In a Book Club Far Away(52)
Regina
Present Day, Tuesday
Sitting contorted in the pullout hospital guest bed and tangled in a stiff blanket, Regina startled from her Candy Crush game by the synthesized beat of a phone ringing. As she sat up, her book, which she had failed at reading, crashed to the ground. Kicking the blanket off her, she leaped to her feet so she could turn off Adelaide’s phone before it woke her.
But the phone stopped ringing, and the room plunged into pitch darkness.
Regina sighed, thanking the heavens above. As she lay back down, the phone rang again. She lunged toward the noise, bone-weary from the uncomfortable cushions, skin dry from the recycled air, to Adelaide’s beside table.
She turned the phone over—it was Matt.
This was probably Matt’s fifth attempt that she’d witnessed—the last one at 11:00 p.m., when Adelaide was watching Property Brothers—and not once had her friend taken the call. There had always been a reason: exhaustion, headache, and at the moment, sleep.
It was understandable. All night, beeping machines, the footsteps of nurses, and the quiet whisperings of caregivers had kept both she and Regina awake. Hospitals were not meant for sleep.
But Matt must’ve been out of his mind with worry.
She swiped the phone to answer it. “Hello?”
Matt’s voice was faraway. “Ad?”
“No, it’s Regina. Hold on, okay?” She bent down and placed a hand on Adelaide’s shoulder and nudged her gently. “Adelaide, it’s Matt.”
Adelaide grumbled. Another nudge—and her eyes fluttered open. “Hm?”
“Matt. He’s on the phone.”
“I’ll call him later.” She shut her eyes.
Regina gripped the phone in midair. She looked around the room for an Adelaide stunt double who would actually take the time to talk to her husband. This was strange. Admittedly, Adelaide had not been talkative overnight, but Regina’d chalked it up to pain.
Okay, then. She bit her lip as she put the phone against her ear. “Matt?”
A pause, then Matt spoke. “She doesn’t want to talk to me?” he said, resigned.
“No, not that, she’s sleeping. Perhaps try to call later? Rounds will be in about an hour, and she’ll be up from then on.”
“Yeah, okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Regina… she’s doing okay, though, right?”
“She is, yes.” Regina smiled, hoping he’d feel it somehow.
“Okay, goodbye.”
After hanging up, Regina couldn’t go back to bed. Anger bubbled from deep inside, at secrets people kept from others they claimed to love when physical distance kept them apart. It wasn’t fair to Matt, just as it hadn’t been fair to Regina, ten years ago.
The interaction she’d witnessed was too complicated to think about without some real caffeine in her system. After writing a quick note to Adelaide that she’d be back in a couple of hours, she decided on a walk down from the hospital to Burg Street, about a half mile away, where the city was just starting to wake. She loved the vibe and nostalgia of the early mornings, the dimly lit sky and the stillness of the world. It reminded her of the long runs she used to take, the early formations with her Army unit. On a scheduled catering day, Regina also used the early mornings to do her prep. Knowing she’d accomplished so much before the rest of the world had awakened—that by the time she’d drunk her second cup of coffee, half her checklist had been checked off—was satisfying.
Inspired, she took a picture of the sky for her Instagram. She hadn’t kept up with the feed—despite being in a bustling town, Regina felt out of touch with reality, especially without having her family to ground her. She equally was out of words for the morning, with so much on her mind, so she left it without a caption.
Her phone buzzed, first with a notification that Just Cakes left a comment on her photo, and then second with a text from Henry.
You’re up?
I am. Looking for coffee near Alex General.
Old Town Coffee & Tea is on Burg, two blocks down from the bakery. It’s small. Look out for the green awning or you might miss it.
She bit her lip and decided, what the hell.
Are you free? Want to join me?
Absolutely.
Great. I’m on my way.
Sure enough, Regina almost missed the entrance of Old Town Coffee & Tea since its building facade was narrow and smooshed in between an art gallery and a museum, but two women in workout gear passed her with bags of pastries. Her taste buds and attention woke at the scent of butter and java, and she entered the shop, hanging by the door to wait for Henry, heart pounding in anticipation of his arrival. To distract herself, she scanned the cozy coffeehouse, immediately landing on the chalkboard menu behind the counter.
Genevieve’s party could have a chalkboard theme! She tapped into her phone as the flood of ideas came. Chalkboard menu on the tables, then maybe colored chalk for the kids to play with in the backyard. Non-helium balloons on the ground for the kids to kick around.
She took a photo of the scene, of the long line and the chalkboard menu, to save for inspiration, only to be asked by someone if she was in line. Her heart squeezed in envy. To be a business, any business, that bustled like this was the dream. And in her gut, she knew it was possible. The Perfect Day Catering could thrive in a historic town like this.