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Cara looked towards the ocean and smiled as the salt water glistened on Pete’s tanned skin, his back muscles rippling side to side as he manoeuvred through the waves. He’d always been fit; staying active through cycling, tennis, and swimming laps at the local pool. Cara caught a woman eyeing Pete, and a rush of satisfaction and pride enveloped her.
The woman walked past Cara, glanced at her briefly, then did a double-take. ‘Cara?’ She lifted her sunglasses onto her head.
‘Donna, is that you?’ Cara asked.
‘Yes, hi! How are you?’
‘Good, thanks. Wow, long time no see, huh?’ She hadn’t seen Donna since university, they’d lost contact after she’d become pregnant with Lily. ‘Are you holidaying here?’
‘No, well sort of. I own a cottage – just up there on the hill.’ She pointed. ‘But I’m only here a few times a year, I’m based mostly in New York.’
Cara’s eyes widened. ‘Really? What do you do there?’
‘Freelance design and marketing in the magazine industry. Vogue mostly, Cosmopolitan also.’
‘Wow, that must be exciting!’ Cara felt as though her face was literally green with envy.
‘I love it, and most of my work can be done wherever my laptop is, so I’m able to travel a lot.’ Donna’s teeth glowed white through her smile. ‘What about you?’ She glanced towards Toby who was now amputating one of the Easter Bunny’s legs with his chocolate-stained mouth. ‘I take it he’s yours. How many do you have?’
‘Three,’ Cara replied, pointing to Jacob and Lily. ‘Oh, and a husband.’ She cocked her head towards Pete in the water.
Donna turned to each of them, her gaze lingering a little more on Pete. ‘He’s your husband?’
Cara nodded proudly.
‘Is he the guy you hooked up with at uni? What’s his name again …Phillip?’
‘Pete.’
‘Pete – that’s right. Still together, huh?’
‘Yep.’ Cara nodded again.
‘So, what else are you doing these days, did you go back to finish your degree?’ Donna held up her hand. ‘Wait, let me guess – you run a little graphic design business from home, am I right?’
Oh yes, in between having two more kids, no sleep whatsoever, not to mention a shortage of money that we’d need for child care, no office space, and no spare time.‘Um … no, I never finished my degree, I’m a full-time mum.’
Why did that feel like it wasn’t enough of an accomplishment?
Donna’s hand flew to her mouth in a gasp. ‘Seriously? But it’s such a shame to waste good talent.’
That’s why.
‘Why don’t you get back into it?’ Donna asked.
‘Well, I’d like to, but I don’t have a lot of time. Maybe one day,’ Cara explained. ‘But I do teach a kids art class,’ she piped up.
‘That’s nice.’ Donna smiled through gritted teeth. ‘Well, I hope you’ll find a way to resume your career. Plenty of women work while raising kids, you should try it.’
Cara returned a ‘gritted-teeth smile’ to Donna.She has absolutely no idea.
‘Anyway, better get going. I’m flying back to New York tomorrow.’ Donna ran a hand through her glossy hair. ‘Nice seeing you again, Cara.’
‘Nice seeing you too.’
Not.
It was only after a fly landed on her nose and she flinched and waved about in a ninja-like way, that Cara realised how tense her muscles had become. Look what Donna had achieved in the last several years. But to be honest, Donna was never as good at design as Cara was. She could easily have worked her way up into the magazine industry too if she’d had the opportunity. Not that it was necessarily what she wanted, but she knew she could have done it. Maybe she could still do it, give it another go, but how? She barely had enough time or energy for daily life. All Cara knew was that despite the outward appearance of her life; great husband, happy children, and a comfortable home, a sense of emptiness still gnawed at her. Getting back into art had trickled some joy into that void, but it would take more than a kidsart class to fill it.
