by Melissa Hill
Olivia’s heart leaped. The baby! She was actually having a baby. She and Peter, her college boyfriend, the long-time love of her life, after all these years they had finally, finally conceived. It was weird she thought, it still wasn’t quite real to her, not until she told Peter anyway. Even though the doctor had congratulated her on the news and given her the due date, to Olivia it wouldn’t be true, it wouldn’t be real until she told Peter. After three years of marriage, and two years of trying, it had finally happened. It had actually happened. She and Peter were about to become parents. He would be ecstatic. Olivia mentally hugged herself as she tried to imagine what their baby would look like. The doctor had told her to come back in a few weeks for the first ultrasound and she couldn’t wait to see Peter’s face when they heard the heartbeat for the very first time – oh, this was just amazing news.
The next hour passed without event and Olivia managed to get through a much overdue pile of paperwork. She sat back in her chair and yawned. “Great, nearly time to go home,” she sighed, relieved.
No sooner were the words out of her mouth, than Susan, one of the centre’s many volunteers, came into the office. “Olivia, bit of an emergency – someone’s just brought in this poor Labrador – he’s going into convulsions …”
Without a second thought Olivia leapt into action and twenty minutes later her hands were buried deep in the dog’s abdomen, trying to remove the dangerously sharp pieces of bone that had most likely come from a cooked chicken. Judging by his condition, the dog was most likely a stray who starving, had come across the chicken carcass in someone’s refuse and probably unable to believe his luck, had gone through it with relish and amazing speed. But now the poor thing could lose his life because of it. Shards of bone had punctured his stomach and upper colon and Olivia knew that he was lucky to have been discovered.
At last, the extractions were done and Olivia completed the final phases of surgery. Then she looked up at the clock. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the time. It was after five.
“Blast it, Alma, I didn’t realise the time. I told Peter I’d be leaving at four.”
“Go on, off with you,” said Alma. “I’ll finish up here. And sorry – I didn’t notice the time either –”
“My fault,” Olivia rushed to remove her scrubs.
She hastily cleaned herself up. Then she rang Peter’s mobile but only got his answer service. Perhaps he was still driving home … She tried the house but got the answering machine. In her haste to get to work that morning, she’d left her own mobile at home on the kitchen table, so if Peter thought she’d already left and was trying to contact her on that he wouldn’t be able to. Finally she left the centre and hurried to her car.
Some twenty minutes later, after battling maddening traffic, she drove into their housing estate, her heart plunging towards her stomach as she saw the ambulance parked there.
A small group of people were standing around on the path outside her house, their faces grave as they saw her car approach. Among them was her mother, turning a striken face towards her. There was her next-door neighbour Cora and her new neighbour Deirdre with her little boy – Alex, Olivia remembered his name was, and then wondered why all this stupid trivia was running through her mind. It was a delaying tactic, she thought, simply a delaying tactic. Because one look at her mother’s face and Olivia knew that something terrible had happened.
Her body wracked with fear, her movements almost zombie-like, she got out of the car and went to her mother. “What’s going on, Mum?” she asked, her voice shaking. What are you doing here? Where’s Peter?”
For a long moment, Eva didn’t answer; she just continued to stare at her daughter, her expression a mixture of sorrow and pity. Instantly Olivia felt her stomach twist. Oh no, please no, please don’t do this to me …
“Mum? Where’s Peter?” This time her voice was barely a whisper.
“Love – ” Eva reach for her, her eyes brimming with tears. “Love … he’s … it’s …” She shook her head from side to side, unable to find the right words.
“Mum I asked you a question!” Olivia cried. “What’s going on? Is Peter home?”
Eva’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she shook her head. “I’m so sorry, love,” she whispered hoarsely. “He didn’t make it.”
“What – what do you mean?” Olivia barely got the words out. Her mind whirled. “Did you – who – ?”
“No I only just arrived now – Cora from next door phoned me. She couldn’t get you at work or on the mobile. It was that new neighbour of yours, Deirdre, who –”
“Oh please, no…” Olivia’s heart stopped then as, behind her mother, she spotted the paramedics lifting something no – someone – into the ambulance on a stretcher.
A covered stretcher.
With a cry she made to run towards the ambulance, but somehow Eva stopped her. “There’s no point, love,” she said, holding her daughter in her arms. “It was a massive attack. He’s gone.”
“No …” Olivia’s words were barely a whisper, and it was as though all the breath had somehow departed from her lungs, all the blood had left her body. She felt as though she was no longer part of herself, as if she were somehow floating outside it.
“There was nothing we could do, pet,” her mother continued sorrowfully. “By the time the ambulance got here, it was too late – we were all too late.” She tightened her embrace. “I’m so sorry, love. But he’s gone.”
“But how … what … what happened?” Olivia’s legs had turned to jelly and she began to sway.
“They’re not fully sure yet, pet. Look you need to sit down. Let’s go – let’s go next door to Cora’s, OK?”
Shocked and bewildered, Olivia let her mother lead her away. A million and one emotions coursed through her, but strangely at that moment she could only make sense of one. “Oh Mum, I could have done something …I should have been there…” she blurted hoarsely, overwhelmed with remorse.
