08.
Rikki's life quickly returned to normal. She was working hard again and now she was living with Zane in a beautiful apartment close to Rikki's. But there was still a big hole in her heart and she couldn't put her finger on it. Luckily she had too much work and didn't have the time to worry about that.
It was Friday and Rikki was in her and Zane's bed, legs crossed, and working on her laptop.
Since she worked as both video editor and graphic designer, she had way too much work. The curly blond felt really tired, but determined to finish the most of it by the end of the day. Suddenly her phone rang from the nightstand and she picked up not moving her eyes from the computer screen.
"Hello?"
"Rikki Chadwick?!"
"Yes, speaking."
"Hello. My name's Don Halbert and I'm from Screen Australia entertainment."
"Uh huh." Rikki replied absentmindedly, staring at her computer screen and fixing the colorization of the current video project she was working on.
"We've seen some of your work and we really liked it. So we have a business proposition for you. How'd you like to work for us?"
Suddenly Rikki's eyes shot up from the screen and she pressed the phone to her ear, now fully concentrated on the conversation.
"You're offering me a job?!"
"Yes. The payment will not be a lot more than on your current job, but it'll still be more and we'll be sure to provide anything you need. So what'd you say?"
The wheels on Rikki's mind were working full speed.
"I..I don't know what to say. I'm really flattered and I..yeah, I'll work for you."
"That's great, you won't regret your decision! We'll keep in touch about the details. Have a nice day."
And the call was disconnected.
Rikki put her phone back on the nightstand trying to assimilate what just happened. A representative of Screen Australia had called to offer her job and she had accepted!
The curly blond couldn't describe how she was feeling at that moment. She had worked so hard, she had spent so many years getting better at what she loved doing best and now it had repaid her in a way she had never dreamed of.
Rikki still remembered how everything had begun. She remembered installing the programs and the rush of excitement that jolted through her body when she made her first graphic and then her first video edit. She remembered how later the same day she had showed her work to Cleo and Bella and Emma and how they had exclaimed that she had a real talent for it.
Her laptop laid long forgotten in front of her on the bed, the curly blond deep in her thoughts.
"Hey, guess what, Lewis just called and -" Zane who had walked in the room with two cups of coffee in his hands stood death in his tracks seeing the smile on Rikki's face and the way her eyes wandered dreamily somewhere in the space. "Rikki?! Is everything alright?"
His voice brought Rikki back on earth and she snapped out of her trance. She turned to look at him grinning widely.
"You'll never guess what just happened! A representative of Screen Australia just called to offer me a job as their employee and I accepted!"
Zane offered her a bright, but confused smile.
"That's amazing, but..what is Screen Australia?"
Rikki rolled her eyes.
"Screen Australia supports the development, production, promotion and distribution of Australian screen content. It's the one of the most prestigious australian entertainment companies." She explained to him impatiently.
"Wow." Zane breathed. "That's..huge! We need to celebrate it then! Speaking of - Lewis just called to invite us over to a picnic with Cleo, Ariana and the others tomorrow. It'll be the perfect opportunity for us to make a celebration."
Rikki grinned.
"Sounds perfect."
Zane handed her one of the cups in his hands.
"Here. You work really hard and you could use some caffeine."
"Thanks." Rikki nodded taking a sip from the cup then leaving it on the nightstand.
Zane put away his own and sat down to Rikki on the bed, giving her a kiss.
"Zane." Rikki protested despite herself. "I'm a little busy here." She motioned to her laptop.
"Oh, come on, your work can wait." Zane told her and kissed her neck.
Rikki pushed him away smirking.
"Come on, go away, because I need to concentrate on my work." And she pulled the laptop into her lap again.
Zane sighed, curling his hand around her waist and resting his his chin on one of her shoulders.
"Fine. But I'll be right here so that when you're finished we can continue what we started."
Rikki shook her head with a smile focusing her attention back to the computer screen.
The new day came fast. Everybody were having so much fun on the picnic.
