“Yes, going shopping,” Roman, said.
“I am not that bad!”
We all laughed. Monika was too much of a fun person to take it seriously and joined in.
She and I washed up after we had finished dinner and then we sat on the couch. Woods asked us to call him David. The men had wine, Monika, and I lemonade.
Later that night I rang the hospital and asked how Jules was. The nurse told me he had asked for blueberry muffins. Unfortunately, the hospital did not have any.
When I came back David asked me, how he was.
“He’s asking for blueberry muffins, if you believe it or not.” “I am glad to hear that. He can’t be that sick,” Woods said laughing.
“I still find it hard to call him Kevin,” I said.
“Why don’t you call him Jules, then?” Monika asked. “We already discussed it. He doesn’t mind when I call him Jules.”
The evening turned out to be a great success. We all were relaxed and felt as if something had changed. Finally, we were a family again but the best thing was I did not have to lie anymore.
“Would you come to our wedding if we invited you?” Roman asked suddenly, looking at David.
What a wonderful idea of Roman to ask! All eyes were on David.
“I would be delighted,” he answered.
It was ten o’clock when I started to yawn.
“You go to bed, Allie. Don’t stay up with us if you’re tired,” Monika said.
“I think I’ll do that.”
I got up. David was ready to leave, too, and we said our good byes.
“Have a nice holiday,” I said.
I was glad we had a good time tonight, and I was sure David had, too. It was better, than chasing psychopaths. After he left we felt as if an old friend had gone away.
Chapter 51
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It was only nine o’clock in the morning but the hospital lobby was already flooded in sunshine when I walked in. I made my way through the sliding door entrance and took the stairs up to Jules’ room. I could not remember the last time I was so happy.
I thought about our first dinner at his log cabin, the two-week trip to the Kimberley’s, camping in the tent, our first night together under the stars, making love. I remembered watching the sun go down with him at my place, feeding the kookaburras with him in the morning. We talked about family and life. Back then, I did not have a clue about what we had to go through.
I took a quick breath and knocked on the door. When I entered, Jules was sitting upright in his bed. His face lit up when he saw me.
“Look at you! You look stunning,” he said, admiring my new dress.
I felt myself blushing. He had shaved and looked much more cheerful than yesterday.
“I see you are feeling better.”
He reached out to me and we kissed.
“How are you, I mean, really, how are you, Jules?” I asked softly.
“Are you in pain?”
“I slept well last night, but I missed you.”
How much I had missed him.
“Dr. Tangi said I am recovering extremely well. I wish I could leave the hospital today, but he wants me to stay at least another couple of days,” he said.
I had a wonderful idea.
“I could take care of you at home. Roman would not mind, and Monika is a nurse and comes every day,” I said. “That’s nice of you, Allie, but I don’t want to be a burden to anybody.”
“You are not,” I called out. “How can you say something like that?”
We gazed into each other’s eyes.
“Go and book two airline tickets to Australia,” he said. “Oh, Jules, are you sure?”
“I’ll tell Dr. Tangi that I’ll leave today.”
The sound of going home to Australia was wonderful. At the same time, I thought about Romans wedding.
“Don’t worry, Allie,” Jules said as if he could read my mind. “We won’t go back to Australia before your brother’s wedding. I wouldn’t like to miss that and if I had to sit in a wheelchair.”
“They will be happy when I tell them. They wanted to postpone it until you are released out of hospital.” “No need for it now. Tell them to go ahead with it. They have waited long enough.”
I thought about Monika how excited she was when I arrived. I had promised to help with the wedding preparation. I only went to the bridal shop with her. That was it. It was time to give her my whole attention. As soon as I would leave the hospital, I would tell Monika I was there for her any time if she needed my help.
“You have so many things to worry about. I messed it all up for you.”
“You didn’t mess up anything. She’ll understand.” “But you promised to be her wedding planner and all you did was look for me.”
“It wasn’t planned. I had good intentions and she knows it.” “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
He pulled me closer to him.
“Did Woods tell you everything?” he asked.
“Yes, I invited him for dinner last night and he met Roman and Monika. He is really nice.”
“He told me this morning. He also told me that he asked you to call him David. He never asked me to do that. He is a nice person, although sometimes I could have killed him because of the stuff he put me through.”
“He has gone through so much himself, that poor man. He deserves to have a nice holiday.”
“I am so sorry for what I have put you through. I wished I had stayed away from you when I saw you. You made it so hard, Allie. What man could resist you?”
“It was fate. We were meant to be together.”
“I had no idea you would recognize me. The FBI was always very careful when it came to disguises.”
I remembered the day at the bridal store and then the time at the coffee shop. How lucky it was that I went there. “You’re right, we are meant to be together. There is no other explanation for it.”
“What did you actually do before I met you?” The question was on my mind the whole time.
“I was a teacher at a High School.”
I did not expect that and could not have looked more surprised. I always pictured Jules as an engineer.