“There’s no point in saying that, love. There was nothing anyone could have done.”
But that wasn’t true, and Olivia knew it. They might have been helpless but she would have known what to do.
But Olivia had been too busy doing something else; too concerned with being the big saviour for her animals … and now it had cost her everything.
4
To make her feel even worse, Olivia thought now as she and Elle drove home having successfully operated on the little hit-and-run victim – today was her and Peter’s wedding anniversary. She shook her head. It was inevitable that she would think about it, she thought about it every time, but still for Ellie’s sake, she had to try not to let it upset her too much.
She let herself and Ellie in the door of the modest semi-detached house in Lakeview she had moved to not long after her daughter was born. It had been a difficult time, trying to raise a new baby so soon after losing her husband, but Olivia thanked Heaven every day that the strain and pressure of it all hadn’t affected her pregnancy. Ellie was all she had now, and although her mum, Peter’s parents, Leah and her other friends were great, Olivia still felt lonely sometimes. Without Peter it was as though she was no longer a complete person. The two of them had been together so long, had thought they’d be together forever, and then one moment of forgetfulness – of stupidity – had taken him away from her. Everyone told her it wasn’t her fault that she’d been late back, but Olivia blamed herself for what had happened. Yes, maybe she couldn’t have saved him … but now she would never know, would she? And for a very long time, the guilt had nearly been harder than the grief.
Still that had been nearly five years ago now, and with the exception of significant anniversaries or birthdays, Olivia was getting on with it. She had good friends, a nice house close to her parents in a lovely village and of course she had Ellie, who was her pride and joy. Her mum looked after Ellie when Olivia was at the centre and luckily, Alma never minded her having to drag Ellie along whenever there was an emergency. All in all,
she supposed she’d coped quite well.
She made herself and her daughter a small snack.
“Mum, can I do some painting afterwards?” Ellie asked.
“Yes but only if you stay in the kitchen this time,” she said, ruffling her daughter’s fair curls. Her hair was way too long and flyaway, but Olivia couldn’t bring herself to cut it and part with those beautiful little ringlets – not just yet.
Later Olivia had just finished cleaning the bath when she heard her mobile phone beep from somewhere. She stood up, red-faced from exertion and went to hunt for the phone.
When she did find it, she didn’t recognise the number, but that was nothing new. She hated mobile phones and only kept one so she could be contacted by the Centre or by her mother when she had Ellie, if necessary. Otherwise she couldn’t be bothered.
It was a text message.“Nailed it” proclaimed the sender.
Olivia smiled. It had to be Leah. Her friend had taken her driving test this morning and, by some miracle must have passed it. She must have had to change her phone number again too, she thought. Leah was forever losing her phone or leaving it behind in places, and had changed it four times this year alone, which was why it was a question of ‘pick a number – any number’ when you wanted to get Leah on the mobile. Luckily it didn’t feature on any of her business literature; otherwise she would never have any customers.
“I don’t believe it,” Olivia wrote back, meaning it. Leah was the scariest driver she had ever come across.
“Please – you should never doubt my amazing abilities.” Leah shot back, and Olivia grinned. Her friend was obviously thrilled with herself.
“So are you celebrating tonight then?” she enquired, thinking that Josh would probably take her out somewhere. Painfully slow at inputting text messages, this was a long sentence by Olivia’s standards, and it took her ages to complete it.
“Definitely. Fancy joining me?”
Oh Josh must be working late or something then. Olivia thought about it. At that moment, a few drinks and a chat with Leah sounded wonderful. She hadn’t realised just how much she’d missed her until Leah had returned from Belgium.
It was wonderful to have her back in Ireland again, and although Olivia had made lots of friends over the years, there were none like those who knew you best. With Leah, she never had to avoid the subject of Peter, never had to answer awkward questions about her single status. Not that it was anyone else’s business, but Olivia only felt comfortable talking about Peter to those who knew him. And considering the day that was in it she could do with some cheering up. Yes, she’d love to pop up to Dublin and see Leah tonight, she thought smiling.
Despite the fact that she hated leaving her, she knew she could ask her mother to look after Ellie. She loved having her and Ellie adored being spoiled by her grandmother. Eva would be delighted, she was always on at Olivia to get out and about more. Having been on her own for quite some time now, she knew her mother would like her to move on and maybe try to meet someone else. She met Leah and hunky Josh for a drink occasionally but it had been ages, months actually, since she and her friend had been out on the town on their own. And Leah passing her test was a great excuse for a celebration.
“Will see how land lies and get back to you,” she texted again very slowly and then using her fixed line phone, dialled her mother’s number.
“Mum would you mind looking after Ellie for a few hours this evening? Leah passed her driving test and wants me to meet her for a drink in Dublin to celebrate. I can drop her off on my way.”
“She passed it?” Eva, who knew Leah well, sounded surprised. “Did she bribe the tester – or did she try the short-skirt trick?”
“I’d imagine it was something like that or else the poor guy was so terrified he didn’t know what he was doing,” Olivia said with a smile.
