Page 27 of One More Time

Her words caressed his strained heartstrings, as if tuning them back into melodic place. ‘That means the world to me, as do you.’ He regarded for a little longer, relishing the intensity of her returned gaze, then took her hand in his. ‘Now come on, let’s go and get you that fairy floss you’ve been craving.’

‘Yes, let’s.’ She almost skipped beside him. ‘But only if it’s pink.’

For the next few hours, wrapped up in their bubble of contentment, Charlie forgot about their marital disagreements and the shadowy demons from his past, and he also lay down the pain of his grandma’s passing and the fear of what might lie ahead for him as a father. Instead, he wholeheartedly savoured the precious time he had with his mesmerising wife. Living in the moment was the way forward – he knew that – but as with so many things, it was easier said than done.

* * *

It was close to five when Grace decided to put her ledgers away and call it a day. The wages were done for another week, and the shop figures were looking more than good. Her hard work had paid off, as had Charlie’s at the car yard, giving them the ability to step back and take time to bond with their baby. Handing the reins of the teashop over to Jenny and Marty for a little while was both scary and exciting. She’d given so much of her time and effort to Serendipity over the past ten months, she felt as if she were letting a big piece of herself go. On the other hand, she hadn’t had enough time and energy to give to her marriage, which she felt guilty for. It was going to be nice to give Charlie the attention he deserved.

As she tidied her desk, she squinted out the office window, through the glorious afternoon sunshine to the far-reaching paddocks beyond the confines of the room. The world appeared so free, so infinite, out there. If only she and Charlie could throw caution to the wind, like they would have years ago, if they’d been in a position to do so, and head off on grand adventures. She longed to set foot on the shores of Santorini, where she could spend her days reading and wandering and loving the man she couldn’t ever live a day without. One day. Maybe. For now, though, life was becoming more confined, more pressured, less about dreaming and more about practicality – the wistful, free-spirited part of her had slipped away, and she pined for it. It’s what had always made her feel alive. It was what had drawn Charlie to her.

Maybe once the baby was born and she spent some time away from the pressures of Serendipity, she would be able revive that dormant part of her.

A girl can dream.

Grace sighed. As much as she would like to believe such things, a huge part of her knew she had to be a realist, because in the grand scheme of her life, things were only going to get trickier. She was going to be a mother, and as excited as she was about welcoming their baby into the world, she wasn’t sure how she and Charlie were going to cope without her parents around to help. Given the fact her parents had always wanted to travel, she couldn’t begrudge her father for taking the high-paying job his old colleague got him at the university in London – it meant weekends trips to dreamy foreign places was easy – but now she was left dealing with their sudden departure from Sapphire Bay. Having chosen to take leave without pay, her sweet husband was so sure he’d be able to handle being a stay-at-home father when she had to go back to work, but she wasn’t convinced. He’d gone from being a soldier who lived on adrenaline and spent his days protecting their country, to selling family sedans, to soon staying home to take care of a child. She loved him deeply for putting her dreams ahead of his. He didn’t say as much, but he didn’t need to – she knew him inside and out – and she felt the toll the sacrifice was taking on him.

Was she to blame? Had she allowed him to give up too much, for her?

Would he resent her for it eventually?

Does he already?

Blowing a weary breath, she shook her contemplations off, and went in search of Charlie and some dinner. As she waddled down the hallway, the aromas of his delicious bolognaise sauce wafted from the kitchen, making her mouth water.

Finding him on the couch, his face buried in his latest military magazine, she plonked down beside him. ‘I smell you’ve made us something delicious for dinner.’

Charlie’s handsome face popped over the top of the magazine. ‘Indeed, I have, my love.’ He closed it and tossed it to the coffee table. ‘I hope you’re hungry because I’ve made enough to feed an army.’

‘I’m famished and eating for two, so we’re in luck.’ Her belly rumbled at the thought of tucking into a big bowl of pasta. ‘Thank you for taking care of dinner, Charlie.’

‘I don’t mind, it gave me something to do while you were catching up on the bookwork.’ He offered her a skewed smile. ‘Idle hands are the devil’s tools, as Grandma would say.’

She sat back as the worrying thoughts that had plagued her in the office returned, but she wasn’t about to broach the subject of Charlie’s waning happiness, not when they’d enjoyed a rare magical day together. Instead, she glanced around the enormous room, the emptiness of it echoing through her. ‘I don’t know how we’re going to fill a house so big with enough to make it seem like a home.’

‘It already is a home, Grace.’ Charlie’s arm slipped around her shoulder. ‘Besides, we’ll just have to have lots of children, so the pitter-patter of feet and giggling fill it to the brim.’

A rush of panic fuelled Grace’s pulse – Charlie had never mentioned having lots of kids before. ‘I … I hadn’t really thought we’d want more than two children, Charlie.’ Witnessing his smile fade, she tried for a lighthearted tone. ‘This pregnancy has been so difficult, and with Serendipity taking so much of my time …’ She trailed off, and the awful silence stretched out. ‘Charlie, are you okay?’

‘Yes, sorry.’ Shooting to his feet, he took her by the hand. ‘Come, before it gets too dark outside.’

Rising to her weary feet, Grace did her best to hide a grimace. ‘Where are we going?’

‘I want to show you why my forefathers named this place Moonflower Acres.’

‘Oh, okay.’ She allowed him to lead her out the back door, where he helped her to slip her shoes on. ‘I’ve never stopped to think about where the name came from.’

‘I think it’s important you do, Grace.’ Dropping to his knees, he cradled her belly and placed a tender kiss upon it. ‘Then you and this little one will know the heritage of my family.’ He glanced up at her. ‘Our family.’

A soft breeze rippled the material of her maternity gown as she stepped up and into the passenger seat of her father’s old ute, now used for trips around the property. Revving the old beast to life, Charlie followed the path past the vacant stables and up the gentle rise. In all the months she’d called Moonflower Acres home, Grace hadn’t ventured this way.

Just over the hill, Charlie pulled up beside a weathered bench. ‘Wait there, and I’ll come and help you out, my darling.’ He opened the passenger door carefully and guided her over to the bench. They sat, and waited.

‘What are we doing, Charlie?’ Grace whispered for no good reason, except that in the moment, it felt right.

He held a finger to his lips. ‘Shh.’ Then he pointed to where the vines had clambered along a trellis a few metres away from them. ‘Just watch and behold.’

Intrigued, she took his offered hand and, when only a hint of sunset remained behind the mountains, an enchanted performance began. Her eyes widening with wonder, Grace watched as the trumpet-shaped flowers as big as her hand unfurled blackcurrant-dusted petals.