‘Okay, Bruce, I think that’s us ready to go.’ Erica had already finished packing the car. She’d just come back upstairs to do a final check – mainly underneath the beds – as her dad had taught her as a small child. A quick check under the beds was always the last thing they did before closing the door behind them on any move or after any overnight stay on holidays. The habit had stayed with her.
Looking around the flat, which had been her cosy home for just a couple of months, made her both sad and excited. She might not have been there long, but a lot had happened. She’d changed so much. And made wonderful bonds.
Her thoughts went to the image of her new friends – Walter, Jennifer, Jimmy, Gemma and Roy – standing on Walter’s driveway the night before, waving her off after the dinner party Walter had put on for her, ably assisted by Jennifer.
She would really miss these people, though she reminded herself of her certainty that these were connections she’d made for life. She’d keep in touch and hopefully would see them again before too long. And the most important new friend she’d made in Melrose was standing right beside her: Bruce.
Looking down at the patient blue-grey thickset dog, with her big brown eyes staring up adoringly at her, caused Erica to tear up. She squatted down and hugged the dog and indulged in a little cry into her fur before standing back up again. It felt suddenly wrong to have said goodbye to everyone last night and insisted they not come around this morning – that she was leaving early; most likely taking Bruce for her last Melrose walk in the dark. Now she regretted that decision.
‘Come on, girl, let’s get on the road,’ she said. ‘Time to go.’ She turned off the lights and pulled the door to the flat closed behind her. ‘Goodbye, flat – you’ve been a wonderful home,’ she whispered, and made her way slowly down the stairs behind Bruce. At the bottom, she placed the bunch of keys on the small hall table.
‘Goodbye, Walter and Crossley Funerals,’ she whispered. ‘Thank you for everything.’
She closed the outside back door to the business behind her and took a deep breath to steady herself, biting her lip against the newly forming pressing flood of tears.
I’m meant to be happy, for goodness’ sake – I’m going on to a fantastic new life. Stop it.
She leant in and clipped Bruce into the centre of the back seat, and gave her a kiss. God, she wished she could have her right beside her in the front for the journey, but safety first: Bruce was as precious a cargo as one of Erica’s human children. If something happened and the airbags went off, the dog would be crushed in the front seat.
Erica closed the car door and leant back against it, looking up at the looming mountain behind – Mt Remarkable. Remarkable – you sure are that, she thought, breathing in the cool, clear air and giving her mind time to catch up in case there was something she’d forgotten. She was calm but a little sad.
A part of her wanted to unpack the car and return upstairs to the cute and cosy flat with its plush furnishings. She’d arrived there damaged and lost, needing cosseting while she got back on her feet. This place, particularly its people, had transformed her in just under two months. It was hard to leave that sort of support.
She stood concentrating on a few more deep breaths. Thank goodness she’d discovered the meditation tracks. They were yet another wonderful gift Walter had bestowed on her. She closed her eyes and took several more breaths. And when she opened them again, the sight greeting her caused her to grin and her heart to expand painfully under her ribs. Tears filled her eyes again.
There was Walter, hand in hand with Jennifer, coming around the corner of the building. And behind them were Jimmy, Gemma and Roy. The crunch of gravel was loud in the quiet morning under their feet as they made their way across the car park towards her.
While she was thrilled to see them there, she couldn’t say she was completely shocked; she doubted anything could surprise her in the way of timing, after all that had gone on.
‘Oh, you guys,’ Erica said, putting her hands to her face, and the balloon holding the tears and emotion back broke and she began to weep.
Big fat tears raced down her face in two streams, burning her eyes and skin. She looked at Walter’s wet eyes and glistening cheeks before sinking into his embrace. They held on tight, both sobbing.
Slowly the tears stopped.
‘You’ve become like a daughter to me, Erica, so if there’s ever anything you need, I’m only ever a phone call away, okay?’ Walter said, into her hair.
‘Oh, Walter,’ she said. ‘I love you. Thanks for everything. Especially this,’ she added, shrugging helplessly.
Jennifer joined them when they parted slightly. ‘We couldn’t let you leave without a proper send-off committee,’ she said, and wrapped her arms around Erica.
‘But that was last night. And I said …’ Erica started, but more rising tears stopped her from speaking further.
‘Yes, dear,’ Jennifer said, now holding Erica by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. ‘We know what you said. But sometimes you don’t know what’s best for you. You’re too close. So here we are.’ She cupped Erica’s face with both her hands. Her eyes were red and full of tears too, which caused Erica’s to spill over again. ‘You’re going to be brilliant. We are so, so proud of you.’ And with a kiss on the cheek, Jennifer released Erica, who took a deep breath.
