|
|
Grand Reunion
At fifty five, Emerald Dancre would have passed for forty. Despite the trauma of the last two months, she was as slim and upright as ever, her make up and short cut black hair perfect. No one looking at Emerald would have guessed that beneath her cherry red wool suit her knees were shaky and her heart pounding.
Emerald had built a beauty empire from nothing and watched its destruction, but nothing had scared her as much as her current challenge. She had to face her daughter.
"Isabella," Emerald said the name like a talisman. One year old Isabella was her granddaughter, and Emerald desperately wanted the second chance the baby represented. Emerald hadn't been part of her daughter's life -- Sharon had never needed her, and Emerald hadn't known how to show that she needed her daughter -- but now Emerald was determined not to repeat the same mistakes with her granddaughter.
A year ago, Emerald had hurried out of a business meeting when she heard that Sharon had given birth. Emerald had caught a taxi to the hospital, feeling too shaky to drive. Giving birth to Sharon had almost cost Emerald her life -- it had taken her weeks to recover; weeks in which her husband, William, had been solely responsible for Sharon.
Emerald remembered the overwhelming relief of learning, on reaching the hospital, that Sharon had had an easy birth. The tension, the fear, had seeped out of Emerald in a long sigh and she'd been able to concentrate on Isabella, to admire the perfection of her tiny fingers and toes.
The joy hadn't lasted long, though. Ian, Sharon's husband, had been surrounded by his family, all admiring tiny Isabella, and Emerald had been pushed aside. It had driven home to Emerald just how unwanted she was in her daughter's life, and she had made some excuse and escaped back to work.
Work had always been Emerald's salvation -- had been until the devastating news that her trusted vice president had been robbing the company blind. In the end Emerald had been lucky to emerge from the destruction of her business with a modest life income and a tiny house in Bath.
The shock of betrayal and the ruin of her business had forced Emerald to re-examine her life, and she knew what was important now. She wanted her family.
The phone call to Sharon had been difficult.
"Hello, Sharon. This is Emerald." Sharon had stopped calling her mum when she was twelve.
"Mother." It wasn't encouraging.
Emerald took a deep breath for courage. "I have a birthday present for Isabella. Would it be all right if I brought it around?" Emerald's knuckles whitened as she held the phone, waiting for Sharon's answer.
"I suppose," Sharon agreed grudgingly. "But not on Isabella's birthday. We're having a family party then."
The pain of Sharon's statement cut, but Emerald kept her voice even. "Could I come the evening before?"
"Okay. At six, if you'd like to see Izzie before she goes to bed."
"Thank you," and Emerald was thankful. She was being granted a small part in her granddaughter's life. "Thank you, Sharon."
So here she was, walking up the short path to her daughter's house and holding a too large, too expensive educational toy for Isabella.
"Emerald, it's nice to see you." That was Ian, playing the host. "Sharon and Izzie are in the living room. Through here."
"Hello, Sharon." Emerald smiled stiffly at her daughter. "And Izzie." Emerald felt a rush of tears flood her eyes as she saw the chubby smiling baby sitting on her daughter's knee. "Aren't you beautiful?" Emerald blinked rapidly, determined not to break down.
"Sit down, Emerald. Should I take the present?" asked Ian.
"Oh, yes," Emerald released her tight hold. "Thank you. The girl at the shop said it's safe for one year olds."
"I'm sure it will be," said Ian. "Come on, Izzie, want to rip the nice paper?"
"Ian --" Sharon began a protest, but he ignored it, and Izzie wriggled out of her mum's arms and crawled to her dad.
"She can walk," said Ian to Emerald who sat on the edge of a sofa watching her granddaughter. "But crawling is faster."
"Sharon was always impatient, too," said Emerald.
"How would you know?" said Sharon rudely.
The sound of tearing paper filled the silence, and Isabella giggled, tearing, crumpling and chewing the shiny wrapping.
"There now," Ian pulled the educational toy out of its box and set it in front of Isabella. Immediately the baby was charmed by the bright colours and cheerful noises.
"Emerald, have you seen the toy?" Ian invited Emerald to join him and Isabella on the floor.
Shyly, Emerald took the chance to play with her granddaughter. Isabella's chubby hands poked and pulled the toy, and when she was rewarded with a loud cock-a-doodle-doo, the baby looked triumphantly at Emerald and laughed.
"Oh good girl," said Emerald and impulsively kissed her. Isabella patted her face.
