Candace spreads a table cloth out on the grass and starts taking out the food which is as gorgeous as it smells.
There are rolls of bread just like I predicted. There are chocolate muffins and cookies, croissants and little pots of jam. She also packed mini omelettes and an assortment of goodies that admittedly cheer me up.
“Wow, this all looks so great,” I state as I sit on the cloth and sit cross legged.
“I thought you might like it. It’s also my attempt to distract you… from everything.”
“Thank you,” I answer, seeing that her reference to everything really means everything. “I should let you know them that I’m distracted, from everything.” She chuckles
“So, now that we’re out here we can relax and forget everything that exists beyond those trees.” She points at the grove of trees ahead of us that lead back to the house.
“Okay, I can do this.”
She starts buttering the bread and hands me a roll which I gladly take.
“You know for the amount of sugar I eat I’m surprised I don’t gain more weight,” Candace muses. “I stay the same size all the time.”
“Oh my gosh really? I’m so jealous. I have to watch my weight, but when you have as much stress as I do the weight naturally falls off.” I say that like it’s funny. It isn’t really.
“I know what you mean. What do you do in Rhode Island?”
“I want to be a therapist. I work at a therapeutic clinic.”
She looks impressed. “Wow, that sounds amazing.”
“Thank you. It took me awhile to work out what I wanted to do but I have. If all goes to plan though, I’m hoping to move somewhere I can have a fresh start.”
“Where did you want to go?”
“Anywhere, just not there. I enjoyed college and I love my job, but Rhode Island has too many bad memories.” Like Eric’s death.
Russia has my mother’s death and I don’t wish to go back there either. As to whether I might feel different in the future is my guess. Right now it’s how I feel.
“I hear you. I’m almost, almost like that with LA. Although my bad memories aren’t really linked to the place.”
“What do you do in L.A?” I ask.
“That’s a really good question since I think I’ve been in a state of flux for some time. Right now I guess I’m an assistant to the brothers at their company.”
Again I realize that I don’t know much about Tristan, and I’m not sure how much to ask Candace.
“That’s good. You seem close to them.”
“We’ve known each other since we were children. I’m probably one of those friends who hung around that you can’t get rid of,” she says with a laugh but I can see a dullness in her eyes. “At least I make myself useful by working. Today though I thought what the heck, we’re here on this beautiful island, might as well enjoy it.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “It’s a truly beautiful island.”
“It definitely is that. Tristan surprised the hell out of me. You can marvel at most places because of the natural beauty which of course this does have, given it’s an island but he designed everything that makes it striking,” she explains and my eyes widen.
“What do you mean? He actually designed the place?” He never told me that.
“From the house to the waterfall and all the gardens around. He and Alyssa were crazy together when they were kids. They used to come up with all sorts of madness when we were growing up. Like the island with a castle on it that no one could find but them. This island is their fantasy. Every single part of it.”
Alyssa…
I guess that was her name. Tristan’s wife. Candace must have thought I knew about her.
I steady my breath and try to look nonchalant and as impressed as I should be but I’m not so sure I do such a good job. Right now I think I might fail at not looking jealous, which is completely absurd.