Full Circle (19 page)

Bella was
surprised at how calm she felt. Rafael’s family had arrived en masse from Lima and
had taken her into their hearts; her own friends and family dabbed at tears of
joy. She stopped at the first row, where her father stood proudly beside
Melissa. She gave him a quick kiss. “I love you, Dad,” she said, amazed at how
good he looked.

“I love you,
Girlie.” He reached for Melissa’s hand.

Sofia’s
family took up an entire row of chairs. Bella smiled at the gentle woman who
had been her rock from the beginning. They would always be friends. On the
other side of Diego and the two boys, Valeria comforted her baby. Her husband,
a policeman, had been called out earlier but would try to get back in time for
the reception.

Carla and
Ethan had arrived a few days ago. Thanks to the organizational skills of Carla
and Melissa, there had been little to do in the last few days. This was the
best kind of wedding; beautiful, stress-free, and overlooking the Pacific.

Bella turned
to Rafael, aware of the minister standing patiently in front of them. “I can’t
believe we’ve waited this long.”

He took her
hand and faced forward. “
Cara
,” he murmured, “I’d wait for you forever.”

*
* * * *

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A
Family For Christmas

Mona’s
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Mona’s
Blog:

http://monaingram.blogspot.ca

Now here’s that excerpt:

Laid off.
Downsized. Services no longer required. No matter how they worded it, Maddie
was out of a job. The long walk back to her desk took her through the main
office where her co-workers couldn’t bring themselves to look at her. Amazing
how many were on the telephone, speaking urgently in what she guessed were
one-sided conversations.

She made it
back to her tiny cubicle on the outer wall. It was a small, awkward space but
at least she had a slice of window; it helped her to feel that she had contact
with the outside world. There had been times during the six months she’d worked
here when it had seemed that it was just her, her computer and the endless
stream of paperwork that flowed over her desk day after day. She really should
have considered that when she’d decided to pursue a career in accounting.
Numbers were fine, but Maddie liked people, liked to interact, but there was
very little chance of that in her present job. Correction... her former job.

She stood
beside her desk and tried not to smile. The truth was, she was glad to be
leaving. If she wasn’t careful she’d be laughing out loud, and that would never
do. She was one of a team of eight who had been assigned to a specific account,
and the other team members had been devastated by the news. It wouldn’t do to
appear happy in front of them, when their lives seemed to be crumbling.
Especially now, with Christmas only two months away. Tomorrow was Halloween.
Trick or treat.

What had
management said? Beside the part about losing the account, of course? Something
about cleaning up your personal workspace and taking the rest of the day off.
Paycheques would be available tomorrow, could they come back? They’d phrased it
all so politely.

She glanced
around the cubicle. There was nothing here she wanted. She hadn’t brought in
personal items like most of the rest of the staff. Maybe on some subconscious
level she’d known that it was only temporary.

She walked to
the window and looked down on Olympic Plaza. They’d started flooding the rink
yesterday, much earlier than normal. A popular gathering spot year round, it
had been built for the Olympics in 1988. The ice, fresh and pristine, reflected
glints of sunlight. She lifted her gaze to what she could see of the Rockies
between the tall buildings. First in sight were the foothills, and then farther
in the distance, jagged snow-covered peaks stood out against the horizon. The
sight never failed to thrill her and remind her that she’d made a good decision
when she moved to Calgary.

In her
eagerness to get going, she almost forgot the beautiful Cross pen that Lily had
given her when she started six months ago. At least she didn’t have to worry
about her roommate’s reaction to her sudden lack of employment. Right from the
beginning, Lily had questioned why she was pursuing her CGA degree. It was a
heavy load, studying almost every night and working full time during the day.
Oddly enough, Maddie had thought she was enjoying it. Or at least that’s what
she’d been telling herself. It wasn’t until moments ago when she’d been
informed that her services were no longer required that she realized she was
happy to be free.

Free. This
time she did smile. So she’d wasted a year and a half. That wasn’t long in the
great scheme of things, and the time hadn’t really been wasted. Now she had a
much better grasp of finances than when she’d started the course. That had to
count for something. What was it her father had always said? “Knowledge is a
valuable tool to have in your toolbox.” Something like that. She sobered as she
thought about her parents. She missed them every day, even though they’d been
gone for five years now. Those oft-repeated sayings of her father’s were
becoming truer every day. She fingered the pen, slipped it into her purse and
reached for her coat.

She walked
through the large outer office, smiling and nodding to anyone who would meet
her gaze. She had no idea where she was going, except that she was getting out
of the office.

The elevator
was on the top floor, and she watched the numbers change as it came closer. She
would miss this building. One of the older buildings in Calgary, it had been
purchased by an oil exploration company. Not surprising, since that’s where all
the money was these days.

The new owners
had treated the old structure with respect. They had upgraded the services
while retaining all of the old charm. Maddie had been thrilled when she found
that they’d kept the wood and brass interior of the elevator cars. The metal
required constant polishing, but there was something solid about the inlaid
wood panels, surrounded by ornately carved brass frames. The lobby was several
stories high and featured two massive chandeliers, but in her opinion the best
thing the new owners had done was to keep the concierge desk, and the old
gentleman who manned it. David Hawthorne was seventy if he was a day, and was
unfailingly cheerful and polite to everyone who took the time to speak to him.
She wondered if David had known about the upcoming layoffs; he seemed to know everything
that was happening in the building.

A soft
ping
alerted her to the arrival of the elevator. The doors opened to reveal two men
inside. They glanced at her and stepped aside, but continued their
conversation.

“...Christmas
decorations in the stores and Halloween isn’t even over yet.” The shorter of
the two men was speaking.

“Tell me about
it.” The tall one nodded. “And I have a ten-year-old to buy for.” He sounded
genuinely worried. “I have no idea what to get her.”