"Ma-ma," she said.
"No," said Sharon in a loud cold voice.
Isabella's happy smile vanished.
Ian distracted his daughter with the new toy. "That's enough, Sharon," he said firmly.
"No, it's my ... I'm sorry," Emerald scrambled up from the floor. "I shouldn't have --". She started for the door.
The front door opened just as Emerald reached it, and she found herself confronting her former husband.
"Emerald?" William Dancre said, shocked.
"Excuse me," Emerald pushed past him. She didn't want him seeing her in tears, but William caught up with her on the front path.
"Emerald, what's wrong?" he sounded concerned, and his hand on her shoulder was tentative but warm.
"I made a mistake," said Emerald. "I came to see Isabella, but I should have realised that I don't have any place in Sharon's life. It's my fault. I should never have ...". But here, to Emerald's shame, her voice gave out completely and she started to cry.
William put both arms around Emerald and hugged her. Over her shoulder, he saw Ian standing worriedly in the doorway and shook his head, indicating that Ian should go back inside.
When Emerald's tears had quieted to sniffles, William handed her a clean handkerchief and said. "I think we're decades overdue for a real talk."
"No, William. I can't stand any more, today."
But William was determined. "We have to talk." He bundled Emerald into his shabby car and drove the few streets to the small house they had bought as newlyweds.
In the clean old fashioned kitchen William made them both cups of tea. He looked like what he was, a retired history teacher, gentle and kind.
"Emerald, your separation from Sharon is partly my fault."
Emerald shook her head in weary regret. "It was me who put the business first."
"And I let you," said William. "You were so beautiful -- still are -- I couldn't believe you chose to marry me. That was my first mistake: I didn't feel worthy of your love, and so I didn't trust it. I never asked for your time and attention, I just let you slip away into your business.
"And when Sharon was born and I thought I'd lose you," William's voice shook. "By the time you were well enough to share Sharon's care with me, I was determined not to let you overstrain yourself. I shut you out of Sharon's life, out of bonding with her. I never showed you how much Sharon and I needed you."
William put his hand out and gripped Emerald's hand. "We still need you. Don't let the past keep us all from a better future. Continue to reach out to Sharon."
Emerald looked at the man she had loved with all her heart twenty years ago. "Why didn't you remarry? Sharon could have had a stepmum, the kind of mum she wanted."
"I never stopped loving you, Em," said William simply.
"You're a fool, William Dancre," said Emerald.
William shrank back. "I'm sorry."
Emerald interrupted. "If you had told me, shown me -- I didn't think you wanted or needed me. I filled my life with business because you and Sharon were a family without me."
"Oh, Em." It was a clumsy tearful kiss, broken by the doorbell.
"We hoped you'd be here," said Ian, trooping in with his daughter in one hand and his wife's hand in the other. "Izzie needs her Nana, and Sharon needs her Mum."
Sharon folded her arms. Oh no, she didn't.
"That's just what I was saying," said William.
"Da-ad!" protested Sharon, outraged.
William put a protective arm around Emerald's shoulders. "I made a mistake when you were a baby, Sharon, in not showing Emma that we needed her. I have a second chance now, and I'm not making that mistake again. I need Emma, and so do you."
"I don't!"
"You do," said William. "Just like Izzie relies on your love, you need to know that Emma loves you. Emma?"
"I do love you, Sharon. I didn't know how to show it, and you never seemed to need me. I should have tried harder, but being a businesswoman just seemed easier than being a mum. I was so scared I'd fail you, Sharon, and I did."
"Being a new parent is tough," agreed Ian. He handed Izzie to Sharon and looked meaningly at her. "We worry about the mistakes we're making. But we love Izzie, and that's the important thing. We know love allows second chances."
Sharon smoothed her hand over Izzie's blonde curls. The baby was sleepy and cuddled against her. "A second chance?" Sharon looked at her husband, her dad and finally, her mum.
Emerald's perfect makeup was smeared with tears, but all her love and yearning was in her eyes.
"No," said Sharon. "Mums don't need second chances. Their daughters never stop loving them. I was just so scared you didn't love me, Mum. I thought it was my fault."
"Oh, Sharon."
The three generations of women shared a hug and tears, while their men looked on smiling.
"Mum," said Sharon. "Can you make the cupcakes for Izzie's party, tomorrow?"
And Emerald, who had never baked in her life, said. "Yes."
<end>
|
|
