Page 90 of Life After

“Hey, you’re beautiful.” Suzanne leaned in and whispered, “And you’re all mine.”

“How’s Elsie doing? Is she having fun?” Jen peered over the other side of the garden. Tracy was hunched inside one of the tiny yurts Suzanne had hired for the day, nodding enthusiastically to whatever Elsie was saying to her. “I mean, she looks like she is. Can’t say the same for Tracy, though.”

“Tracy’s one of those friends who will always get stuck in with the kids. If it means we can sit around chatting, then she’s all for it.” Suzanne glanced back over her shoulder and sighed. “I think she wishes she’d had a family of her own.”

“That is a shame. She seems to be great with kids.” Jen guided Suzanne into the kitchen and out of earshot of the open bi-folding doors. “I just wanted to say thanks for today. I think everyone is really enjoying themselves, and I’ve had the chance to be with Toby all day.”

Suzanne quirked a brow. “Why do you think I did this?”

“So we could all hang out since the weather is great?”

Suzanne smiled but shook her head. “I did itsoyou could have the chance to be with Toby all day. This is all for you, Jen. Nobody else.”

A sudden lump of emotion lodged itself in Jen’s throat. She felt her eyes beginning to burn, and her bottom lip threatened to tremble, but she didn’t care. Everything this woman did for Jen was done with complete love. “Thank you.”

“Hey,” Suzanne said, bringing a hand to Jen’s cheek. “I told you that you’d always have my support. I meant it.” As Suzanne drew back, she held Toby out, and Jen took him from her. “Now, this little one needs changing. Since Auntie Jen has missedso manyopportunities to take care of that, you can do so now.”

“Thanks!” Jen wrinkled her nose when she got a waft of whatever Toby had digested recently. “And there I was, thinking you’d do anything for me.”

“Oh, Iwoulddo anything for you. But I have a barbecue to take care of in the next ten minutes, and I don’t think people would like me to handle food after dealing with whatever is going on in that little guy’s pants.”

Jen laughed. “Fair play, babe. I’ll see you in a few minutes, okay?”

Suzanne blew Jen a kiss as she backed away. “I’ll be waiting.”

Chapter 32

Jen satat Suzanne’s dining table with her laptop open as she scoured the internet for fundraising ideas. Ruby’s birthday was just five months away, and she wanted to mark it somehow. Maybe now that Lyn was back in her life, Jen could do something she used to love doing. Raising money for charity. And what better way than to do it in Ruby’s name. Her best friend had always loved a good party, and that was the avenue Jen was considering going down as she sat here with a stone-cold cup of coffee.

She lifted her phone and called Lyn’s number.

“Hi, Jen. Lovely to hear from you.”

Jen smiled and sat back in her seat. “Are you free to talk for a few minutes?”

“Of course. I’m just about to tuck into my lunch. What’s up?”

Jen didn’t want to disturb Lyn’s lunch break. Anything she wanted to talk about could wait for a more suitable time. “I can call you back later if that’s better. Maybe this evening?”

“Now is fine, love. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Well, um…I was thinking that with Ruby’s birthday coming up in a few months, I could do something for it. I’ve been looking on the internet all morning for some fundraising ideas, and I think she would have loved a charity karaoke night.”

“You want to do that fundraising you mentioned when she died?” Lyn sounded surprised, but Jen would always want to be involved in that kind of thing. More so now when she was fully fit and no longer a danger to herself or anyone around her. “That’s a wonderful idea.”

“You think?” Jen grinned.

“Absolutely.” Lyn cleared her throat. “I actually went to one a long time ago. If I remember right, the people who came to the event—ticketed, of course—paid to sing. Only a couple of pounds a song, but you’d be surprised how much it raised for the chosen charity.”

“I like that. Ticket sales and payment to sing. It’s nothing too drastic in terms of setting up the event, and it sounds like a pretty chilled but fun night.” Jen felt positive about the idea. It would be highly unlikely that they wouldn’t sell all of the tickets, and with it being in Ruby’s name, more people were sure to get involved. “I know it’ll be a sad night for us, but I want to turn her birthday into something positive. Something that will keep us occupied while remembering the fun Ruby brought to our lives.”

Lyn sniffled down the line. “Oh, Jen.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You haven’t. I’m okay.” Lyn paused. “But I think you’re right. It’s time we started to remember Ruby with a smile…rather than tears.”

Jen allowed the tension to fall from her shoulders, inwardly sighing at what Lyn had just said. Jen couldn’t have put it better herself. Itwastime. “I think that’s a good idea. You and I both know she wouldn’t want us to miss her for too long.”

---