February Or Forever (33 page)

She hesitated near the bedroom door, as though she was forgetting something, feeling naked and exposed. She turned back and peeked through the window at the gentle rolling waves tumbling into the shore.
I have showers, I can do this. It's just water.

Her mind turned to a memory of Danielle on Christmas morning, when she'd given Chrissie one half of the
sisters forever
bracelet. ‘I found it in a gift shop,' Danielle had said. ‘I thought if we both wear one, it'd be like we're always together no matter where we are.' They'd had their fair share of sibling rivalry, but most of the time they enjoyed each other's company. Danielle had been quite mature for her age, so she'd been like an equal to Chrissie, despite their two year age gap. She remembered when Danielle had put the bracelet on Chrissie's wrist, then held her own up close to it. Her eyes had sparkled almost as much as the silver charms. How she longed to look into her sister's eyes again, feel that sisterly bond…

Chrissie approached her jewellery box and opened it, retrieving the bracelet she'd lodged in the corner — Danielle's half of the bracelet. She held the charm up in front of her, the word ‘sisters' engraved on it engraving a deep absence in her heart. Then, as though Danielle was here right now, she hung the bracelet over her wrist and hooked the clasp together. Knowing the last person to wear this was her sister, almost twenty-five years ago, at this very location, sent a chill up her spine.

‘I miss you, Danielle,' she whispered. ‘How I wish you were here right now.'

Her skin cooled where the bracelet hung as she turned the doorknob and stepped tentatively out and into the living room, past the kitchen, and towards the verandah door where Drew stood waiting.

His soft smile greeted her, and he slid his hand in hers. ‘You did good.'

Chrissie's breath quickened as she let him lead her outside, onto the grass, and then onto the sand. The warm particles spread under her feet, adding to her feeling of instability yet, in a way, preparing her for the looseness of water.
If
she made it that far. Her heart rate sped up, the dull pounding in her chest making her lungs suck in more air with each step forward.

‘You're doing well,' Drew said, his hand gripping hers firmly and Chrissie gripping it harder in return.

She stepped onto wet sand and gasped at the change in texture under her feet.

‘It's okay. Just breathe,' Drew's voice calmed her.

Her toes tightened together as she took more steps forward onto the wet sand, knowing that at any second a curved remnant of a wave would meet her toes. She forced her breathing to slow, each breath loud in her chest.

‘That's it, keep going.' Drew's eyes were on her, but she couldn't look at him, could only allow her gaze to blur and go distant in an effort to cope with what was coming.

Cold water tickled her feet and her legs wobbled. ‘Oh God, I don't know if I can do this,' her voice shook.

‘Yes you can. You're already halfway there. Just keep breathing slowly, like you taught me, keep holding my hand, and step forward.'

More water lapped around her ankles, the sensation both familiar and unfamiliar, swirling long gone memories around in her mind. When the next wave came and threatened her balance, she panicked, grabbing Drew's arm with her other hand. ‘I can't do it.'

He didn't listen, guiding her further forward. ‘You
are
doing it, