Mary shot Sandra a glance. ‘Really? That would be amazing. I’m sure your daughter will be delighted.’
After checking out the shops along the front they walked through the park into the town, where there were bigger, more well-known stores, stopping again for a drink and snack.
Much later, laden with a couple of shopping bags, they went back to the port, put their shopping in the boot of the car then stopped for a meal before heading out on their boat trip.
They sat at the front of the catamaran watching dusk fall and the sky glow with shades of red, yellow and orange, clicking away with their phones. It was stunning.
‘I could sit here forever,’ Patti said.
‘Me too, it’s so beautiful,’ Sandra agreed.
Then the captain let them have a go at steering the boat; again the phones came out to record the moment.
‘I can’t wait to show the grandchildren these photos,’ Sandra said in delight. ‘They won’t believe it. That’s another thing ticked off my bucket list, and with the extra bonus of being at the helm too,’ Sandra continued happily.
‘Jet skis next on the list!’ Patti told her excitedly. ‘Imagine racing each other across the sea on one of those.’
She’d rather not, Sandra thought, the idea of it filled her with dread. Maybe she could persuade Patti and Mary to go without her.
‘I’m so glad you two came over. We’re going to have a fabulous fortnight,’ Mary told them.
‘You bet we will,’ Patti agreed. ‘What shall we do tomorrow? We don’t have to go out,’ she added hastily, ‘we can have a day in and laze around the pool.’
‘I was thinking that we should only go out on alternate days,’ Mary suggested. ‘We don’t want to tire you out. I know you’ve come through cancer but I’ve heard that you still tire easily forages after finishing the treatment. I’m sure you still get days when you feel exhausted.’
Patti nodded. ‘I do. So a day by the pool tomorrow then. I can have a natter and a catch up with Keith.’
Sandra felt a surge of excitement as the boat turned back for the return trip to the port. It had been a really enjoyable day.
When they arrived back home, Keith was watching TV, a zero beer in his hand. ‘Have you had a good day?’ he asked. ‘You’ve been ages.’
‘It’s been wonderful. Why don’t you come with us next time?’ Mary suggested. ‘It must be boring being here by yourself.’
‘I’m fine here. You women enjoy yourselves, don’t mind me.’
Sandra saw Mary purse her lips with annoyance and glance at Patti. Would Brian have been like this if he’d survived his aneurysm, she wondered. He was always cautious, never one to take risks, would the aneurysm have made him even more cautious. She guessed that you could go two ways when you survived a major health crisis, wanting to make the most of your life like Patti, or scared to live it like Keith. It was the same after a bereavement. You could hide yourself away, as she had done, or step back into the world and live life for both of you, as she was doing now. Perhaps she and Patti could help Keith take that step. She hoped so, because a life of fear wasn’t living, it was existing.
28
PATTI
The next day, as planned, they spent sunbathing and relaxing by the pool. Keith had joined them and was lying on a sun lounger reading the local paper. Patti decided to see if she could get him to open up about his health anxiety. It troubled her that he was too scared of having another heart attack to live his life to the full.
‘Can you read Spanish?’ Patti asked, taking the seat next to him.
‘A little, but this is the English language version.’ He turned to the front page where the heading said Sur in English. He glanced at Patti. ‘Are you okay in the sun?’
‘As long as I’m covered.’ She was wearing a sun hat and a thin cotton shirt over her swimsuit. ‘I’ll have a swim in the pool before the sun gets too strong.’ She eased her legs up on the sunbed. ‘Are you going in?’
‘In a bit. Swimming is good exercise for the heart. As long as you don’t overdo it, of course.’
‘It gave you a big scare, didn’t it? Your heart attack?’
‘You bet it did! I thought I was a goner. And I could have been if Mary hadn’t got me to hospital so quickly.’ He put thenewspaper down. ‘You were scared too, when you had cancer, weren’t you?’
She nodded, remembering the conversations she’d had with him over the phone when she couldn’t even bear him to see her on Facetime because she looked so gaunt. ‘I was. I was terrified I was going to die. But I didn’t. I’m in the clear and I feel like I’ve been given a new lease of life. And you have too. You should make the most of it.’
His mouth set into a thin line and his brow wrinkled in annoyance. ‘Has Mary put you up to this?’
