by Laura Burton
‘But, could you consider me when a full-time teaching role comes up?’ I asked, hesitantly, not wishing to push my luck.
‘Well, funny you should say that because we still need a religious studies teacher. Reverend Hale has decided to take an early retirement, to relieve some of the stress in his life,’ she said.
‘But I thought you only hire a reverend to teach that class?’ I asked. Mrs Callingham laughed.
‘And look where that got us? No, I think with your good nature and honesty, and the relationship you have with the girls, you will suit the role perfectly.’ Mrs Callingham continued.
‘Let’s have a trial period and see how you get on, and we’ll go from there, shall we?’ she offered. I excitedly agreed and hung up the phone buzzing. I turned to Jack, who was standing with me when I took the call.
‘I’m a teacher now,’ I said, breathless. Jack put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed them tight.
‘Well look at you,’ he remarked, smiling. That cheeky dimple stared at me as he smiled. We were walking up Park Street and took a turn suddenly off course. I looked around, recognising the streets immediately.
‘Why are we going this way?’ I asked, frowning.
Jack winked at me and tapped his nose as we walked onwards. The path ran around to the right, and up at the hill, we saw Cabot Tower.
‘What are we doing here?’ I asked, my heart pounding with anxiety. This was not where I wanted to be.
‘Do you trust me?’ Jack asked softly. I nodded, and we walked all the way past the little benches and across the zig-zag pathway to the tower. Jack was practically galloping upwards, in a hurry. I ran to keep up with him, his arm still around my shoulders.
He climbed the steps first and held my hand as I followed up behind. We got to the first viewing point, and he pulled me out to look over the park. I tried not to look down at the ground below. The park had been cleaned, and there was nothing to give away that a man had fallen to his death. But the park was unusually quiet, as word had got around about the events of Tom’s death.
I looked at Jack who took my hands and brought them to his swollen lips and kissed them softly.
‘Audrey, I know we haven’t known each other very long, and you might as well call me crazy, but I am crazy. I’m crazy in love with you, and I cannot bare to spend another second without you. I want to be there for you when you need someone to cry on; I want to be the one to hold your hair back while you’re sick with morning sickness, whilst carrying our baby. I want to be the one to take you out dancing every Friday night, and I want to be there for you until the very end. When we’re both old and grey and too weak to dance anymore,’
He lowered himself down onto one knee and pulled out a small box from his suit pocket. He flipped open the box, and a shiny silver engagement ring sat inside, adorned by three large diamonds. My fingers fled to my heaving collarbone as I gasped at the sight. I could see my reflection in Jack’s clear crystal blue eyes as he smiled up at me and asked the question all women long to hear.
‘Will you marry me?’
I nodded furiously with a grin so large it made my cheeks hurt. He stood up and pushed the ring onto my finger, and I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with all the passion and love in my entire being. He was all mine, and I was his. Our worlds entwined in one and never again to be divided. I thought that happy endings only happened in movies. I thought that in real life, it’s just hard work and heart-ache. Yet, somehow, we beat the odds. I knew we’d truly live happily ever after.
And we have.
EPILOGUE
‘So, my darling, Sophie,’ the mother said softly as she tucked a golden strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear. ‘Happy endings do exist’. Sophie, the young bride, had tears in her eyes. She was touched and overwhelmed at her mother’s words story.
‘I can’t believe all you went through to be with dad,’ she breathed, her wide eyes blinking fast. The mother nodded as she smiled back. Suddenly the door opened and in came a short, middle-aged man with a dark receding hairline. He looked at the two women sitting at the table and gave a broad smile. A dimple creased on his left cheek, and his blue eyes shone brightly.
‘There are my girls,’ he said, grinning and walking forwards with his arms outstretched.
The mother and daughter stood up, and the three of them held one another for a moment in a warm embrace.
‘Oh Jack, I’m sorry we’ve been so long, I’ve just been telling Audrey about our old friend Tom,’ the mother said as they broke apart. The bride nodded and gave a heavy sigh.
‘He sounds pretty crazy,’ she remarked, half-laughing. Jack smiled knowingly.
‘Nowhere near as crazy as your groom has become, wondering where you are!’ he said, pointing to the clock. Sophie and her mother had been talking for much longer than thirty minutes.
‘Shall we?’ he asked graciously, offering his arm to her. She beamed up at him, her green eyes were bright with happiness. Jack smiled proudly at her. She looked just like her mother did on their wedding day. Bright eyed and breathtakingly beautiful. He patted Sophie’s pale hand on the crook of his arm and looked up at his wife standing by the door.
‘We’ll see you in there Audrey,’ Jack said as Sophie’s mother gave one last smile at them and disappeared through the door.
‘Are you ready now?’ Jack asked softly. Sophie nodded quickly in return, knowing that despite all of life’s trials, she had parents to show her that love can prevail. You just have to be a little crazy.
The End.
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About Laura Burton: Laura was raised by two-loving parents with her older brother and two sisters. She spent most of her teenage years in Bristol and attended a private all-girls’ school Clifton High. The school in the story, “Love Me, Crazy,” is the same school Laura attended. Many of the locations within the story, such as Cabot Tower are places, she loved to visit as a teenager. Laura now lives in Swindon, Wiltshire with her husband, their three sons and her mother. She spends her free time blogging about life and mental health and writes personalized poetry for bereaved families.
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