“Can I help you with dinner Nan?” she asked later, after she’d returned from a walk through the crooked cobblestone streets. Her dad and William had taken Brodie out fishing in the small bay below the village, and Rhiannon was surprised to acknowledge that she was happy, rather than reluctant, about being alone with her gran.
“That’s not necessary love,” Anne replied, but she looked pleased by the offer, so Rhiannon picked up a vegie peeler and got to work on the pile of potatoes on the bench.
“Coffee?” her grandmother asked, putting the kettle on.
“Thanks Nan.”
The two pottered around the kitchen together in comfortable silence for a while, but once they each had a steaming mug of coffee in hand, they took a break, sitting down at the small table and eyeing each other a little nervously.
“I’m really sorry for your loss love,” Anne began. “I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel, and I know your father is so proud of how you’re handling yourself, and how much help you’re giving him at this awful time.”
Rhiannon blushed. “Well, I wasn’t much help at first, but I’m trying to be better. And I want to thank you, for being so patient and sweet at Christmas. I’m sure Dad told you I was a bit, well, angry, at first, but spending the week with you at the lake was really healing – and it sure improved my wardrobe,” she added, trying to lighten the mood a little.
“I know I’ve never told you how much I appreciate your quiet support – and I guess I’ve never really acknowledged it myself. Grandmother can be so mean, so disapproving and distant, but you are the perfect grandma. And being with you and Pop at Christmas was a real turning point for me. So, well, thank you for that, and for everything.”
“Oh sweetheart, thank you. That means the world to me,” Anne said, wiping a tear from her eye. “And give yourself a break, please. You’ve only just turned seventeen. No one expects you to be perfect, and there is no right or wrong way to react to such a tragedy. You’ve done the best you can, and continue to try to be better, and that’s all any of us can do. And I’m very sorry that your other grandmother has cut off all contact with you, but that is her problem, not yours, and her loss. Foolish woman!”
Rhiannon tried not to laugh. She’s never heard her grandma criticise anyone. “You’re right, it’s certainly no loss to me – but that’s because of you and Pop, and Rose too, because you all care about me so much. Thank you.”
Anne leaned over and hugged her, then they drank the last of their coffee and got back to work, chatting more casually after their brief heart-to-heart. By the time twilight had fallen and the men had returned, the whole cottage smelled enticingly of baked vegies, spinach filos for Rhiannon, and roast lamb for the rest of them.
* * * * *
When they returned home after their week of coastal walks, prehistoric monument visits and a churchyard filled with ancient yew trees that allegedly cried blood, Rhiannon felt stronger and more at peace, wrapped in the love of her family, and an increasing connection with nature.
Summer had set in, and the warmth of the season was making her a little less morose. Being outside, feeling the sun warming her face and inhaling the scent of wildflowers from the hedgerows, somehow made her more hopeful. The longer days helped. Even before she’d lost her mum, winter had been depressing – getting up in the dark, then coming home from school in the dark too. But the soft golden light of summer mornings and the glow of long golden evenings made her feel more alive, and more cheerful too.
After a winter of extreme storms that had so well reflected her inner turmoil, these balmy, mellow summer days were encouraging a new sense of calm. Now she felt attuned to the earth and the energy of the gently sloping meadows around their village. Connected to the warm breezes that enveloped her, the soft gentle rain that occasionally fell to wash the world clean, and the soothing splash of water in the meandering stream by her house – a stream that had grown angry and uncharacteristically agitated when it flooded over its banks more than a few times during the cruel winter she’d just suffered through.
But the time of dramatic thunder, flashing lightning, furious downpours and roiling storms seemed almost dream-like now, and Rhiannon found it hard to comprehend just how struck with grief and anger, and delusions of fury-filled power, she’d been for the first three months after her mum’s death.
Rose had asked her again if she wanted to come along to a ritual – her circle would soon be celebrating Litha, the summer solstice, which marked the midpoint of the season and the longest day and shortest night of the year. For a moment it tempted her, but then she chickened out again. She couldn’t face it, couldn’t go and do something that had been her mother’s. Maybe one day she would find the strength to take part, but it wouldn’t be any time soon.
Visions of the rituals had been invading her dreams though, always with Rose as the high priestess in the centre of it all, beckoning her forward and drawing her in to the middle of the circle, surrounded by velvet-robed women with faces full of love. Perhaps she thought the reality would be less welcoming and nurturing than her dreams were, that the real-life version would disappoint her and leave her feeling even more bereft. Or perhaps she just craved solitude still, and the idea of being swept up in the social side of the circle was too much to face.
Rose was disappointed, she knew that, every time she turned her down, and she wondered how long she would keep trying, keep inviting her in. Because although she didn’t want to go now, she was scared of the day Rose would stop imploring her to join them. Which was silly, to be so contrary as to crave an invitation to something she didn’t want to attend.
A thought struck her then, that perhaps Rose was insisting she come and take part because she’d made a promise to Beth to welcome her daughter into the magic circle she had loved so much. To let her follow in her footsteps, and feel just how much love and nurturing and self-discovery she had gained from it. Her mum had adored her time in the healing and ritual space above Rose’s shop, had loved the camaraderie and the support of her magical sisters, and the confidence it gave her to bring back into her own life, to make her a better mother, a better wife, a better teacher, a better friend.
