by Joy Dettman
Big gentle hand brushing away her tears, and Jenny crying more at the touch of hand, covering it with her own, locking it to her face. Loved his hands touching her, always had. They could reach deep into her soul and release the one she’d been born to be.
‘Jen.’
Crying anew at the sound of her name on his lips, loving his voice, loving the way he said her name. Always had. Just Jen, never Jenny. And her hands reaching for his face drawing it nearer, as she had that day at the Sydney station in ’42. She hadn’t cried that day. Too young then to believe in loss, in death. She couldn’t stop crying today.
A million questions inside her, ten million words she wanted to say, but knowing, knowing she had all the time left in the world to say every last one of them, and that here, now, words weren’t needed.
Just ‘Jim.’
‘Jen.’
That’s all. Jen and Jim. That’s all there’d ever been, all they’d ever needed.
And mouths, finally those wanting, aching mouths, one a little salty, reaching up, one a little out of practice, reaching down.
That’s all.
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