The Seas Between Us: Prime Time, #6

Chapter One

W ell, thank goodness you’re here at last!

Susan could not disguise the relief in her voice when she opened her front door to find Anna Mason standing there.

I know! I know! It’s been way too long, my dear friend, but it’s not all my fault. You and Jake have been in Florida for months now. How is he doing?

Susan ushered Anna into the kitchen, their usual gathering place, and switched on the kettle before answering. Anna could see the tension in Susan’s back view and began to dread what she would hear next. Susan was always the stalwart one of the Samba group and if she could not cope with events in her life, what hope was there for the rest of them?

It’s not as bad as we first thought. Susan turned back to Anna and her expression was serious but not as worried as Anna had feared. There was certainly a relapse in June while you and Alina were in Scotland, but with his sister’s extra care, and Florida warmth, Jake has recuperated better than expected. He did have to resort to his wheelchair for a time but he can manage with a stick for part of the day now.

Her voice dropped a notch in volume and she leaned closer to Anna and whispered urgently.

You’ll notice a change in his appearance, Anna. I know you won’t show any shock but I wanted to warn you ahead of time.

Anna found this warning to be quite alarming but she took a deep breath and prepared herself to act as normally as possible should Jake appear suddenly.

Susan spoke at the usual volume as she turned attention from her concerns to those of her friend.

Now, Anna! I want to hear everything. So much has been happening in your life and I need to catch up.

Do you mean to tell me that Maria and Bev haven’t been in touch with you all summer?

No, I can’t say I have been out of the loop completely. There were texts and e mails while I was in Florida but nothing to compare with hearing the information from the person most concerned.

Well, I am happy to supply whatever updates I can, Susan, but tell me what you know already.

Anna settled back in her chair and sipped the coffee Susan had poured. Turning the conversation back to her friend would give her a moment or two to gather her thoughts and try to find an entry point to the problems she had hoped to solve with Susan’s help.

Now, let me see. I first found out about Lawren Drake when you asked me to show you his portrait paintings in my old law offices in town. Of course I suspected there was more to it than just artistic curiosity on your part but I sensibly refrained from comment.

Just as well you did. I had no intentions other than to find an artist for a portrait of Helen Dunlop at that point.

So you say! Susan smiled, with the knowing expression on her face that indicated her superior instincts when it came to her Samba friends’ concerns. I did get a surprise when things moved ahead so fast, though. Before I knew it you and Alina were off to Scotland and Lawren Drake was to follow you in a few days.

Yes, I admit it all happened very fast but I was still motivated by an urgency I felt to acknowledge Helen’s presence in her Oban house with a suitable portrait. Nothing else was on my mind then.

Aha! So you admit there was more to the relationship than a business arrangement very soon after he arrived in Oban?

Now, Susan, I am sure Bev explained my hesitations to you. A personal attachment was not on my horizon then, but I was drawn into the whole portrait thing step by step. I discovered I would be front and centre of the work and that opened up a connection with Lawren that was both personal and emotional. It may have seemed fast to everyone else, but to me it was a slowly evolving situation and one that I never imagined could happen to me again.

Anna placed her right hand over her left as she spoke and Susan noticed at once.

Right! Let’s cut to the chase! I want to see the famous ring.

Anna held out her left hand and Susan gently turned the silver ring on Anna’s middle finger until she could see the inscription. I can’t pronounce it or even read it from here but I have been told what it means; soulmate. Am I right?

Anna swallowed and nodded. She still found it difficult to calmly recall the firelit room in the Oban house where Lawren placed the ring on her finger to match the partner ring on his. The scene was burned into her memory but it was a private moment so powerful that she could not trust herself to talk about it without tears welling up in her eyes.

Susan patted Anna’s hand in a motherly fashion. She could not help a sense of satisfaction in the outcome of the romance since she had been instrumental in their connection at the beginning stages.

Are you happy, Anna? What are your plans for the future?

A shadow passed swiftly over Anna’s features. The change was not lost on Susan.

What’s wrong? Has something happened since I’ve been in the states?

Nothing specific has happened. It’s just that life has intervened. Neither of us is a teenager with unrealistic and over-confident hopes for the future. We are dealing with two separate lives and responsibilities and it isn’t easy to blend those together.

