Learning to Love

Chapter 12

“Cutting it a bit fine, don’t you think?” Rachel, Kadence’s mother commented as she opened the door wider for Kadence to come in. Kadence learned a long time ago there was no point in apologising because it would only prolong the dressing down, so she simply leaned in and gave her mother a kiss her proffered cheek.

“You look lovely today, mum. New dress?” Kadence couldn’t remember actually ever seeing her mum wearing the same outfit twice, but she needed to change the subject.

With a dramatic sigh, he mother waved her hand towards the bathroom under the marble staircase, “Just go and wash up, before lunch is served.” With one last look over Kadence from her sandaled feet to her simple black and white striped top, and a ‘I can’t believe you are my daughter’ look, she gracefully closed the door and walked back towards the dining room.

Kadence quickly made her way into the bathroom, closing the door, she leaned on the bench above the basin and shook her head as she looked into the mirror. God, I wonder if other mothers are like that or mines a special case of crazy, she wondered. Her mum may be in a hurry, but she certainly wasn’t, so she took her time inspecting the faint lines starting to appear around her eyes and touched up her make-up, so she felt more refreshed.

Knowing she couldn’t hide out any longer, she took a breath and opened the door to find an indignant Rachel standing with her arms crossed outside the door.

“I almost sent out for a search party,” normally that expression was meant as a joke, but the look on her mothers’ face told her it wasn’t intended to be taken as such.

“Just wanted to freshen up after the long drive,” she answered and swayed around her mother’s formidable figure. “Shall we?” she said brightly, daring her mother to attack again.

“Hmm,” was all she said in response and Kadence thought she was in the clear, until her mother turned back around to face her, “didn’t improve much but I guess you’ll have to do.”

Kadence suddenly got an image of herself swinging the beautiful French lamp beside her across her mother’s head and fleeing, but then felt guilty. Somewhere deep, deep, down, her mother did care; this was just how she was raised and didn’t know any better.

“Perhaps if you move back home, you’d be away from all the dirt and dust clogging your pores and washing you out. I can’t say country really agrees with you darling.” Here we go, Kadence rolled her eyes; the I’m so hard done by because my child wants a life of her own, speech.

“I didn’t raise a quitter you know, so if something happened at that school, you need to stand up and face it.” Rachel continued while leading Kadence towards the dining room.

“You’re right, mum, I’m not a quitter; so, I won’t be coming home until my contract is over.” Kadence replied, then paused as she walked through the doorway. Richard was stood as she entered the room.

“Well, I for one am happy to hear you intend to return,” he said with a smile and he walked around the table to embrace her. She forced herself not to stiffen but even after a week, she could feel the distance it had created, was more than kilometres of bitumen.

“Richard, isn’t this a nice surprise,” she tried to keep her voice upbeat.

The maid bringing in a cart laden with todays roast lunch entered the room, saved her from having to make any more unnecessary comments about his attendance and she made her way to her side of the table, with Richard sitting opposite and her mother in pride of place at the head of the table.

“So, tell me. Whose filthy ute is that out the front? It looks like a man’s car.” Kadence watched as Richards face carefully to search of any guilt in his eyes, but all she saw in return was stormy apprehension.

Taking a breath, she turned to the mother to answer the clearly loaded question, “Very astute mother. Women cannot possibly drive the same cars as men, even out in the country.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic Kadence Ann,” Rachel exaggerated her middle name.

“You’re right, it is a man’s truck.” She turned her face towards Richard, “My car broke down and he was kind enough to allow me to borrow a spare farm ute until the repair is fixed.”

“And you just took it? Just like that?” Rachel asked appalled.

“No, not just like that, after I became an imposition and needed freedom to get my own groceries and wasn’t relying on someone in town to come and get me.” Kadence found herself defending her actions, “Oh and I’m fine too thanks for asking. No harm done.” She shook her head and looked down at her plate. She didn’t feel like eating anymore but felt the need to do something, so she speared a carrot and popped it into her mouth.

“Well, I can see from here you are perfectly fine, so there was no need to ask.” Rachel waved a perfectly manicured hand, “Does he know you are already spoken for?”

“Mum,” Kadence warned but Rachel steamrolled over top of her.

“Just answer the question, Kadence. You need to make it perfectly clear to these people, because no one just gives their car without expecting something in return. Of all the naïve things you’ve done,” Rachel tisked, “I mean you are being completely unfair to Richard, how do you think this looks?”

“Yes, mum. I have made it perfectly clear to all I have spoken too that I am already spoken for and while I will apologise for you incorrect assumption of how this ‘looks’” she said with her fingers marking inverted comma’s in the air, “I will not apologise for wanting to maintain independence. Would you rather I called that man to continue to come and collect me daily to go to and from work? I would have thought that would look worse.”

The rest of the meal continued in strained silence from Richard and an interrogation from her mother ensued. She wondered how she could ever be so silly to agree to coming back in the first place, especially without her own car. She just never expected Richard to have left work long enough to attend either and wondered if perhaps he had realised he’d been taking her for granted and this was the first small step. She just didn’t know if that’s what she wanted anymore.