February Or Forever

by Juliet Madison

  Oh my God. No way. Chrissie’s mouth gaped.

  ‘I went for a swim and when I came back she was gone. I lay in the sun for a while, fell asleep and got really sunburnt, and when I woke and most of the crowd had cleared the beach, I gathered my things to head home. But something glinted in the sand. I picked up the bracelet that the girl had left behind.’

  Chrissie’s heart felt about ready to topple over.

  ‘I tried to find her, asked around, but I didn’t know her name or if she was a local or just here for the holidays.’ Drew took a deep breath. ‘So, for some reason I held onto it, in case she showed up again. I hooked it onto the tuners of my guitar, and from that moment on it became my lucky charm. I went in an amateur talent show the next day and won, and hung it from my guitar every time I performed somewhere. I’ve had nothing but success ever since.’ He smiled. ‘And I thought that if I ever saw her again she’d have to fight me for it.’

  Tears welled up in Chrissie’s eyes, even though she thought she had none left to cry, but instead of upsetting her, they brought joy.

  Drew cupped her face in his hands. ‘It was you. All those years ago, it was you!’ He shook his head in amazement.

  ‘I remember,’ Chrissie said, ‘I remember you.’ She grasped his face too, looked deeply into his eyes, as though trying to see the boy who resided in there more than two decades ago.

  ‘How did you lose it in the first place?’ he asked, his hands stroking her hair in wonder, reunited after all this time.

  ‘I didn’t realise till I got back to Aunt Felicia’s. The bracelet had a wonky clasp and would sometimes unlatch and fall off. I remember it got caught on the fringing of my towel that day on the beach and I yanked it free, but it must have loosened the clasp and fallen off later without me noticing.’

  ‘Ah yes, it happened to me too, fell off my guitar, but I fixed the clasp for you.’ He smiled with accomplishment.

  ‘And you’ve hooked it on your guitar ever since?’ she asked.

  ‘Yep, not on a day to day basis, just before I perform, it’s become kind of a ritual to quash my pre-performance nerves.’

  The man had no reason to be nervous, his talent was outstanding, but knowing that he did get nervous and had created his own lucky ritual only reinforced the humility that she found so endearing. ‘That’s incredible. I can’t believe it. You found it, found me, and now it’s back with its other half!’

  Drew’s grin was unfading. ‘Makes you wonder…’

  ‘Wonder what?’

  ‘If there is such a thing as fate.’ His gaze locked with hers.

  ‘Maybe there is.’ She smiled. ‘Maybe there is.’

  It was close to five o’clock by the time Chrissie left Drew’s room at Serendipity, her hand holding onto his until the last moment when she stepped out of the door and it fell from his grasp like a feather. Kai was due home any minute and she had to get back.

  The day had been a mixture of tears, laughter, reminiscing, and pondering. Pondering the meaning of life, the way they’d been brought together, and how life had its own process of serendipity that was beyond all imaginable understanding. Drew had ordered up a gourmet meal for lunch, and after eating and drinking and talking and laughing, they’d made love all afternoon beneath the soft breeze that wafted in through the windows, and the low afternoon sun that cast a golden glow on their bodies.

  When it had come time to leave, Drew had said, ‘I have a lot of things to think about, a lot of plans to consider, and a lot of decisions to make. I don’t know what the future holds just yet, but I know that somehow, sometime, somewhere, I will see you again.’

  That was enough for Chrissie. They had only known each other for one month; one sweet, spectacular, mind-blowing month, but they needed to be apart now, reassess their goals and where they were headed on life’s journey.

  Drew had given her a gift, the gift of belief. Belief in herself, in her ability to raise Kai, and in the fact that life was not to be feared. She could step forward, face her challenges with confidence, knowing that everything would be okay and would work out the way it was meant to.

  She’d kissed him one last time, slowly, deeply, savouring every second, and she’d asked him what he would do now without his good luck charm hanging from his guitar. ‘I’ll be right,’ he’d said. ‘It’s time for you to have some good luck. And besides, the memory of you, your face, your smile, that’s my good luck charm now.’