Of course, it isn’t easy! But there’s a more important issue.

Susan held Anna’s gaze and asked the crucial question.

Do you love him, Anna? They say love will always find a way.

Oh, don’t worry about that part. He is the most incredible, talented, sensitive man in the world and I am so lucky to have found him. I won’t pretend it was a simple matter to make love to a man after so many years on my own but he was tender and patient with me beyond anything I could have expected and I am reborn in many ways.

Susan was surprised to hear this intimate account from Anna. Things had certainly changed in her friend’s life to make her so open about her feelings. She could not help wondering what the problem was when the essential part of their relationship seemed to be going so well.

That is wonderful news, Anna. I could not be happier for you. She paused while these words reassured her friend.

So, what is the problem that brought you here today?

You know me too well, Susan. A deep sigh escaped from Anna’s lips but she was committed now. Much had been held inside while she waited for Susan to return from Florida. Now was the chance to unburden herself.

"Truthfully, I am finding it hard to adjust to this new lifestyle with Lawren. First of all he is younger than me and there’s no denying it. I know it’s foolish but I worry about what people will say. And it’s not just me. Lawren refuses to accept any money from me. He is fiercely independent and won’t even move into the condo with us. And that’s another thing! Living with Alina is non-negotiable. My commitment to her predates any with Lawren and I must consider her needs, despite anything she may say about it.

I can’t move in with Lawren. He works in a tiny studio and needs his own space to concentrate on his profession. It seems as if everything has changed since we left Scotland."

Susan sat back and let Anna unreel her worries without interruption. She was used to hearing clients in the legal office spill their problems all over her reception desk while they waited for their lawyers to be

free. She had developed the skill of analysis and knew that clients could solve their own problems, in many cases, if they heard them repeated back to them in a less emotional frame.

I am sorry for burdening you with this, Susan. You have enough to worry about without me heaping my problems on your shoulders. I apologize. I’ll go now before I embarrass myself any further.

No you will not. Sit down again, Anna. I will make us some lunch and I want you to go out to the garden in a minute and call the dogs in. You need some canine comfort and I have some answers for you. On you go now. You’ll find Jake out there. Wheel him back in with you for lunch.

Anna stood, wiped her eyes and pulled herself together mentally. It was good to follow simple, direct instructions and would give her a break from the disconnected thoughts that circled endlessly in her brain these days. Susan had always been wise. If she claimed to have answers, Anna was more than ready to listen.

Lunch was a lighthearted occasion. The dogs were happy to see Anna again and sat with their huge heads leaning on her knees while she ate a sandwich and sipped fruit juice.

Her first sight of Jake proved how right Susan was to warn her. He had shrunk inside his clothes and the shakes were more obvious now than previously. Despite this, it was Jake who carried the conversation in the kitchen, regaling Anna with anecdotes about the dogs’ antics in the warm Florida seas where they happily retrieved thrown sticks in a tag team style, to the applause of an admiring crowd.

As soon as the food had been cleared, Jake excused himself to go for his afternoon rest, wheeled his chair around, called the dogs to follow, and the two friends were alone again.

Thank you, Susan.

For what, my dear?

"For giving me this space to gather my wits about me. Seeing Jake has put my silly worries into perspective. I will find a way to work out my problems but I must say it is a tribute to you both that your marriage has survived, and thrived, in spite of calamities that would have shattered many a relationship.

How do you do it?"

Susan turned her head and looked out of the kitchen window for a moment. It was rare for anyone to acknowledge the effort she had put into her marriage. Her devotion to Jake was something accepted now and her role as caregiver was taken for granted even by close friends and family.

Well, Anna, as you know, when a relationship starts out it is impossible to predict the future. Life happens, as they say, and life brings both the good and the bad times. I think the strength of the love a couple discovers at the start of their relationship is the key. In ancient times a sword was tried in the fire over and over to strengthen its metal and its flexibility. The few swords that survived the process were things of great beauty and rarity, but superior materials had to be there from the beginning.

I see what you mean, Susan. That was quite poetical but are you saying that my relationship with Lawren is not of a lasting quality? Her voice shook a little as she spoke.

Not at all! I haven’t even met the fellow yet! Susan decided not to mention the brief and unfortunate occasion in the coffee shop when she and Alina had confronted Anna and Lawren.

