Page 37 of Keeping Skylar
I’ve been standing in aisle seven of the Home & Garden Depot for the past half hour, sifting through a collection of Egyptian cotton bed sheets. Who knew such a simple task of selecting manchester bedding could be so frustratingly difficult?
After tossing up between the beige and olive-green sheet set, I settle for the plain beige—simple, underwhelming, and unexciting, just like the way my life feels right now. But I guess one of the perks of living on your own is that impressing anyone with your choice of bedding isn’t top priority.
Next stop: the garden section.Time to pick out some indoor plants. It’s been three months since I moved to Brightly Bay, and I’m not going to lie—it’s been one of the darkest, most isolating periods in my life.Yet, despite everything, I keep pushing forward, even on the days when it feels like I’m just going through the motions, barely existing.
Right before I left Sydney, I went straight to the high school where my mother worked and finally admitted everything: the affair between Kaden and Lucia, the impending separation and divorce, and the new life I was about to embark in Melbourne.
To say she was upset would be an understatement. She was furious, disappointed, and deeply worried—but more than anything, she understood why I had to leave and offered her unconditional support.
We cried and held each other for what seemed like an eternity, promising to stay in touch and visit as much as possible.Walking away from my mother that day felt like my heart was breaking all over again. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
Adjusting to a new city has been an incredibly tough journey. The absence of my family and friends weighs heavily on me with each passing day, leaving me feeling more alone than I’ve ever been. I was lucky to have spent Christmas and New Year’s with them, in Melbourne, but saying goodbye afterward was truly heartbreaking. Still, I hold onto the hope that, with time, things will get better. It’s the quiet reminder I give myself each morning as I face another day.
On the positive side, I’ve just wrapped up my first official week as the new Pre-K teacher at the school, and work has been the one thing anchoring me—keeping me from completely falling apart. Aside from Loretta, I haven’t really formed many close friendships. It’s still early days, but I have to admit, it’s been a quiet, lonely existence.
As for Kaden, he still has no idea where I am. Thank God. Before I left, I changed my number and scrubbed him from all my social media. The last thing I need is him sniffing around, trying to worm his way back in.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop him from emailing me, since it’s how we’ll be communicating during our divorce. And every day, without fail, I find myself dreading another message from him. Each one is filled with the same desperate questions:Where am I? Am I safe? How could I leave without a word?
Now here I am, wandering through a home and garden depot store, picking up unnecessary things I don’t really need—or probably already own—all for the sake of keeping myself busy.
I glance at the items in my cart: bedsheets, towels, plants, candles, photo frames, stationery, extra kitchen utensils, and other random bits and bobs that could’ve probably waited until next payday. After completing a final check of my selection, I make my way over to the registers.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m in the carpark, loading my purchases into the boot of my car when a familiar voice calls my name. I turn around and find myself face to face with Hannah Bedford, one of the newer teachers at my school.
She joined only two months before I did, and we hit it off instantly. Smart, beautiful, and with an amazing sense of humour, Hannah has a natural talent for working with kids—there’s nothing this woman can’t handle.
We first met during my induction last month, sharing a table in the staffroom over lunch. I felt an instant connection with her, after discovering we had so much in common. Our conversations flowed naturally, like we’d known each other for years. Hannah had just gotten engaged to her partner of five years, and I could feel the deep love she had for him—something I couldn’t help but envy.
Since that first encounter, we’ve shared lunch together almost every day, talking about everything and anything. I’ve learnt she has one sibling—a twin brother named Heath—and that she met her fiancé, Nate, through him.
I’ve avoided talking about anything related to my ex-husband. All Hannah knows is that I recently separated from Kaden after ten years together. I’m cautious not to share too much, and to her credit, she never pushes for more. I’m just not ready to open up about my struggles to someone I’ve only just met.
“Oh, hey Hannah. Good to see you,” I greet her with a polite smile.
“I was just running some errands when I spotted your lovely face from across the carpark,” she informs as she peeks insidemy car. “I see you’ve treated yourself to some retail therapy! I love it. How are you settling in by the way?”
“Oh, it’s been a slow adjustment, and I won’t lie and say I don’t miss home, but it’s still early days. I have everything I need, so, I can’t complain.”
“Good to hear. I know how lonely it can be at times. When I moved here from the north to be with Nate, I was completely homesick. It took a while to find my footing. But then things started to improve, and now, I can’t see myself being anywhere else.”
“Well, I can’t wait for the day I feel that way too,” I say with a soft sigh.
“Hey, you know what? We should go for drinks one night after work. It’d be nice to get you out of the apartment and doing something other than work—or shopping.”
This is why we connect so well—she just seems to know exactly what I need in the moment. In so many ways, she reminds me of Kirstin.
I nod enthusiastically. “That sounds like a great idea. As you know, I’m free every night.”
“Fantastic! We’ll talk about it more on Monday. I gotta go, Nate will be back from golf soon, and I need to get started on dinner. It was really good bumping into you, Skylar. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“You too, Hannah. See you Monday.” We wave goodbye, and she heads towards her car.After closing the boot, I skip over to the driver’s seat, feeling a little giddy and lighter on my feet than I have in days.
It’s early on a Saturday night, and I’m settled on the couch, ready to FaceTime Mila. We’ve made it a point to see each other at least once a week. Though we already have a group chat with Kirstin, Mila sounded like she needed some one-to-one time with her big sister tonight.
After a couple of rings, Mila’s smiling face appears on my screen.
“Hey, sis,” she whispers.
