Sarah thought about Martha’s words and remembered back to an earlier conversation she’d had with Mac, about the scratches on her neck after her patient had struck her. It was the same thing, really.
Martha hugged her and held her close and whispered in Sarah’s ear, “I don’t need to tell you how special she is—I think you know that already.”
Sarah nodded.
“Love her with all your heart, Sarah. It’ll be the best investment you’ll ever make.” They hugged again before Martha stepped back.
Sarah opened up the box. Inside was a fine silver chain with a Maltese Cross on it and some sort of figure in the middle, surrounded by some other ornamentation that Sarah couldn’t quite work out in the dim room light.
Sarah looked to Martha. “It’s beautiful. What is it?”
Martha put her hands over Sarah’s, offering her a final squeeze. “Give it to Mac. She’ll know.”
Sarah nodded, placing the velvet box carefully into her coat pocket. She caressed Mac’s forehead with gentle fingers. “I’m going to go and check on Thomas, and then I’ll be right back. I love you sweetheart.” Sarah gave her another kiss and took a step back. She pulled up a chair for Martha.
Martha sat in the chair and took one of Mac’s hands in hers. “Hey, baby, Martha’s here. I’m just gonna sit here with you for a while. You just rest up.”
Sarah kissed the top of Martha’s head. “I won’t be long.”
Martha nodded and smiled. “You see that the boy is all right. I’ll take first watch until you come back.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Six months later
As she drove home, Sarah mentally recapped the last few months and shook her head. It had been a hell of a journey, starting with one small moment in time that impacted so heavily on all of their lives. She herself no longer took as many things for granted and had set about making some changes in her life. Work was no longer the be all and end all that dominated her existence. Whereas once she worked predominantly the night shifts, now she evenly shared with her colleagues, not only the night shifts, but also took turns in the weekend shifts. Coming home had taken on a whole new meaning.
Getting stiffly out of the car after a particularly long day, Sarah walked in the front door and through to the dining room to discover the table set, fresh flowers in a vase, and candles softly lighting the dining table. She could hear Mac in the kitchen, and curious, she followed the sounds to see her partner with a tea towel draped casually over her shoulder, standing at the stove, stirring the contents of a steaming pan.
“That smells nice.”
Mac turned and rewarded her with a brilliant smile and drew Sarah to her for a welcome-home kiss. Mac’s arms looped around Sarah’s neck, whilst Sarah’s hands wrapped themselves around Mac’s waist, linking their hips in tight. After the kiss, Sarah leaned her forehead on Mac’s and hummed with pleasure. She pulled back and looked deep into Mac’s eyes. “Coming home has never been so wonderful. Thank you.”
Mac gently kissed her. “It is truly my pleasure. Dinner’s a little way off yet. Why don’t you throw yourself in the shower and then when you come out, you can tell me all about your day?”
“You sure? Do you need me to do anything here?”
“Everything’s under control. You go and get wet.”
Sarah appeared half an hour later, clean and wrapped up in one of Mac’s fleecy hooded tops and a soft pair of faded jeans, her favourite clothes. She walked up behind Mac, wrapped her arms around her waist, and nuzzled her neck.
Mac smiled. “You smell nice. Feel better?”
“Mm, I do. Thanks. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever come home to someone cooking me dinner before. This is really wonderful. It smells great. What are you making?”
“Honey and soy chicken with stir-fry veggies and rice.”
“I’m impressed. Seriously.”
Mac blushed. “I have a confession to make. One morning a week, for the past couple of months, Maree and Terri have been taking turns trying to teach me how to make some basic dishes, so that I can help out with the cooking at home.”
“You don’t have to do that, honey. I’m happy to cook for you.”
“I know. But I want to help out. I want to be able to put something nice on the table for you at the end of a long day, without burning the house down. I’m never going to be a whizz in the kitchen, but I want to be able to offer you more than a toasted cheese sandwich when you come home.”
