Dear Diary, I miss him!
Maddie’s mother was driving her nuts.
Two days with Raquel and she was ready to run away. She understood her mum’s desire to mother her, but talk about overprotection. She wouldn’t even allow Zach to stay longer than a few minutes for fear he would tire Maddie out. And no matter how much she assured her mum she was fine, Raquel still stood guard nearby.
The ever-present chaperone.
Something was up with Zach. She sensed it. Saw it in his continuous frown and the stress lines on his face, the tense set to his wide shoulders.
Maddie reached out to turn on the lamp next to her bed, the soft light dissipating some of the shadows descending on the bedroom as darkness fell.
Her mum strolled into the room carrying a tray laden with blueberries and strawberries, a champagne glass filled with bubbly amber liquid, and a pink butterfly-adorned mug with steam meandering past the rim. They’d been hanging out on Maddie’s bed after dinner, indulging girl talk when Raquel had paused to fetch refreshments. She placed the tray in the middle of the bed, handed the mug to Maddie with a toothpaste ad smile.
“The champagne’s for me.”
Maddie took the mug. “I gathered.” Her nose twitched at the sickly scent of the camomile tea steaming from the mug.
Raquel eased onto the mattress next to Maddie. “You didn’t have any wine so I cracked open the champers. Hope you weren’t saving it, darling.”
“No. I got it as a gift. You’re welcome to it.” Maddie couldn’t bring herself to sip her herb infused hot water. “I’ve had enough of these teas, Mum. Do you think I can start having coffee again?” She transferred the mug to the bedside table.
Her mum had no such trouble stomaching her own drink. She took a long sip. Maddie watched as half of the cold amber liquid disappeared from the champagne glass.
“As you asked so nicely, I think I’ll let you have some. But you really need to start thinking of knocking it on the head. Coffee is terrible for the body—very acid forming.”
Maddie groaned. Since her mum got all health conscious, everything that wasn’t raw or bland was ‘bad’ for you. Yet Maddie didn’t see her giving up her nightly glass of wine.
“When you give up your wine, I’ll give up my coffee.”
“Now, darling, no need to get testy.”
Raquel had taken over her care. Had insisted on moving in for the duration and no amount of discouragement would dislodge her. Maddie’d tried everything—nothing would shift her mother. Afraid to leave Maddie on her own for any length of time, Raquel had gotten Adán, Maddie’s dad, to run over the things she’d require for a comfortable, lengthy stay.
Maddie couldn’t take any more of the mother-hen treatment. She needed her space. Wanted her mum to leave so Zach would come back. He’d dropped in to see her, but with her mum’s inability to give them so much as a minute alone, he’d left after fifteen minutes with a promise to stop in to check on her tomorrow.
“I’d like to lay off the nuts—seeds and blueberries—too.”
Raquel chuckled. “No need to pout, darling. They’re good for you.” She slid onto the opposite side of Maddie’s bed, tucking her black-jean clad legs beneath her.
“You think so, do you?”
“Of course.”
“Then why are you indulging in champagne and strawberries, and not camomile and blueberries?”
“It’s practically the same thing. Champagne is as calming as camomile, and everyone knows nothing compliments champagne like strawberries.” Raquel gave her a grin and reached for the glass, her green eyes sparkling as she raised it to her lips and took a sip of the bubbly liquid. “Now, where were we?” Raquel selected a plump strawberry. “Ah yes, I remember. You’re still in love with Zach.”
Maddie shook her head. She couldn’t accept the possibility. Not if she wanted to prevent major heartbreak.
“You’ve got it wrong, Mum. Zach’s just a friend.”
Okay, maybe now he was a friend with benefits, but that’s all she could ever let their relationship be. She may have had a chemical glitch for a while there, but she had her hormones back under control now. To let herself fall in love with Zach would put her on a sure road to devastation.
Raquel gave her a doubtful smile. “Whether you’re willing to admit it to me or continue to keep the knowledge to yourself, you are in love with Zachary and have been for a long time. I only pray he wakes up soon and notices before another man comes along and you decide to settle for second best.”
A lump rose to Maddie’s throat in response to her mother’s concerned stare. She could always rely on Raquel to blow her smoke screens out of the way. A deep, ineffable affection for her mum filled Maddie. She couldn’t think of a time when her mother hadn’t been her friend, her confidante. Okay, so she hadn’t told Raquel about Zach moving in next-door, but that was forgivable since she wanted to avoid the inevitable questions.
