[A/N. With regard to the review by Valene where you asked who Billy was,
well he was in the third book "Unfinished Symphony." He worked at the shop
Holly owned in New York, as well as living in the back part? I always
thought he was an interesting character, but he didn't get much written
about him in the book. BTW this chapter is a little longer than usual, but
it makes up for the fact that the last chapter was a little shorter than
usual right? There is a further A/N at the bottom to explain something but
I couldn't put it here or it would spoil the chapter.]
Three:
A few days after Lara's Christening I took her around to Holly and Kenneth's with me. Cary had just received an order for a boat, so I left him happily in his workshop. As I arrived at their place Kenneth was just on the way out.
He came over to smile at Lara. "You know I can sort of see some of you in her face, but I can't see any of Cary." He told me. He cocked his head on the side when he studied her, and it reminded me of the way he would study a work of art. Feeling slightly uncomfortable I changed the subject.
"Has the judge been here often? I know he's so proud to have two grandchildren born practically at the same time!" I asked.
Kenneth's face clouded slightly. I knew he'd never completely forgive his father for his indiscretions, or more correctly for Kenneth's losing my mother, but they'd come a long way. I was pretty sure it was mostly due to Holly's influence, but at the same time I knew the judge wanted to be close to Kenneth again more than anything. In a way I knew having me as his granddaughter had made up a little bit for the relationship he wished he and Kenneth enjoyed, but I knew he'd be far happier if Kenneth would forgive him. "We can't get rid of him. He spends hours just sitting there with Nelson. And of course with him getting older he often falls asleep and then Holly has to wake him later when Morton arrives to pick him up." Kenneth said.
"It's hard to think of him as being old, but then he's the same age as Grandma Olivia and Grandpa Samuel were!" I admitted. "I guess I just think he'll be around forever."
Kenneth laughed slightly. "I'm sure he's got no plans to go anytime soon." He said. "Anyway I'm on my way into town, so I'll see you later."
"Right, see you." I said, and he left as I went inside.
Holly was on the phone when I walked in, and she told the person to hang on a moment. "Nelson's in his playpen in the living room. Kenneth bought it the other week for his sixth month birthday."
I laughed, and went to put Lara in the playpen next to Nelson. She was too young to sit up of course, but she had been trying to roll over onto her side already, and she tried it unsuccessfully now. Nelson eyed her curiously, and crawled over to her. I reached into the playpen and handed her a rattle to play with, and she happily took it from me. I smiled at the cute picture the two made. I hoped that they would be friends forever, since everyone needs a friend or two, and the fact that they were related made it even more important. If there was one thing I'd learnt from my mother's neglect and actions was that family was very important!
I went back into the kitchen where Holly was finishing up her conversation. She gave me a smile and gestured to the kettle. I made us both coffees trying not to listen to the conversation. As I was pouring the milk in she hung up. I carried hers to her and she took it gratefully.
"Thanks," She said. "I'm exhausted- Nelson just wouldn't go down today."
I sat down opposite her and took a sip of my coffee. "Lara's always happy to go down, but maybe that'll change in a few months." I said, hoping it wouldn't. I'd been a little nervous before her birth about the changes in my life she'd bring, but I'd found I hadn't needed to make the changes I'd thought I would. With her being perfectly content to just lie and look at things, or play with something I had no problems doing whatever I wanted to do. And she was already sleeping more than most babies her age would. Cary was convinced we'd been blessed with the perfect child, but I told him not to count his blessings too soon.
"Hmm." Holly agreed. "That was Billy on the phone by the way."
I almost dropped my coffee but I managed to give her a casual look. "How is he?" I asked. Ever since my return to Provincetown we'd never spoken about the relationship between Billy and myself. Billy had told me that she'd guessed but the two of us had never discussed it.
"He's great actually. He's got a girlfriend. Marina. I vaguely remember her from when she used to come into the shop occasionally. Apparently she's been coming into the shop trying to work out the courage to tell him how she felt, but it took her awhile." Holly said, sipping her coffee and looking at me carefully.