  And so she’d left him there, at Serendipity where they’d first met, and walked back home. Not to Felicia’s house, but her house. She still planned on selling it so she could find a place to start anew, but for now, it was a place to call home.

  Chapter 28

  The following morning, a tapping sound tore Chrissie from a dream in which Kai was performing on stage with a guitar, and when the audience applauded she handed him a packet of potato chips as a congratulations gift and he took it off her as though it was a coveted Grammy Award. What the?

  She rubbed her eyes, straining to open them, especially as the sun wasn’t quite up yet and her room was still dark. The tapping changed from low and heavy sounding to light and sharp, and closer. It was on her window. She slipped her fingers between her blinds and pried them apart a little, her eyes jumping open at the sight of Drew on the verandah outside her window.

  Chrissie moved to the right, stumbling over her shoes, and dashed quietly to the door so as to not wake Kai.

  She unlocked the door and opened it, a fresh breeze rushing in and sprouting goose bumps on her arms. ‘Drew, what are you doing here? Don’t you have to catch your plane?’

  His face was bright and lively, like he’d had fifteen hours of sleep. ‘I’m on my way, a car’s waiting out front for me, but I had to see you first. Your phone was turned off and I don’t have your landline number.’

  ‘But Drew, I thought we agreed that yesterday was our goodbye, I didn’t want to have to say goodbye all over again.’ If she had her way she’d pull him inside and drag him back to bed with her.

  He held the sides of her arms. ‘It’s not a goodbye. It’s a see you later.’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘I’m going back to the States, yes, but then I’m coming back, in July.’

  ‘For another month long holiday?’

  His wide eyes shone with certainty. ‘No. For good.’

  Chrissie was sure her heart had stopped beating. For good? Was she still asleep and dreaming all this? ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Absolutely. I had planned on thinking everything through when I got home, talking to my manager about some options he’d been telling me about, weighing up my next steps, but last night…last night, I couldn’t get you out of my head.’ He brought his hand to her face, moving her matted bed-hair from her cheek and tucking it behind her ear. ‘I realised that for once in my life I needed to put my personal life first. No more fitting everything else in around my career. I decided it was time to rearrange my priorities.’ His grasped her hand, his fingers gripping hers as they entwined. ‘And you. You’re at the top of my list.’

  ‘Drew,’ she stepped closer to him, his words and revelation shaking all sleep from her body. ‘What are you saying? You’re moving here from L.A.? What are you going to do about your career, your tour schedule?’

  ‘I’m still doing the concerts in late March, and I’ll still do the odd tour, but I’ve cancelled my plans for later this year. It’s time to do things my way, more slowly, more in sync with the life I want to lead now. No more hectic schedules and saying yes to every offer or demand.’

  His words were like candy, every word a sweet lick of bliss, giving her an increasing rush.

  ‘I’ve accepted a job I’ve been mulling over. I’m going to be a judge and mentor for the contestants on Search for a Star, in Sydney. It’s like things have come full circle. I’ll be giving back to the show that gave me my big break. Shooting starts in July, and I’ll only be a ninety minute drive away from here.’ His smile was infectious, he
r lips slipping into a wide grin.

  ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it! You’re really coming back. Are you sure?’

  ‘One hundred and ten percent sure.’ He slid his arms around her waist. ‘I can stay with my parents for a while and help them pack up their house and move somewhere new, be around when Sarah has her new baby, give Gemma a helping hand here and there, and most importantly, be with you. If you’ll have me.’

  She rose up on her toes and pressed her lips onto his. ‘What do you think, Williams?’ She teased a smile over his lips.

  ‘I think that’s a yes.’ He teased her too with his lips.

  Chrissie laughed with relief, and shook her head at the surreal situation that this was. ‘And you’ll really be able to make things work, living here, without being where all the action is?’

