The girls head off upstairs and even though there’s a two-year age gap between them, I ponder on the fact that only a couple of inches in height separates them. In terms of maturity, Rosie is ahead of her years. Should I be sad about that?
‘Thanks for your donation, and Rosie’s. We have a lot to be proud of with our girls, don’t we? I’d heard on the grapevine that you were working from home full-time now, but didn’t want to barge in and break up your working day. That must be a real relief, though,’ Naomi says.
‘It is, to be honest. You were brilliant with the car sharing. And Mum and Dad have lived their lives around my schedule but now, finally, I can ease the pressure on them. The award has made all the difference but, ironically, I didn’t give winning a moment’s thought because I was nominated alongside the best bloggers I know.’
I indicate for Naomi to take a seat while we wait for the girls to return.
‘Rosie will, no doubt, ask Callie for feedback on the freebies for her next review. She’s turning into a right little journalist.’
Naomi’s eyes widen. ‘She’s an old head on young shoulders, that’s for sure. Anyway, share the rest of your news – what trips do you have coming up?’
I try to contain my excitement.
‘Well, today I’ve been offered a chance to be flown out to a cruise ship for forty-eight hours. And a family-run hotel in Athens are keen for me to feature them and are offering Rosie and me a five-day stay during half term.’
Naomi’s jaw drops.
‘Don’t say anything when the girls get back as I haven’t told Rosie about Athens yet and for the cruise I’ll have to go on my own as it’s in term time.’
‘Wow! Now I understand why you’ve been working yourself into the ground. You’ve made it happen, Leah, and no one deserves it more.’ Callie looks suitably impressed. It gives me a warm glow for a moment and then I stop to think about her words.
Am I being a tad oversensitive here, or does everyone around me feel that I’m a bit of a sad, and therefore deserving, case?
‘I guess, but maybe it’s my turn for a little boost from the universe.’ I mean, everyone is due a little good luck every so often, aren’t they?
‘Well, when you’re constantly sending out good karma, you gotta eventually get some back!’
Is Naomi right? Or is the residue of my anger and resentment still festering in the pit of my stomach, waiting to be unleashed? Sometimes I feel like there are two of me, the good Leah and the bad Leah. The bad one wants to scream, but the good one won’t let it. That’s negative, Leah, and it’s not a road you want to travel down.
‘Let’s see what the girls have discovered, shall we?’
Short notice about the cruise is good – tomorrow, the fifteenth of May, is departure day. With my working life so busy and the workload mounting after a hectic Easter holiday period, it doesn’t give me any time to fuss. Just enough time, in fact, to sort things out at home and pack a medium-sized suitcase. Rosie does her own packing for her stay at Mum’s and decides that she’s going to take a few of her ‘test’ items with her. One is a disposable toiletries pack with more things in it than we have in our bathroom cabinet.
When I drop her off I get a wonderful hug, until Scruffy – the dog who lives next door to Mum and Dad – sneaks under the fence and bowls into the garden.
‘Scruffy! You came to see me!’ Then Rosie is off playing and I’m already forgotten.
Mum, as usual, is a little anxious but trying not to show it.
‘Just remind me again what the itinerary is for this wonderful little trip of yours?’
I sigh. I’m a grown woman and still she worries.
‘In the morning, I’m catching the 7.25 a.m. flight to Nice from Gatwick airport; then a shuttle bus will take me to Port Hercule, Monaco. Now stop worrying!’
I roll my eyes and she laughs.
‘Me? Worry? Never! Just take care of yourself and … well … have fun, anyway.’
She wasn’t going to say the have fun part, but one look at my face stopped her before she could begin reeling off the warnings.
Her hug tells me she won’t rest until she sees me again in three days’ time.
~
Nestling back in my airplane seat, I’m thinking first class would have been a nice touch. And I’m rather dismayed to find out that food and drink is no longer included in the price of the ticket. It’s only just over a two-hour flight to Nice airport but the time difference means you lose another hour on top of that.
It’s fast approaching one o’clock by the time the shuttle pulls into the vast car park at the port. I text Mum to confirm I’ve arrived safely and that everything is fine. A quick glance out the window confirms that it’s a bit of a walk with the luggage along Quai Rainier III. It stretches out rather magnificently, hovering above the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The guy sitting next to me on the bus has been quite chatty on the journey and I learn that he’s joining the ship for the remainder of the cruise. The next two stops are in Italy – Portovenere and Portoferraio – then it sails on to Corsica, ending the tour in St Tropez.
‘I’m only here for forty-eight hours to review the latest addition to Sun, Sea & Tide’s fleet. I gather it’s only six months old, although I’m not sure how many trips she’s already made,’ I tell him.
‘Interesting, so you’ve done this before then,’ he remarks, as we wait for the other passengers to alight. We’re sitting in the back row where we have a lot more room. It’s a bench seat for four people in total but he, too, is travelling alone and we both instinctively headed towards the rear of the bus. I still don’t know his name and I feel a little awkward now, suddenly asking.
‘Well, I haven’t, actually. This is my first experience of being on a cruise ship. It’s rather exciting. And you?’
‘My umpteenth trip,’ he replies with an engaging smile. ‘It’s an easy way to relax. You have the option of doing very little and simply enjoying everything on offer, or taking part in excursions and seeing the sights. I work in finance with long hours and lots of back to back meetings, so for me it’s about switching off from everything and enjoying some fresh air. Home for me is in Leeds, how about you?’
I nod, acknowledging it’s a full itinerary without the hassle of making all those arrangements.
‘The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.’
I wonder why he’s travelling alone. A cruise must be much more fun if you have someone with you to share the adventure.
‘Ah, a place I’ve yet to visit. I think it’s safe to make our way to the front. I’m Harrison Buchanan, by the way.’
He offers his hand and we shake, then begin to make our way along the narrow aisle between the seats.
‘I’m Leah Castelli.’
‘Is that an Italian surname?’
I swallow hard. This is a question I’m going to have to get used to answering from people who don’t know me and my history. ‘Yes. I met my husband when I was on holiday but we’re separated now. I still use my married name because I have a young daughter.’
I can see he’s embarrassed. ‘I’m so sorry, Leah, I didn’t mean to pry. Here, let me grab that case for you.’
He quickly lifts my case out of the trailer behind the shuttle and extracts the handle for