'Yes, yes, yes, thank you, thank you so much for signing my book.'
'A pleasure, take care Skyla,' Christopher sat back down on his chair.
As she moved away from the line something was keeping her from exiting Dymocks. She walked to the back of the shop and hid behind a book shelf, secretly observing Christopher as he continued signing books. There was definitely something about this man, but what? This was nonsense, she had never heard of him till now and until a few moments ago had never even met the man. Yet she had this burning sensation that there was something she needed to tell him.
When Skyla was ready to leave she exited the shop. There it was the Queen Victoria Building. She had seen the building many, many times yet it seemed as if she was seeing it for the first time in her life. As she stood there in the crowd a man appeared from nowhere and walked straight past her, deliberately bumping into her and almost knocking her over. Their eyes made brief contact and he was gone. The nerve of this guy! He didn't even apologise. Those eyes, they had looked straight into hers almost like he knew Skyla.
She walked up George Street, past Woolworths and stood by the bus-stop, across the street from the Anglican Church. Her eyes moved to the right to the Town Hall stairs. She imagined what that spot would have looked like when Mirela and Charlotte had both been young girls and the cemetery where Mirela's father had been buried. Why had Mirela cursed that white rose? Why had she not wanted Charlotte to marry Addison? Had she been in love with him as well? So many questions that not even Christopher Marriston could answer in his book. Why had she felt she should know this information. She crossed George Street and proceeded to walk back to The Rocks. People were still lining up to get their copy of Mirela's Rose signed.
As Skyla sat in the lounge room with the book on her lap she got a sudden urge to visit Ryan's parents in Wahroonga. Their address had been permanently branded in her memory so she didn't have to stress about looking for old address books. The Woodleys had always been lovely to her. It had been Skyla's second home. Many birthdays and Christmases had been celebrated there with both their families. Skyla became emotional as she remembered how wonderful everyone had gotten on with each other. She wiped her tears and lovingly looked across the room to her wedding photo and breathed a sigh of happiness. Jeremy was the best thing that had happened to her and there wasn't a day in her life that she hadn't been grateful for having such a wonderful man in her life.
The next day she drove to Wahroonga Park and pulled over on the side of Millewa Road and turned off the ignition. She placed both her hands on the steering wheel and rested her head on them. Her heart was beating rapidly. She was moments away from Ryan's house. She felt sick. Why in heaven's name did she feel she ought to visit his mother today of all days? She started to have doubts and thought it best to do a u-turn and head back home. Skyla sat in the car for a few more moments uumming and aarring. Finally, she straightened herself up, looked at her reflection in the rear view mirror, touched up her lipstick and turned on the ignition.
'Ahhh.' She looked back at the rear view mirror and immediately turned to see who was standing behind her car. No-one was there. As she slowly turned back to her steering wheel, something caught her sight near the rose bush in front of the park's trellis. It was the back of a young man. He stood there with his head down, apparently looking at the white roses. There was something familiar about him. As Skyla went to unwind the car window to take a better look, her mobile phone rang, which startled her. She turned and fumbled in her handbag to find it.
'Hi honey. Where are you?' It was Skyla's mother.
Skyla lightly slapped her forehead and turned back to that spot in the park. He was gone!
'Oh! Sorry mum I completely forgot.'
Friday mornings was Mum, Dad and daughter catch-up coffee time. Where did he go? There was no-one around. He couldn't have gotten very far. She quickly turned around as she saw someone in her rear view mirror again. No-one there! She must be going mad because the person she thought she saw had been the exact image of Ryan.
'Where are you then?' asked her mother .
'I'm, I'm, in my car, mum, parked on Millewa Road.'
Skyla's mother went quiet.
'Mum, mum, are you still there?' Skyla looked at her mobile thinking it might have died on her. 'Mum?'
'I'm still here, dear.'
'Mum, I'm sorry I totally forgot about our coffee. I just got distracted.'
Ivy Rose interrupted her daughter, 'Honey, what are you doing on Millewa Road?'
'Do you remember Wahroonga Park?'
'Yes dear, I remember it very well but what are you doing there?'
'Today I got this crazy idea of going back to Ryan's house to visit Mrs Woodley.'
Again Skyla's mother went silent on her.
'Mum, mum, are you still there?' Skyla looked annoyed.
'Yes,' replied Ivy Rose quietly.
'Mum, is everything alright? You sound strange.'
'I'm fine. You do what you feel you must do. I'll call you later.' Ivy Rose hung up.
Skyla believed her mother to be upset with her but in actual fact Ivy Rose had sat in silence, looking at her husband. He understood what that look meant. He gently placed his hand on his wife's as Ivy Rose softly said, 'It has begun.' He nodded in agreement.
Skyla turned right into Coonanbarra Road and a flood of memories enveloped her. She felt a mixture of emotions. She drove up the road and parked her car outside number 13. The front garden was immaculately kept as she remembered. Mrs Woodley had always been proud of her front garden.
As she walked up the driveway, she wondered who would answer the doorbell. The Woodleys may have moved since the breakup. Skyla was now on the verandah facing the door. She straightened her clothes, quickly looked around her surroundings again, took in a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Ryan's mother opened the door. She had aged considerably and looked much older than her real age. This took Skyla by surprise. Mrs Woodley and her mother were about the same age.
'Mrs Woodley, it's me, Skyla,' struggled Skyla.
It took some time and when she remembered, Mrs Woodley was overcome with joy. She hugged Skyla and begged her to come in. Incredibly relieved, Skyla stepped into the house. The house had not changed in fourteen years. For a moment, Skyla was twenty years old again and expected to see Ryan lying on the couch with his dad watching the cricket.
Skyla followed Mrs Woodley into the kitchen where she was invited to sit down. Again, Skyla fought back tears as happy memories came back to her of the many fun and happy meals she had shared at this very table with Ryan and his family. Mrs Woodley made tea.
The women sat in silence sipping the brew. Both were buried in their memories about Ryan. Skyla broke the silence. Mrs Woodley was all too happy to talk about Ryan. Skyla needn't have worried. Mrs Woodley had always loved her as a second daughter and that had not changed.
Ryan had died, some time ago, Skyla learnt. Mrs Woodley gave Skyla her moment to cry. Ryan had been her first love and she had not known that he had died. She felt a shiver as she flashed back to the man she had spotted at the park moments earlier. Mrs Woodley had apparently called Skyla's mother with the news but it had never been passed onto Skyla.
'Is it true? Did my son see the white rose?' asked Mrs Woodley.
Skyla was horrified to learn that Ryan's mother had known about the rose. Mr Woodley and Ryan's sister had never really understood the reason why Ryan had called off the engagement nor the change in his personality, especially the disfiguration of his face. It had not been until Cherie had read Mirela's Rose and insisted that her mother read it as well.
'What makes