Wednesday morning, Clara was baking a carrot cake to take to Gregg—the way to a man’s heart and all that—to apologise for ruining their cruise, when her phone rang. Although she hadn’t stored Rebecca’s number in her contacts, she immediately recognised it and was tempted not to answer. This woman had brought nothing but pain and heartache to her life. In some ways Rebecca and her baby had felt like the third person in her marriage, like Camilla had been to Charles and Di.
‘Rebecca?’ she said—not bothering with niceties.
The other woman made no attempt at small talk either. ‘She knows.’
‘How did she take it?’
‘I don’t know. I said she knows, but I didn’t tell her.’
Rebecca was talking in riddles. ‘What do you mean? If you didn’t tell her, then who did?’
‘No one,’ she whispered. ‘You know how I didn’t have the adoption information in my bag yesterday? Well, Josie was at my place with Paige and they found the letter.’
‘Oh my goodness. How did she take it?’
‘I’m not exactly sure. Paige refused to give me Josie’s number, so I went to her apartment but if she was there she ignored my attempts at the intercom and this morning Solomon, Paige’s fiancé, called me. Josie’s husband phoned and asked him to ask Paige and me to give Josie a little time; she’d contact us when she was ready. Nik said Josie had taken it pretty badly—I’m really worried about her but I want to respect her wishes. Do you think you could check in on her for me?’
What a shambles! Of course Clara would call Josie, but it wouldn’t be for Rebecca. ‘Yes, okay. I can do that.’
‘Thank you. And can you let me know when you’ve spoken to her?’
Rebecca sounded desperate—why couldn’t Clara bring herself to feel sympathy? Because now, knowing about Rob’s visit to Rebecca the year Josie turned eighteen, she couldn’t help resenting her for turning him away.
Still, Clara found herself promising to call with an update once she’d made contact with Josie. She disconnected and stared at the phone. Perhaps an in-person visit would be better. People could pretend to be okay over the phone but face to face it was harder to hide true emotion. And something told her that although today was a ‘school day’ Josie might not have made it in to work.
‘Sorry, Gregg,’ Clara said to herself as she finished smothering the cream-cheese icing over the cake and then popped it in a container to take it round to Josie’s. She’d make it up to him some other way.
Decision made, she drove to Josie’s apartment.
She pressed their button on the intercom and held her breath as she waited for a reply.
‘Hello?’ came a wary male voice a few moments later.
She leaned closer to the wall. ‘Hello. Is that Nik? I’m Josie’s friend, Clara. I’ve brought her some cake.’
‘Um … that’s nice, but I’m sorry, Josie’s not feeling very well today. I’ll tell her you stopped by.’
‘Can you just tell her I’m here and ask if she’s up to talking to me?’
He gave a deep sigh. ‘Can you wait a sec?’
‘Of course.’ Luckily with spring finally here, the weather had improved and it wasn’t too cold waiting outside on the doorstep.
About thirty seconds later, Nik’s voice came back through the wall. ‘I’ll buzz you in.’
The door in front of her made a click sound and she pushed it open. An incredibly good-looking, dark-haired young man, whom Clara immediately guessed to be Josie’s husband, was waiting for her in the hallway between the ground-floor apartments.
He offered her a warm, welcoming smile and then lowered his voice. ‘Josie told me who you are. Thanks for all you’ve done. She’s been doing quite well, until a setback yesterday.’
‘I understand. That’s why I’m here.’
He frowned, but then Josie called out, ‘I hope you’re not giving Clara the Spanish inquisition!’
‘Sorry,’ he called back through the open door, then indicated for her to follow him into the apartment.
‘Hey, Clara.’ Josie was sitting on the sofa, her legs curled up beside her, hugging a cushion to her chest. She once again looked like the shell of a woman she’d been the day they met. And, her hand was wrapped in a bandage. What had she done to herself?
‘Oh, sweet darling.’ Clara’s heart felt as if it could burst with love for this girl. She rushed over to her, sank down beside her and pulled her into her arms. ‘It’ll be okay.’
Josie’s whole body racked with sobs as Clara held her a good five minutes until they finally subsided.
‘How did you know to come?’ Josie asked eventually.
‘Rebecca called me,’ Clara said. ‘I know you said you needed time and didn’t want to see anyone but I just wanted you to know I’m here for you. If you want to talk, we can or if you’d—’
‘Hang on.’ Josie blinked and pulled out of Clara’s embrace. ‘How did Rebecca know to call you?’
Clara’s heart stopped—Josie had no idea of her connection to all this. Oh boy.
She glanced up at Nik. ‘Do you think you could make us a cup of tea?’