  ‘I’ll make it work. It’s my life, my career, and I’m in the fortunate position of not needing to do something just to make money. I can go at my own pace, follow my own rules, and I want to do it from here. I need a home base I can truly feel connected to.’ Enthusiasm and certainty oozed from his voice. ‘I want to make Tarrin’s Bay my home again. I love it here, and…’ he pulled her in close, ‘as crazy as it sounds, I love you.’

  Each of those three little words landed smack bang in the centre of her heart, like Cupid had shot his arrow and achieved a perfect ten score.

  ‘If that is crazy,’ she whispered, her breath floating next to his ear, ‘then I am too. Crazy, madly, utterly in love with you.’ She kissed the smooth skin on his neck, just below his ear, and a small sigh slipped from his mouth. He turned his head and met her lips, enveloping them in his, his hands running through her hair and all over her back.

  When she pulled away from him, footsteps sounded behind her. She turned around.

  ‘Why are you up early, Mum?’ Kai rubbed his eyes, his hair stuck up in all directions. ‘Oh, painting man’s here.’

  ‘G’day, mate. Sorry to wake you.’

  ‘Kai, honey, go back to bed, I’ll be in with you in a minute, okay?’

  ‘Okay.’ He turned around and offered a tired wave from behind. ‘Bye, painting man.’

  ‘See you again, Kai.’

  Chrissie chuckled. ‘So, you know we’re a package deal, right? Me and Kai, you’re happy with that?’

  He took her in his arms again. ‘I couldn’t be happier.’

  She said ‘see you later’, watched him disappear around the side of the house, and waited for the sound of the car’s engine to fade in the distance before she went back inside. She filled a glass with water, squeezed some lemon into it, and went back outside to watch the sunrise over the beach, realising this was the first day she’d seen it since she’d moved in. Today was the first day of March, the first day of autumn, and most importantly, the first day of a new and exciting life that was better than anything she could have imagined.

  Chapter 29

  Ten Months Later

  ‘C’mon, Kai, time to get out of the water!’ Chrissie shaded her face from the morning sun.

  ‘But, Mum, can’t I swim for a bit longer?’

  ‘Not now, it’s moving day, remember? Drew’s waiting for us.’ She glanced over at the beach house where Drew stood on the newly built deck, leaning his elbows on the railing and flashing a gorgeous smile.

  ‘Okaaay,’ he said, trudging through the water and stepping onto the sand, his shorts stuck to his lanky seven-year-old body like they were shrink-wrapped.

  ‘You can swim again once we’re at the house. Grandpa Geoff and Grandma Susan can keep an eye on you while Drew and I unpack all the essentials.’

  ‘Can we still go to the Wishing Festival later on?’

  ‘If you get a move on we can. We’ll head down there for a short while, long enough to make a wish or two, but then we’ll have to get back to the unpacking.’

  Being the 4th of January, crowds had gathered in Miracle Park for the annual festival, but Chrissie wasn’t fussed one way or the other about going. Her wishes had already come true. Big time.

  As Kai walked up to the house, Chrissie glanced at Drew who blew a kiss her way, and she returned it, the sun casting a sparkling glint on the ring on her left hand.

  Kai dried off and put on a t-shirt and shoes, then went through each room in the house and said goodbye to what had been his home for the last twelve months. All going well, the next time he moved would be when he was over eighteen. Chrissie looked forward to staying put, setting down roots, and revelling in the freedom that came with having her own place, their own place.

  Chrissie locked up and scanned the house as Kai and Drew got into the car, packed to the brim with the last of their belongings. Felicia would be pleased with the final result. It looked brand new, yet still had that homely, welcoming feel to it. The buyers loved it, and Chrissie had smiled when she’d overheard them during their second inspection saying where they would put their furniture and how their extended family would be visiting every chance they got to stay in the spare rooms. The couple had a young daughter, with another on the way, and Chrissie was glad that the house was going to people that would appreciate it and fill it with happy new memories and new life.

  ‘You ready?’ Arms slid around her waist from behind, and she turned to her fiancé.