God, she missed her still! And yet the pain was less dramatic now, less constant. Perhaps she was growing up after all. Her mum would always be a part of her, but she knew she had to be brave enough to move forward. She was seventeen now. Soon she’d be starting her final year at school, and trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
It worried her a little that she still had no idea, but when she thought of her conversation with the woman in blue, she was relieved that she’d talked her out of going down the mathematical route. She wished the mist-wreathed figure had been a little more specific, but even though she didn’t know what she wanted, it was good to know what she didn’t.
Chapter 24
True Love’s Kiss
Beth... Twenty years ago...
Beth woke with a smile on her face, and leaped out of bed, the early morning sunshine peeking through her window filling her with joy and energy. Today was Jennifer’s wedding, and she was taking Mike as her date.
Glancing over at the gorgeous black dress she’d be wearing for her bridesmaid duties, she bubbled over with excitement. Now that Mike would see her in it, she was even more grateful to her sister for standing up to their mother and letting her choose her own dress. Walking up the aisle with him while weighed down in some dowdy pale apricot taffeta confection would have been hard to bear.
Elated, she raced into the room next to hers and yanked the door open. “Come on Jenny, get up! Today is the day!” she cried, jumping on her sister’s bed. She gasped, as a really old memory hit her, of doing the same thing. There had been a time, when they were both really young, that they were close, before their cruel mother had pitched them into competition with each other for her miserly affection. Smiling at the memory, she shook it off as she shook Jenny’s shoulder.
The bride-to-
be opened her eyes slowly and stretched, then yawned leisurely before she grinned up at Beth.
“It really is,” she said, joy suffusing her features. “I can’t believe that Mother will have to let me go now, since in just a few hours I will finally be ‘grown-up’ and ‘respectable’ – according to her, anyway – since I’ll be married,” she continued, rolling her eyes and grinning sarcastically.
Then she looked more closely at Beth. “How come you’re so happy? And up so early?”
“Well, my beautiful sister is getting married to her true love today, and running away to her dream life far from our pesky parents, so what’s not to celebrate?” she asked, raising one eyebrow in mock hurt.
Jennifer laughed. “True, but there’s something else. You seemed so sad when you got here, but now you’re just radiating joy and contentment. Excitement even.”
Blushing, Beth tried to school her face, not wanting to give away just how happy she was. “Well, it’s been really nice becoming friends with Violet, and weaving magic with her and her mum Rose. And it’s been eye-opening, to say the least, to discover what it would have been like to have a mother who actually cared about me. What I wouldn’t give to be able to swap parents with Violet,” she sighed.
Jenny squeezed her sister’s hand. “It doesn’t matter now. We don’t need to put ourselves through it any more. I’m going back to Scotland with Josh, and you’re free too. Free to stay here, or return to Paris, or go to London, or New York, or Sydney – wherever you want to go! The world is your oyster. You’re free to let go of all the drama and let your beautiful heart shine.”
Beth smiled, her heart overflowing with emotion. “Becoming closer to you has been the best thing about coming home,” she said, and it was true. “I really regret that we were both in too much pain to be friends when we were younger.”
Her sister nodded. “I totally agree, and I really look forward to you visiting us soon, so we can spend more time together. But there’s something else to your happiness, isn’t there,” Jenny stated, and it wasn’t a question. “Something that’s making you glow. It’s gotta be a guy, right?”
“Well, it’s been amazing getting to know Mike too,” she finally admitted. “He’s so kind, so considerate. It kind of gives me hope that there are nice guys out there...” she trailed off.
No matter how close she’d grown to her sister over the past few weeks, there was no way she could reveal just how much she liked Mike, and how often he filled not just her dreams, but her waking moments too.
“He’s coming today, isn’t he?” her sister asked, with a glint of mischief, and Beth was worried that she would reveal her feelings in her voice or expression if she said any more. So she just nodded, feeling her blush returning, and wondered how to change the subject before she incriminated herself.
It wasn’t quite the escape she’d hoped for, but at that moment their mother rushed into the room to castigate them both and order them downstairs for breakfast before the hair and make-up artists arrived. Patricia was like a whirlwind as she bossed them both around, fired off orders to the caterers, then collapsed into a chair opposite her daughters.
Disapproval radiated off her as she criticised their food choices, their manners, the apparently massive black circles under their eyes – because it was clearly an affront to her, that they hadn’t been able to sleep much the previous night. The bride-to-be rolled her eyes at her sister, earning a giggle that was quickly frowned upon, and when their mother started harping on about the unsuitability of Beth’s bridesmaid dress, for the fourth time that week, they quickly stood up and made their excuses to run back upstairs and get ready.
As annoying as the time with her mother had been though, nothing could pierce Beth’s bubble of joy at knowing that Mike would soon arrive to accompany her to the church, and stand by her side during the ceremony. It was like a real date, and as much as she knew she should feel guilty about her intentions towards Violet’s boyfriend, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Besides, her friend was currently obsessing over Andrew, so surely she could dream a little?
