Abandoned but Not Alone Read Free Page B

hold on to her side it was hurting so much.
The laughter had nowhere to go; it needed a release – badly. She didn ’ t know what
to do. She fought back the tears in her eyes but it was no good, they kept
coming.  Deciding the best course of action was to cough, Aviva, placed her
hand over her mouth and coughed hard in a very unladylike manner.
    Hope who
was bent over, pretending to look for something in her purse, abruptly turned
to face Aviva who was still at the bottom of the steps, Hope a few runs above. 
They made eye contact. Hope ’ s higher
position essentially blocked Tod ’ s view of
their faces; they both opened their eyes as wide as they could and roared in
silent laughter; mouthing “ escort you
to bed . ”   Hope came
back down the steps and patted Aviva on the back pretending to give her aid in
her coughing fit; giving them the vital moments needed to compose themselves
before once again facing a still perspiring Todd.
    Given the
circumstances, Aviva wiped her face of amusement as best she could, informed
Hope she was fully recovered and they shouldn ’ t keep Todd waiting any further.  Under a fa ç ade of composure the women walked up the
stairs and into the spa.
    Once
inside, Aviva stood with her eyes bugging out of her face.  The Hyde was
like nothing she had ever seen before at any of the many spas Hope had dragged
her to.  The interior of the Hyde had been designed to look like a rain
forest; there were large trees whose branches were covered in the greenest
leaves she had ever seen as they extended upwards towards the glass domed
ceiling, exposed to the beauty of a clear blue sky. She wondered for a moment
if the trees were real, and dismissed the thought immediately, she knew this
place had to cost a packet for just one visit, otherwise Hope wouldn ’ t be here.  They were real, and someone
maintained them to a very high degree so their splendor was contained within
the structure of the building.
    Giant ferns
surrounded ponds, hosting majestic koi in varying shades from gold to white,
swimming gracefully through the flow of rippling water. Cascading waterfalls
gently rolled over smooth stones, resplendent in their different hues of brown,
green and white, each delicately placed so as to best complement each other. 
As the water flowed over the rocks, they sparkled, caught in the light of
discreetly placed illuminations lending itself to the authenticity of
transporting one to a place of tranquility. Drawing in a deep breath, Aviva
detected an aroma filling the air, encompassing her, the scent seemed to speak
to the senses and wrapped around her whole body. Gone was the feeling of
amusement present only moments before, replaced by a wanting to partake in what
this place had to offer. Aviva hadn ’ t realized
she had closed her eyes to better appreciate the ambiance, reopening them she
looked over at Hope, stunned.
    “ Oh my God, Hope I love this place! ”
    ~~~~~~~~~~
    “ Thanks Hope, I think that was probably
one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I didn ’ t know places like that existed. Those
places you dragged me to before …” Aviva
shook her head and rolled her eyes leaving Hope with no doubt as to her
negativity. “… Girl, that
place was the bomb! When can we go again? ” She asked with a cheeky smile. Hope didn ’ t comment, only laughed indulgently, glad
that her friend had enjoyed the experience.
    Hope was
getting married the next day and Aviva has flown in to stand with her as her
maid of honor. She couldn ’ t think of
anyone she would rather have beside her. Over the last year or so Aviva seemed
to be involved in so many projects that made it impossible for them to
synchronize their schedules to a point where they could actually meet. However,
they made sure they stayed in contact via telephone, video calls and email. It
was through these email messages that Hope learned Aviva had started having a
great deal of success selling her songs. Hope knew Aviva