Page 5 of That Birthday in Barbados
“I’ve spent three honeymoons there. Each with a different husband.Outlived them all, I’m afraid.”
“Oh,” I say, instantly regretting my inner grouch. “I’m really sorry.”
The woman shrugs. “One of those inevitable facts of life, I’m afraid. I’m just grateful to have what I had with each of them.”
“You’re going alone this time?”
“I am,” the woman says. “Better alone than not at all. Are you meeting someone there?”
I shake my head. “No. Birthday present from me to me.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” She sticks out her hand. “Madeline Evers.”
I extend my hand. “Catherine. Camilleri. Nice to meet you.”
“You’re awfully young to be celebrating your birthday alone. When you get to be my age, you expect it. But you-”
“I’m actually happy to be alone.”
“Oh.” Madeline studies me for a string of seconds, as if she doesn’t know what to make of what I’ve just said. “You’re very sad, aren’t you, dear?” she finally says in a soft voice.
I blink once, reach for the paperback I’d stuffed in the seat pocket in front of me, open the cover, keeping my gaze down. “Isn’t everyone in one way or another?” I reply on a half laugh.
She reaches across to cover my hand with hers. “No, dear. Not as a way of life. Sure, this journey has its ups and downs. But happiness comes back. If we let it.”
Sarcasm dances on the end of my tongue, but she’s too nice for me to indulge the temptation. I look up and smile at her instead, and she chuckles.
“I can see you don’t believe me. But if I’ve learned anything from the losses in my life, it is that I get to decide when I’m willing to open a new door.”
“But won’t the same thing end up being behind that one too?”
She considers this for a moment. “It’s undeniable that we’re all leaving this world one day. But I don’t believe we’re meant to be lonely here.” She starts to add something else, then shakes her head a little. “He really hurt you, didn’t he?”
I could deny it, brush off her insight as false, but what would be the point? “We spent our honeymoon at the Sandy Lane.”
“Ah.”
“Odd I would come back, isn’t it?”
“Not at all, actually.”
“You know it really isn’t like me to drown a stranger in my cynicism,” I say, a little sorry to put a damper on her mood.
“It’s okay. Maybe that’s exactly what you need to do at this moment, and I’m sitting here because I’m the person you’re meant to be sharing it with.”
I glance at her again, wish I had it in me to exhibit the type of kindness she is showing me. “You believe in fate?”
“I believe that we meet certain people in our lives when we’re meant to.”
I think of Connor and our first meeting and wonder what the purpose of that had been, other than the eventual destruction of my life.
“I can see what you’re thinking,” Madeline says, wagging a finger in the air. “If I’m right, then why do we meet the people who bring us great pain?”
I don’t deny it, letting my gaze voice my touché.
“Because we have vital things to learn even from those people,” she declares.
“Those arelessons I’d just as soon skip then.”
