Page 43 of The Story of Us
With her head held high and her shoulders square, her backpack a comforting weight against her shoulders, Eloise left the pub.
A quiet night with Joanie andGolden Girlsepisodes was exactly what she needed.
* * *
The fire truck’sflashing lights were the first sign that Eloise’s plans to become one with the couch weren’t going to happen. But the ambulance in the driveway was the one that made her stomach drop to the ground. Eloise ran down the street, worry for her grandmother propelling her forward like this form of exercise was something she did regularly.
Her heart pounded, a million questions materialising in her mind. There was no hint of smoke in the air, just the clean, crisp smell that followed rain.
A shock of pink hair caught her eye, and Eloise gasped. Joanie was sitting on a gurney next to the front gate, her house slippers peeking out from the bottom of the blanket.
“I’m okay, darling.”
“What happened?” The front of the little cottage looked fine, but firies were streaming in and out of the side gate to the backyard.
“The old gum collapsed. Straight through the roof of the kitchen and bathroom.”
It was like the tree had fallen on Eloise as her mind scrambled to make sense of what Joanie had said. “Were you inside when it happened?”
“The lounge room. I thought it was an earthquake.” The waver in Joanie’s voice pushed the tears that had been threatening to spill down Eloise’s cheeks. This was all her fault. If she’d called the arborist earlier, they would’ve sorted this before it happened.
Eloise wrapped Joanie up in a hug, uncomfortable with how small she was in her arms and how her shoulders still trembled. “Are you warm enough? Do you want my jacket?”
“I’m okay, really. Just got a big fright. The firies called the ambo. Said I was in shock because I couldn’t stop shaking. But I think it’s because two of them are very attractive. Your favourite romance books would describe them as strapping. Probably say something about how muscular their forearms are. Honestly, they’re like tree trunks.”
“Take a breath,” Eloise interrupted. “Have you called Mum and Dad?”
“They’re on their way.”
“Okay. I’m going to go and have a look out the back. Are you okay if I leave you for a second?”
Joanie nodded. “I think I’ll just rest my eyes. I’ve got a bit of a headache.”
“You didn’t bang your head, did you?”
“No, no. I just need a minute.”
Eloise squeezed Joanie’s hand and fussed with the blanket, tucking it tightly around her. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered.
The back half of the house was gone. Like gonegone.In the battle between the humongous gum tree and post-war weatherboard cottage, the tree had won. Anyone who wanted to use the bathroom now would have to be okay with having an audience and have mastered hover squats. Eloise’s shocked expression stared back at her from the shattered mirror, her face reappearing in each fragment.
“Hey.” Nate appeared next to her.
“A tree fell on our house,” she said, chastising herself. Nate had eyes. He could see that, probably even better than she could considering he was wearing his glasses.
“I came as soon as I heard.”
“Joanie was inside. All by herself. I should’ve been here with her.” Eloise wiped her face with her jacket sleeve. To think she’d been standing at the bar with Ryan realising what an idiot she’d been when poor Joanie was being scared half to death. If her grandmother had been in the kitchen … Dots danced in front of Eloise’s vision, and she sagged backwards, hitting Nate’s chest.
“Let’s sit down on the bench over there.” Nate tucked her against his side and guided her away from the mess that used to be her favourite room in the cottage. “Do you feel faint? Nauseous? You might be going into shock.”
Eloise shook her head, but it didn’t help. Her tears fell freely. She burrowed her head into Nate’s coat and tried to focus on the woodsy scent that always lingered around him. Through her thick jacket, she felt Nate rub her back, focusing on how his hand glided in a steady, smooth motion that matched the soft way he murmured “You’re okay, Joan’s okay”.
When she trusted her voice, Eloise repeated the thought that insisted on marching through her mind. “I should’ve been here.”
“What could you have done? Seriously? Did you know a big ass tree was going to fall on your house today?”
Logic wasn’t what she wanted to hear right now.
