Page 107 of The Island Villa

She’d stop worrying about things that weren’t important, like whether she’d sold more books this time than she had last time. Who cared if she was number three? Three was good. Three was better than four.

If she recovered, she was going to send a bottle of champagne and a congratulatory note to Miranda.

When the medical team had told her that her heart was just fine, and that it was a panic attack, she almost hadn’t believed them.

How was that possible?

But apparently it was, and the relief was enormous. It felt like a miracle.

She’d wanted a second chance, and now she had one.

And then Andrew had appeared, his face lined with worry. He’d understood what a strain the evening had been. While she’d been worrying about Cassie and Adeline, he’d been worrying about her.

People thought love was a straight line, but so often it was more like something a toddler would draw with a crayon, full of ups and downs and wiggles.

She was lucky to have someone who cared as much as he did.

Then Cassie had come into the room and hugged her, and told her how much she loved her, and that she understood how very hard it must have been and why she had chosen not to share the truth until this moment.

And now, finally, Adeline. In some ways, this was going to be the most difficult conversation of all.

She braced herself as her daughter pushed open the door.

“Hi, sweetheart.” Her voice wasn’t steady and then she realized that Adeline looked as nervous as she felt.

She settled herself in the chair next to Catherine’s bed. “How are you feeling?”

“A little foolish to be honest. And angry with myself for letting something that happened so many years ago get to me so badly. And for not trying to find a way to fix things with you sooner. Forgive me, Addy.” She reached out a hand and was relieved when Adeline took it.

“I wish you’d told me,” she said, “because it would have helped everything make sense, but I understand why you didn’t.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. Now you’ve explained. Now we’ve talked about it. I wish we’d done that sooner.” Adeline held tightly to her mother’s hand. “I’m surprised Dad didn’t say anything. We talked about everything else.”

“I made him promise not to. You were such a loving child. You would have insisted on coming home to be with me. You would have worried yourself to sleep every night.”

“So instead you chose to make me angry with you.”

“No. That was a side effect of the decision I made.” The memory of it almost choked her. “When you’re living through a crisis, particularly a situation where you’re threatened both physically and emotionally, you’re not always thinking straight. You’re not thinking how is this going to affect my daughter in the future? You’re thinking how can I survive today?”

“I can’t imagine what I would have done in your position. I hope I never have to find out. But I’m glad you protected Cassie.”

“And I’m glad you feel that way,” Catherine said. “You were always so close when you were young.”

“I think we’re going to be close again. I’m happy about it.”

“So am I.” Catherine stroked Adeline’s hair as she’d sometimes done when she was young. She had such beautiful hair, a rich dark brown. She looked so like Andrew, whereas Cassie looked like her. Not like Rob, thank goodness. There were no reminders there. “I wish I could change what happened.”

“Best not to think like that. If you change something in the past, then everything that came after it changes too. Maybe you wouldn’t have had Cassie. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so close to Dad.”

“That’s a nice positive way of looking at it.”

“I’m sorry you found yourself in that position,” Adeline said, “but I’m glad you’re happy now. And I’m glad that you and Dad are going to be together again.”

The relief was huge. “Are you really?”

“Yes. Not that I’m expecting us to recreate the past. It will be different. There’s Cassie to think of for a start.”

---