‘And you have to consider that your friend Mitch may not want to be found by her, or by you. There may be a reason she disappeared.’
‘True, and exactly what Sara and I were just saying, but that’s what makes it all the more intriguing. What has she been doing all these years? Why didn’t she tell us, her oldest friends at the time, about her child? I share her daughter Lisa’s apprehension. Mitch might be angry with us for not having been there for her in a time of need. Who knows? Really none of us knows how it’s going to turn out.’
Chapter Forty-Nine
Sara
Present day, May
Rosie called at eight thirty the next morning. She sounded as high as a kite. ‘Good news. I’ve been in touch with Mitch. She was very surprised to hear from you all after all this time.’
‘Surprised-happy or surprised-shocked?’
‘A bit of both, if I’m honest. I told her how you’d tracked her down and found me and she was more surprised-shocked and did ask why after all this time. Of course, I couldn’t tell her, nor do I want to be the one to tell her about Lisa. I think that must come from you.’
‘Will she talk to us?’
‘She will; she’s as curious about all of you as you are about her, and said she will be at her computer at midday today if that suits.’
I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘It does, that’s fantastic news.’
‘I could come to you if you like.’
‘Great, see you then,’ I said, gave her the address and went to tell Jo and Ally.
*
Rosie appeared on the doorstep just before midday with a bunch of tulips and a home-made carrot cake. ‘How you all feeling?’ she asked.
‘Bit nervous,’ I said. Ally nodded.
‘I can’t wait,’ said Jo. ‘Who’s going to tell her about Lisa?’
‘I think you should, Sara,’ said Ally. ‘You started all this.’
I set the laptop on the island in the kitchen, we gathered round, and Rosie gave us details to get through to Mitch. Moments later, I pressed connect and there she was, Michelle Blake, looking into the screen. She looked as anxious as we all were.
I felt a rush of affection. ‘Hey you,’ I said as I tried to take in that the woman on the screen was the one I had known. The Mitch I remembered had been in her early twenties and, unlike with Jo and Ally, who I’d seen through all the decades, it was a shock to see her face looking lined and older. As I looked more closely, though, I could see that she’d aged well and had a different beauty to the girl of so many years earlier: more mature, obviously, but still with the fine bone structure and slim figure.
Jo was jumping up and down behind me and waving. ‘Mitch, hey, hi.’
‘Hi Mitch,’ said Ally. ‘It’s me, Ally. Bet this is a shock. Do you recognize us?’
‘Of course, though I still remember you as girls,’ said Mitch as she stared at us all, ‘but … you’ve hardly changed.’
Now we were face to face, or rather FaceTime to FaceTime, I suddenly felt lost for words and slightly awkward. I’d envisaged us leaping up and down with joy as Jo was, but seeing Mitch after so long, I suddenly felt shy, unsure how to be with this person I had known so well but didn’t know any more.
‘I … I can’t believe it,’ Mitch continued. ‘Let me look at you all. Sara hi, Jo, Ally. How the hell are you?’ She was dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, and her hair, white-blonde with silver streaks, was cut into layers and fell just past her shoulders.
‘You look bloody amazing,’ said Jo. ‘Like some American country and western star – Emmylou Harris.’
Mitch smiled. ‘You look pretty good too, my old friend.’
‘Less of the old,’ said Jo.
Jo was right, she did look amazing, her skin tanned and glowing with good health. They say that in later life, you end up with a face that shows the life you have lived. Mitch looked serene, I thought, as though she’d lived a happy life.
‘So, where have you been? What’s been happening?’ said Mitch. ‘Hell, so much to catch up on.’
I searched her face to gauge her true feelings. It was hard to read what was really going on. She seemed pleased to see us, her manner friendly and polite but slightly stiff, which could be nerves or could be that she felt, as I did, that the distance and years had made us into strangers.
‘I’m sorry we’ve left it so long,’ said Jo. ‘Why did we do that?’
‘Me too,’ said Ally. ‘Good to see you, old friend.’
‘Yes, you too, long time, long long time. I hardly know what to say or where to begin …’
‘We should get together properly, don’t you think?’ asked Jo.
Mitch hesitated for a moment. ‘Get together? Er … I suppose we could.’
‘We could come there,’ said Jo.
Mitch looked surprised and caught off guard. ‘Here? Come out and stay? Well, we have the space, that’s for sure, I … I suppose you could. We have a hotel here and a spa; let me think about it, talk to my husband. You could all have your own lodge in the grounds.’
‘Lodge in the grounds? Where are you?’ said Jo.
Ally laughed. ‘And how do you/we précis forty years?’
‘We meet up. We must meet up in person,’ said Jo. ‘So. Who goes first? Where have you been for forty years? And what’s been happening?’
‘Jo. My dear sweet Jo,’ said Mitch. ‘Where have you been? I tried to contact you all a couple of times, you know I did, but I didn’t know where you were. Then after I met Rob, he’s my husband, life took over, children, looking after this place …’ She held up her arms and indicated her location. She was
