‘I know Maggie, why don’t you go and get Delilah and you can watch the children’s channel with your cake? I’ll just finish off making the dinner and then we’ll watch something together too.’
Maggie seemed very pleased to be allowed to eat cake and watch television, and after Juliette had taken the cake into the sitting room, she’d walked back into the kitchen to sit with Luke.
After more tests at the hospital Bella’s middle toe, which had been the one causing the most concern with the question as to whether or not the bones were going to heal properly, was now doing better. It had been a huge respite for everyone.
When Davina Robertson, the consultant, had changed her mind about another surgery as the healing progressed, Juliette had been overcome with relief. Bella had beamed as the consultant had started to talk about what would happen next, the further surgery in the future and the impending physio.
As Juliette started preparing vegetables for dinner Luke looked up from his phone. ‘So obviously what the surgeon said was correct. She should know. It will affect her muscles, coordination, and balance. Everything I’ve found and researched certainly suggests the post-op physio, but also taking up something for motor skills. There are a couple of research articles that mention the benefits of things like ballet, etc.’
‘Bella can barely ride a bike, Luke,’ Juliette said smiling, ‘Have you seen her on her bike? No, you haven’t. Remember what she was like when she was on the top of that ladder when we were painting the sitting room? Talk about cack-handed.’
‘You’re not wrong. I do remember that. Maybe we could suggest it. Could you say anything to Maggie’s ballet teacher? Have a chat with her? Maybe she knows something about it?’ Luke wondered.
Juliette rubbed her chin and thought about it. ‘Could be a possibility I suppose. I’ll talk to Clara - she used to be a professional dancer. I guess she’s seen all sorts of injuries and stuff over the years.’
‘It might give Bella something else to think about too if she could find a ballet class.’
‘I just can’t see her wanting to try that, Luke. Who comes around from surgery where they’re facing the possibility of losing a toe and starts reading a textbook from uni?’
‘Bella does. I reckon it’s actually a really good thing. Gives her something to focus on other than the accident. She’s got her eye on that ball and she’s not taking it off it for anything.’
‘Yeah, I suppose you’re right.’ Juliette nodded in agreement.
‘She seems to be taking it really well, but you never know, do you?’
‘No. Precisely.’
‘Do you think she’ll try the counselling they offered?’
‘I very much doubt it.’
‘What about you? Would you go?’
‘I don’t know. I think it would be good for me to talk about things, but there’s a part of me that almost doesn’t want to. You know? I feel saturated by it all if I’m honest.’
‘Yeah. But I think the last few years have been massive for you. You lost your parents, and now this. People I know who have had counselling mostly seem to praise it.’
‘I’ll think about it a bit more later.’
‘It can’t do any harm, can it?’
‘I guess it depends on the circumstances. Do I want to go over the accident again? No. I do that enough times in my head on my own. But would it help to get someone else’s view? Probably. When you look at it like that.’
‘The option is there if you want it then, isn’t it?’
‘It is.’
‘You’ve had a tough old ride.’
‘Not really. People go through tough times, Luke, you know that from the hospital. I’ve not done too badly Luke. I’ve got you, this lovely house, two beautiful girls. Even my ex-husband is not so bad nowadays.’
Luke nodded his head. ‘We still have to meet my mother. That will be interesting.’
Chapter 29
Juliette strolled slowly through the wildflower garden in the centre of Pretty Beach Gardens and watched Maggie as she skipped along ahead. She’d made spending some time with Maggie a priority after sorting out the orders for A Christmas Sparkle earlier in the day.
Juliette had forced herself to go out, even though she’d wanted to crawl under the duvet and stay there, but she still had to try and be a good mum to Maggie and she was painfully aware that it had recently been all about Bella.
So, she’d taken Maggie to story time at the library, and now they were on a nature walk looking for things to put in jars on Maggie’s windowsill. In Pretty Beach Gardens hundreds of gorgeous heads of pink and white cosmos danced in the wind. Tiny white butterflies flew in and out of the plants and bees buzzed from one flower to the next.
‘Maggie, come over here and look at all these gorgeous petals on the ground. We can put them in your nature jar,’ Juliette called out to Maggie.
Maggie came skipping back and opened her hand out to show Juliette things she’d gathered.
‘Look at these yellow leaves,’ Maggie replied, and Juliette picked through Maggie’s hand where there were leaves, a tiny white stone and a dead beetle.
‘Delightful. What really pretty colours, darling. Good job on finding unusual things. You must have very good eyes to have found all those,’ Juliette replied.
Maggie beamed and continued to walk along looking for other things to put in her jars.
Juliette loved Pretty Beach Gardens. When she’d first had Maggie and the nights were long, and the breastfeeding was in full swing, she would put Maggie in the pram, walk all the way through the laneway, along the promenade, and then end up into the gardens. She’d often get a takeaway cup of tea and a doughnut, Maggie would be asleep in the pram, and Juliette would sit there watching the world go by, gathering
