Charming Mr Stewart

6. Ghostly Reminder

Elle woke up early, jittery and unsettled. She'd woken with a sense that Blake was hovering over her. She even whispered his name into the dim room, half expecting him to say 'Yes, Elle!' as he had so often. Blake had always had a terrible habit of hovering over her as she slept. It used to annoy her. Getting that sense of him hovering over her now only made her concerned. Was she forgetting something, something important?

'You're forgetting something.' Blake's voice echoed in her mind as she climbed out of the bed and carefully chose her path to the bathroom amongst the debris of Maya's toys. What is it? What is it? Her mind chanted as she brushed her teeth, scrubbed her face, and slapped a good dollop of moisturiser on it.

Once in the kitchen, impatience took over her as she watched the kettle boil louder and louder until she picked up the phone and dialed her mother. "Mum!" she rushed to say as soon as someone picked up.

"Are you all right? What is it?" Trish asked. "Is Maya okay?"

"Maya is fine!"

"Then, what's wrong?"

"It's" — but Elle couldn't bring herself to say Blake had woken her this morning — "I can't figure out what I'm forgetting and it's bugging me," she finally managed. "Do we have anything big coming up?"

"How much wine did you drink last night?"

"Mum!" Elle almost yelled. "Just tell me. What am I forgetting?"

"Maya's birthday?"

Elle bit her lip hard to stop herself from cussing. "I've been so preoccupied..." No wonder she'd had the feeling Blake was around that morning.

"Have you planned anything at all, or have you forgotten that too?"

Elle sighed. No point in lying. The women could detect lies like a sniffer dog could detect drugs. "I had forgotten," she admitted.

"I knew you would," said Trish, to her surprise. "Bertie and I have been thinking it would be nice to have you girls over for the day. Blake's folks would love to see her, too. And Chloe called yesterday wanting to know what we were doing, so I've asked her and Pete to come too if they can make it."

Elle's eyes filled up. She'd completely forgotten her little girl's fourth birthday, while the rest of the family had remembered it and were planning, just in case. Had they all expected her to forget? Was she such a horrible mother? She had moved Maya and herself to another city just because she couldn't deal with the loss, and now this. "I'm a terrible mother."

"No one thinks that."

"Then how come you all thought I would forget Maya's birthday?"

"We know you've been through a lot these past years, and now, with your business on top, we know you are struggling. We just wanted to help by taking one responsibility off your hands for one day so that you have one less thing to worry about. Now stop crying."

Elle sniffled. "Thanks, Mum."

"We'll expect you here Friday evening," Trish said without losing a beat. "Everyone's coming to Tamworth on Friday."

The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach had abated by the time she'd managed to finish her tea and mull things over in her mind. Just because Maya's birthday plans had been officially handed over to her more-than-capable mother, Elle couldn't shake the guilt.

She picked up the phone and called her mother again.

"Are you still upset?" her mother asked.

"No." Elle shook her head. "I think I want to bake a cake for her."