“You were a teacher?”
“That was my real job, and then I became a navy officer, a pilot, a police officer. Woods always gave me occupations that would give me an excuse when I had to leave. People did not ask any questions. The FBI is so well organized. You have no idea. They are a world to themselves.”
What he said stunned me.
“So did you have to learn all about the jobs in case somebody asked you? Like me when you told me you were an engineer?”
“Yes, believe me, that was the hardest lie ever. When you started asking questions I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to leave.”
“Let’s not talk about it any more,” I said, trying to cheer him up. I did not want him to suffer any longer. “That’s all in the past. Think about our son and the beautiful life ahead of us.” “You’re right we’ll have a real family and bring our child up in Australia. What better place is there?”
My face was beaming with joy.
“You know, the hardest thing I ever did in my life was to leave you?” I did not know what to say. “I am the luckiest person in the world.”
“No, I am,” I said.
“You look so glowing. The pregnancy is the reason, right?” “And you.”
I looked down at the floor.
“Remember when we spent the night under the stars and we were talking about having children one day?” I asked. “Yes, and we spoke about your being a famous writer one day. Was it then when it happened?”
“Yes.”
Jules pulled me towards him, looking deep into my eyes. He had the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face. Our heartbeats seemed to make the only sounds on earth.
Chapter 52
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Monika and Roman booked the charming Castle Hotel in Bonn R
amersdorf, twenty kilometers from Cologne for their reception. They had converted it from a medieval building dating from 1220, and surrounded by the A 59 Motorway. Monika had not skimped on flowers, beautiful food, and expensive wine. She wanted something she would remember for the rest of her life and that something special that went with her dress. What better place to choose for her wedding day than a castle! They hired the whole first floor. That sounded very expensive but it was not really. It was one of the smaller affordable castle hotels, which were available for functions.
I asked myself many times how Monika could pay for it all. Her income as a nurse was not much. Roman told me she had saved all her life for it. Roman did not earn a lot as a waiter himself. Monika must have paid for the most of it, all her savings gone in a single day.
The small chapel inside the Castle had six guests: Michael, David, a couple of Monika’s girlfriends, Jules, and me. Woods had postponed his flight to the Bahamas.
My baby bump was showing. The red dress was too small for me to wear now. I had bought a long, flowing lilac evening gown, although I had no idea when I would ever wear it again, but it was flattering and Jules loved it.
Monika looked breathtaking in her gown when she walked down the aisle. She enjoyed being the centre of attention and what better day was there than her wedding day. David gave her away. He liked her a lot. Maybe she reminded him of his daughter. We all got on so well and I hoped we would stay in touch. Everybody held their breath, as she stopped in front of the altar and lifted her veil.
Wearing a black satin suit, Roman looked gorgeous himself. I had never seen him so serious.
The priest gave his speech and when they exchanged rings, I could not hold back my tears. The moment was very emotional.
Jules, standing next to me, squeezed my hand. I smiled at him. He had asked me to marry him straight after he came out of hospital. As soon as the wedding was over, we wanted to fly back to Australia to get married there. I was the happiest person on earth, except for Roman and Monika, of course. After the ceremony, Monika turned around and tossed the flower bouquet in my direction and I saw how happy she was for me.
She knew Jules had proposed to me. At first, she was hoping for a double wedding. I did not want to rush into it, so many other things I had to take care of before.
After the photographer took the photographs in the court garden, with its flowering chrysanthemums and roses, we went to the Rosa Salon and had dinner. Our small wedding party looked rather like a movie set, I thought, when we followed Monika in her stunning gown, carrying a lot of silky material in one hand.
The food was delicious. We started with an aperitif, a Soave White, that a waiter in a black uniform handed us as soon as we entered the Salon. The three-course menu consisted of a light meat soup with ravioli, beef filet in pepper sauce, carrots, peas, and roasted potatoes, followed by Tiramisu and coffee. A song by Barbara Streisand played in the background. We all danced.
I could not remember the last time I had danced and felt stiff in Jules’ arms, not knowing the steps, but he seemed to know what he was doing as he gently moved me around the dance floor. I was worried he would be in pain. His burns had not healed yet, but when he saw my worried face, he kissed me and whispered into my ear, “Don’t worry, darling, I am fine, as long as you are by my side.”
I wondered where he had learnt to be such a good dancer. He was still full of surprises. Did the FBI teach him dance steps as well? I had still so many questions and a whole lifetime to find out more about him.
Michael danced with one of Monika’s girlfriends. Monika probably hoped they would hook up. They seemed to have a good time. Michael was easy, to get on with.
Monika and Roman spent the night in the honeymoon suite. Jules and I took a taxi back to the apartment. By the time we got there, it was after midnight. I was so tired I could hardly walk up the stairs. Jules took the key out of my hand. He had stayed the last weeks with us at the apartment. We went straight to bed.
The last thing I remembered was Jules’ face next to my pillow, saying he loved me. This time I knew it was not a dream.
