Page 41 of The Cloud Catcher

‘Look at it, Jay,’ Zara whispered. ‘It’s like us, isn’t it, my love? Always in motion, but never truly apart.’

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her so close that she could feel the steady beat of his heart once again. ‘Yes,’ he agreed, his gaze fixed on where the moonlit water melded with the sky. ‘I know, without a shadow of doubt, that we were always meant to be, Za.’

They remained there, lost in the moment as they watched the interplay between sea and sky. In this quiet corner of their world, under the spell of the night, they were completely captivated by the magic of their love. Unexpectedly, Zara felt the pull of her past, the glimpses of what had flipped her world inside out making her wince, but then she breathed in nice and deep, slowly releasing the unwanted sensation. Ava and Mateo Ferrara would always be a part of her, but they didn’t need to be what shaped her. Which is why she had still never told Jay about what had happened. He’d stopped asking long ago. And she’d stopped almost telling him long ago too. It was as if leaving it unsaid, meant leaving it where it was. It allowed her to live a different life, in a different realm, where she could be the woman Jay had loved her to be.

The woman she wanted her two girls to strive to be, too.

‘Jay,’ she whispered, her voice a soft murmur. ‘This … us … it’s more than I could’ve ever imagined.’ She sniffed as she shoved the remnants of her past away. ‘Sometimes, I still have to pinch myself to believe it’s all real.’

‘Oh, you better believe it, because you and me, Zaza, we’re a forever kind of thing.’ He tightened his hold on her, not in a possessive kind of way, but as a silent promise communicated through the strength of his embrace.

Stealing a few more private minutes, they stood in the stillness of the enveloping night, where she could feel the steady pulse of the earth beneath her feet, a constant reminder of time passing by — unstoppable, yet filled with endless possibilities. Tilting her head back to look at the man who owned her heart, her eyes reflected the countless stars twinkling in the velvety sky above. How she loved him.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her words filled with emotion. ‘For every moment, for every kiss, for every laugh and tear we’ve shared, thank you, Jay Maverick, for being my everything.’

Jay’s response came not in words but in the feather-light brush of his lips against her forehead in a wordless vow. And so they stood a little longer, their hearts full of hope, gazing towards the future that stretched out before them like the endless ocean, so mysterious, so vast, and brimming with promise.

‘Za,’ Jay finally murmured, the depth of his feelings resonating in the timbre of his voice. ‘Even though we’ve had the times of our lives together, I reckon the best is still yet to come.’

Her heart swelled with anticipation, the unknown path ahead of them igniting a fire within. Oh, how her life had changed — from running for it, to questioning it, to living it to the very full. With Jay by her side, she felt invincible, ready to brave the ebb and flow of life’s currents, knowing that no matter how far they may drift apart, be it from work or everyday stresses, they’d always find their way back to each other. As they already had, a number of times.

‘Ready to head back?’ His gentle voice washed over her.

‘Not really.’ She grimaced playfully. ‘But I suppose we better.’

Hand in hand, they wandered back into the embrace of their gathered loved ones. The garden was alive with the strumming of acoustic guitars and the melodic laughter that rode on the gentle sea breeze. It welcomed them like the final coda of a long, harmonious ballad, like a perfect culmination of all they had built together. The twinkling lights strung above the dance floor swayed gently, casting a glow that seemed to kiss the petals of each surrounding flower. Kicking off her heeled shoes, Zara followed Suzanne’s wild-child lead and enjoyed the feel of the grass beneath her feet, cool and yielding, grounding her to this moment. And taking her by the hands, Jay swirled her like the swing-dancing pro he’d become with their weekly classes, in time to the catchy tune, alongside their fellow swing-dancing friends, Suzanne and Mark.

‘Look at our darlings.’ Jay’s voice was soft but clear over the music as his warm breath tickled her temple. ‘Aren’t they perfection?’ He gestured subtly towards Amy and Lily, who were lost in their own joyous world of giggles and twirls.

Zara watched their dresses spin out and around them as they danced with youthful abandon. ‘May they always find joy in each other, just as we have,’ she replied with a fond smile.

‘I’m sure they will.’ A fatherly smile lit up Jay’s face.

Zara’s heart swelled, tender and full, as she took in the sight of Nadine and Joseph, side by side, hands tightly clasped, swaying very slowly and very gently to the music. They couldn’t move much, not with Joseph’s unsteady feet, but Nadine was making him feel part of the celebration by being the loving wife she’d always been. What a woman Nadine Maverick was. Above them all, the night deepened, and stars began their slow, glimmering waltz across the heavens.

Swirling in beside her, Suzanne let go of Mark’s hands then pulled Zara into a tight hug. ‘Here’s to more new beginnings,’ she said cheerfully, her words a buoyant melody that lifted Zara’s spirits even higher.

‘Yes, new beginnings for all of us,’ Zara echoed with a playful smile. ‘Your wedding is long overdue, my friend. We can’t wait to be a part of it next year.’

‘Work and life just kept getting in the way,’ Suzanne said with a skyward eye roll. ‘But not anymore; we have hit the brakes and put ourselves first, for a change.’

‘And I’m glad that you have.’ Zara looked to where Mark, beer in hand, was chatting with Jay, then turned back to her bestie. ‘Because just like Jay and me, you two were made for each other.’

Suzanne grinned, but there was something more complicated behind her green eyes that Zara couldn’t quite read. ‘I like to think so.’ She pecked Zara’s cheek. ‘Now go and dance with that handsome husband of yours, while I get the bottle out of my future husband’s hand and turn his attention back to me.’

‘You go get him, girlfriend!’ Zara chuckled.

She found Jay’s hands again, the solid warmth of his fingers tangling with hers as he swung her around in a dizzying circle. In the middle of their friends, as the music turned to a lively tune that set feet tapping and hearts racing, Mark’s eyes crinkled with mirth as he clung to Suzanne’s hands, and offered a nod to Jay that spoke of brotherhood beyond blood. Swaying, Zara smiled as she leant into Jay. And as they spun through the crowd, every face blurred into a kaleidoscope of shared histories and unwritten tomorrows as she thanked the powers above for gifting her this amazing life.

When the music eventually slowed, the laughter softened, and their friends and family began to disperse under the watchful gaze of the stars, Zara and Jay remained for a little bit longer, basking in the place that had held them all as they’d conveyed their undying love for each other once again. Entwined in each other’s arms, they stood with their silhouettes etched against the backdrop of nature’s grandeur — the boundless ocean, endless sky, and fertile earth, an interconnected trinity that mirrored the depth, height and grounding of their love that would go from this life, and into the next.