Pushing herself along the route to the Surf Club, Ruby smiled when she saw Nicole walking towards her from the beach. She stopped outside the lifeguard boad shed and waited for her friend to reach her, shielding her eyes from the bright sun with her hand. Nicole bounded up to where Ruby was waiting, flinging her towel over shoulder and smiling back at her best friend.
"Hey, what are you doing out and about? I thought you had a date with Aden today?" Ruby asked when Nicole fnally made it over to her.
"Well, I did. But Alf had to head to the city to pick up some supplies for the bait shop so Aden had to work instead", Nicole replied sounding disappointed.
"Oh, well I'm sure he'll make it up to you. You know what he's like. He'll be planning a surprise for you as we speak", Ruby said reassuringly.
Nicole nodded at Ruby. She knew she was right. Aden always did pull off a show stopper of a make up when he had to bail on a date. It was one of the reasons she loved him so much.
"As for being out and about, where are you going?", Nicole asked realising it was the first time in a couple of days she had seen Ruby outside of school and her house.
"I'm meeting mum for a juice at Noah's. She just sat her detective's exam and she wanted to tell me the whether or not she passed, Ruby said with an excited to tone to her voice. "Plus, Leah just dropped me off from my rehab session and mum wants to know how I went".
"Well I won't keep you. Hey do you want to come over later and watch some DVD's or something?" Nicole asked, hoping for a girlie night in.
""Yeah sure.. I could use a good gossip", Ruby said.
With that both girls exchanged brief hugs and went their seperate ways. Ruby made her way around to the entrance of the Surf Club. Entering into the main hall she smiled at Martha as she passed her by, wheeling around the pool table and making her way to the juice bar. As she wheeled in she looked around for her mother. Smiling when she found her sitting in her uniform on the couch across the room with two juices on the table before her.
Moving around the juice bar she crossed the room and stopped at the side of the couch next to her mother. Charlie smiled at her and stood up to embrace her daughter. Sitting back down she handed Ruby her juice and then turned towards her ready to have a chat. Placing her elbowon top of the back fo the couch she leaned her head on her hand and smiled as Ruby took a quick sip of her juice.
"So how'd did the exam go?" Ruby asked excitedly, hoping for the best.
Charlie smiled at her daughter and then leaned forward placingher juice on the table before her. Turning back around she looked up at Ruby and smiled.
"Well, you are now looking at Senior Detective Charlie Buckton" Charlie said with a huge grin on her face.
"Oh my God. Are you serious?" Ruby squealed as her excitement began to spill over.
Charlie nodded her head to acknowledge Ruby's reply and and she could fell her melt as her daughter began to tear up. Ruby lunged her upper body forward and engulfed her mother in a hug, kissing the side of her cheek. Charlie fell into the embrace and felt the pressures of the day fade away at that moment.
"So when does it become official?", Ruby asked leaning back into her chair and taking her juice back up from the table.
"Well, I have to take a couple more exams based on general theory and then I have to take an asessment....." Charlie found herself cut off by an overly impatient Ruby.
"....Okay mum, when is the big celebrations?" asked the teen with wide eyes.
Charlie could do nothing but laugh There was nothing her daughter loved more than a reason to go out and celebrate.
"Okay, okay. It will be two months from tomorrow to the very day", Charlie finally answered her. "I'll officially be given the title".
Ruby started addin that up in her head. She had this strange feeling something was on the same day as Charlie's detective officiation. It then finally clicked. It was the same day as Charlie's birthday. Suddenly Ruby's brain went into overdrive and she started making all sorts of plans.
"Mum that's the same day as your birthday", Ruby stated with a big grin on her face. "We need o have a big celebration.
"Rubes, I'm turning 31 not 21, I don't think a party is necessary", Charlie said with a laugh.
"So? Mum we've been through a lot this year and you've supported me through some of the toughest times. You deserve to showered aith adoration. Come on, you need a good party", Ruby finished with a pleading look.
"Ok, fine will throw a party", Charlie gave in.
"Yes!" Rubh said pumping her fists in the air.
Both Charlie and Martha, who was standing at the counter laughed at Ruby's over enthusiastic expression of happiness. When she had finally settled down, Charlie placed a hand on her knee as she always did when she wanted to know something or get gossip out of her.
"So how did the rehabilitation session go today? Good? Did the docs say anything about how your recovery is going", she asked, hoping that the possibilty of Ruby ever walking again was going to be a reality or just an impossible dream.
Ruby sat there and thought about the her visit to the rehab centre earlier. As she sat there she began to have flashbacks.
"Ruby, did you hear what I just said?", the doctor asked as Ruby sat in her chair stunned into silence.
A tear slid down her cheek as she tried to process what he had just told her. Unable to control her emotions, she bowed her head and buried it in her hands. All she could think of was going home to her mother and telling her the news and being comforted.
"Ruby....Ruby...."
A voice snapped her back to reality and she looked up to see Charlie staring her in the eye with a worried expression on her face. Ruby stiffened and when she looked at her. Charlie was having a good day and with plans underway for a shindig underway, she didn't want to overshadow her good day with Ruby's news. Today was going to be all about Charlie.
"Rubes, what's wrong? Did somehting happen at your appointment? God I knew I should have went with you", Charlie said, a guilty tone in her voice.
"Mum you were sitting an exam, you couldn't have been there. It's nothing. I guess I'm just tired from the workout today", Ruby lied as she grabbed her Charlie's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Charlie nodded at her daughter's explanation for being so withdrawn. But looking into Ruby's eyes, she could tell she was hiding something from her. And she was going to find out one way or another.
"Um, I'm gonna go. Nic and I are going to watch some DVD's at her house, so I'll see you later", Ruby said as she retreated away from the couch and started to wheel away.
"Hey, call me later, I'll pick you you up", Charlie said as she watched Ruby take off out of the juice bar.
Watching from behind the bar, Martha walked over to the couch and sat down next to Charlie .
"Is Ruby alright? Martha asked as she looked at Charlie who was still staring after Ruby until she was out of sight.
"I don't know, and to be honest I'm a little worried she's hiding something from me.
Outside the surf club, Ruby stopped her chair at the edge of the pathway down to the beach and looked. She thought back to what the doctor and physio had told her. She knew she would have to tell Charlie the truth at some stage she just wasn't sure when.
