The Ripple Effect Part 24

The corridor was quiet and empty after the crush at the bar.

"Second door along," said Kylie behind her.

"Have you and Shay known each other long?" asked Joelle a few minutes later when they were was.h.i.+ng their hands at the basins. Kylie dried her hands and pulled out lipstick from her bag. Joelle poked stray strands of hair back into her ponytail.

"Since high school. My parents moved to Tamworth when I was sixteen. All the country kids had to come into town after primary school."

"Oh, so you didn't grow up in Birrigai?"

"No."

"What do you do here?"

"I'm the receptionist and general dogsbody at the Medical Centre."

"It's very isolated. Don't you get a bit...I mean...it's such a small community..." Joelle stopped. Had she offended Kylie with her implication that Birrigai was boring?

"My parents are still in Tamworth so I'm fairly close but I love it here. So does Shay. He wants to move back as soon as he can."

"Yes, I know."

"How well do you know Shay?" Kylie caught Joelle's eye in the mirror.

Joelle frowned. "We've spent a fair bit of time together since he found me. We talk on the phone almost every day. Why?"

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"No. I don't think so. I've never met anyone and I'm sure I would have by now."

"Aaaah." Kylie let out a relived whoosh of air. "So the coast is clear."

Joelle busied herself with her own lipstick. "Yes, I suppose so."

Kylie grinned happily. She wiped the corner of her mouth carefully with her fingertip and rubbed her lips together. "You know, Joelle? When you came in I thought, and so did everyone else, that you two were a couple. You had that look about you. You know?"

"No." The word floated from Joelle's mouth on a faint breath of air.

"That *We've just found each other and no-one else exists look' that new lovers have," babbled Kylie. "Now I know why. It's kind of the same for you two, isn't it? You're Shay's dream come true and he must be yours. Right?"

Joelle nodded, unable to utter a word.

"I wish my brother looked like Shay." Kylie pulled the door open.

Joelle recovered enough to say, "That's what my friend Viv said too."

"Where do you live? What do you do?"

"I grew up in Suns.h.i.+ne Point just south of Sydney and I manage a florist's shop there."

"Really?" Kylie turned her mouth down and her eyes opened wide in surprise.

"It's not that impressive," said Joelle, warming a little towards Kylie despite her obvious intention to tackle Shay. She'd have to get used to that happening. As Kylie said, Shay was a catch in anyone's language.

If Shay moved to Birrigai, he'd be working with Kylie and they'd see each other every day. And if Kylie's plans were successful she may even one day become her sister-in-law. Not that there was anything wrong with Kylie, she seemed like a very nice girl, but the increasingly hysterical line of thought made Joelle sick to the stomach.

Olive gasped with amazed delight that evening when Joelle stepped forward to be introduced. Her expression was similar to that of Stan's and her eyes filled with unshed tears as his had done. She clasped Joelle to her bony chest and said nothing. Just smiled as if she'd never stop.

"She turned out fine, didn't she, Olive?" boomed Stan.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Olive held Joelle lightly by the upper arms and peered into her face. "Have you had a happy life, dear?" she asked. "You look as though you have. I'm so glad."

"I have," said Joelle. "I've been very happy."

"Good." Olive stared hard into her eyes again before saying, "I wasn't altogether sure I'd done the right thing by telling this young devil where I'd taken you after you were born. I warned him it could cause all sorts of problems but, of course, he wouldn't listen."

Shay said nothing but raised his eyebrows at Joelle. She smiled as their eyes met in a secret exchange. Olive could have no idea how right she was.

"He's always been like that," put in Amy. "Makes up his mind and then goes ahead regardless of what anyone else says or thinks. Now sit down with Olive, Joelle, and you two have a chat while I see to the dinner."

Stan followed Amy to the kitchen to organise drinks. Shay sat in an armchair opposite Olive and Joelle on the couch that was squashy, soft, and sagged under their combined weight. Olive shunted a cus.h.i.+on behind her lower back "My back's a mess," she muttered.

"Have you seen anyone?"

"The new Doctor. She gave me some exercises."

"Are you doing them?" asked Shay.

"What do you think?"

"Typical." Shay snorted with exasperation.

"I know my back better than you do," retorted Olive. "I haven't got time to be doing extra exercises. I get plenty of that all day."

"I'm glad you did tell Shay about me," said Joelle into the silence that followed. "It was a shock, of course and my parents are still dealing with it..."

"They would've known about him though," put in Olive. Her blue eyes widened in surprise and a measure of alarm.

"Yes but they didn't tell me I was adopted."

"Oh my goodness." Olive glared at Shay. "So you went blundering in like the big oaf you are and upset Joelle's parents. I warned you."

"I know." Shay's voice dropped. He grimaced and sucked air in through his teeth, staring at the swirling rose pattern on the worn carpet. He looked up and his gaze found Joelle. The frown left his face and he smiled. "But I'd found her and I couldn't just walk away without even talking to her. I didn't want to tell her. I wanted them to but they more or less refused."