"That's great." I said. "He's a great guy and he deserves to be happy."
Holly nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more there Melody. Listen, I know about you and Billy, but I can't say I blame you. Once you see past the wheelchair you realise Billy is a remarkable man."
"I know." I said. "He's probably the most wonderful man I've ever met. He was so understanding when I decided to go and see my mother and then come back here to Cary."
Holly smiled at me. "Well I think Cary's pretty wonderful too." She said with a grin. "I always knew you two would end up together. The stars are never wrong Melody."
"I'm glad they're not wrong." I replied, finishing off my coffee.
Holly was looking at me with what I thought was a slightly mischievous look on her face.
"What?" I asked, a little nervously.
"I'm going to read your tarot cards. I ordered some from a magazine the other week and they only just arrived. You can be my first subject." Holly decided.
I shook my head. "Oh no thanks Holly. I don't believe in that stuff." I said.
"Do you remember the first day I met you? You said you had a stomachache and I offered to help you with herbal medicine and you said that you doubted I had what you needed? I told you that I thought you had a lot of negative energy coming out of you- which by the way I don't think anymore since you've grown up and dealt with the bad things in your life- and then you just left the room and went for a walk? I bet that you thought I was crazy then didn't you?"
I tried to remember. It hadn't been that long ago, but my thoughts then seemed so far removed from my current ones. I'd actually been in love with Kenneth and Holly's arrival had thrown me into jealousy. Later I'd discovered Kenneth was my half-uncle though so it was probably lucky Holly'd arrived when she did before I had made a complete fool of myself. "Well," I said now. "I thought you were eccentric and exotic."
Holly threw her head back and laughed. "You're being very diplomatic there Melody. Anyway my point is you soon learnt that my "hoo-doo voo-doo" as Kenneth calls it wasn't just nonsense, didn't you?" She asked me.
I nodded.
"Well maybe you should be open again. And besides, it'll be fun. Don't you want to know what's going to happen in your future?" Holly asked.
I shrugged. "I guess it could be kind of interesting- as long as it's a good future that is."
"Of course it will be. You've got a great husband, a lovely girl, and a nice house. What could go wrong?" She asked dismissively. "You can check on the children while I get the cards."
I sighed and went to check on the children. Lara had fallen asleep, the rattle clutched in her hand, and Nelson was half-asleep, lying contentedly. I smiled at them and then went back to the kitchen.
Holly came back with the cards, which were wrapped in silk, and she sat down opposite me. "Right, there are a few different readings you can do. For example the Celtic Cross, the seven card progression, the question and answer spread. If there's a specific question you want answering then that's the best, but if you just want a general overview something like the Celtic Cross is better." She looked at me expectantly.
"Okay," I said deciding I might as well play along. Especially when I saw her enthusiasm for it. And after all, it was harmless fun, right? "How about asking the cards a question? I want to know whether my life will run smoothly. Is that a proper question?"
"Sure." Holly said. "Now I need you to shuffle the cards for me."
I shuffled them for a moment and then handed them back to her. A dreamy expression had come over her face, and I struggled not to smile at it. She shuffled the cards some more before cutting the deck twice and making three piles, then placing them back together. She spread seven cards out, putting them face down.
"Right," she said, flipping over the first card. "This represents your past. Okay, a six of cups. The six of cups can be interpreted as the flow of the past into the present, giving you new impetus with which to plan for the future. You need to accept your personal history Melody, and that will bring the reward of perspective and experience in your life. It's telling you to learn from your past."
Despite myself I looked impressed. What I'd learnt in the last year or so had made me grow up, but it had also taught me things, like how important love was. The third card, which dealt with hidden influences that I needed to consider was the ace of cups in a reversed position. "This indicates that you've got fears about a family problem or often about conceiving, which is interesting considering you've just had Lara, so perhaps you've got some kind of fears about her. You can't let things suffer though because of these fears. You can't let these fears affect your outcome."