Jennifer and Walter stepped aside and Jimmy moved towards Erica. ‘Sorry, but I have no words,’ he said, his lip quivering. And then he burst into tears. Erica opened her arms and gathered him to her. ‘You’ve become my best friend,’ he sobbed into her hair. ‘Thank you for saving me.’ They both cried as they clung together. It took a few moments for Erica to bring herself back and for both of their chests to still. She drew away and put both her hands on his chest. ‘You are always welcome to visit – and there will always be a bed, for as long as you want it.’ Thank goodness the girls didn’t fill the other room in the end! ‘Don’t be a stranger. Go knock the culinary world dead.’
She hugged Gemma and then her dad and then they all stood apart wiping their tears away.
‘I just need a final cuddle with Bruce, and then you’re good to go,’ Walter said, opening the car door and leaning in.
‘And me,’ Jimmy said.
A moment later they’d finished saying goodbye to Bruce, retreated, and closed the car door.
‘Now, please go, before I lose it again,’ Walter said, standing back and smiling weakly at Erica.
Erica got in the car and turned on the key. Come on, then, Vera. She drove past the short line of people, waving as she went. With the exception of the raised hands, it could have been a guard of honour at one of their funerals. How blessed am I? She struggled to swallow the hard lump in her throat.
As she drove out of Melrose, she looked back at the magnificent and magical blue mountain looming large in the rear-vision mirror and silently thanked it.
I’ll be back to visit; this isn’t forever. Maybe I’ll be in a film here, she thought, remembering Michaela and Chelsea being up there hunting for the right location. That was just three days before. It could have been a lifetime ago.
‘Well, Bruce,’ she said, glancing now at the dog in the mirror, sitting up and staring out through the windscreen in serious concentration, ‘as your new human siblings would say, that was the shortest new career in the history of new careers! I hope you’re ready for an exciting new life filled with more people to love you.’
‘Woof, woof.’
‘Excellent,’ she said and returned her gaze to the road in front, taking a deep breath as she did.
A bit more than three hours later, after a stop for a quick break and a wee for both her and Bruce along the way, Erica pulled into her suburban street and then drove up her driveway, noting as she did that it seemed both familiar and a bit foreign.
‘Here we are, Bruce – welcome to your new home. I hope you’ll love it here as a city dog.’
‘Woof, woof.’
Erica turned around and smiled at the dog, who looked excited. ‘You do already – that’s what you said, isn’t it, my good girl?’
‘Here you are!’ Mackenzie cried, and made her way down the front steps.
‘Yay!’ Issy said, skipping behind her sister.
Mackenzie went to the boot and took the first of Erica’s luggage to the house while Issy leant into the back of the car to cuddle and then unclip Bruce, and then led her out. Erica remained seated behind the steering wheel, looking up at the house, savouring the moment, trying to take stock of the range of thoughts and emotions rumbling through her.
After a few moments she got out.
‘Welcome home, Mum,’ Mackenzie said.
‘It’s so good to have you back,’ Issy said.
Erica gathered Issy and Mackenzie to her and they held on tight.
When they parted, they all bent down and made a fuss of Bruce.
‘Welcome to the city, Bruce,’ Issy said. ‘You’ve got a lovely big backyard and there are bound to be lots of other dogs at the park to make friends with.’
‘And Daphne,’ Erica said. ‘Michelle’s bringing her over later.’
Erica, Issy and Mackenzie made their way through the house and out into the garden so Bruce could have a wee and stretch her legs. The trio stood with their arms linked at the edge of the vast entertainment area, while Bruce did a few laps of the lawn, sniffing everywhere, before checking out the garden beds.
‘Look, Mum,’ Issy said, giving her a gentle nudge and indicating her head to their left. Nestled in the garden bed was a smooth, round stone the size of two cupped palms side by side, painted in the same colour brown as her late brother Mark’s jumper.
‘Oh, you guys, that’s lovely,’ Erica said, tears welling. She’d told them about Walter’s tribute to Mary in his garden.
‘You can change the colour if you like,’ Issy said.
‘No, it’s perfect,’ Erica said.
‘We’ve got some more for Gran and Dad – even though his ashes are inside …’ Issy shrugged instead of finishing the sentence.
‘Yeah. We thought they should be here together,’ Mackenzie said.
‘I reckon orange for Dad and pink for Granny,’ Issy said, ‘But we wanted to check with you first.’
‘Thanks, but that sounds perfect,’ Erica said. She’d suggest sky blue for her dad when the time came, which probably wasn’t too far away. She was sad to think about that, but relieved she was now back and close by if it did happen soon.