Sarah hugged her tight. “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, sweetheart.”
Mac chuckled. “Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t tasted it.”
“It looks and smells lovely. You’ve done a great job. I’m sure it will be fine.”
Mac leaned over and snagged a glass of wine off the counter and handed it to her. Mac giggled. “I don’t think I’ll be any good in the kitchen long-term. I am so paranoid. I keep checking the clock so much that I think I’m bordering on OCD. But we have approximately seventeen minutes until the rice is done, so here is your wine m’lady. Come, sit, and tell me all about your day.”
Sarah sat on the floor while Mac sat behind her on the couch and massaged her tired shoulders. “Oh, my word.” Sarah leaned into Mac’s hands. “If I had known this was waiting for me at home tonight, I’d have knocked off a lot sooner.”
“Tough day?”
“Not really. Just a long one. How did you go today?”
“Not too bad.” In addition to intensive physiotherapy, Mac had been working with a counsellor over the last couple of months, to help her deal with her nightmares. The last month, she’d reaped the benefits from her therapy, with the night terrors slowly beginning to recede. “We thought we might finish off today and see how things pan out. I can always go back if I need to. It’s been good. I’ve learned how to deal with things a bit better, and I think I have a better skill set to work through other stuff. I’m certainly sleeping better. I only have the odd night now where I wake up, so I’m happy with that.”
Sarah leaned her head back. “It’s nice to have you in the bed all night. I love it when I wake up and roll over and you’re still there. I love watching you sleep.” Sarah shook her head and chuckled. “Who am I kidding? I just love watching you.”
“And likewise, my love.”
Smiling, Sarah watched as Nell sat in her bed, chewing happily on a rawhide bone. Terri and Maree had gifted Mac with Nell a few weeks after she had come home. During the day Mac took Nell on walks, which helped build up her stamina. At night, Nell retired to a soft bed beside the fireplace in the lounge room. Sarah always joked that she had the best room in the house.
Sitting on the floor with Mac’s hands massaging her shoulders, life was slowly cruising towards a new groove of wonderful. Sarah couldn’t remember ever feeling as happy and fulfilled as she did right now, despite the past harrowing few months as Mac fought for life and later battled valiantly through months of pain on to the road to recovery. It hadn’t been easy, for either of them, but together they had grown stronger and closer than she ever could have imagined possible. Her heart was full.
Sarah finally understood and appreciated what Martha had talked about in the hospital. Smiling softly to herself she gave a small nod. It was time.
She reached up and patted Mac’s hands. “Hold that thought. I just remembered something—be back in a minute.” Quickly retrieving the jewellery box from her bedside table, she returned and sat on the couch next to Mac. She held the blue velvet box carefully in the palm of her hand. Mac looked on quietly. “Martha said this was Leonard’s. She gave it to me when you were in the hospital and said that the next generation should have it.” She reverently opened the tiny box and turned it around for Mac to see. “Martha said you would know what it meant.”
As she looked into the box, a lump formed in Mac’s throat as tears flowed down her face. She nodded. She knew exactly what it was, her tears duly honouring the gift.
Sarah lifted the chain from the box and put it around Mac’s neck, gently smoothing it onto her chest. “What is it? That’s the Maltese Cross isn’t it?” Mac nodded and pressed the medal to her chest, closing her eyes for a few seconds, soaking in the enormity of the gift.
Mac opened her eyes. Her voice was husky as she tried to talk past her constricted throat muscles. “It’s the medal of Saint Florian, the patron saint and protector of firefighters. Wives sometimes give it to their husbands, to protect them and bring them safely back home to them.”
Sarah opened and shut her mouth a couple of times, but she seemed lost for words at what Martha had given them. Sarah shook her head and lovingly wiped the tears from Mac’s face. “Martha really is amazing.”
Mac grinned. “Don’t I know it. Nothing but the best women in my life!”
