AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was graduating from university today. Had the full robe, no. Gown? And the hat thing. Cap, I think. With a tassel that kept swinging in her eyes.
Team Wilde went wild as Ari crossed the stage when her name was called out. Bachelor of Education.
“Ms Wilde’s fans are indeed wild,” the academic chap commented as she took her degree.
“That’s my girl,” Debra sobbed, wiping the corner of her eyes. “A university graduate. The first Wilde university graduate. My goodness.”
Ari had done it. She had her degree to become a teacher.
Five hours later, we walked into the dining room of the Ballydoon pub for our celebratory meal.
Sam, a local photographer, took photos of Ari in her gown and cap beside the old fireplace. I was going to frame one of these photos and hang it on my wall. Maybe near my fireplace.
Cody strode over, his daughter perched on his arm, and slapped me on the back. “She did it. Ari freaking did it.”
“She did,” I replied, not taking my eyes off her.
How lucky was I that she chose me out of everyone, anyone, in this country?
“And congrats on your champion sheep.”
“Reserve Interbreed Champion Ewe,” I said automatically.
One of my best ewes won the Reserve Interbreed Champion Ewe last week at the Stanmore Show.
“Heard you beat the Turners. That’s no easy feat. Weren’t they like reigning champions for two decades? Did you get a trophy?”
Cody made everything sound like we were talking about pro-ice hockey league like in Canada.
I straightened. “It was seventeen years. And a ribbon.”
Tom had been a great mentor these past three years, and I had so much more to learn. After a lucky buy of a stud ram with good blood lines at the annual sheep sales, combined with lots of Tom’s advice, I’d successfully bred ewes for the last two years. Even sold a few rams and made good money.
Tom had looked just as happy as I had when I’d been presented with the Interbreed Champion ribbon. And I’ll make even more money with the livestock I had from a champion ewe.
The last three years hadn’t been easy. I’d ridden a rollercoaster of emotions with the birth of the first lamb on my property, as well as the first lamb death. Digging a hole to bury lost lambs because of a freak storm was harrowing.
But I’d stuck it out. And having Ari with me had made it easier to keep getting up at dawn and doing my best.
“A ribbon?” Cody scratched his chin. “Like a beauty queen sash?”
“Yep.”
I couldn’t help smiling. Ari had asked me to wear the Interbreed Champion sash to bed that night and, of course, I’d complied with my woman’s wishes but now couldn’t get the crease out of the word ‘champion’. Guess we’ll always have a permanent reminder of how we celebrated my win. It was hanging proudly on the mantle over the fireplace at home.
To think that three years and four months ago, Ari drove back into my life, storming a speed dating night to, as she puts it, get back her man.
She stayed at my place for a week, in my bed, before we both admitted we had to surface for groceries and to see family. She moved into the spare room as a flatmate paying me board but had spent every night in my bed since.
My house was just as much hers now.
The shell she posted to me from Darwin still had pride of place in the middle of the mantlepiece over the fireplace.
And she got a place in a university course to study education remotely. Did four-week teaching placements thousands of kilometres away in Far North Queensland. But we made it work. We were the champions of long-distance relationships.
Cody slapped my back, breaking me out of my thoughts, and walked off, saying something over his shoulder about his daughter needing a potty break.
“She’s a cute kid,” Ari piped up.