* * * * *
A knock on the front door made Beth’s stomach flip with nerves, and when her father called up the stairs moments later to let her know that Mike had arrived, she suddenly felt light-headed. It was stupid that she felt more nervous than her sister, who was about to walk down the aisle and vow to love a man forever, yet Jenny looked the picture of calm and contentment, while she was shaking like a leaf.
Touching a hand to the mysteriously gifted rose quartz heart pendant around her neck for strength, she hugged her sister and told her she’d meet her at the church, then made her way down to the lounge room. She gasped as she caught sight of Mike, who looked even more handsome and grown up than usual as he leaned casually against the mantlepiece in a black suit. And when his eyes met hers, she’d swear she saw admiration as he looked her up and down, from the sleek black stilettos to the sophisticated yet sexy long black dress, her smoky-eyed make-up and the wave of blonde curls spilling down her back.
“Mike, thank you so much for coming with me today,” she said, voice a little unsteady. But his wide grin instantly set her at ease, and she remembered there was no need to be scared or nervous. This was her friend Mike, who she’d done everything from eating hamburgers to performing magical ceremonies with over the past month, who’d seen her dressed up for a ritual and looking pretty, as well as rain-soaked and bleary eyed, with tomato sauce dripping down her chin, at a recent lunch with Violet. Her breathing returned to normal, and she decided to just enjoy the day, and get to know Mike even better than she already did.
When a car horn tooted outside, he took her arm and guided her down the front steps and out to the waiting black limo. Jenny’s best friend Katie and her boyfriend Eric, and Josh’s brother Brandon and his wife Phoebe, were already inside, and opened the door for them and ushered them in.
“You look gorgeous Beth,” Katie said, then grinned. “Jenny certainly has a good-looking bridal party!”
Beth smiled self-consciously, having always been in awe of her sister’s worldly best friend, but managed to introduce Mike to everyone. The others drew them into their conversation, and the half-hour drive flew by. Being away from her mother, and by Mike’s side, certainly lifted her spirits, and before she knew it they’d arrived and were being guided into a small room off the side of the church.
Suddenly nervous as she peeked in and saw how many people were already inside, she looked at Mike in panic. But his kind smile, complete with the crinkling around his eyes that she loved so much, calmed her down, and when he took her hand, a warmth and sense of comfort spread slowly through her body and into her heart.
“You look beautiful Beth,” he whispered. “There’s no need to be nervous – I’ll be with you every step of the way, okay?”
Nodding, she picked up her bouquet of red roses and followed the usher around the verandah to the front entrance. All the guests had been seated, so she motioned to Katie that they were ready to start, then she and Mike slowly walked into the church. He kept hold of her hand as they walked up the aisle, and although she should have been thinking about Jenny, the only thing she was aware of was the gentle pressure of his fingers and the amazing feeling of being so supported.
For a moment she allowed herself to imagine that they were walking up the aisle on their wedding day – but when she almost tripped over her dress, she quickly refocused on the job at hand. “You okay?” Mike whispered, and she nodded quickly, and only blushed a tiny bit.
Finally they reached the altar, and Mike let go of her hand so they could take their places opposite each other. Turning back to the doorway, Beth beamed as she watched Brandon, Phoebe and Eric make their way to the front then peel off, Phoebe standing next to her, Eric with Mike, and Brandon joining the groom at the altar.
And then all thought left her as she saw her sister silhouetted in the sunlit church entrance. Jenny looked stunning, and so radiant and filled with jo
y that it took her breath away. Her simple, elegant dress floated out around her, her long blonde hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, and her best friend was beaming as she held the ends of the veil and small train Jenny had agreed on as a compromise to the full-on meringue wedding gown their mother had demanded.
Beth was overcome with emotion as she saw the look that Jenny and her almost-husband shared – their eyes were locked on each other, as though they were the only two people in existence, and she supposed, to them, they were. None of the theatrics of today were for them. It was like no one else in the church was there, and her heart almost burst as she understood, for the first time, just how much Jenny and Josh adored each other.
There really was no one else on earth for them, and she realised that the arguments with their mother over guest lists, seating and traditions, the stress of preparations, and the responsibility of having all eyes on them, meant absolutely nothing to the couple. This occasion, this day, was for them alone, and she finally understood why Jenny had point-blank refused to have either of their parents walk her down the aisle. This walk she was on was a walk away from them, a walk to independence, and to love. The love and passion the bride and groom felt for each other was so intense she thought she might burn up in the heat of it, but it made her so happy that she could barely contain herself. This was real love.
Glancing over at Mike, she saw that he could sense it too, and that he comprehended the depth of their love because he felt the same thing. He loved Violet in the same way. She could see the reflection of it in his eyes. Yet for some reason this knowledge didn’t make her sad or jealous, it just filled her with hope that she would experience it for herself one day, and with gratitude that she was able to be a small part of it, with her sister today, and with Mike and Violet every other day.
Into the Storm: Into the Storm Trilogy Book One Page 26
