It had begun to rain heavily. Skyla fell to her knees and cried uncontrollably as the rain continued to pour heavily and thunder began to strike. People dissipated in a blink of an eye.
Only one person was left standing there on the corner watching Skyla.
Chapter One
Doors Closing, Please Stand Clear
1982
T
he meeting ended. Ryan grabbed his briefcase and bolted out of the office.
Inside Town Hall Station he heard the announcement come through the PA. The train to Circular Quay was about to depart. He ran down those stairs only to have the doors slam shut in his face.
He sat down on a nearby bench to catch his breath, resting his brief case on his lap. He looked up those stairs and knew he would have to run up them again to call Skyla. He was late. Something on the bench caught his eye. He picked it up. It was a white rose. He was entranced by its beauty. There was a light blue ribbon tied to it, and someone had embroidered a few words in white cotton.
Charlotte loves Addison forever.
Ryan looked around for anyone who may have forgotten to take their flower. For now he was the only soul on the platform. He gently placed the white rose back where he found it.
Ryan’s call came through Skyla’s extension.
‘Where are you?’ Skyla admired her engagement ring.
‘I’m at Town Hall Station, missed the train, just waiting for the next one.’
Skyla could hear Ryan’s heavy breathing.
‘You sound out of breath, old man.’ She adjusted a few things on her desk.
No response.
‘Ryan, are you still there?’
‘Um, someone has left their white rose on the platform.’ Ryan’s gaze went down the flight of stairs.
‘What?’
‘A rose, blue ribbon and …’
‘Okay, so how much longer will you be?’ Skyla dismissed what Ryan had just said.
‘Um, make that about 25 minutes.’
‘I’ll make my way down now, bye Ryan.’
Skyla’s dream of marrying Ryan was soon to become a reality. They were both twenty-five. Ryan’s promotion to Account Manager meant a great deal to the both of them. They would be able to put a deposit on a home much sooner. Ryan’s office was up on the twentieth floor in the Darling Park Towers on Sussex Street near Town Hall Station. Tonight was dinner by the harbour to celebrate Ryan’s promotion.
A police car had happened to be driving past and spotted a young woman slumped nearby the curb. They parked by the taxi stand and went to Skyla. With some difficulty they managed to walk her to their car. They sat her in the back and quickly jumped into the front seat. The thunder was on a vengeance as rain poured down relentlessly. Skyla sobbed uncontrollably. She merely looked from one officer to the other. They appeared to be genuinely concerned. She did not register what was being asked of her and it seemed she had lost control of every limb in her body. One officer leaned forward and grabbed her bag. They found her driver’s licence and took her home.
Ivy Rose opened the door and was mortified to see her daughter being held up by two police officers. The short trip from the car to the front door had completely drenched both men.
Ivy Rose was re-assured that Skyla was okay. They were bringing her daughter home. As they helped her onto the couch in the living room, Ivy Rose looked out through the heavy pouring rain to catch glimpse of what she expected would be Ryan running up her driveway. There was no Ryan.
Leonard soothed and comforted his daughter. The Officers were offered a cup of tea which they were happy to accept. Skyla by now had stopped crying and was staring into thin air. Ivy Rose and her husband instinctively knew Ryan had left her.
Chapter Two
Happily Married
1997
S
kyla was now happily married to Jeremy Lachlan. They had two young boys, Addison and Peter James, who was affectionately called PJ by family and friends.
Happy chaos was evident in Skyla's kitchen that morning. Jeremy kissed his wife and two boys and left for work. Addison and PJ took their breakfast dishes to the sink, grabbed their school bags and went and sat in the back seat of their family car, while Skyla locked up the house.
It was a thirty minute drive from home to school. They lived in Lane Cove. The boys attended the Jesuit school, St Joseph Pignatelli College in Riverview. It was Addison's first day of Year 7. He was one year older than PJ. Both boys had attended Saint Piggies since kindergarten. Saint Piggies was the long standing traditional affectionate nickname boys, past and present, dubbed their school. Jeremy was also an old boy of St Joseph Pignatelli College.
The school entrance filled up fast as a trail of cars drove up its long driveway, alongside school buses. There was a buzz of excitement as the boys re-united with their friends after the Christmas holidays. Headmaster, Father Joe Grande a stout man in his fifties stood greeting as many parents as possible while homeroom teachers also mingled.
The bell rang, lots of cheerful "byes" echoed as the whole school headed off towards the big iron gate, and disappeared into the grounds, leaving the parents behind. Skyla watched her two sons walk to their respective year groups. Skyla diverted her gaze to Addison and as she caught sight on how his school's back pack touched one of the white roses, she felt an eerily cold shiver and was taken aback by an overwhelming fear of dread.
'Addison!'
Addison turned around, startled by the tone of his mother's voice.
'Have a great day honey. Mummy loves you!' yelled Skyla at the top of her lungs.
Addison nodded his head in embarrassment but merely raised his arm to wave to his mother as he entered and disappeared behind the quadrangle gates.
What on earth just happened!
'Skyla?'
Skyla was in deep thought, wondering what had made her call out to her son. Startled upon hearing her name she jumped back into the present.
'Skyla, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.' It was one of the mothers inviting her along with some of the others over for a quick cuppa as she just lived across the road from Saint Piggies. Skyla would have loved to but had a long list of bills she had planned to pay that morning.
As Skyla walked towards her car, she turned around to look at the small bed of white roses. There was something, she could feel it, but what was it? Unbeknowst to Skyla, the rose which Addison had momentarily brushed with his school bag had begun to glow.
Skyla fastened her seat belt and turned on the ignition. The radio was already tuned to her favourite Morning Show.
He did, he saw the white rose, its true! cried a listener.
What? Skyla drove out and parked in the small avenue off Pengilly Street. She listened to the caller's sobbing. This poor girl's fiancé had called off the wedding and dumped her in front of all at Town Hall Station. Skyla began to shake uncontrollably. She knew.