A big blanket was spread on the grass and the friends were sitting on them. Cleo was holding the growing baby Ariana in her hands, fallen in a deep conversation with Emma and Bella. Lewis was next to her, eating a sandwich, Will and Ash were also in a conversation, and Rikki had rested her head on Zane's lap and he was feeding her cherries. The curly blond took a look at her friends and couldn't help the smile on her face.
Rick and Cynthia were playing around the group of friends, running around, laughing and making funny noises.
Life couldn't be more perfect right now. Unfortunately that illusion was soon going to be shattered in pieces, but no one knew it yet.
"Hey guys." Rikki spoke lazily. "You'll never guess what happened yesterday!"
Everybody stopped chatting with one another and looked at her.
"So..? What happened?" Bella lifted her eyebrows curiously.
"I received a very important phone call." Rikki smirked, she loved keeping them in suspicion. "And I received an offer to work for "Screen Australia", can you imagine that?"
Silence and then..
"Oh my god, Rikki, that's fantastic!" Cleo screamed quietly from excitement. "Congratulations!"
Everyone followed Cleo and congratulated the curly blond enthusiastically.
"And I've got something for you all." Rikki continued. "A present."
She pulled her laptop from her backpack and opened it, pressing play and turning it so everyone could watch. It was a movie for all of them, with their photos and videos from when they were little, throughout their teen years and adolescence and Rick and Cynthia, right until the current moment. She had been working on it for quite a long time, and finally it was finished.
By the time time the movie ended, the girls were in tears and the boys didn't have words. But it was just now when Rikki noticed something that was wrong with the movie. It ended with pictures of Emma and Bella and Cleo with their husbands and most importantly - their children.
Children.
Something she herself would never have. Not that she wanted it at that point of her life, but knowing that if even if she wanted to, the ability of conceiving a child was taken away from her, made her heart fall into her chest. She realized she was hurting inside, and she felt strangely empty.
She looked at Cleo playing with Ariana.
"Rikki?" Bella's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Are you ok?"
Rikki moved her eyes to look at her, before glancing at Ariana again.
"I'm fine."
Bella gave her a look full of sympathy, but didn't say anything.
Rikki leaned forward and had just reached for a sandwich when suddenly she felt dizzy and everything started to spin. She dropped the sandwich putting her hand on her face instead and running it through her hair.
"Rikki?!" Zane had noticed her sudden discomfort. "How are you feeling, are you ok?"
"Yeah." The curly blond nodded. "I just got a bit dizzy for a moment, that's all."
"Are you sure? Here, drink some water." Zane grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her.
Rikki reached to take it, but it slipped out of her lightened grip and before she knew it she felt lightheaded and her head fell in Zane's lap, her eyes shut close.
"Rikki!" He gently shook her. "Rikki, open your eyes!"
Cleo still holding Ariana grabbed Rikki's hand shaking it. Cynthia ran in her father's hands. Ash hugged her while Emma moved closer to Rikki, followed by Bella. Rick only looked in his dad's eyes curiously as if he dared him to explain what was going on. Lewis put his hand on Cleo's shoulder.
Zane was looking down at Rikki's pale face, paler than usual.
"Come on, Rikki, open your eyes." He continued whispering.
Everyone were looking worriedly down at Rikki and then at themselves. Ariana started to cry in Cleo's arms. The brunette started swaying her in an attempt to calm her down.
"Cleo, watch out!" Lewis pushed Cleo out of the way just when a huge amount of water coming right out if the bottle Rikki had dropped rose above the brunette threatening to pour over her.
"Did you do that?" Lewis asked his wife, but she shook her head.
They moved their eyes to Ariana. She was still crying and was moving her hands in all directions.
"Guys, she's burning up." Zane said touching Rikki's forehead with his lips and breaking the silence. "Something's way wrong."
"That's one way of putting it. Come on, let's get her to our house, it's the closest one." Lewis told him.
Zane nodded lifting Rikki in his arms. The others quickly packed up everything left from the picnic and everyone hurried to the McCartneys' house.