Also, she continued, I have a much better opinion of your ability to make good choices than you seem to have Anna. You have spoken very lovingly of your Lawren today and that is the best beginning I could hope for. However, I do have some advice for you.

Please go ahead. I am grateful for any help. Anna gave Susan her full attention. Whatever wisdom she cared to share was badly needed at the moment.

"First of all, I must tell you that the Anna I see today looks fitter and more glowing than I think I have ever seen. You may not be aware of it but you are standing straighter as if you can see life differently now. These small signs tell me you are on the right path but this is not going to be like any other relationship you have ever had. The times are different and the situation, assuredly, is different.

The age thing is a non-starter. Get over it Anna. Truly, today no one cares about that. As to his independence; well, take that away and he would be someone you might not even like. He has built a life for himself and your job is not to tear it down but to blend yours and his together as much as is reasonable. From what I have heard, Lawren Drake is a true artist and his art is essential to his sense of self. Leave the studio alone. All men need a cave to retire to. It keeps them sane!

Basically, what I am saying is that the image of two doves cooing together nightly by the fireside may not be in your future. The question you need to answer is; how much togetherness is necessary and beneficial for both of you? Your relationship is still very young. Try a couple of date nights a week. Send Alina to visit me or to catch up with A Plus matters and play house together. See how that works out. In time you will know what you need as a couple.

My best advice is to drop the worry. Enjoy this stage of your love story, Anna. It is a gift."

Anna was laughing, crying and shaking with relief at the same time. Her confidence shot sky high. All she had needed was this confirmation. It had been difficult to discuss the situation with Alina because of her initial negative feelings about Lawren but now she felt as if a pathway had been cleared in front of her and she could safely move ahead. The path might not be traditional in style. It would be their own unique style.

She could not wait to throw herself into Lawren’s arms and clear the air between them. Of course, they would sort things out. Why had she ever doubted that they would?

Susan got a hug so powerful that her feet left the floor for a second.

Go on! Get out of here! I expect to meet this amazing man soon, don’t forget!

Susan! You are a wonder! Thank you a million times! I’m going! I’m going! Say bye to Jake for me.

She watched at the window as Anna practically skipped down the front steps and into her car.

Susan wondered if they would ever formalize their relationship and marry. Her advice was not pointing in that direction but if Anna could gather her courage around her, as she had done so often in recent years, then anything was possible. The truth about the years they might have together was a stark reminder. When love strikes in the sixties, and later, decisions have to be made with appropriate speed.

Chapter Two

The passage of time was occupying the mind of Alina also. Three months had passed since she and Anna had returned from Scotland to their home in London and these were three months of adjustment.

She was delighted to watch Anna’s happiness blossom as she grew accustomed to the fact that she was a couple again. Many cozy chats late into the night revealed how she had overcome her reluctance to share a bed with Lawren. Alina was pleased to be Anna’s confidante but she was not able to make a connection with Lawren despite making herself scarce at the other end of the condo and actively keeping herself busy so as not to see or hear anything private when Lawren was spending the night.

She knew this was a stumbling block for Anna, but, really, how could she expect a comfortable threesome to be formed from the close relationship she and Alina had shared for so long?

When she was being honest with herself, Alina knew she had not been as supportive of Lawren as she could have been.

It was the old green-eyed monster, of course. Initially she had been trying to protect Anna from the heartache of a failed romance. And who could blame her? This younger man appearing out of the blue and worming his way into Anna’s life so quickly had all the earmarks of a scheme to steal her money, if not her heart. Alina was on the defensive from the beginning and could not be faulted for that sincere concern, she felt.

And yet, her mental images of the day the portrait had been unveiled in the large bedroom in the Oban house could not be denied. The painting was a masterpiece, acclaimed by all who assembled there to see it. Anyone could recognize the feeling for Anna that was clearly there in the painting. Yes, it was a romanticized version of Anna, but that was significant in itself if this was how the artist perceived her.

Things were different after that, culminating in the night when Anna received the ring.

The two friends had talked about it often afterward. Indeed, it had been the main topic of conversation all the way home to Canada in the plane to the point where Alina had been hoping for a change of subject.

The matching rings were a romantic gesture, of course, but not a formal promise of marriage. Alina realized she derived some comfort from this fact although she would never say so to her friend.

