Circling Carousels (3 page)

Darren’s parents barely smiled. Candice wondered if they were always like this or if the death of their son and meeting his babies were simply too much for their fragile, broken hearts. Thinking this to be the truth, she forgave them their cool interest and lack of desire to hold their grandchildren.

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he whole group of them sat and talked about the future for Candice, Crystal, and Sienna. It was agreed by the Pattersons and the Carmodys that under the circumstances, the Pattersons would provide a good place for Candice and the girls to reside. They wanted to give her all the finest clothes and baby accesso- ries and a weekly allowance to make the little family comfortable and safe. It was agreed that this was what Darren would have wanted and that they would make sure everything was arranged by Friday, when Candice was discharged from hospital. With that, they left and again offered no sign of affection to either the babies or Candice, but nonetheless, they had done a wonderful
thing, even in Darren’s absence.

Candice felt that she understood now, and among the waves of sadness over the death of the man she had loved, she felt tinges of happiness because his legacy would make her life and the lives of their baby girls so much better. Even though Candice could never see him again and he would never meet his children, he had still been a good father, better than hers ever was.

Friday came, and the discharge nurse arranged for a taxi to transport the small family unit to their new home. Curiously they were transported to a place outside of town, far away from the home where Darren once lived, but Candice paid no heed to this as she stepped from the taxi to find a beautiful home waiting there. The sun was shining in a brilliant blue sky over the loveliest cottage, with a front yard decorated with roses and paved walkways. There was no lawn to be mowed, which made Candice happy, and the garden looked easy to maintain. Candice had never tried her hand at gardening, so she was glad this one seemed simple enough. Their new home was painted in heritage colours of green, burgundy, and cream, and the yard was surrounded by a picket fence in matching colours. It was simply gorgeous!

In the driveway stood a small silver runabout car equipped with two baby car seats and a note attached to the windscreen announcing that the keys were inside the house. She had been given the key to the cottage at the hospital, and as she opened the door, she became almost giddy with joy over the wonderful furnishings, the beautiful curtains, and the mountain of toys and accessories laid out in the lounge room for the girls.

Candice placed the babies carefully alongside one another in the portable cot that was already made up in the lounge next to the toys. They barely stirred at all in their slumber. Then she went to explore the rest of the house. In the kitchen, were all the appliances she could possibly need, and when she opened the fridge, she found it fully stocked with food and drinks, enough to last for quite a long time. In the pantry, she found all manner of baby food and formula, cereals, spreads, biscuits, and bread.

Candice could hardly wait to find the bedrooms and bathroom to see what they were like, and when she entered what was clearly the nursery, her eyes filled with tears. No expense had been spared. Everything the babies could possibly need was there. There were two bassinettes for now, two cots for later, matching sheet sets, blankets, tiny pillows, and dozens of toys and books for her to read to the babies.

In the master bedroom, Candice was amazed to find designer clothes in her size in many different colours and varieties, books on motherhood and babies, a gorgeously made-up double bed and a spa bath visible from the bedroom just inside the wonderfully appointed bathroom, which was exquisitely filled with shampoos and lotions and bubble bath.

This was absolute luxury, and she drank it in as one who had been thirsty forever. These were indeed wonderful people— or so she thought. Next to her bed, there was one more thing, something she would never have expected. In a gilded frame, highlighted in silver and gold, was a photograph of Darren looking stunningly handsome in a suit and tie and with the most beautiful smile. Again, Candice wept—tears of loss and sadness and then tears of joy for the time they had had and what Darren had given to her in the gift of his children.

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ix whole years would pass in this way, with Candice’s every need catered for by the funds placed in her bank account every week. In addition to this, the children’s birthdays brought more wonderful gifts and treasures that would arrive by courier. Never in the entire time, though, did Candice see or hear from John and Denise Patterson. At the hospital, when they met her and the babies, they promised to leave their contact details with all the other things at the cottage, but they never did. Although there were many pieces of paperwork about the car and appli- ances and the bankcard and instructions, there were no details as to how to contact them at all. In the years she lived there with her two beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls, she never had a visit, a letter, or a phone call from the girls’ grandparents or her
own parents.

