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“It was a lovely thing to do,” I reassure him. I straighten his tie with my free hand. “You’re a wonderful man.”
“How many glasses of bubbly have you had?”
I giggle. “Only two. I’m serious.” I look up into his eyes. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Kip.”
His smile fades, and his eyes take on a serious, intense look. “What brought that on? You’re normally very reticent to say things like that.”
“I’m afraid,” I admit as we turn slowly to the music. “Of losing you.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
I study the stitching on his lapel.
He tucks a finger under my chin and lifts it so I’m looking into his eyes. “Alice… Why don’t you believe me?”
“I don’t know.” I think of all the hurdles I’ve had to jump and all the walls I’ve run into in my life. My father dying. Discovering my mother has M.S. The various pits we’ve fallen into along the way with her health. Realizing I wasn’t able to finish school, or go to university. Knowing that choosing to send Charlie meant I was restricting my ability to live a normal life. So many little disappointments. And having to do it all while trying to be supportive for Mum, and not make her feel as if she’s letting me down. “Experience, I guess.”
He slides his hand to the base of my spine and pulls me even closer, then lowers his head and brushes his lips across mine. “Nothing’s set in stone,” he murmurs. “Your future hasn’t been written. And no problem is insurmountable with time, effort, and money. We’ll find a way to be together. All you need is a little faith.”
“Faith, hope, and love,” I mumble, letting him kiss me again. And it’s impossible not to let the seed of excitement that’s been growing in my belly flourish and begin to sprout. Because maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance it’ll all work out.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Alice
I drive Kip to the airport the next morning while Charlie stays with Mum. While we wait for the plane, he pulls me into his arms, and we stand like that for a long time, enjoying the warmth of each other, and just being close.
“You take care of yourself,” he says, his voice husky. “I should be able to come back up in a couple of weeks.”
I nod, trying not to look disappointed. I know he’s flat out at work with MOTHER right now. I just have to be grateful that he has his own plane and can fly so frequently.
He gives me a last kiss and walks away, and I watch him until he disappears around the corner, feeling tears prick my eyes. It’s not forever, but it feels like it. It was lovely having him here, waking up next to him, being with him all day, every day. But nothing like that lasts forever.
Charlie stays another couple of nights, and then she packs up her bags ready for university. June is working so I can’t drive her down. Kip offers to send the plane for her, but she announces she has a friend who’s driving down from somewhere up north who’s willing to come and pick her up.
When her friend’s car pulls up, Charlie gives Mum a long, long hug and promises to call her tonight. I pick up one of her cases, and we go out to the car. Her friend turns out to be a guy, who she introduces as Jake. He’s young, gorgeous, and friendly, and I give her a suspicious look as she puts her bags in the back, but she just smiles and comes over to hug me.
“This is my last year,” she promises, “then I’ll be up to share the load with you, and hopefully you can work something out with Kip.”
“Don’t worry about that now,” I tell her, kissing her cheek. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
“Oh, I will,” she says mischievously, getting in the car as Jake goes around and gets in the driver’s side.
They wave and pull away, and I watch them until they turn the corner.
Then I send her a text.Jake’s nice.
She comes back immediately with:Relax! We’re just friends!
I text back:Are you mad? He’s gorgeous.
She replies:LOL. Yes he is, but honestly, we’re just friends. I don’t need any complications :-)
I realize then that she’s aware she’s leaving Wellington at the end of the year, so she’s probably right; she doesn’t want to start something and then discover it’s something she doesn’t want to end.
I feel a tad ashamed. It’s the first time I’ve really thought about how all this has affected Charlie. I’ve assumed because she’s been able to live the life I never have that she’s lucky and has everything, but of course it must have affected her, knowing she has all this freedom and is then going to have to leave it behind to come back home. It must have affected her relationships, male and female, and obviously it’s limited her job opportunities.
The thought puts a damper on my day, and my mood hasn’t been great anyway since Kip left. I miss him so much, more than I thought I would. That’s the main problem with only spending a few days together every now and then. When we’re apart, I long for him, and the yearning is almost unbearable.
