by Laura Burton
The realisation that Dr Saunders was right struck Amelia—Toby was created by her mind, to help her overcome the challenges of being in a coma and losing her grandma. Did he not teach her to worry less about what other people thought? Did he not help her to look outside the box and to embrace an adventure? He guided her through the unknown and she learned to enjoy the thrill of doing something new. Maybe one day, she would meet a man who would be there for her, like Toby was. It was hard to imagine. As denial faded away, pain gnawed at her stomach. She missed him. Her heart felt hollow and food lost its flavour, turning to ash inside her dry mouth. Her grandma was gone, she had no friends and Toby wasn’t even real.
“There’s nothing for me here now,” she said out loud to the empty room, then she dialled a number and waited.
“Hello, I would like to put my apartment up for sale please,” she said heavily.
“Ah, I am so pleased to see that the painting is still in perfect condition. When I heard about the accident, I assumed it was destroyed.” Mr. Chance sighed as his delicate fingers entwined with each other and he stared fondly at the peacock painting in Amelia’s hands.
“Is the offer still on the table?” Amelia asked as she placed the painting down and rested her hands on her hips. Mr. Chance pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows as he stood in thought for a moment.
“You’re in luck, it turns out. Our purchasers love a good story when it comes to buying pieces of art. And to say this has been saved from the terrible car accident with the reporter who beat death and came back to life after a coma? The bids will be flying high.” Though his words seemed excited, Mr. Chance mumbled, his lips barely moving as he spoke. “As such, the sum of one hundred and fifty-thousand pounds is still acceptable,” he said in his monotone voice. Amelia couldn’t decide if this was his poker face and he was doing an Irish dance in his head, or if he was genuinely bored.
“Great, it’s yours.” Amelia shook his nimble hand.
“Marvellous,” he replied with a glint in his eyes. Amelia wondered if she was selling the painting short; perhaps it was now worth much more than the previous quote. She had become a local celebrity after all. Once Jerry’s news article was posted about her, half of England knew Amelia and her story. Jerry had placed a few romantic half-truths. Like the fact that she fell in love with a man in her dreams only to wake up with heartache, realising he was nothing but a fantasy. And that in her sorrow and desperation to be reunited with her imaginary boyfriend, she sits on a bench in the Cotswolds and reads romance novels, waiting for her “boyfriend” to show up. The story was picked up by some larger newspapers and Amelia was able to sell her story for a few thousand pounds. She didn’t know why she agreed to do it, now that the whole of England thought she was crazy. But there was something about sharing her story that kept Toby alive.
Amelia walked out of the auctioneer’s and squinted her eyes against the sunlight as she stuffed the cheque into her purse. There was a light breeze that swept across the carpark and Amelia got into her new Ford and sat there for a moment, wondering what to do next. Suddenly, she felt a vibration in her pocket; she pulled out her phone and answered the call.
“Miss Smart, I’m very pleased to inform you that we have a buyer for your apartment.”
“That was quick,” Amelia stated, her tone emotionless.
“Yes, well I did say that with the sea views and high demand in the area it wouldn’t take long,” the estate agent said quickly. “Anyway, he is a retired gentleman, who’s been living in rented accommodation having sold his property. He’s a cash buyer, so we should be able to get this deal sewn up before the summer is out,” he continued brightly.
“Great, that’s great news.” Amelia attempted to muster some emotion. Now she had enough money in the bank to live off for years if she wanted to. Or buy a mansion in Texas. She quit her job at the newspaper and decided to embrace the unknown. Perhaps Fate was real and there was a plan for her? She ended the call and started the engine decidedly. Everything felt numb. She should have been jumping for joy and planning a cruise around the world. But at the end of the day, it was only money. With nothing left to tie her anywhere in the world, she decided to drive in any direction that drew her.
