know what she had done to earn this little boy’s trust and she found she couldn’t turn him down. “Um. Okay. I love Lego. I used to love making huge buildings when I was a kid out of it. I think that’s when I decided to become an architect.” She smiled wistfully at the happy memory from her childhood. She would spend hours building things while her mother was strung out on the couch, too tired to look after her.

  “What’s an ark...ark
i...”

  “Architect. It means I design houses and buildings for my job.”

  “Cool,” he said as if he knew what she was on about.

  “Right, go grab your jacket and let’s get going,” Jim said, holding his hand out for Aaron to take.

  “I’ll come too,” Martha said. She grinned. “If I know you boys, you’ll end buying half the shop.” She glanced at Laura. “You don’t mind waiting with Amy?”

  Hell, yeah, she minded. Amy clearly had an issue with her. The last thing she wanted to do was to be stuck here with her. She had her ego to look after, after all. “Oh, no that’s fine,” she heard herself say. “But I should get going soon. I still have work to do once I get home.”

  “We won’t be long.”

  Laura heard the front door close and then found herself in an empty house. Her gaze found Amy, who was still sitting outside, head tilted back, staring at the early nights sky. Laura debated whether to go out and see her or stay inside where Amy’s angry stare wouldn’t find her. Because Amy was angry, her departure earlier testament to that. She shook her head at herself. What did she care if Amy didn’t like her? It wasn’t like Laura had designs on her. She was here to do a job for her parents, not make nice with the daughter.

  Who was she kidding? There was something about Amy that drew her in. Perhaps it was the sadness in her eyes she remembered from that day at the cemetery, or maybe just the hint of interest she felt from her in the cafe two weeks ago. Either way, she found herself standing and heading outside.

  Amy didn’t look at her as she approached. Carefully, she sat next to her with a good two feet between them. She didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. “Hey.”

  A long pause. “Hey.”

  Another long pause. “Um, your folks have taken Aaron to the shop for ice cream.”

  Amy blew out a breath then finally looked at Laura. “I’m sorry you got railroaded into staying for dinner.”

  “It’s okay. It was nice to sit down and have proper food for a change.” And it was. What she said earlier was true, she mostly lived off takeaway food. She worked as much as she could. She didn’t have many close friends and now no family, working was all she could think of to fill her time. And there was no point in cooking for one when she could just as easily pick something up on her way home.