Victoria poured some salt into the large pan of nearly boiling water. She stretched her shoulders and let out a sigh. It had been a very long day, no doubt one of many long days to come.
She could hear the distinctive sound of a lost soul walking around the ground floor of the house. A smile curled her lips.
“In here, Holly,” she called out softly.
A few moments later, Holly appeared in the kitchen. “I’ll need a map for this place. And I’ve only been on two of the floors!”
“You’ll get used to it,” Victoria told her.
Holly walked over to the kitchen island where the saucepan gently bubbled. She leaned on the countertop and looked at Victoria seriously. “Victoria, we have to talk. My room—”
“Is something wrong?” Victoria interrupted.
“No, nothing like that. It’s beautiful. Amazing, even.”
“Then?”
“It’s too much,” Holly said. “I appreciate everything you have done and are doing, but… there must be thousands of dollars of clothes, shoes, and toiletries down there.”
Victoria gestured to Holly with the wooden spoon she had been holding. “You don’t have many other clothes. And no toiletries to speak of.”
Holly opened her mouth to respond, presumably to argue.
“Besides,” Victoria continued, “it’s just a few bits from the sample closet at Arrival. No one would use them anyway. They are at least a season old. The closet gets cleaned out once a year, so you’ve done the company a favour. I don’t see the problem.”
Holly smiled. “It’s not a problem, I’m supremely grateful. I’m just finding it hard to accept all these generous gifts.”
“They’re not gifts,” Victoria corrected. “They are necessities. Toothpaste and the like.”
“And Hugo Boss perfume,” Holly added with a chuckle.
“I believe it was your scent; I’d hoped it would jog your memory.” Victoria angrily threw handfuls of pasta into the boiling pan of water. She felt foolish for admitting that she had taken the time to notice Holly’s preferred mid-price scent.
Holly stared at her, disbelief on her face.
Victoria tried to ignore her but found that she couldn’t.
“What?” she demanded.
“That’s a wonderful thing to do, thank you. I’m sorry if I sounded ungrateful, but I’m not used to gifts. That you took the time and effort to find my usual perfume… wow.”
As quickly as it had come, Victoria felt the anger wash away. Holly wasn’t teasing her. She was grateful. Her cheeks heated as a result.
“Yes, well, you’re welcome.” She gestured towards the saucepan. “I take it you like pasta?”
“I do,” Holly confessed.
“Good, take a seat and it will be ready momentarily.” Victoria pointed to the small family dining table. She’d decided against dinner in the large dining room, she felt the atmosphere wouldn’t help Holly feel at home on her first night. Right now, the girl needed cosy, calm, and relaxing.
“Can I help with anything?” Holly asked.
Victoria looked up at her. She’d had an idea, something to make the evening special. But she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
“Well, I know it’s late and you’re probably tired, but I was wondering if you’d like to open a bottle of wine to toast your homecoming?”
Holly’s eyes lit up. “That sounds lovely. But I have to warn you that I haven’t drunk alcohol for at least a year.”
“Just one glass then,” Victoria decided. “Could you get a couple of glasses from that cupboard by the window?”
Holly retrieved the glasses and placed them on the table. She hovered around helplessly for a few moments until Victoria told her to take a seat. Holly sat down, and Victoria quickly finished preparing the meal.
She placed two bowls of pasta on the table and went to the wine refrigerator to get an appropriate vintage.
“This looks delicious,” Holly said, inhaling deeply above the bowl.
“Reserve your judgement until you’ve eaten it,” Victoria warned. She opened and poured the wine. Then she sat down and held up her glass towards Holly. Holly raised her glass, too.
“Thank you,” Holly said, before Victoria had a chance to speak. “To you, for bringing me home.”
“No, no,” Victoria argued. “To you, for being so extraordinarily brave despite all that you have been through.”
Holly tilted her head to the side and shrugged.
They clinked glasses softly and sipped some of the sweet liquid.
“I’m not really that brave,” Holly muttered as she lowered her glass and picked up her fork.
“I beg to disagree,” Victoria replied. “You have been amazing throughout all of this ordeal. I don’t think I would have handled the events of the last couple of days with the calm and grace that you have exhibited.”
“If I’ve handled it with any calm or grace it’s because of all the practice I’ve had during the last year. During my recovery, I quickly realised that the French are all about procedures and politics. I couldn’t fight it, so I had to just not let it get to me.” Holly took a bite of her food and hummed happily. “And this is just as delicious as it looks.”
“Thank you. And, yes, you’re right that the French are entirely process-driven and hierarchical. I’m surprised that Arrival France manages to get an edition out every month. But that does not take anything away from your remarkable composure. I fear I would have been very different if I had been in your shoes.”
Holly laughed. “You’d never have been in my shoes. If you went missing for more than five minutes, then the army would be called in.”
Victoria stared down at her meal and tossed a piece of chicken in the pasta sauce. It was true, of course, but it wasn’t easy to hear.
“Did I say something wrong?” Holly asked tentatively.
“No, no. I just… I struggle to think of you there for all that time. I should have checked that you got home safely. I should have… have… done something…”
“It’s absolutely not your fault,” Holly insisted.
Victoria looked up and meet sincere eyes.
“I walked away,” Holly said. “What could you have done? No, whatever it was that happened, happened because of my actions and not yours. If I’d have stayed by your side, none of this would have happened, would it?”
Victoria didn’t agree but knew it was pointless to argue. Instead she asked, “Do you remember anything at all about your past? Or the accident?”
Holly’s brow furrowed. “It’s hard to say. Sometimes I get a feeling that I remember something, but I don’t really know. It’s more like a sensation, a bit like déjà vu. But I don’t remember anything from my accident, I don’t know what happened to me at all. I just remember waking up in hospital and I couldn’t understand what was happening… or what was being said…” Holly’s look became distant.
Victoria decided that a change of subject was in order.
“We have an appointment tomorrow morning at Presbyterian with your new medical team, and then in the afternoon we are seeing my lawyer, Michael. He will assist in finding information on any bank accounts you may have, and any records of where you have lived. Hopefully we’ll be able to piece together a few things that will bring back some memories.”
“That’s very generous of you, but I really can’t take up any more of your time. I know you need to get back to Arrival.”
“Nonsense, I make my own schedule,” Victoria sniffed.
“I know, but I don’t want you to have to work ridiculous hours to catch up with anything you might have missed because you were with me,” Holly said. “Really, I’ll be fine. I can find my way around and deal with these things myself. I feel terrible for monopolising your time like this, and it would make me feel better to know that things are getting back to normal for you. I wouldn’t feel like such a burden…”
Victoria’s first instinct was to argue her point and tell Holly that she would be attending all appointments with her, no matter what. But she managed to stop herself and listen to what Holly was saying. Maybe it was a good idea to allow the girl some independence. She didn’t want her to feel like she was a prisoner. She was free to do as she pleased, and it was important that she knew that.
“Very well,” she agreed. “But the car will take you to your appointments. I don’t want you to have to suffer the New York public transportation system just yet. And you must take my spare phone, so we can keep in touch if necessary.”
Holly smiled broadly. “That sounds like a good compromise.”
Victoria snorted a laugh. “Enjoy it while you can. You’ll learn that I’m not good with compromise.”