by Kate le Roux
“I think I know it too,” laughed Joe. “It’s been a bit like an epiphany. And it’s something I can do when we go on the ship. Hopefully it can even support us at some point.”
“When we go on the ship,” said Sadie. “When we go on the ship! Joe, I was hoping for something like this. But I would have followed you anywhere. You know that, right?”
“I know,” he said. “But I don’t think we’ll manage to make a plan to get onto the ship by the time it sails in August. It’s already June – and I was hoping that we could share a cabin.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close.
“That was how I pictured it too,” said Sadie, snuggling up against him.
“We’ll have to have a proper talk about that some time,” he said. “Make some actual plans. I might have to try to think about being romantic.”
“You are the most romantic when you are not trying,” said Sadie, laughing. “And not until after the wedding next weekend, please.”
“Linda would never forgive you if you stole her thunder, would she?”
Sadie laughed. “Never!” She turned to Joe. “Has it really worked out? We have an actual plan?”
“A rough one,” he smiled. “All God willing, of course.”
“I love you so much,” she said, suddenly feeling teary. “Up until now I mostly just thought about how wonderful it would be if you loved me – I didn’t really think about what it would be like to actually be a couple; to make decisions together like this. To plan a life together. It’s wonderful, Joe.”
It was hard to explain what she meant. As they walked back to the house, arm in arm, she thought about Camp Bellevue and when she had first fallen for Joe. She had been drawn to his integrity, and how important it was to him to do things right. It may have meant that she had had to wait longer than she wanted to know if he was even interested in her – but it only made being chosen by him more precious. She had been impressed by his air of authority and what she could see now was his servant leadership of the kids and the staff. He hadn’t always got it right but she had seen from the start that he put others before himself, and she had no doubts at all now about making herself vulnerable, and entrusting her happiness to him. And who would have thought that they could have ended up on the same life path like this – the serious student with the deep frown and the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the blue-haired nurse who loved people and music and having fun. Now they were two people who were putting themselves in God’s hands, asking him to use them to serve the world that he loved. It’s perfect, she thought, looking up at him as they walked through the streets back home. And not in the least bit mediocre.
Chapter 46
“So now,” said Kyle the MC, in his stringy voice, “Um, it’s time for the first dance. I think – yes? Yes, it’s the first dance.” He coughed, looked behind him at Linda, and scratched his armpit. Linda glared at him. “So over to you, guys. I mean, the bridal party, I mean pair, will now hit the floor.”
Sadie cringed and put her head in her hands. She looked over at Joe – he was trying very hard not to laugh.
“I mean the bridal pair will now take the floor,” said Kyle, blushing red to the roots of his bleached white hair. He was saved by Bryan Adams as the DJ took pity on him and started playing the song.
“Derek insisted on this song,” Sadie said to Joe, as ‘Everything I do’ began wafting over the sound system, and Derek stood to help Linda and her voluminous dress out of her seat. “I tried to tell him it was beyond corny but he was adamant. At least it isn’t Shania Twain.”
“It is corny,” said Joe. “And a little extreme. I doubt everything Derek does is for Linda.”
Sadie laughed. “No, and it shouldn’t be, right?”
“Nope,” said Joe. He stood up and held out his hand. “Would you like to dance with me, Sadie?”
“Joe, you don’t have to do that,” said Sadie. “I know you don’t like dancing. You don’t need to ask just because you think I want to. And your leg … you have a good excuse.”
“It is true that in the past I have not gone in for it much,” he said. “But right now the thought of you in my arms with Bryan Adams crooning in the background is not an unpleasant prospect. My leg will last a dance or two.”
She laughed and stood up. “I am not going to say no to that,” she said.
As he took her hand and led her to the dance floor, where Linda’s parents were awkwardly stepping side to side, and Derek’s mom was happily swaying to the music with André, Sadie nearly laughed out loud, she felt so happy. She would not have minded if Joe had said he hated dancing, and would rather show his love in other ways, but she had secretly wished that he would want to. She put her hand on his shoulder, thrilling at the pressure of his hand on her waist. To her amazement he wasn’t terrible at all, although she would not have cared if he had stepped on her toes.