Sarah laughed and slapped her on the arm. “You are too smooth for your own good, woman. Speaking of smooth, how did you get on at the physio today?”
“She’s really happy with my progress. She said she might take me through a test next week to see if maybe I can go back to work full-time.”
“Oh, hey, that’s great, honey.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, you’ve certainly worked for it, babe. I never doubted you, but I have to say, you’ve certainly blown me away with how hard you’ve worked and how far you’ve come.”
“The only thing left on my to-do list is to finish the piece for Maree and Terri.” Mac ran slightly exasperated fingers through her hair. “I just want to get back to normal.”
Sarah caressed Mac’s face. “I know you do, love. But there’s one more thing you forgot on the to-do list.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Your rice. I think it’s cooked.”
“Oh, crap!” Mac leaped up and ran to the kitchen with Sarah sedately following in tow.
*
After working on light duties for a few weeks, the day had come for Mac to undergo her final tests with the physio. To everyone’s delight, she had been given the green light to start back on active duty. She was under strict instructions to take it easy and was still required to check in with physio on occasion, but as of that afternoon, she was cleared to get back to normal duties.
As the anniversary day for Maree and Terri’s refuge drew closer, Mac had spent long hours before and after work in the shed, sometimes only coming inside long enough to catch up with dinner and the happenings of Sarah’s day before retreating back out again. The anniversary dinner was going to be on the weekend, and Mac raced against time in order to be ready.
There was a community open day planned at the refuge, with activities and education programs, but the dinner was going to be the family affair they’d been planning for what seemed like forever, just Mac, Sarah, Martha, John, Jean, and Thomas.
She had just finished checking the last coat of finish on the sculpture and was heading towards the house when she spied Sarah watching her through the kitchen window. They beamed at each other. Life was good, and they had seamlessly settled into a rhythm together, as if it had never been any different.
Sarah had given her place to Jean and had moved into Mac’s house. They’d brought some of Sarah’s furniture over and had enjoyed buying some new pieces together. Mac had used her recovery leave to paint a couple of rooms in the house. Now, while the shell of the house was still the same, the inside reflected a nice mix of them both.
Mac came inside and washed her hands at the kitchen sink as Sarah stood behind her and embraced her. “You’re in early.”
“Mm, just been checking on the last layer of finish. It’s cured off nicely. It’s all done.” Mac turned around and faced Sarah.
“Are you happy with it?”
“I am. And happier still it’s ready in time.”
“Don’t suppose I can get a sneak preview?”
Mac shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Just a couple more hours, honey.”
Sarah chuckled and lightly kissed Mac on the nose. “I think you enjoy being a tease.”
Mac kissed her and grinned wickedly. “Oh, you know I do.” Her hands slid stealthily up the sides of Sarah’s jumper, caressing bare flesh. She brushed Sarah’s nipples with her thumbs.
Sarah groaned into Mac’s mouth before pulling away laughing. “Okay, okay, you made your point.”
Mac laughed and looked down at Sarah’s front appreciatively. “I’d say I made a couple of good points.”
Sarah spun her around and slapped her on the butt. “You better go and hit the shower, Casanova, or we’ll be late for the festivities.” Mac laughed as she headed down the hallway to the bathroom.
Sarah smiled as she watched her go. It had been a tough few months for them all. It was nice to be able to come out the other side and appreciate what they had. Mac had worked hard at getting her fitness and strength back. It hadn’t been easy and there were times when she had nearly come to tears with the frustration of it all, but to her credit, she kept her head down and kept going until each challenge was met and eventually overcome. Sarah was both amazed and proud at how much Mac had achieved.
As for herself, she’d initially been worried how she would go, living with someone. She had never allowed a relationship to last long enough to test the boundaries before. She was surprised at how easy it had been. There had been differences of opinions and compromises that had to be made on both sides, but they operated like a well-oiled machine, complementing each other nicely, whilst still retaining their own identities.
