‘Yes,’ said Mira. ‘Let’s all read it together on my phone. Hang on, there’s something else coming through, but it’s a little slow to download – perhaps the Wi-Fi isn’t back up to full speed after the storm... Paola, Luisa, do you want to look at this with us?’ The two women came over to stand at Mira’s shoulder, and they stared at the phone. A photo of Hannah’s face filled the screen; behind her was a view of the beach, its white sand and balmy trees similar to the coastline the taxi had driven along yesterday.
Paola nodded. ‘Sí. She is in Golfito.’
Naya frowned, as the thought occurred to her: ‘Hasn’t she messaged you too, Paola? Or Luisa?’ Both women shook their heads. Strange that she’d not been in touch with her staff – but somehow reassuring that she was contacting them directly. It showed how much Hannah cared about them and their experience here.
Mira scrolled to the message below, and they listened to her as she read it out, Hannah’s way of writing sounding strange in a British accent. ‘Hey y’all! Here I am at the beach, waiting for a boat to take me back to Osa after last night’s storm. The water is still rough, the tide is high and there’s not going to be a boat back for hours! I’ve tried to find a taxi to take me the long way around, but they’re saying there’s been a landslide on the road out of Golfito and it’s too dangerous to drive. So it looks like I’ll be held up a little longer.’
Another message dinged through on everyone’s phones. Mira opened it and continued reading: ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you last night, and that you’ve had to start the retreat without me. But I hope you’ll still enjoy your experience at The Hideaway. Over the next few days, you will be healing and becoming the person you are meant to be in your very own, bespoke programme! In a minute, I’ll send instructions for what you’re doing today. I can’t wait to see you all later – I’m doing everything I can to get back to you all. Bye, beloveds!’
Mira stopped reading. Ben set his glass down on the table with a thud. ‘I guess we’ll just wait here for herinstructions, then,’ he said, a throb of sarcasm in his voice.
‘Let’s try calling her,’ suggested Scott. ‘She must be online now – she just sent those messages.’
‘Good idea,’ agreed Paola, picking her phone up from the kitchen counter, scrolling, then holding it to her ear. She waited for a moment, the group watching her expectantly, then shook her head. ‘Her phone is still turned off.’
‘Well, let’s send her a text, then,’ said Ben. He picked his phone up, just as another message tone sounded.
‘It’s Hannah again. These must be the instructions for the day,’ said Mira. She held the phone up for Paola to see; started to read it out loud.
‘Now, even though I’m not there, you can start today’s activities. I know this isn’t going to be the same as it would be if I was there with you, and I’m so sorry! But it can still be a wonderful day.’ That answered that then – they’d stick to Hannah’s plan.
Another message pinged and Scott read it aloud this time: ‘After this morning’s treatments, you will take a walk to our very own private waterfall in The Hideaway’s rainforest, where you can swim in the crystal waters. Paola will tell you how to get there – it’s only a little over an hour away, and the walk is easy, even on wet ground. Before you leave, please turn off your phones, laptops, smart watches and tablets and place them inside the hallway cabinet – they’ll be safe there until you return. It’s so important to give yourselves this digital detox so you can benefit from being here! Take the map of the rainforest from the cabinet near the front door, and the satellite phone, so you can contact someone in case of emergencies. You’ll also find an eco-friendly spray paint – take that to mark the trees to help you find your way back. Have an awesome time, and see you later!’
Naya glanced around the group; she saw Paola frowning atMira’s screen. ‘Would you mind if I take a look at your phone, please?’ asked Paola. ‘I need to check something.’
‘Oh, yes – sure,’ said Mira, handing it to her. Paola held both Mira’s and her own phone in front of her, her eyes moving back and forth between the two screens.
‘Ah – it is not the same number,’ said Paola in a low voice. She turned to Luisa, spoke quickly in Spanish; as Naya watched, Luisa’s eyes widened briefly, but just as fast, she fixed her expression back to its usual smile. ‘It must be a new phone,’ said Paola. ‘This is a Costa Rican number, but the one I have for her is American. She did say she would get a local SIM – I’m sure that’s what she was doing in Golfito.’
A gentle knock at the front door interrupted her before anyone could respond.
‘Good, Thiago is here,’ said Paola. ‘Luisa, let him in, please.’ Naya watched as Luisa opened the door and a tall, attractive man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes stepped into the house, carrying a pile of mats, blankets and cushions, as well as a heavy-looking black holdall. He smiled at the group and gestured towards the roofed area next to the pool.
‘Please, take your time with your breakfast,’ he said, his voice deep and melodic. ‘When you have finished, come and join me outside.’
They did as they were told; Naya even managed to swallow down a few mouthfuls of a sweet pastry, before her stomach started to curdle again.You remember the last time you felt like this, don’t you? You’re going to have to find out for sure, sooner or later.The words were a cruel whisper at the edges of her mind. She forced them away, tried to focus on taking small sips of water instead.
Oh God. Perhaps she shouldn’t have come here, especially feeling like this. She thought she was doing this for all the right reasons – but was this just another one of her impulsive, reckless decisions? A decision that was impacting more than just her.
It’s just a few days, she told herself.And remember why you’re here. It surged through her again – the wild hope she’d felt that this trip might give her some of the answers she needed on how to better help herself and her children. That it was a chance for someone to take care of Naya for a change, instead of her looking after everyone else 24/7. And in the meantime, the kids would be having a wonderful time, being spoilt rotten by theirmamie. This should be a good thing, truly, for all of them.
She was desperate to see their faces now, to hear their voices. She hadn’t managed to call since she’d got here: they’d have been fast asleep back home when she arrived last night, and waking them just to FaceTime would have left both children unsettled for the rest of the day. They would be finding it hard enough without her as it was; she couldn’t risk making it worse. She hadn’t expected to sleep for so long on her first night here, but she was exhausted from the flight and the change in time zones, and her body clearly needed its rest.
So, when she’d got up this morning, she’d called her mother, but of course the kids were still at school – and soon she’d have to put her phone away and set off into the rainforest. She’d not get to talk to them until they were back at the house. ‘Merde,’ she whispered to herself. Maybe she should have set an alarm and called home at midnight, while they were up and eating breakfast.Why didn’t I think of that?
‘Naya? Are you joining us?’ Scott’s voice reached her; his gentle eyes were searching her out.
‘I just need a moment,’ she said.
Scott looked at the others, then back at Naya. ‘Can I wait with you?’ he said.
She smiled. ‘Be my guest.’
Scott took a seat at the table next to her; they sat there silently for a while, but it wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable; natural, somehow. He made her feel quite at ease.
‘How are you doing?’ he said, after a moment. ‘Is it hard, being away from your little ones?’
Her stomach clenched again at the thought of them without her – missing her, needing her. ‘Yes, it is, to be honest – it just feels so strange, leaving them.’ He nodded but said nothing. She appreciated that: too many people rushed to try to make things better, to offer solutions to problems they understood little about. But she rarely wanted that; she wanted someone to hear her. To give her the space to talk, to hold her emotionally – physically too, sometimes.