I felt my heart skip a beat. Fears about children! One of my biggest fears at the moment was that Lara didn't belong to Cary. Maybe there really was something to this card reading after all. The sixth card dealt with obstacles in my path and when Holly turned it over it was revealed as a seven of swords. "Hmmm," Holly said thoughtfully. "This card indicates lies and mistrust, and possible dealings with a dangerous opponent. But the message appears to be to fight for what you believe in, for what you believe belongs to you."
The seventh, and final card, dealt with the outcome. It was "The sun" which made me smile. "So it's a good outcome then?" I asked.
Holly looked thoughtful. "Let's see, The sun's presence in a reading symbolizes accomplishment. Rewards will crown your endeavors. It could be something like the birth of a child, happy love relationships, good health and that kind of thing. But most interestingly for you the benefits of heat and light- vision, comfort and growth- are yours, so whatever you embark on now will be blessed with good fortune and support!"
I sighed with relief. "Well that's good to hear- not that I'm entirely convinced mind you- but it's still good to know that things are going to go smoothly for me."
"Well as long as the hidden influences don't become too obvious. And as long as you are brave enough to counter the obstacles. And don't be surprised if those obstacles also relate to Lara since she came into it earlier." Holly reminded me.
Thinking about that made me frown slightly. It seemed kind of strange that my fears about Lara were revealed as hidden influences which could ruin my dream of life going smoothly. How had the cards known that? Before I could think about it further Kenneth came home.
He came into the kitchen armed with grocery bags and saw the cards lying out. "Ah has Holly been predicting your death Melody? Or rather you are going to be rich and famous?"
Holly shot him a dirty look, but I laughed. Kenneth was right- a bunch of silly cards couldn't tell me things about my life. Sure some of the things in the reading might have struck a cord with me, but everything could be interpreted to mean something, and that was just the way I saw them. I stood up. "I better take Lara home or Cary will be wondering where I got to. That was fun though Holly, thanks." I said.
Holly smiled and she walked me to my car, with Nelson on her hip. "Say hi to Cary for me."
"Will do. See you soon!" I called, as I drove off. All thoughts of the cards went out of my head as I drove along with the radio on.
[A/N. I know that there were seven cards being read for the reading but to write about them all would have bored everyone silly, so I just picked some cards to mean what I want them to mean for later in the story. And just in case you don't know anything about tarot cards (not that I'm an expert by any means!) the meanings are actually the correct ones!]
Three:
A few days after Lara's Christening I took her around to Holly and Kenneth's with me. Cary had just received an order for a boat, so I left him happily in his workshop. As I arrived at their place Kenneth was just on the way out.
He came over to smile at Lara. "You know I can sort of see some of you in her face, but I can't see any of Cary." He told me. He cocked his head on the side when he studied her, and it reminded me of the way he would study a work of art. Feeling slightly uncomfortable I changed the subject.
"Has the judge been here often? I know he's so proud to have two grandchildren born practically at the same time!" I asked.
Kenneth's face clouded slightly. I knew he'd never completely forgive his father for his indiscretions, or more correctly for Kenneth's losing my mother, but they'd come a long way. I was pretty sure it was mostly due to Holly's influence, but at the same time I knew the judge wanted to be close to Kenneth again more than anything. In a way I knew having me as his granddaughter had made up a little bit for the relationship he wished he and Kenneth enjoyed, but I knew he'd be far happier if Kenneth would forgive him. "We can't get rid of him. He spends hours just sitting there with Nelson. And of course with him getting older he often falls asleep and then Holly has to wake him later when Morton arrives to pick him up." Kenneth said.
"It's hard to think of him as being old, but then he's the same age as Grandma Olivia and Grandpa Samuel were!" I admitted. "I guess I just think he'll be around forever."
Kenneth laughed slightly. "I'm sure he's got no plans to go anytime soon." He said. "Anyway I'm on my way into town, so I'll see you later."
"Right, see you." I said, and he left as I went inside.
Holly was on the phone when I walked in, and she told the person to hang on a moment. "Nelson's in his playpen in the living room. Kenneth bought it the other week for his sixth month birthday."