Chapter 53
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We went back to Australia and Jules got a job as a teacher at the Malanda primary school.
I had finally published my book, and was writing a children’s book. So many times, I walked around with a smile on my face. Life was perfect.
The only shadow over my happiness was the fear about whether Jules would come back each time he left for work. Every time he was not with me, I experienced a nervousness that I had never known before.
The memory of that day he left and did not return was still so strong that I panicked straight away when he did not call. Most of the time, he made sure I was okay and called me. I had been seeing a psychologist for a while to learn how to deal with my anxiety and was on medication. Dr. Tangi was right when he said the after shock could come later when least expected. Coping with it was not easy but I knew I would get there one day. Jules was very understanding.
I had to see the world through his eyes if I wanted to understand what had happened. The last year still seemed like a big blur to me. Things had changed so much. Sometimes I felt so blessed that I thought each morning when I woke up it all could change. Nobody could be so happy! Soon I would give birth to a beautiful baby boy and my joy would be complete. There was nothing in the world I needed. I had everything: a beautiful soon-to-be husband, a wonderful home.
I sat at the computer, printing out pages from the internet when the door flew open.
“Surprise,” Jules called. He had a letter in his hand. I looked at the address. It was from David. I read, “Dear Allie and Kevin. I am old-fashioned so please forgive me the old traditional way to write a letter. I know I should use the internet I had my holidays at the Bahamas, finally, and wondered if I could come for a short visit. I hope you’re both well.”
I gave Jules the letter to read. When he finished he said, “I hope everything is all right. That doesn’t sound like him.” “Maybe he feels lonely don’t read too much into it. Do you think he is still missing his daughter? Monika and he got on quite well,” I said.
“I don’t know. It would be nice to see him again, although I must say I haven’t missed him.”
The baby was due any day now. My stomach was so huge I could hardly walk.
I leaned my head on Jules’ chest. Softly he stroked my hair. “We need a God-uncle anyway, what do you think, shall we ask him?” I said.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Jules replied.
“I’ll call Roman and Monika to find out when they are coming. That would be a nice get-together for all of us.” I glanced at my watch. It was early morning in Germany; I reached for the phone and called the number. Monika answered.
“Allie, you must be psychic, I was just going to call you.” “How are you both? Are you enjoying married life?” “You bet. We have booked our flights. I can’t wait to see you.” She told me the day and time they would arrive in Australia. “How are you both doing?”
“Great! The baby is due any day. We received a letter from David. He wants to come for a visit, too.”
“That would be nice to catch up with him again,” Monika said excited.
We chatted for a while longer and Monika told me that Michael now had a girlfriend. They were planning a wedding and she was going to help them with the preparations. I was glad I was not the one.
After I hung up, Jules made us a cup of tea. We sat at the table and ate chocolate muffins. We talked about our own wedding that we would have as soon as the baby was born. Ours would be different. It would be a garden wedding. I had an idea.
“What do you think to get married when they are all here?” I asked Jules.
“That sounds good. Why wait any longer?”
He pulled me closer to him.
“Let’s watch the sun go down in front of the house,” he said.
Chapter 54
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&nbs
p; Jules went to the airport to pick up David. It was a beautiful morning, no clouds in the sky; birds were chirping. It was springtime.
The house was not big. We had changed the nursery into a guestroom and moved the cot into our bedroom for now. It was not the Hilton but we knew David was not fussy and would put up with a small room for a while. He did not say how long he wanted to stay.
Monika and Roman could stay in the other room that we used as an office.
I heard a car in the distance. That had to be Jules and David. Immediately I could feel the pressure I had been feeling since he left.
I straightened my skirt and opened the door. Jules’ truck rolled along the driveway. I saw David sitting next to him. As soon as he got out, we hugged each other. His salt and pepper hair had changed into grey.
“Hello, Allie,” he said and gave me a bunch of yellow and white daisies and carnations. “I missed you both.” “How was your trip, David?”
“Considering that I don’t like flying, I must say it was good.” Jules took David’s suitcase and we went inside.
I could hear a tinge of sadness in David’s voice but hoped I imagined it. He was probably tired after the long flight. “Roman and Monika are coming in a few days, too,” I said. “We decided to have our wedding while you are all here.” “That sounds wonderful,” David said.
I showed him his room and while he had a shower, I set the table for dinner.
“How long will you be staying?” Jules asked after dinner. “I don’t know yet, at least until after the wedding, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to be a burden to you, I can stay somewhere else.”
A smile flitted briefly across his face.
“Are you kidding? After all, you are almost a part of the family. You can stay as long as you like, David,” I said. “I haven’t asked you how your holiday was in the Bahamas,” Jules said.
I took out the lemon cheesecake, and filled up the kettle with water for the coffee.
“It's a bit too commercialized. I did not think it would be like that.”
To Catch A Butterfly You Need A Net Page 19