As Amelia drove, she was reminded of the newspaper article that said she read romance novels in the Cotswolds. A wry smile crossed her lips as she decided to turn off and park at a scenic spot nearby. She paid no attention to the signage, or what her surroundings looked like. She just walked, as if zombified. After many months of tears and screaming into her pillow, she was empty. For so many long nights, she prayed to see her grandma in a dream or have a glimpse of Toby again. She wished for some form of comfort. Anything, at all. But if she had dreams, she didn’t remember them. There was no comfort, no warmth, no glowing lights or sweet whispers of love. Nothing. She was empty and alone.
Amelia found a little wooden bench across from a small river and sat down. She brushed her purple cotton skirt and picked off a few strands of hair from her white blouse as she settled back into the seat. The sun was starting to set behind the trees and the sky changed colour, to a beautiful burnt orange.
Amelia closed her eyes and allowed her mind to clear. She had been practising self-hypnosis as part of her recovery and had become quite proficient at steadying her breathing and relaxing the tension in her body. She allowed her thoughts to slow down and her mind to become clear like a summer’s day.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” Amelia frowned at the sound that had broken into her private thoughts, when a glimmer of recognition flashed like a bolt of lightning across her mind’s eye. Amelia opened her eyes and looked up to see the tall figure towering over her. She shielded her eyes from the orange sunlight flooding her vision and as her eyes adjusted, there were blue eyes staring back.
Part Two
California – Ten Years Ago
Chapter Twenty
“Hey, Toby! I’m gonna grab a bite to eat and catch some waves. You wanna come?” Toby secured the last wheel nut on the rim of his mom’s truck and stood up to see who was talking. It was Eddie, his friend who lived a few doors down the road. Eddie and Toby grew up together; they’d lost touch for a year when Eddie went off to college, but he dropped out and came home to take care of his dad, who had been injured in the military. The two of them often spent the evenings at the beach, after Eddie’s dad went to bed.
“Yeah, hang on, I’ll be out in a sec,” Toby called out as he wiped his hands on the rag sticking out of his shorts. Oil fumes flooded his nostrils with every inhale, and black marks stained the skin on his arms. He jumped up a concrete step and opened the front door to his house. As he entered, Toby’s body shivered at the sudden contact with a blast of cold air.
“Hey, Mom, I changed your flat. You’re good to go,” Toby shouted. Toby’s mother appeared at the top of the staircase; she was holding a laundry basket full of clothes on her hip and carefully made her way down the stairs.
“Thanks, Toby. I’m just putting on a wash load for Irene next door and then I’m going out for groceries. Is there anything you want for your big day tomorrow?” Her sing-song voice floated down the staircase. As she reached Toby, wispy tufts of white-blonde hair framed her narrow face, and her blue eyes sparkled in the ray of sunshine streaming in through the windows.
“I’m okay. I’m going out with Eddie tonight—”
“Is that such a good idea? You need to be on top form tomorrow,” Toby’s mother interjected.
“I’ll take it easy. If I sit around the house all night, I’ll just get worked up.”
“Okay, but don’t stay out too late though, and be safe!” Toby’s mother placed the laundry basket on the stone tiled floor and raised her hands and planted them on Toby’s cheeks. She grinned at him and tilted her head to the side and then wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a firm hug. The musky aroma of her perfume flooded his mind with childhood memories, and he smiled as he buried his face into her wiry hair.
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br /> “Love you, baby,” she said softly as they broke apart. Toby smiled.
“Love you too, Mom,” he said and then he scaled the stairs like a mountain cat, eager to get ready for another evening of adventure.
When Eddie and Toby went out together, it was a well-known fact that their escapades often descended into a fiasco. The two dare-devils thrived off competition. Who could jump the highest, who could swim the farthest, who could run the fastest? One time, Eddie spent six weeks in hospital after breaking his leg in three places and needed surgery after doing a backflip off the back of his uncle’s speedboat.
Tonight is going to be different, Toby promised himself. Tomorrow was the biggest day of his career and if he wanted to have a future in water sports, he needed to be on his A game. Of all his friends at Elton High, Toby made the decision not to go to college, but instead got picked up by an agent and went on tour around the States participating in surfing championships. He had a cabinet full of trophies in his grandfather’s office. The competition the next day would be the biggest of them all. Champion surfers from around the world gathered to compete for the title of World Champion. The previous winner, Arnold Whippet from Australia would be there. Toby swallowed nervously; his mouth suddenly became dry as he thought about who he was competing against.