She had made some lovely acquaintances at the school where the girls happily learned and played. On rare occasions, she would meet for coffee with some of these women who had children of a similar age, but she never really made close friends of any of them. Candice liked to keep her own company and the
company of her children, and it didn’t faze her that she hadn’t formed any close relationships. It may have been because of the age difference between the other mothers and herself, for compared with them she was still quite young, only twenty-two years of age when they were more than ten years her senior. It also could have been that she found trusting people difficult. Her life on the streets, which she could never share with these other women, had made her unsure of others and even of herself in some ways. Regardless of the reason, Candice was happy to be her own person and the mother of two gorgeous little people whom she loved immensely and who loved her in return.

Sienna and Crystal were in the same class at school, and even though they were only six years old, they loved to play tricks on their teacher, all revolving around their identical looks. Although the teacher, Mrs. Massey, thought they were beautiful girls, she grew tired of the pranks and the little ones started to be admonished for their tricks. Candice thought it was quite funny, too, but when the notes from school started coming home, she knew she would have to rein the girls in a bit.

Sienna was, as she often commented to her sister, the elder of the two girls by a few minutes, and she would tease and be bossy. Crystal would come running to her mum to fix it all, which she always did. Candice adored her little family and the life they had made, but often at night, she would still dream of the days when she was living under the bridge, pleading for food, and having nearly nothing to her name. She would wake frightened and then the beautiful realization would come that she was safe. In her darkest dreams, would come the worry that one day, just as they had given this to them, the Pattersons could take all this away.

In the summer of that year, there was a phone call from an executor of wills. Having no idea what it was about, Candice listened but with little interest. But her ears pricked when the name Patterson was mentioned and she realized something may have happened to her benefactors. Without saying very much else, the lawyer offered her a variety of options and appointment times so that they could speak in person. Candice chose the
earliest one available, as she was now becoming quite concerned about how this may affect her family’s life.

The appointment came and went, and the next thing she knew, Candice was standing on the sidewalk outside the office, confused, baffled, and without any idea what she would do next. John and Denise Patterson had died in a light plane crash, off the coast of Hawaii, and all of a sudden everything was going to be changing for Candice and her girls. They were offered one month by the executor of the Patterson will to evacuate the house and leave, as there were no ongoing instructions about their care. Nothing was in writing at all, and although there was reason to believe they would have liked to continue with their grandchildren’s welfare, there was nothing to say so, so there was little choice. They were permitted to take all of the personal things—the clothes, the toys, and anything else—but they would have to vacate by the end of September, leaving their home and furnishings behind. Candice consoled herself with the thought that it was only ever on loan anyway and that they had been very blessed for the last number of years. The allowance that had been credited to her bank account each week would also cease in one month’s time.

Candice would need to find a job and a new home for them, hopefully all in the same area where they were now living so the girls wouldn’t have to uproot from their school. She told herself that it was okay; she could do this.

The month passed by quickly, and there were no jobs offered. There was no new place to live that would accept a family with no stable income. Even with a whole month having passed, there was no word at all on the hundreds of positions Candice felt she had applied for. Candice contacted the Pattersons’ lawyer to beg for some leniency because she was unable to find suitable accommodation or work. He offered, after her insistent pleading, to talk to the Pattersons’ son about the situation. Candice almost dropped the phone in shock at the mention of a son. She softly enquired as to the son’s name, and the lawyer said he was named John after his father. Candice let out an audible sigh, realising she must have misunderstood Darren when he said he was an
only child. The lawyer didn’t mention that John Junior was in fact John
Darren
Patterson and that he used his middle name to avoid confusion with his father’s name.

Word would come back that Mr. Patterson Junior would not mind if she stayed for two more weeks and then they would have to leave, as he planned to put the house on the market. Darren had no idea who it was living in his parents’ investment property. They had never discussed any names with him.

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wo weeks later, Candice, Sienna, and Crystal began living in an emergency hostel for women with children. They were allowed to stay for six weeks. Candice was sure she would find a home and work by then, so she was okay with the temporary
living quarters.

The girls, out of necessity, had to change schools, but they didn’t mind so much. They adapted well to the city life. Candice promised she would try to get them accommodation closer to their old school so they could go back, but within the first few weeks, they had found new friends and weren’t in the least bit concerned about going back.