“There you go,” he said, once they had got into the rhythm. “How’s that?”
“Perfect,” she said. “Why did you ever say you don’t like dancing?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it,” he said. “It’s just not something I would want to do with just anyone. You know how worried I get about signals. Dancing with a girl is a minefield of confusing signals. It’s very … intimate.”
Sadie smiled. “I agree,” she said. “Are you confused about signals now?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I know where I stand with you.”
Linda and Derek swished past them. Linda threw Sadie a big smile, and Sadie’s heart warmed for her friend. She really was happy to be marrying Derek (who was looking very John Travolta in a white suit) and dancing with him in her enormous dress.
Joe had to steer Sadie quickly out of the way as the dress almost knocked Sadie off her feet. When they had found their balance again, he smiled down at her. “Are you going to have a big dress like that when you get married, Sadie?”
“I doubt it,” she said. “I’m not tall enough. I’d look like marshmallow with a head and arms.”
Joe grinned. “You could never look like a marshmallow. And pink bridesmaids? Orange flowers?”
Sadie shook her head, looking down at her pink velvet dress. It was a bit weird to be talking to Joe about weddings. She didn’t feel shy – they both knew that was where they were heading. Actual weddings just hadn’t come up yet. “Barefoot on a beach, maybe,” she said. “Or in a forest with a leafy archway and roses in my hair. Not like this. This is too flashy. What about you? Do you think you can rock a white suit like Derek?”
“There’s only one thing I want at my wedding, Sadie.” Joe drew her closer.
“Really?” she said, softly. “What’s that?”
“You,” he said simply.
“Ah Joe,” Sadie sighed. “For someone who calls himself romantically challenged …”
“Was that good?” he said, smiling. “I was thinking that was pretty good.”
“It was good, Joe,” she said. “Very, very good.”
THE END
Also by Kate le Roux
Teacher, Teacher
High school Biology teacher Jack is getting a little tired of his colleagues teasing him about how perfect he and fellow teacher Amy would be for each other. She’s nice, sure, but for two people to get together mostly because they are both tall is just plain dumb. But when Jack and Amy are given a job to do together, it turns out that they have more in common than he thought. Amy knows she’s naïve, so perhaps volunteering to tutor Shakespeare and English grammar to the troubled teens of the gang-infested Cape Flats is just what she needs to grow up a bit and get the hang of this adulting thing. Besides, she could do with something to distract her from the dark-haired guy on a motorbike, who takes up more of her thoughts than she knows he should.
Join Jack and Amy through a year in the life of Thornhill High, on a journey of friendship and faith, conviction and opposition, romance, hopelessness and heart-breaking tragedy in this uniquely Capetonian story.
Available on Amazon
Also by Kate le Roux:
Alex on the Edge
17-year-old Alex is not impressed. He never has trouble getting girls to go out with him but this one is serious about the stupid friend zone thing, and it's not looking as if he is going to get her to change her mind. And if he wants to get to know Jill, he is going to have to hang out in her world, one he is pretty sure he doesn't ever want to be a part of. But when his own world comes crashing down around him in a way he could never have dreamed, Jill is there for him in a way no one else can be.
Available on Amazon and other e-book retailers
About the Author
Kate le Roux lives in Cape Town, South Africa, where if she stands on tiptoes she can just about see Table Mountain from her kitchen window. She grew up on a diet of CS Lewis, LM Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott, and since being allowed into the Young Adult section at the local library at the age of thirteen she still hasn't really left. She spent a good number of years marking mostly horrible English essays and getting high school kids to act out bits of Shakespeare which she loved, leaving only to focus on being a mom to four crazy kids.
She is passionate about writing stories to encourage young people in their Christian faith.
To contact Kate or for information about other books and print copies, visit www.kateleroux.blogspot.com