“Probably. But of course I’ll take Ellie. We’ll be here all evening so drop her over whenever you want.”
“Thanks Mum.”
“And be sure and enjoy yourselves and don’t worry about coming back early or anything,” Eva soothed. “It’s a Friday night, after all.”
“Don’t worry, Mum, we’re a bit old for the Temple Bar thing – well, I am anyway,” she added wryly, trying to remember the last time she was on a rip-roaring night out in the city. Not that she missed it.
“Just take your time and enjoy it – that’s all I’m saying,” Eva said. “Ellie will be fine with myself and your dad.”
“Well, I’d better start getting her ready then, not to mention myself. See you later OK?”
“And tell Leah I said congratulations, won’t you? Although make sure she gets a taxi home too. I don’t want that friend of yours trying to prove to everyone what a good driver she is after ten Barcardi and cokes.” Her mother’s infectious laughter trilled down the line and Olivia smiled. Eva knew Leah too well – and it would be just like her to try something like that.
She read Leah’s mobile number from the text message and tried phoning but the line was engaged. Leah was no doubt swinging from the grapevine at this stage, telling the good news to all and sundry. She might as well just send her a text then. “Celebrations good to go. Meet you later. Say where and when …”
It was a few minutes before Leah replied. “Fantastic. Meet you in Searson’s on Baggot St around six? Champers on me.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. Champers? Leah really was going all out tonight. She didn’t care what they drank, she was just looking forward to getting together with her friend for what would undoubtedly be a great night.
LATER THAT EVENING, Leah’s mobile rang just as she was putting the key in the front door of her apartment.
“Hi Eva,” she answered warmly, seeing the number displayed on the screen. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Olivia’s mother said cheerily. “Olivia told me about the driving test and I’m thrilled for you. I just wanted to say enjoy yourselves tonight, but also to make sure Olivia does too and –”
“Thrilled?” Leah interrupted, startled. “Eva I failed - miserably. There’s nothing to be thrilled about.”
“What? But why on earth did you tell Olivia you passed it then?”
Leah frowned, confused. “I haven’t spoken to Olivia since last night when she rang to wish me good luck, but good luck must have gone on holiday.” She rolled her eyes. “What on earth would make her think I passed it?”
“But she said the two of you were going out for a celebratory drink in Dublin tonight. She said you’d sent her a text telling her you’d passed the test, and would she come up for a night out this evening. She wanted to know if I could take Ellie. She wouldn’t have made it up, surely?”
“She said I sent her a text?”
“Well I’m not completely certain, but I think she mentioned a text.”
“Eva I’ve been on a different planet most of today, but I’m one hundred per cent positive that I did not send Olivia a text asking her to come to Dublin tonight.” Although it sounded good, now that Leah thought of it. She could do with drowning her sorrows. “Where did she say she was meeting me?”
“She didn’t mention that. But, I’m a little concerned now. I know Olivia is a grown woman and she can do what she pleases, but why would she lie about meeting you?”
“Maybe she has a secret lover on the go?” Leah said dramatically, although she dismissed the thought as soon as she said it. Olivia wouldn’t have a secret lover; her friend wouldn’t have a lover full-stop. Peter had been the love of Olivia’s life and the only man she had ever wanted in her life. Still, it was all a bit strange.
Then Leah’s eyes widened as she thought of something. “Maybe she just presumed it was me?” she said, her mind racing as the possibility hit her. “Olivia never updates her phone, and I’ve changed my number since – maybe she got some kind of message and assumed it was from me?”
“What?” Eva pondered this. Then her voice changed. “But Leah, if that is the case then Olivia –”
Leah finished the sentence for her, her eyes wide. “Olivia has got the wrong end of the stick and has made arrangements to meet someone else tonight – someone who definitely isn’t me.”
5
Robin slung her bag over her shoulder and headed north on Broadway. It was early April, but already the air was thick with a humidity that she reckoned only hardy, seasoned New Yorkers could tolerate. She still hadn’t got used to the high spring temperatures, let alone the choking heat of midsummer. She had just left the air-conditioned cool of the office for the day, but already her face was red and perspiring and her light cotton shirt super-glued to her chest and back.
Long strands of auburn hair were plastered to her face and neck and not for the first time, she wondered if she should just bite the bullet and chop the whole lot off. Still, it had taken so long to grow and, most of the time it was quite manageable and needed little styling – days like today excepted when she looked like someone who’d been trapped in a jungle for months on end.
It wasn’t about to get any easier she thought wryly, as she reached Wall St Station and began to descend the steps. The subway was tough going at the best of times, so on a day like today she would be lucky to take in a single breath of air, let alone a fresh one.
She was just about to insert her travel-pass into the ticket barrier, when her phone rang. “Nice timing,” she muttered to herself, and quickly stood back as a throng of hassled-looking commuters hastened towards her. Two seconds later and she would have been out of range in the tunnels. She glanced at the caller display and was disappointed when she recognised Ben’s cell number.
“Ben hi,” she said, her tone flat. A call at this time of day usually meant that Ben was working late – something that lately was happening more often than not, and another reason why the planned trip to Washington would have been a welcome break.