“Hey, Toby, let’s go. The waves are sick tonight!” Toby towelled off his hair and grabbed a shirt as he walked out of the bathroom.
“Be right down,” he shouted as he finished getting ready. He grabbed his board shorts and checked his teeth in the mirror before he left his room. Shaking his blonde bangs out of his eyes, he brushed it to the side, then he ran down the stairs to meet Eddie.
“I want you both to promise me, you won’t do anything dangerous.” Toby’s mother appeared in the hallway with her hands on her hips. Even with her lips pursed and her attempt at looking stern, Toby could see the knowing smile behind her grimace.
“Don’t you worry, Jill. I’ll make sure Toby keeps out of trouble,” Eddie said with a charming smile. Toby’s mother eyed him. Eddie’s wavy brown hair and huge dark eyes coupled with a bright smile often got him out of any trouble. It also helped that Toby’s mother held a soft spot for him because of his choice to care for his disabled father.
“Well, you two have a fun,” she said warmly, then marched out of the house, her keys jingled as she went.
When the door closed behind her Eddie turned to face Toby with a grin. “It’s freakin’ frothy out there, man.” They left the house and Toby climbed into the passenger side of Eddie’s VW camper.
“Have you been out already?” Toby asked him. He shifted in his seat and pulled at his shorts to stop being pinched.
When Eddie didn’t answer right away, Toby looked at him with his brows raised. He noticed a sneaky smile spread across Eddie’s tanned face.
“Let me guess, Candice?” he asked with a wry smile.
“Dude, nothing happened. We just… you know, took a walk along the beach,” Eddie said, his face flushing with color.
“When are you two going to date exclusively?” Toby rested his elbow against the door and glanced out at the world passing by in a blur of colors. Eddie shrugged.
“I don’t know man. It’s complicated.” Toby turned his head back to look at him.
“Complicated? Why?” Eddie furrowed his brows in thought as he drove and remained silent.
“I don’t get it. You two have been going out since third grade. Just make it official already!” Toby said as he threw his hands in the air. Eddie shook his head and laughed.
“Hey, did you hear Bradley’s uncle is giving him a supercar?” Eddie said as he cleared his throat. Toby took the hint.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I don’t know, probably something Italian though. It’s being imported from his mansion in Venice.” Eddie pulled up in a parking bay by the beachfront and turned off the engine. Toby whistled.
“Sweet, can’t wait to check it out when it gets here.” Eddie nodded enthusiastically, seemingly grateful for the change in subject.
The two of them got out of the van and pulled out their boards from the back. Toby raised a hand to his brow to shield the golden sunlight obscuring his vision of the horizon. The water rolled over in huge barrel-shaped waves and crashed onto the smooth glass-like water running to the edge of the beach.
Toby smiled at Eddie and nodded his approval.
“How did it go?” Toby’s mother asked as he walked through the kitchen and opened the fridge.
“It was awesome. If the conditions are like that tomorrow, that title is in the bag,” he said as he opened a bottle of root beer. He kicked the refrigerator door closed with his foot and walked over to the living area. There was a corner couch sitting in front of a large plasma TV. He jumped over the back of the couch and landed heavily with a proud grin on his face, having kept his beverage from spilling.
“Don’t do that. One of these days you’ll have an accident and destroy something.” Toby’s mother reprimanded him while she sat curled up in an armchair with her laptop.
“What are you up to?” Toby asked her brightly, ignoring her warning. She took a breath and looked back at her laptop screen as she typed.
“I’m catching up on some admin for the business,” she murmured. They sat in low ambient lamplight, and Toby noticed her face was illuminated by the LED screen. The harsh light enhanced the dark circles under her eyes.
“Mom, you look tired. Can it wait until tomorrow?” he asked softly before taking another swig of his root beer.