Did she really hope this new relationship would peter out and fade away? How could she even entertain such a thought? Anna’s happiness was paramount and surely Anna had made every effort to reassure her that the situation between them would not ever change. But life had changed, nonetheless, and that was the problem.

Lawren was not comfortable in the condo when Alina was present. He had told Anna it was a feminine environment and he felt like an intruder, which Alina interpreted to mean she should not be there.

Anna refuted this, saying it was preposterous and he meant only that it was so different from his spartan existence in the studio, that the contrast between their financial levels was unavoidable.

It was good that he could acknowledge this contrast. The man had nothing other than his talent. The condo and the business were jointly owned by the two friends. Alina was just as protective of their shared business earnings as she was of Anna’s emotional security. The first move he made to insert himself into A Plus was the moment when she would finally take a stand. But could she afford to antagonize Anna by criticizing Lawren? The threat of her diminishing eyesight was ever present in her mind. Aligning herself against Lawren could backfire badly and leave Alina out in the cold. When it came to choosing between a friend and a lover, most women would choose the latter.

No, best to avoid a confrontation. Life had changed for all of them. It could not be denied. She would continue to be watchful, of course, but it would be advisable to cast around for ways to get Lawren on her side. The last thing she wanted was for him to turn Anna against her.

Alina picked up a trowel and donned her gardening gloves. She would divide some of those spectacular hostas and move them to another location. Digging around in the soil would relieve some of her frustration, if only temporarily.

Floor space in the studio was almost non-existent. A number of new canvases were stacked against the wall in preparation for a shared gallery show at the beginning of October. He had committed to seven works and now realized that was unrealistic. Four were completed but he deliberated about substituting sketches or partly-finished pieces for the remainder.

He could always use the initial drawings he had made of Anna. Leafing through the samples, he picked out one of her face turned up to the sun. It was done without her knowledge and showed an appealing innocence. He looked it over with his professional eye and saw that its rapidly-drawn lines conveyed a freshness of approach capturing the sun and wind of the Iona beach scene.

Involuntarily, a finger traced the pencil lines of Anna’s profile and his objectivity fled. So much emotion now imbued the sketch. He could instantly recall the feel of her soft skin when he cupped her face in his hands and told her how beautiful she was to him. It had taken a number of tellings before she believed him and relaxed into his embrace but now he could not wait to see her again.

With a grimace he turned back to the task in hand. How soon could he finish the paintings and have them moved to the gallery’s storeroom? This would create a free space in his mind as well as in the studio. There was much to think about.

Money was one of the most crucial problems between them. Anna insisted on paying for a hotel where they could spend the night free of restrictions. He had sternly refused unless he could pay the bill himself. His back muscles tensed at the thought. Not even a sweet, generous woman like Anna would be permitted to pay his way. He was only too aware of the discrepancy between their incomes and not one of her friends or associates would ever be able to accuse him of sponging off an older woman with property in two countries and a thriving internet business. The gallery show was his attempt to get on a more solid footing financially. There were many wealthy art lovers in London. If he could catch the eye of only one patron who would sponsor his work, the entire situation with Anna would turn around and he could hold his head up high.

He had been offered portrait work in Scotland and was saving that for a back-up plan should the gallery show fail to produce results.

Placing the sketch carefully aside, he wiped his hands on a wet cloth and grabbed his leather jacket from a peg near the door. There was another matter of concern to him in addition to his relationship with Anna. His father had recently fallen and broken his hip. The phone call from the hospital had reminded Lawren how old his father had become and how important it was for him to return the care his parent had given him. There was no one else who could answer the old man’s pleas. Only seeing with his own eyes would reassure him his father was still fit to live on his own.

Lawren clattered down the wooden steps and ran outside to where his bike waited in the garden shed.

In moments he was speeding out Richmond Street and heading north uphill to Arva. He knew a country road where the cool air would blow the cobwebs from his brain.

Anna, are you busy? I’ve just had another call from my father.

Oh, Lawren! How is he? Is he out of hospital yet?

I’m afraid not. He’s due to be released in a day or so. I’m heading up there now to have a serious talk to him about the future.

"Can I do anything? You won’t want me there when you have personal matters to discuss but give him my