Page 44 of Autumn at the Oak Leaf Café
‘Uh?’
He slipped his clear plastic file back into his briefcase without ever actually showing it to her, then stood up.
‘I’ll be in touch again soon.’ He patted her on the shoulder again, then walked past, moving through the tables. A few seconds later, Madeline heard the bell above the door tinkle. Even then, it was a few seconds before she could bring herself to turn around. When she did, she found Ruby standing in the open doorway, Hazel perched on her shoulder. Both looked sad.
‘Darren?’ she croaked.
Ruby shook her head. ‘He’s gone,’ she said.
21
Breaking and Rebuilding
Asthough to amplify Madeline’s mood, it bucketed with rain for the next week. The cricket final was cancelled. According to Ruby, both captains wanted to play the game at some point, but a date was yet to be set, and with the year deep into October, it was unlikely that a suitable time could be found before the morning dew and the showers forced the cup to be shared.
The café stayed quiet, a handful of customers breaking up each day. Ruby came late and left early. And despite her assurances that Darren was fine with everything but just busy—‘A lot of pets die in autumn,’ Ruby claimed—Madeline neither saw nor heard from him. As she flipped the sign around to CLOSED and headed for what she planned to be her last session with Janine, she could barely stand up for the misery that hung like lead weights around her shoulders. At least Hazel seemed content, giving her a quick leg rub before jumping up onto the window ledge to scan for animals playing out in the rain.
Janine was in buoyant mood, waving Madeline to her seat with an extravagant flourish of her hands.
‘I can just tell things are going well,’ she said as she took her place behind her desk. ‘You look like a different woman today. Did you change your glasses?’
Madeline shook her head. ‘No.’
‘Your hair?’
‘No.’
Janine leaned forwards, her voice lowering as she said, ‘Then it must be your attitude.’
‘My ex-boyfriend is your fiancé,’ Madeline said. ‘You’re having your wedding at my café on November eleventh.’
For the briefest of moments, Janine looked thrown. Then she settled back into her chair, brushed an imaginary piece of lint off her suit jacket, and said, ‘It’s impressive that you’ve come so far that such a situation is like water off a duck’s back.’
‘It’s just business. This is the low season, so for a café like mine, it makes financial sense.’
‘Financial sense,’ Janine echoed. ‘I’m so proud of you. Throwing your emotions into the gutter in order that you can move forwards. We’ve achieved so much together.’
Madeline stared at her, then forced the smile she had rehearsed in the mirror perhaps fifty times. ‘I hope you and Rory are very happy together,’ she said. ‘I will make sure everything goes perfectly for you on your big day.’
Janine gave a slow nod. ‘You’ve matured, too. It’s beautiful.’
Madeline cleared her throat and stood up. ‘Thank you for your time, Dr. Woodfield,’ she said. ‘I think I can move forwards on my own now.’
Janine smiled. Then, continuing to surprise Madeline, she began to clap. ‘You’re a revelation,’ she said. ‘Just a beautiful human being.’
Madeline could only force another smile and head for the door. In the reception she paid Edith on autopilot, then made her way outside. The moment the doors closed behind her, she let out a breath she felt she had been holding for days. She leaned forwards onto her knees, gasping for air.
Then, as soon as she had a hold of herself, she pulled out her phone and called Ruby.
‘Yeah? You suddenly got busy and need me to come in?’
‘I need a drinking partner,’ Madeline said.
There was a pause. Then: ‘Just let me finish typing this paragraph and I’m there.’
‘Look, you’re a grown woman. There’s no way we should be doing this.’
‘Film it and put it on Facebook,’ Madeline slurred, as she peered through steamed up glasses at the river.