"They were wrong!" Joelle sat up as straight as she could given the saggy seat. Her knees were nearly under her chin and she doubted either she or Olive would be able to stand up without help.

"Maybe they were but they brought you up as their own and they deserve your respect." Olive snapped the words out like a schoolteacher. "Both of you."

"I can't," said Joelle.

"You can. They're still the same people who loved you all your life, aren't they?" Now Olive frowned at her with such a stern face, Joelle could only nod.

"Haven't they forgiven you when you did stupid things? Haven't you ever made a mistake?"

Joelle thought. Many times. And each time William and Natalie were there to pick her up and dust her off. But what about Mel?

"They're being very tough on my sister at the moment," she said. "She's nineteen, single and pregnant. I have to look after her because my mother won't even help." To her own ears, she sounded petty and complaining. A whinger.

"There are always two sides to everything," said Olive smartly. "Sometimes you have to wear the other person's shoes for a while."

"My mother will only wear her own," said Joelle bitterly. She wrinkled her nose, chewed on her lower lip. "I think Dad might want to do something. He came to see Melanie, at least."

"There you are." Olive patted her hand. "Maybe it will be up to you to take the first step. By liaising between your sister and your parents you can reconnect with them yourself."

Joelle firmed her mouth and said nothing. It was all so neat and obvious from where Olive was sitting. And Shay. She was swimming hard upstream. The current of their combined rationality was strong. They made her seem petulant and childish.

"You agree, don't you?" she asked Shay. A switch from whining to belligerence. She'd be making such a good impression on Olive.

"Only you can decide how long you want this estrangement to continue," he said. "If you went to them and talked, I'm sure they'd be delighted."

"Forgive them, you mean?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I'm ready," she muttered. "I can't help how I feel."

In bed in Lisa's old room late that night Joelle called Melanie on her mobile. She picked up almost immediately.

"Hi, it's me," said Joelle.

"Joey, how are you? What's it like?"

"Fine, they're very nice people. Very welcoming."

"Good. What's the town like?"

"Small. Typical country town where everyone knows everyone. Shay took me to the pub this evening and I met his friends."

"So what's the problem?"

"There is no problem."

"Yes, there is. I can tell by your voice. You sound subdued."

"I'm tired, Mel," protested Joelle. "It's been an incredibly long and tiring day. I met Olive."

"The nurse?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"She thinks I should go and talk to Mum and Dad. She thinks it's up to me to forgive them. So does Shay."

"Mmmm. What do you think?"

"I can't Mel. I'm not ready but they don't understand. They don't know Mum. It's hard to make them understand what she's like."

"I know," said Mel. "She can be really tough and unyielding sometimes. Ruthless even."

"Yes."

"You know I've seen Dad, don't you?" Mel's voice took on a sudden uncertain tone, very unlike her usual confident self. Of course, she knew, Joelle had been there when he arrived. They'd sat in uncomfortable proximity for ten minutes waiting for Mel to return from the DVD store.

"Yes." Joelle realised she hadn't asked how Mel was, how they'd managed in the shop and whether the preparations were under control for the two small weddings scheduled for Sat.u.r.day. Mel's problems had faded into insignificance beside her own, but Mel's were far more important. Mel had a child to think about, another life in her care. She was only a child herself.

"Mel, I'm sorry I've been so selfish. I haven't even asked how you got on today. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine and you're not selfish, Joey. No-one could ever accuse you of being that."

"I can," murmured Joelle. "Anyway. What about Dad?"

"A few weeks ago-when he was trying to find out where I'd gone-he went to my old place. They said someone else had been asking for me-it was Luke."

"The father?"

"Yes. Anyway they gave Dad his number in case he found me and could pa.s.s the message on."

"Did Dad ring him and tell him where you were?"

"No" Mel hesitated. "But he gave me Luke's number."

"Why didn't you tell me? Did you call?" Mel must have been sitting on this information all the time. In an obscure way, the secrecy hurt.

"No."

"Mel, why didn't you tell me?" insisted Joelle.

"I didn't tell you because you had enough stuff of your own happening and I didn't want to annoy you any more than I already was."

"You're not annoying me. Mel, how could you think that? You're my sister."

"Am I?" Her voice was so soft and low Joelle barely heard her.

"What do you mean?" Joelle's throat tightened as though a noose looped around her neck.

"We're not your family. At least to me you are but you have a whole other bunch of people and Shay, and it's natural you want to be with them and find your parents but ..." The unmistakable sound of a sob washed down the line. Mel never cried.

Joelle clutched the receiver. Her heart swelled. Poor Mel. All alone and frightened. How on earth had they swung around from Joelle being unselfish to Joelle wanting to move on from her family? It must be hormones talking-baby hormones.