I laughed, and went to put Lara in the playpen next to Nelson. She was too young to sit up of course, but she had been trying to roll over onto her side already, and she tried it unsuccessfully now. Nelson eyed her curiously, and crawled over to her. I reached into the playpen and handed her a rattle to play with, and she happily took it from me. I smiled at the cute picture the two made. I hoped that they would be friends forever, since everyone needs a friend or two, and the fact that they were related made it even more important. If there was one thing I'd learnt from my mother's neglect and actions was that family was very important!
I went back into the kitchen where Holly was finishing up her conversation. She gave me a smile and gestured to the kettle. I made us both coffees trying not to listen to the conversation. As I was pouring the milk in she hung up. I carried hers to her and she took it gratefully.
"Thanks," She said. "I'm exhausted- Nelson just wouldn't go down today."
I sat down opposite her and took a sip of my coffee. "Lara's always happy to go down, but maybe that'll change in a few months." I said, hoping it wouldn't. I'd been a little nervous before her birth about the changes in my life she'd bring, but I'd found I hadn't needed to make the changes I'd thought I would. With her being perfectly content to just lie and look at things, or play with something I had no problems doing whatever I wanted to do. And she was already sleeping more than most babies her age would. Cary was convinced we'd been blessed with the perfect child, but I told him not to count his blessings too soon.
"Hmm." Holly agreed. "That was Billy on the phone by the way."
I almost dropped my coffee but I managed to give her a casual look. "How is he?" I asked. Ever since my return to Provincetown we'd never spoken about the relationship between Billy and myself. Billy had told me that she'd guessed but the two of us had never discussed it.
"He's great actually. He's got a girlfriend. Marina. I vaguely remember her from when she used to come into the shop occasionally. Apparently she's been coming into the shop trying to work out the courage to tell him how she felt, but it took her awhile." Holly said, sipping her coffee and looking at me carefully.
"That's great." I said. "He's a great guy and he deserves to be happy."
Holly nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more there Melody. Listen, I know about you and Billy, but I can't say I blame you. Once you see past the wheelchair you realise Billy is a remarkable man."
"I know." I said. "He's probably the most wonderful man I've ever met. He was so understanding when I decided to go and see my mother and then come back here to Cary."
Holly smiled at me. "Well I think Cary's pretty wonderful too." She said with a grin. "I always knew you two would end up together. The stars are never wrong Melody."
"I'm glad they're not wrong." I replied, finishing off my coffee.
Holly was looking at me with what I thought was a slightly mischievous look on her face.
"What?" I asked, a little nervously.
"I'm going to read your tarot cards. I ordered some from a magazine the other week and they only just arrived. You can be my first subject." Holly decided.
I shook my head. "Oh no thanks Holly. I don't believe in that stuff." I said.
"Do you remember the first day I met you? You said you had a stomachache and I offered to help you with herbal medicine and you said that you doubted I had what you needed? I told you that I thought you had a lot of negative energy coming out of you- which by the way I don't think anymore since you've grown up and dealt with the bad things in your life- and then you just left the room and went for a walk? I bet that you thought I was crazy then didn't you?"
I tried to remember. It hadn't been that long ago, but my thoughts then seemed so far removed from my current ones. I'd actually been in love with Kenneth and Holly's arrival had thrown me into jealousy. Later I'd discovered Kenneth was my half-uncle though so it was probably lucky Holly'd arrived when she did before I had made a complete fool of myself. "Well," I said now. "I thought you were eccentric and exotic."
Holly threw her head back and laughed. "You're being very diplomatic there Melody. Anyway my point is you soon learnt that my "hoo-doo voo-doo" as Kenneth calls it wasn't just nonsense, didn't you?" She asked me.
I nodded.
"Well maybe you should be open again. And besides, it'll be fun. Don't you want to know what's going to happen in your future?" Holly asked.
I shrugged. "I guess it could be kind of interesting- as long as it's a good future that is."
"Of course it will be. You've got a great husband, a lovely girl, and a nice house. What could go wrong?" She asked dismissively. "You can check on the children while I get the cards."
