3.3 A Shadow on the Horizon
Tulip
Now that I was a mother I decided it was time to update, and tone down my outfit. I settled on a more mature look, and shorter, more natural looking hair..
I’d had a phone call from my Publisher asking me to attend a book signing at one of the new clubs in town. After my signing session I headed upstairs to the private bar and ordered myself a drink. Just then my phone rang.
“Hello?” I asked, flipping my phone open and holding it close to my face.
“It’s Thomas,” replied the voice. “You’re mother’s had a heart attack, she’s been rushed to hospital.”
“Oh my God!” I replied “I’ll be right there.” I finished closing my phone and rushing towards the door.
As I walked up to Thomas I noticed the look on his face, “What is it?” I asked. “How is she?”
Thomas seemed to struggle for a second, not knowing what to say. “Tell me,” I begged leaning towards him and looking him in the eye.
“She’s gone,” he whimpered throwing himself into my arms.
As I held him, Pansy and Poppy emerged from the hospital doors, and I noticed Pansy was holding my daughter.
I pulled Thomas back from me slightly and looked at him. “We’ll get through this,” I promised, fighting to hold on to my own emotions.
Releasing Thomas I walked towards Pansy and took my daughter off her holding her close and smelling her soft baby smell, just holding her was comforting.
Poppy: 4 Hours earlier
I stared at my reflection in my mirror and put the last finishing touches on my make up. Adan and I were meeting at the little Bistro in half an Hour and I was just about ready to leave.
Suddenly my bedroom door was thrown open and Pansy rushed in, in tears. “Pan, what’s wrong?” I asked, concerned.
“Pan, what’s wrong?” I asked, concerned.
“It’s Mum,” she sobbed, falling into my arms.
It took me a few minutes to calm her down enough to allow me to understand anything she said. Eventually she pulled away from me and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “Mum’s had a heart attack,” She sniffed, continuing to wipe her eyes. “She was at a clients house working on a makeover for them when she had a sudden pain in her chest and collapsed.”
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
“He’s on his way to the hospital,” she stuttered. “He rang home on the way there.”
“Come on then,” I said.” We’d better go.” With that we left the room and made our way to the car. My date with Adan had been completely forgotten.
Poppy: 4 Hours later
As Pansy and I walked out of the door I felt as if my body and my mind were no longer connected. I felt as if I couldn’t comprehend my life without my mother. As this thought formed in my mind I felt my legs give way beneath me and I sank to the floor unable to control the sobs that wracked my body.
The next few days passed in a kind of blur as arrangements were made for Mum’s funeral. She was now a famous and respected Fashion Phenomenon and so her Death had been widely publicised. However we ensured that her funeral was a private family gathering.
To commemorate mum, we put an iron arch, decorated with flowers, behind her grave.
The day after the funeral was Pansy and my own birthday. None of us really felt like a big get together so we just had a quiet dinner. I developed the Handy trait and realised that I wanted to be a Rock Star.
Pansy developed the Insane Trait and realised she wanted to become Leader of the Free World. She immediately got a job at City Hall as a Podium Polisher.
The next day I drove into town and got a job at the Theatre, on the way home I couldn’t stop thinking about Adan. I hadn’t managed to call the Bistro the night mum had gone to hospital so I’d effectively just stood him up. Then I’d completely forgotten about it what with arranging the funeral and since I ‘d aged up I hadn’t been back to school. I didn’t even have his number.
That evening I was loading the dinner dishes into the dishwasher when there was a knock at the front door. I heard someone moving towards it so I continued what I was doing. After a few second of muffle voices I heard Tulip call, “Poppy, it’s for you!” So I closed the dishwasher and headed out of the kitchen. I was stopped in my tracks by Adan stood in the hall.
“Hi Poppy,” he said smiling “You look great.”
“You too,” I relied, returning his smile. And I wasn’t lying. He’d aged up recently too and his hair had grown into an adorable floppy fringe. His eyes were still exactly the same gorgeous shade of Blue Green.
“I’m sorry I stood you up,” I said looking across at him. “I-”
“I know about your mother Poppy,” he said cutting across me. “And I’m so sorry. I meant to come over sooner, but I didn’t know what to say. Or even if you wanted to see me right now.”
“Of course I wanted to see you.” I said smiling at him ” I just thought you’d be angry at me because I stood you up.”
We both started laughing. ” So we’ve both been avoiding the other because we both thought they wouldn’t want to see us?” I asked laughing.
“It seems that way,” Adan said laughing along with me.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing him by the hand.
“What are we doing here?” Asked Adan as we came to the bottom of the basement stairs,
“Follow me,” I giggled pulling him around the corner. I headed towards the cupboards next to our pool and took out a swimming costume for me and a pair of swimming shorts for Adan. “See you in a few,” I said throwing him the shorts and heading to one of the bathrooms.
When I came back out I saw Adan was already swimming around and I happily watched his muscles propel him through the water, before sliding in aswell.
“Hey,” he said swimming towards me. “You took ages to come out, I thought I was gonna be all shriveled up!” And with that he promptly splashed water in my face.
“Hey!” I spluttered, promptly splashing him back and heading towards the edge to grab a towel.
I pulled myself up on the edge and headed towards a cupboard to get a towel then I heard splashes as Adan made his own way towards the edge.
I looked down as he pulled himself out and dried his face on the towel I handed him.
He stepped towards me and grasped my hand in his, pulling me towards him and into a hug in one smooth movement,
I hugged him back and breathed in his smell, he smelt like spices and smoke.
After a few minutes of hugging, we eventually began to slowly separate. When our faces were only inches apart our eyes locked on one-anothers and the world seemed to freeze around us. Nothing else existed in that moment.
Then…
Ever so slowly, he closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine.
The Garrett Legacy 