Sarah loved her work, but she now loved coming home more than anything, to a wonderful and appreciative partner. As Sarah put the lid on the container of baked goods she’d made for the day’s festivities, including Mac’s favourite, chocolate brownies, she was humming in pure happiness. Life was good.
Mac padded out to the kitchen with a towel wrapped around her torso and another one wrapped around in her hands, drying her hair. “You nearly ready, then?”
Sarah packed the last container into a box and patted the top. “Absolutely. When’s John due over to help with the sculpture?”
Mac looked at the clock on the wall. “About another twenty minutes. What time did you say you’d pick up Jean and Thomas?”
Sarah glanced at her watch. “I’ll leave here shortly and be there in about ten. So I guess I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay. I’ll text you and let you know when we’re nearly there, so you can make sure Maree and Terri are away from the house, and we can drop the sculpture off and get it into position.”
Sarah grinned. “That still leaves us with a couple of minutes to kill.”
Mac froze, her hands in the towel bunched in her hair. “Huh?”
Sarah advanced across the room and backed her against the large wooden upright pole in the middle of the kitchen. Mac’s towel quickly slipped off her torso and she put her hands above her head and hung on to the beam to stop herself from falling down, her knees turning to jelly as Sarah’s hands and mouth scorched a relentless trail of fire across her body, lighting up every single one of Mac’s erogenous zones until she was tuned to a high tension. Sarah kissed her one more time on the lips before stepping back, leaving Mac panting and trying to stand on shaky legs. Sarah chuckled and patted Mac on the cheek. “You might make the finest points, sweetheart, but I think I win this argument. Oh, by the way, you better eat up when you get there, lover, and conserve your strength, because you haven’t heard my closing statement yet.”
Mac groaned and whispered, “Touché.”
Throwing her a cheeky wink, Sarah laughed and blew her a kiss as she grabbed the box of goodies. “See you at the party, gorgeous.”
Shaking her head, Mac chuckled as Sarah breezed out the door. She contemplated going back into the shower and standing under cold water, but John would be here at any time and she needed to get changed. She quickly threw on some clothes and was doing up her boots when she heard John’s tyres pull up on the gravel drive. Mac stuck her head out the door. “You can d
rive on round to the back.”
Together they lifted the boxes into his vehicle, silently packing and tying them into place. John stood up and dusted his hands off. “We right to go?”
“Ready when you are, big fella. Thanks heaps for helping me with this. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s my pleasure, little mate. I must confess, I can’t wait to see it.”
“Well, the sooner we get it over there, the sooner we can join the party, huh?”
“Lock and load, Mouse.”
After the boxes had been carried in and manoeuvred into place, Mac shooed John outside to join Jean and Thomas, so she could set up the pieces. Once she was satisfied, she wrapped it all in a blanket and tied it up with an enormous red ribbon.
She took the packaging back to John’s ute and joined the tail end of the tour group. She walked up beside Sarah, wrapping her arm around her waist.
Sarah leaned in and whispered, “How’d it go?”
Mac kissed her on the cheek. “Smooth as. Thanks for the cover.”
Sarah squeezed her hip. “Happy to play the wingman.”
Several hours later the last of the guests had left and all the animals had been fed and put to bed for the night. The small party made their way back to the house and relaxed in the dining room. John did the rounds with a champagne bottle, and Maree and Terri stood together, facing the seated group.
Maree cleared her throat. “Well, we made it. We want to thank you all for today. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you, girls, for all the cooking and to the boys for doing all the cleaning up. But more than that, thank you for all of your love and support over the years.”
Maree looked at Terri to continue. “The refuge has been our dream for a very long time. It’s been hard work, but every moment has been worth it. And we ended up with more than a dream come true, we ended up richer than we could ever have imagined. We found a family, and in that family, we found depths of love, support, and acceptance beyond our wildest dreams.”
Twice Lucky Page 29