  ‘I’m ready.’ She nodded and smiled, hopped into the car, and watched the house get smaller until it was no longer in view as they drove down Dune Road, past Serendipity, and towards their new life.

  Several minutes later they turned into the driveway of Honeydew House, an excited giggle surfacing from Chrissie’s lips. ‘It’s all happening! I’m so excited.’

  Drew rubbed her thigh. ‘Me too.’

  ‘And me too!’ Kai called from the backseat.

  They unloaded the car with the help of Susan and Geoff, who’d lost about ten kilograms, and put the boxes and bags in the appropriate rooms. The unpacking and sorting would take a while, but they’d do it gradually. She wasn’t due back at Serendipity until school resumed at the end of the month, and then she’d get a week off again in February over Valentine’s Day for the wedding and honeymoon. The Serendipity staff had taken to calling the health retreat the Love Nest after hearing the story of how Drew and Chrissie came to be together. Not that they knew the details, only that they’d bonded and agreed to reconnect after he returned from the States. They didn’t know what went on in that yoga studio, Drew’s bedroom, or at the beach and the rocky hill, and never would. It was their little secret.

  ‘Mum, can I swim now?’ Kai asked, already ripping off his t-shirt.

  ‘I’ll take him,’ Susan said, holding out her hand for Kai.

  ‘Just for a while, then we’ll sort out some of your room before we have lunch and head down to the Wishing Festival.’

  Kai dashed off outside to the pool, Susan following.

  ‘Can we walk for a bit outside?’ Chrissie asked Drew. ‘I want to remember this moment before we get busy with unpacking.’

  ‘Sounds good.’ He crooked his elbow and she hooked her arm through it.

  ‘I’ll set up your cookware, if I may?’ Geoff asked. ‘Gotta make sure the essentials are unpacked so I can cook our feast for tonight.’

  ‘That’d be fantastic, thanks, Geoff.’

  Drew’s parents had moved into their new place, a modest two bedroom house in walking distance to the shops, beaches, main street, and medical clinic where Dr Sylvia Greene was keeping a close eye on Geoff’s health.

  Chrissie shaded her eyes as she took in the awesome, expansive view of the ocean in the distance, framed at the sides by the lush green hills that Honeydew House sat on. It was paradise.

  They walked over to the concrete imprints of Drew and Sarah’s childhood feet. ‘We should put Kai’s in there too,’ Drew said.

  ‘Good idea,’ Chrissie replied. ‘And as soon as Daniella can stand, her footprints too.’ She smiled as the cute little face of Sarah’s four-month-old baby popped into her mind. Her smile lingered at the fa
ct that Sarah had wanted to honour Chrissie’s sister by giving her baby a variation of Danielle’s name. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for her, apart from all the nice things Drew had done for her.

  ‘Hmm, I think we should have the ceremony over there, beside the trees with the hammock.’ Drew pointed. ‘Great view and plenty of room for guests.’

  ‘Hang on, what about over there?’ She pointed in the other direction to the mature garden area with paving and water fountain. ‘Don’t I get a say in the matter? I do own half the place, you know,’ she teased, nudging him in his side. Although Drew had the means to buy the whole place outright from his parents, Chrissie had refused. She’d wanted to have an equal share in the house and fulfil her goal of buying a property. The sale from Felicia’s place had been just enough to cover half the price of Honeydew House, and Drew had paid the remainder.

  Drew hung his arm around her back. ‘I don’t mind where we get married, as long as we do.’

  She slid her arm around his back. ‘I can’t wait to start planning the yoga retreat business. I keep pinching myself, but it’s really happening.’ Chrissie looked forward to the idea of teaching yoga to celebrity guests, and sitting by the outdoor fireplace at night while Drew sang for everyone. By the looks of things, Kai’s childhood was going to be quite cultured and unique, and who knows, maybe he would pick up the guitar himself one day. But for now, he was happy being a water baby after regular lessons had taught him how to have fun and stay safe in the water.