“Why don’t you
ask her?” The words popped out of Maddie’s mouth. When would she learn to keep
her thoughts to herself?

He turned
slowly. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” There was a touch of frost in his
voice, but he was looking at her as though she might be his saviour.

She didn’t have
anything to lose. She braced herself and looked up into eyes that were green,
flecked with gold. “I said why don’t you ask her?”

He seemed to
consider her words for a moment, and then gave his head a quick shake. “She’s
only ten.”

Maddie didn’t
like the way he dismissed her. “Haven’t you heard? Ten is the new thirty.”

The elevator
came to a stop in the lobby. The man stepped back with a courtly gesture,
allowed her to exit first, then caught up to her in a few strides. “I’m sorry,”
he said. “I didn’t mean to be rude.” He gestured helplessly with his hands. It
seemed out of place coming from him; he gave the appearance of being in control
of everything in his life. “You see... I just...” He sucked in a lungful of
air. “It’s my niece’s first year without her parents, and I’m not very
experienced at this.”

The man who’d
been in the elevator with him was waiting a few steps away. Green Eyes looked
up. “See you tomorrow, Bruce.” The man gave a quick nod and walked away.

Maddie watched
him make his way through the revolving door. “I’m so glad the new owners of the
building kept that revolving door in place. It adds to the charm of the lobby,
don’t you think?”

He gave her an
odd look, then got back on topic. “Do you think that’s a good idea, asking a
ten-year-old girl what she wants? Seriously?”

Maddie thought
back to all of the gifts she’d received when she was a child. She’d been
grateful to receive them, but they were rarely what she wanted. Judy Blume
books when she’d rather have had RL Stine, tartan kilts when she’d rather have
a cool pair of jeans. She felt guilty for thinking of it now, but if she could
save one little girl from a similar fate, then she’d have accomplished
something.

“Yes,” she
said, noticing the way his dark brown hair curled just above his collar. “I’d
be willing to bet that she knows exactly what she wants.”

He absorbed
her words then nodded slowly. “All right, I’ll do that.” He smiled, and his
demeanor changed radically. He really was quite handsome when he smiled.
“Thanks for the help.” He waited for her to start walking and strode along
beside her. “So you like the revolving doors, do you?”

She smiled up
at him. “I do. They’re not something you see in new buildings.” They passed the
concierge desk and she waved at David. “Goodbye, David. See you later.” She
wasn’t about to discuss her recently unemployed status in front of the tall man
at her side.

Green Eyes
allowed her to enter the revolving door first, then started it moving with a
push of his hand. For some reason she always took baby steps when walking
through the door and she was slightly off balance when she popped out onto the
sidewalk, but managed to recover.

“That sun is
deceiving,” she said, pulling her coat closed at the throat. “It’s cold out
here.”

He was wearing
a beautifully cut short overcoat with a soft tartan scarf draped around his
neck. She wondered idly if his wife helped him pick out his clothes. If so, she
had excellent taste.

“Well,” he
said, extending his hand, “I have a meeting, but thanks for the advice.”

“You’re
welcome.” She took his hand. “Good luck with your shopping.”

He released
her hand, turned away and then turned back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your
name.”

“Maddie.” She
smiled. “Maddie LaRocque.”

“Pleased to
meet you, Maddie. I’m Chase Drummond.” He flipped up the collar of his
overcoat. “Have a good evening.”

She stared
after him for several long moments. Chase Drummond. She backed up a few steps
and looked up at the massive piece of granite over the entrance.
Drummond
Building
. And she’d told him she approved of the door! She almost laughed
aloud. What other surprises did today have in store for her? She wasn’t sure
she wanted to find out.

*
* *

Maddie found
herself walking toward the outdoor skating rink at Olympic Plaza, which suited
her just fine because she wasn’t ready to go home yet. The area was popular
with nearby office workers all year long, and Maddie was no exception. In the
summer months, she frequently walked the block and a half at lunch time. Come
to think of it, the fresh air and pleasant surroundings had probably helped her
stay sane during her incarceration at CCA Accounting.

She really had
to stop thinking like that; nobody had forced her to work for the accounting
firm. She crossed Eighth Avenue and ran lightly up a set of shallow steps leading
into the Plaza. The last slanting rays of the sun lit up the far side of the
rink, the spot where she usually sat during warmer weather. Thankfully it was
deserted now; she didn’t feel like engaging in conversation.

She sat down
and stared at the ice without really seeing it. The reality of what had
happened this afternoon was just starting to sink in, and the pressure of tears
began to build behind her eyes.

“No,” she said
aloud, hunching into her coat and rocking back and forth. “I won’t let this get
me down.”

For a brief
moment, she wondered how Allan would take the news and then stilled, startled
by the direction of her thoughts. Allan wasn’t part of her life anymore. That
had ended over six months ago.

Why had she
thought about him now? Was he so firmly associated with failure in her mind?
She let out a long, shuddering breath of air. She’d met Allan Jameson during
her final year at Simon Fraser University. He was a couple of years older, but
she’d been attracted to him instantly. They dated several times before he told
her he was a widower and had a young son.

Her thoughts
drifted to Connor, and she wondered how he was doing. He’d been a shy young boy
of four when she first met him, and it was Maddie who had suspected the child
was dyslexic. She’d learned everything she could about dyslexia, and the boy
had slowly come out of his shell after his condition had been formally
diagnosed and dealt with.

Looking back
now, she had to ask herself if she’d loved the child more than the father. Or
was that her way of handling rejection?

She’d thought
things were going well. Allan could be a bit domineering, but she attributed
that to the fact that he was older. She’d been working in the accounting
department at a large lumber supplier, and when she’d been promoted for the
second time, Allan had suggested she look into studying for her CGA.