The January Wish Read Online Free PDF Page A

hummingbird cake, please.’
    Jonah widened his eyes. ‘Must have been a tough day.’
    ‘You could say that.’ She took a seat on one of only two remaining bar stools near the counter. The café was surprisingly busy, mostly filled with twenty-something’s who alternated between chatting, laughing, and texting. She felt quite old and pathetic, and considered asking Jonah to make it a takeaway coffee until the man next to her spoke.
    ‘Coffee, huh? You know, that stuff’ll keep you up all night.’
    She turned to face a stunning man with skin the colour of, well, warm velvety coffee, and eyes a striking blue. ‘So I’ve heard. But with the day I’ve had, I think I’d be up most of the night anyway so I might as well indulge.’
    As if on cue, Jonah placed the steaming coffee in front of her. The rich, welcoming scent instantly put her at ease. The cake arrived next, a dollop of cream by its side.
    ‘What are you drinking, is that decaf?’ Sylvia asked the man.
    ‘No, it’s dandelion chai,’ he said, before taking a long slow sip from the mug.
    ‘Dandy what?’ Sylvia furrowed her eyebrows.
    ‘Dandelion chai, it’s a type of tea.’ He took another sip. ‘You should try it sometime.’
    Sylvia leaned back, cautiously eyeing his unfamiliar concoction. ‘I think I’ll stick to coffee, thanks.’ She took a sip then dove a fork into the hummingbird cake with gusto, wiping a smudge of cream from her lip with the heel of her hand. She could easily devour two slices.
    ‘Fair enough.’ His lips formed a gentle smile, and for a moment Sylvia forgot about Richard and their argument. Forgot how only hours ago she’d met her grown daughter for the first time, and how, amazingly, the wish she’d made had come true. Well, part of it anyway. Even if it was only coincidence. But right now, in this moment, she was entranced by the smile of a stranger, the taste of warm thick coffee relaxing her throat, and the sweet softness of the cake as it danced around her tastebuds.
    ‘Did you go to the Jazz Festival last weekend?’ The man widened his eyes, raising his voice and slowing his speech.
    She mustn’t have heard him the first time. ‘Oh, um, no I didn’t. I was away,’ Sylvia replied.
    ‘You missed out, it was brilliant! The whole town was alive, music everywhere, and the weather was perfect.’ He took another sip of his seemingly endless cup of dandy-whatever.
    ‘I’m sure it was. Anyway, the markets are on this Sunday, they’re always good too.’
    ‘Maybe I’ll see you there.’ The man smiled his charming smile again.
    ‘Maybe.’ Sylvia found herself twisting a curl of her hair, just like Grace had done today.
    Getting only five hours of sleep didn’t deter Sylvia from following her usual morning routine the next day. She rose at seven when the beep of her alarm clock hijacked a dream in which she was back at hospital as a sixteen-year-old, and her baby was too heavy to lift. Everyone laughed as she tried with all her might to lift Grace up, and as the alarm sounded, she thought it was meant to warn everyone in the hospital that she was unequipped to be a mother.
    Sylvia shook the absurd dream from her mind as she got out of bed and changed into her swimsuit before swimming thirty laps in her backyard pool.
    This morning ritual started when she moved into the house a few years ago, and every day, bar heavy rain or freezing weather, she’d swim laps. Sylvia loved the feeling of the cool water enveloping her skin, the gentle silky pressure as her hands pushed through the water, and the repetition that helped her mind prepare for the day ahead.
    Afterwards, she’d take a quick shower, eat breakfast, do her hair and make-up and get dressed in one of her ten work outfits. Friday’s combination was a burgundy short-sleeved cotton shirt teamed with cream-coloured wide-leg pants. Next Friday would be slightly different. She’d wear the same pants but with a navy version of the same shirt.
    Sylvia liked