signed for surgery. Both parents had to accept that, while this was the best way forward, there would still be risks.
Juliet was deep in thought when she heard Charlie return. With a large arrangement of the most beautiful flowers.
‘Oh, my goodness,’ she said, getting to her feet as she watched Charlie place them on a small table by the window. ‘They’re gorgeous. You shouldn’t have.’ It was a lovely round arrangement, as if it had been picked from an English garden. Although she knew it wouldn’t be from a garden in the snow-covered Cotswolds. She could see foxglove, hollyhock, snapdragon, sweet peas, roses and a few sprigs of lavender. It was the prettiest arrangement she had ever seen. And as she moved closer she could smell the delicate scent of the flowers’ perfume.
‘Glad you like them,’ he returned. ‘But I can’t take the credit, since they’re not from me. The board asked me to order them as a thank you for coming all this way on short notice.’
‘Oh,’ she mumbled, feeling silly and trying to mask the disappointment she was feeling.
‘I thought I’d test the water before I brought them in case you were still upset and planned on throwing them at me. I know I didn’t make it easy on you and we really did not get off to a good start.’
Juliet knew she had been crazy to think a man like Charlie Warren would buy flowers for her. She felt very foolish for thinking that he would.
‘I agree we got off on the wrong foot,’ she managed to reply. ‘But…it’s all sorted now.’
Little was truly sorted in Juliet’s head. She had been entertaining romantic thoughts and even having dreams about a man who had just followed the instructions of a board and ordered flowers. At least she knew exactly where Charlie was coming from.
‘Actually I haven’t bought flowers since…’ He paused, then stopped the conversation completely and walked to the door in silence.
Juliet thought Charlie was about to let her into something about him. The man who had an office devoid of photos or personal belongings. There was no visible history or connection to another person or persons. And no hint of a life outside the hospital. She didn’t want the opportunity to know more about him to pass. ‘Since?’ she prompted before Charlie could leave.
Charlie drew a deep breath and turned to face her. ‘Not since my wife died. There were so many flowers at the funeral that I couldn’t face another flower again. Besides, there was no one to buy them for after that.’
Juliet’s disappointment was quickly pushed aside by the shock of what he had said and the instinctive reaction to comfort him. She was momentarily speechless.
Her emotions were once again swinging like a pendulum.
And he was gone.
CHARLIE LEFT JULIET’S office before she had a chance to offer him any words of comfort or condolence. Juliet watched as he rushed out of the door, confirming matter-of-factly on the way out that they would meet with Georgina and Leo an hour later. There was no further reference to his wife or being a widower. He did not put a timeline of context to his statement. He apparently had another important appointment and one that oddly seemed to lift his spirits when he spoke about being needed elsewhere. He had quite literally dropped an emotional bombshell and run before she could say anything. The swing of the pendulum grew wider by the minute. Charlie mentioned he couldn’t be late for his tough taskmaster. She couldn’t think who would be harsher than himself but clearly there was someone in the hospital giving him orders. And he jumped. But jumped willingly. While the news was sad, Charlie seemed strangely upbeat as he left.
Juliet thought better than to try to learn more. He had said enough. He was a widower, and she was a single mother. Facts about each other that she had to remind herself had no relevance to their working relationship. But it was not news she had imagined hearing from him.
But it suddenly did make sense. And she could understand better why he appeared to not have a life outside Teddy’s. He would have lost the life he knew when he lost his wife.
Trying to push thoughts about Charlie from her mind, she read the medical updates that had been emailed to her and sent an email to her parents, informing them that she would call in the next day or so once she had everything under control. Although she wasn’t sure exactly when that would happen. She doubted while Charlie was around, or, more accurately, while she was anywhere near Charlie, that everything would be under control. He was complex and perhaps even still grieving and she was confused.
She wasn’t sure she would ever really know Charlie Warren.
But she did still need to ask him to be in Theatre. She had assumed he might have attended, but after seeing the theatre staff listing and noticing his name was not there she wanted to raise it with him. It had slipped her mind in her office, but a lot did when he was around.
She had to put him back in context. He was Georgina’s OBGYN and having him there would make Juliet feel more secure. She tried to tell herself it was purely from a risk-management viewpoint, but it was more than that.
With half an hour until she had to be with Georgina, Juliet decided to pop in and check on Bea. After stepping out of the elevator, she rounded the corner and saw Bea and Emma happily helping the childcare assistant to put Christmas decorations along the hallway window ledges of the crèche. It was difficult with her arm in the cast but she was managing to pass the sparkly tinsel to the young woman and Bea beamed with delight as she watched it being secured in place with tape. Juliet grew prouder of her daughter by the minute. She had adjusted to the move, albeit only for a few weeks, so well. She had made friends, not dwelled on her broken arm and was loving the opportunity to do new things.
Juliet wished she were as resilient. She was still carrying around scars that should have long healed. It was as if she had her broken heart in a cast, and she had spent almost five years dwelling on it. She certainly needed to take a leaf out of her four-year-old daughter’s book on how to cope with adversity and still enjoy life. She was still allowing Bea’s father to affect her life’s choices. To affect the way she saw other men. She was punishing all men for the mistakes of one and feeling sorry for herself in the unnecessary process. Her daughter was a better example to her than she was being in return.
And, she quite harshly reminded herself, she hadn’t lost the person she had committed to spending her life with the way Charlie had. She had been seduced and dumped by a man she barely knew and it hurt. But she had the most wonderful daughter to love while Charlie had no one. He had lost the woman he loved. His scars would with good reason run deeper. She needed to put on her ‘big girl’ panties and stop letting the past rule her future.
Juliet decided to get in the Christmas spirit and offer to help with the decorations. But as she drew closer she discovered the three of them had a fourth helper.
‘Charlie,’ Bea called out sweetly. ‘We need more tinthel.’
Juliet moved back out of sight and watched as Charlie stepped from inside the crèche and ruffled Bea’s hair. ‘Of course, boss. I’ll get it for you now.’ With that, he walked back inside the doorway and emerged carrying a large box with tinsel overflowing from the top. He placed it within Bea’s little reach and then stepped back. ‘Do you need any more help?’
‘No, thank you,