I sighed and went to check on the children. Lara had fallen asleep, the rattle clutched in her hand, and Nelson was half-asleep, lying contentedly. I smiled at them and then went back to the kitchen.
Holly came back with the cards, which were wrapped in silk, and she sat down opposite me. "Right, there are a few different readings you can do. For example the Celtic Cross, the seven card progression, the question and answer spread. If there's a specific question you want answering then that's the best, but if you just want a general overview something like the Celtic Cross is better." She looked at me expectantly.
"Okay," I said deciding I might as well play along. Especially when I saw her enthusiasm for it. And after all, it was harmless fun, right? "How about asking the cards a question? I want to know whether my life will run smoothly. Is that a proper question?"
"Sure." Holly said. "Now I need you to shuffle the cards for me."
I shuffled them for a moment and then handed them back to her. A dreamy expression had come over her face, and I struggled not to smile at it. She shuffled the cards some more before cutting the deck twice and making three piles, then placing them back together. She spread seven cards out, putting them face down.
"Right," she said, flipping over the first card. "This represents your past. Okay, a six of cups. The six of cups can be interpreted as the flow of the past into the present, giving you new impetus with which to plan for the future. You need to accept your personal history Melody, and that will bring the reward of perspective and experience in your life. It's telling you to learn from your past."
Despite myself I looked impressed. What I'd learnt in the last year or so had made me grow up, but it had also taught me things, like how important love was. The third card, which dealt with hidden influences that I needed to consider was the ace of cups in a reversed position. "This indicates that you've got fears about a family problem or often about conceiving, which is interesting considering you've just had Lara, so perhaps you've got some kind of fears about her. You can't let things suffer though because of these fears. You can't let these fears affect your outcome."
I felt my heart skip a beat. Fears about children! One of my biggest fears at the moment was that Lara didn't belong to Cary. Maybe there really was something to this card reading after all. The sixth card dealt with obstacles in my path and when Holly turned it over it was revealed as a seven of swords. "Hmmm," Holly said thoughtfully. "This card indicates lies and mistrust, and possible dealings with a dangerous opponent. But the message appears to be to fight for what you believe in, for what you believe belongs to you."
The seventh, and final card, dealt with the outcome. It was "The sun" which made me smile. "So it's a good outcome then?" I asked.
Holly looked thoughtful. "Let's see, The sun's presence in a reading symbolizes accomplishment. Rewards will crown your endeavors. It could be something like the birth of a child, happy love relationships, good health and that kind of thing. But most interestingly for you the benefits of heat and light- vision, comfort and growth- are yours, so whatever you embark on now will be blessed with good fortune and support!"
I sighed with relief. "Well that's good to hear- not that I'm entirely convinced mind you- but it's still good to know that things are going to go smoothly for me."
"Well as long as the hidden influences don't become too obvious. And as long as you are brave enough to counter the obstacles. And don't be surprised if those obstacles also relate to Lara since she came into it earlier." Holly reminded me.
Thinking about that made me frown slightly. It seemed kind of strange that my fears about Lara were revealed as hidden influences which could ruin my dream of life going smoothly. How had the cards known that? Before I could think about it further Kenneth came home.
He came into the kitchen armed with grocery bags and saw the cards lying out. "Ah has Holly been predicting your death Melody? Or rather you are going to be rich and famous?"
Holly shot him a dirty look, but I laughed. Kenneth was right- a bunch of silly cards couldn't tell me things about my life. Sure some of the things in the reading might have struck a cord with me, but everything could be interpreted to mean something, and that was just the way I saw them. I stood up. "I better take Lara home or Cary will be wondering where I got to. That was fun though Holly, thanks." I said.
Holly smiled and she walked me to my car, with Nelson on her hip. "Say hi to Cary for me."
"Will do. See you soon!" I called, as I drove off. All thoughts of the cards went out of my head as I drove along with the radio on.
[A/N. I know that there were seven cards being read for the reading but to write about them all would have bored everyone silly, so I just picked some cards to mean what I want them to mean for later in the story. And just in case you don't know anything about tarot cards (not that I'm an expert by any means!) the meanings are actually the correct ones!]