He looked to Josie for the go ahead—no way was he going to leave her if she needed him.
Josie nodded, and Nik hesitated as if he still wasn’t sure whether to go, before finally leaving the room.
She settled herself on the other end of the sofa as she tried to work out where to start. It might not be her place to tell Josie about Rob, but how else could she explain why Rebecca had called her?
‘I met Rebecca a couple of months ago when she was admitted to hospital for her kidney problems, but unbeknownst to us we had a prior connection.’ Clara swallowed—there was no easy way to say this. ‘Rebecca and my ex-husband were high school sweethearts. About a week ago, she turned up on my doorstep looking for him because …’
Josie gasped and her bad hand rushed to her chest. She winced in pain. ‘Rob’s my father, isn’t he?’
‘Yes, honey.’
‘Oh my God.’ She covered her mouth with her good hand and her face contorted as if she were close to tears. ‘That means Brenda is my grandmother?’
‘She is.’
‘Does she know?’
Clara shook her head. ‘No. When Rebecca and I realised the connection, I told her she had to tell you because I believed you and Brenda had a right to know what you were to each other, but you found the letter before she had the chance. I was waiting until you knew to see if you wanted me to tell Brenda.’
Josie blinked. ‘But Brenda told me about Rob’s adopted baby—he was a boy.’
At that moment, Nik returned with tea on a tray. He took one look at the tears streaming down his wife’s face and glared at Clara. ‘You’re supposed to be making her feel better.’
Josie waved a hand at him. ‘It’s okay. This isn’t Clara’s fault.’ Then she looked to Clara and sighed deeply. ‘Can you tell him?’
‘Of course.’
Nik put the tray on the coffee table and went to perch on the sofa’s armrest beside Josie. He plucked a tissue from the box already beside them, handed it to his wife and then wrapped an arm around her.
The tea on the table went cold as Clara filled Nik in and answered both their questions. She told them about Rebecca’s parents—the threats and the lies—and how Rob had never recovered from giving Josie up.
When she was finished, Nik ran a hand through his hair. ‘Jesus. And now your husband’s missing, isn’t he?’
Ex-husband. Clara didn’t bother correcting him. ‘Yes. He has been registered as a missing person for just over a month.’
Nik raised an eyebrow. ‘Funny, I don’t remember hearing about his disappearance in the news or anything.’
‘There was a short article in the paper the week after he vanished, but apparently there are almost forty thousand people reported missing in Australia every year. The police simply haven’t got the resources to give each one the necessary time and I guess, rightly so, children and teenagers are their priority. Rob’s track record with depression and alcoholism means …’ She was going say it meant he’d probably chosen to disappear or worse come to a nasty end with no one to blame except himself, but this was Josie’s father they were talking about now.
Nik finished for her. ‘It means they don’t think there’s anyone else involved or that he’s been a victim of crime.’
‘Exactly.’ She nodded and offered him a grateful smile.
‘At least I know where my urge to drink in a crisis comes from now,’ Josie said wryly.
‘You had a mishap, that’s all. You’ll get back on track.’ Nik reached for her hand.
At that moment his phone started ringing. He dragged it out of his pocket and glanced down at the screen. ‘Will you be alright if I take this? It’s my boss.’
Josie smiled. ‘I’m fine. Clara’s here.’
Again, Clara’s heart swelled. She was so relieved Josie hadn’t shot the messenger, so to speak.
‘Are you up for a piece of cake?’ Clara asked as Nik went into the kitchen to take the call. ‘Not to blow my own trumpet or anything, but I’m pretty sure I make the best carrot cake in Australia.’
‘In that case, how could I resist?’
Clara cut two slices using the knife Nik had brought in on the tea tray—someone had really trained him very well—then handed one to Josie on a small plate.
‘Oh my God. This is amazing,’ Josie said through a mouthful after taking the first bite.
Clara grinned. ‘Told you.’
‘I wish you were my biological mother,’ Josie declared, her eyes suddenly misting again.
‘Oh, precious, precious girl.’ Clara took the plate from Josie, put it down on the coffee table and then wrapped her in a massive hug. Tears came to her own eyes. How she too wished this were the case. ‘If I was, I would never have let you go.’
They embraced for a few long minutes before Josie finally pulled back and said, ‘Would you come with me to see Brenda?’
‘Now? You want to tell her today?’
‘Yes. But do you think she’ll be able to handle the shock?’
‘I think she’ll be overjoyed, but, if there are any emergencies, don’t forget I am a trained nurse.’
When Nik returned they told him of their plans and he insisted on coming with them. So as not to scare her new grandmother, Josie had a quick shower, made herself presentable and then they were on their way.