Raquel was a wonderful mum. A bit clueless at times and had a cringing tendency to speak before thinking, but Maddie adored her. Would do anything for her.
Andalucía came to mind, and with the image a sense of failure. Raquel had been as excited as a little girl going to a party when Maddie had given her the news that Return To New was considering buying the house. The owners had allowed the place to run close to ruins, making it an ideal project for the show.
“Mum?”
Raquel plucked another deep red strawberry from the small salad bowl. “Hmm?” She closed her eyes as she bit into the fruit, then licked a smear of juice from her bottom lip.
Maddie could quite happily live without strawberries, but the way her mum devoured the fruit made them look too delicious to resist. She selected one of the smaller pieces and picked at the tiny petals at the base of the stem, giving the task her full attention.
“I’m sorry about Andalucía.”
Raquel turned her attention to Maddie with a sad gloom darkening her gaze. She twirled her glass between her fingers, staring into the straw-coloured contents.
“Great Gran used to tell me stories about her childhood at Andalucía when I was little. I’d listen and dream that one day I’d get the house back in our family. Then when I found out it was up for sale, and your show was in the running, I truly believed it was a sign that Andalucía belonged to us.”
Her mum’s gaze landed on the berry in Maddie’s hand. “Don’t play with your food, dear.” She drained the last sip of champagne from her glass. “I don’t deny it saddened me when you told me Damien Wallbank sold to a development company, but I know you did everything you could, darling.”
Maddie popped the berry into her mouth. Cool tangy-sweet juice exploded against her taste buds, filled her nose with the scent of ripe strawberry as she chewed slowly, savouring the taste.
“Did I ever tell you about the time Gran fell into the old pond?” Raquel shimmied back against the pillows, her bare feet flat on the bed, hands cradling the now empty glass on her bent knees.
Maddie gave her mum an encouraging smile. She knew Raquel liked to retell the stories.
“It was mid-summer the year Gran was sixteen, and...”
Maddie listened to the tale, chuckling occasionally until Raquel’s words arrested her.
“Say that bit again, Mum.”
“Gran found herself in the middle of the pond in her finest dress, surrounded by Lotus and English Starfruit with the boy she’d secretly been in love with—”
“Wait a minute. I saw something about the English Starfruit while I was researching aquatic plants for a project the show was working on. If I recall, it’s been classified as Endangered.” Maddie racked her brain for the information she’d collected. “I’m sure it’s a priority species on the government’s biodiversity plan.” Excitement built to a rapid tempo within her. Maddie waved a frantic hand toward the pink fourteen-inch wide object on her dresser. “Pass me my laptop.”
Raquel leapt from the bed to retrieve the computer. “What are you so excited about?” She handed over the laptop.
Maddie flipped it open, took it out of sleep mode. “I placed a few of the articles about the Starfruit and other aquatic plants in my favourites.” Her fingers flew over the mouse pad as she searched for the information.
Raquel hopped back onto the bed, scooting close until she could read over Maddie’s shoulder.
Within moments they both said, “Ah-ha!”
Raquel squealed, then laughed with glee, clapping her hands like an excited little girl.
Maddie turned to meet her mother’s giant smile with one of her own. Then they read in unison. “Not one single plant appeared in the wild. Meaning the Starfruit could be facing a very real threat of extinction!”
“Do you think they’re still there?” Raquel whispered the question, staring at the website’s page with a look of anticipation mixed with fear.
Maddie’s disappointment after the meeting with Damien Wallbank’s representatives when they learned that Damien had sold Andalucía to CCP Development—one of the rival companies vying for the house—now turned to hope. Excitement manifested as a crazy impulse to leap from the bed, dash to her Mercedes, and speed to Andalucía to discover whether the plant still lived in the overgrown pond.
“There’s only one way to find out.” Maddie closed the laptop. “I’ll phone Damien tomorrow and arrange for us to have one last look around the place. It’s a part of our family’s history, surely he’ll let us say goodbye?”
The tiny smile playing on Raquel’s lips had Maddie smiling too.
Raquel winked, her smile growing wider. “It’s the least he can do.”