“I wish, but no. We got some enquiries about the two bed in the Cotswolds.”
“Are you selling it?”
“Well, it’s our least booked property. I’m thinking about reinvesting in a more popular location.”
“How about Brisbane?”
“Too far from good beaches.”
“Really? Arnold Whippet is from Brisbane,” he said with surprise. Toby’s mother shifted in her seat and her neck cracked as she tilted her head side to side.
“I was thinking of getting a place in Texas.”
“Texas? What the heck?” Toby burst out.
“Well, you know, it’s cheap to get a big house with a pool.”
Toby and his mother debated for almost an hour until Jill looked at her watch at gasped. “What am I thinking? It’s almost one in the morning. Go, off to bed right now,” she ordered as she pointed a finger at Toby who raised his hands defensively.
“Okay, Mom, but I am not a kid anymore. You know that, right? You can’t just send me off to bed like I’m—”
“Elliott Tobias Jackson, I don’t care if you are nineteen or ninety-nine, I am still your mother and you have a massive day tomorrow—”
“You keep saying that,” Toby murmured.
“GO TO BED!” she shouted. Her upper lip was shiny from perspiration, and her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Clearly, she was not in the mood to be messed with. Toby shrugged and got to his feet.
“All right, fine, I’ll see you in the morning, Mom.” He stooped down to give her a hug, then left the room and made his way to his bedroom.
-
Toby had a dreamless sleep and woke with a start. He trudged slowly into the shower and closed his eyes as he inhaled the steam to steady his nerves. A constant lump sat at the bottom of his throat and despite repeated attempts to swallow, it wouldn’t go away. Toby wrapped a white towel around his waist and secured it in place as he posed in front of the floor length mirror. He rounded his shoulders and tensed his muscles, scrutinizing his form.
“Toby! Hurry up!” His mother’s voice filled the air like a siren. Toby stopped posing and pulled on his favorite swim shorts and threw the towel on the back of a chair as he strolled out of his room.
The smell of bacon wafted up the stairs as Toby walked down and when he entered the kitchen his mouth fell open.
“Mom, are you feeding the whole neighborhood?” He looked at the trays of freshly
-baked blueberry muffins and stacks of pancakes spread out over the countertop. Jill appeared flustered; her hair was stuck to the sweat on her forehead and she hurried around the kitchen wearing a giant pair of pink oven gloves. Toby stood and watched her pull out another tray of muffins and closed the oven with her narrow hip, before perching the tray on the edge of the worktop next to the refrigerator. Before Toby could say anything, the doorbell rang. His mom’s face snapped in Toby’s direction and her eyes were wide as she motioned for him to get the door.
“Morning. Wow! It smells amazing in here. Is Jill making breakfast?” A large man, nearly a foot taller than Toby, entered the house after he opened the door, and behind him, a group of shirtless, tanned young men followed. If anyone looked at them from a distance, they would think this group were models getting ready for a photo shoot at the beach. Their tight muscles and defined torsos were a testament to the hours of training they put in to their sport. Toby smiled broadly and clapped them all on the shoulders as they passed by.
“Hey, guys, what are you all doing here?” he asked as he closed the door and followed everyone into the kitchen.
“You didn’t think we’d miss the big event, did you?” the tall man asked with a booming laugh, then his eyes lit up at the sight of Jill, who had transformed herself from frazzled to dazzled as she beamed at the man with bright eyes and flicked her hair away from her shoulder as she approached him.
“Teddy, I’m glad you made it,” she said delightedly and planted a kiss on his cheek. She giggled and wiped away the pink lipstick left behind. Teddy momentarily closed his eyes at her touch with a look of heaven on his face. Toby pulled a face and averted his eyes. Teddy and his mother always flirted when they were together. He was pretty sure she was head over hills in love with him, ever since he started as Toby’s surfing coach when he was five. He was confident that Teddy also had eyes for his mom, yet even after all these years, neither of them made a move to take things past the friendship zone. Instead, Toby had to endure their shameless flirtations and the rising tensions of unspoken desire every time they were in the same room.
