AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I just remember the fireworks. Gold and green.’ She remembered it so intensely, the two golden rockets, each on their own trajectory, two sisters with their own paths ahead of them – Liv and Rachel. And then the array of green lights, a volley of shooting stars that had reminded her of Rachel. She’d looked towards the water then; it was all so vivid.
‘That’s right. Two gold cannons.’
‘One went off track,’ she said softly, thinking of Rachel and that very idea sent a wave through her that resonated like a tuning fork, sending its vibrations much further about her than she expected.
‘Did it? I don’t know if these things ever have a track.’ He was smiling at her now. ‘Come on; let’s get some of those doctors in here to take a look at you and see when they’re going to let me take you home.’
‘Home?’ Liv asked because her flat and the life she’d had for the last few years seemed like a million light years away after all that had happened in the last few hours.
‘Home with me, for now, if you’ll let me take you home; at least until you get on your feet.’ He shook his head, but there was no missing the concern in his eyes or catching on his words.
‘Home.’ She liked the sound of that. Her lip wobbled as she smiled at him through her tears. He lifted her towards him again and she clung on, hard and helpless. Who knew how long she cried for, but it didn’t matter; it wouldn’t bring Pete and Rachel back. And Finn rocked her over and back, as if she was a child who needed comforting, cradled in his arms. At the end, she hiccupped loudly and he held her away from him a little distance. His shirt and her hair were both tear-soaked.
‘It’s okay,’ he said gently. ‘It’s going to be okay.’ She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t help wishing that Pete and Rachel had been given the same chance and then, she began to cry again and was glad to feel the encircling strength of Finn’s arms around her once more.
22
Eight Months Later
Liv tucked the light rug in around the top of the basket. She knew it was probably a futile attempt to keep the bottle of pinot grigio cool, but still, it would stop the rattle of glasses against the side of the bottle.
They’d made a picnic, nothing fancy, just cheese and rolls and a little fruit, but it was Saturday and it looked like a long deliciously warm day would stretch ahead, with nothing more to do than potter about. They’d decided to wander about the Phoenix Park for a few hours and maybe lie in the grass dozing the afternoon away while the clouds above their heads made wispy patterns in the sky. Finn had picked up the wine the evening before, but they’d tumbled into bed together before they’d had a chance to open it. Well, it was a celebration of sorts. Eight months since New Year’s night.
‘I’ll take that,’ he said grabbing the basket from her arms. That was Finn all over: he wouldn’t let her lift a finger if he could do things for her and Liv loved every moment of it. It had taken a little time to get used to being spoiled instead of doing all the running, but they’d managed to settle into something a bit more even-handed as the months had rolled from winter to spring and finally into summer. Actually, they had settled into life together with an ease that felt as if they’d always been together.
The city had that summer morning feeling, as if it was taking a long deep breath before the day began, but even as they drove along the streets, the aroma of strong coffee and freshly baked bread wafted in the air, waiting for the city to swing into morning action.
‘A walk around the Glen pond first?’ Finn asked once they drove through the gates of the Phoenix Park.
‘That would be perfect.’ Liv smiled at him. She loved when they drove somewhere together, just that opportunity to take surreptitious glances across at him, watch as his hands moved along the steering wheel. It turned out she was madly in love with him. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was to fall hopelessly, crazy in love. Now, as she so often did, she luxuriated in reminding herself that this was her happy ever after and it was real, it was actually happening for her, just as she’d always dreamed it would. They parked the car in the shade and set off down the Furry Glen, the walk around the Glen pond and along one of the grassy tracks off it, took up the morning. They’d ambled slowly and stopped often to admire the geese, the foliage and the beauty of their surroundings.
By the time they dropped down on the grass beneath the shade of a huge oak, they were both ready to eat and then close their eyes against the midday sun.
It was almost two o’clock when Liv woke with a start. Finn next to her was snoring gently in the shade. The temperature had risen, so in the distance it seemed as if everything was set on shimmer. She reached into the basket and pulled out the large bottle of water they’d brought along to share. It had lost its icy coolness, but it was still pleasant, waking her a little more. All around them, the park had filled up with families and couples, relaxing in the sunshine. In the distance she could see a game of football had begun, but she knew, even from here, it wouldn’t last long. The players were already wilting in the summer sun.
Beside her, Finn stirred and sighed deeply as if he’d just stepped into a deeper level of sleep and she reached out and picked a stray blade of grass from his T-shirt. She was examining it in that way you do when you have absolutely, lusciously, nothing else to do with yourself when she heard a familiar voice. She looked across, half expecting to see Maya or perhaps her mother, the voice was so familiar. But there was no sign of anyone close enough for their words to reach her. On the faintest breeze, she caught the tinkling sound of contented laughter and it sent a shiver of something she could only describe as pleasure through her.
There, in the distance, was a couple, wandering far across beneath some darkened oaks. There was something oddly familiar about them. Liv stretched forward to try and make them out, but it was no good; they were in the shade and there was the bright sunlight to negotiate between them first. She lifted her sunglasses high onto her forehead, watched as they weaved along together hand in hand. They reminded her of earlier, herself and Finn, wandering along, so wrapped up in each other that they hardly noticed anyone else.
And then the woman stopped and the suddenness of the movement made Liv catch her breath. They were staring at each other and for all the world, it felt as if they might be no more than six inches apart, such was the intensity of the connection. It was like looking in a mirror and Liv felt as if her heart had missed a monumental beat.
It was Rachel. Liv knew it instinctively. It was Rachel and Pete – they’d come back to let her know that everything was perfect. They’d come back to put her mind at rest on this the most lovely day they could have chosen. Then, she pulled her eyes from her sister and her gaze fell upon Pete. Her lovely, perfect, best friend Pete. Some days she missed him so much it ached, but she knew, he’d always been meant for Rachel, just as she’d been meant for Finn.
In that moment, Liv knew she was letting him go. She was letting them both go. She’d never told Finn what had happened that night under the water in the canal. Perhaps she feared that he wouldn’t believe her. Now, she tugged on his arm, felt him, rather than heard him mumble, but he rose blearily from his sleep. Wordlessly, she pointed across at the couple and she knew he knew.
The silence that stretched tight and reverential in that moment felt as if it extended far beyond the little patch they sat on beneath the shady oak. It resonated across the path, across the city, perhaps across the entire universe, as if God’s law was holding its breath for just one sacred second to let them know that everything was exactly as it was meant to be.
And then, as she watched, Liv saw Rachel raise her hand. It was hello. It was goodbye. It was thank you and yes, she knew, it was I love you. ‘I love you too,’ Liv whispered, because maybe wrapped up in all the other emotions and worries of the last few years, it was the one thing she’d missed saying. ‘I love you, Rachel.’ And then, as the couple turned towards a copse of trees, disappearing out of sight, Liv felt a small tear race down her cheek. She knew this time, it really was goodbye.
Later, when they’d both tried to digest what they had seen, Finn turned to Liv and asked, ‘Did I dream that?’
‘No, I don’t think you did. I don’t think we could both have dreamed exactly the same thing, do you?’
‘No.’ He shook his head, because Finn was at heart much too practical to ever really believe in anything that wasn’t a fact he could prove or work to disprove. ‘They looked happy,’ he said a little wistfully.
‘Welook happy.’ Liv leant towards him, kissed him gently on his lips. ‘And I think that’s the whole point, don’t you?’ She smiled, because now, everything really did feel as if it had slipped into place. Just as it was always meant to; quite perfectly.
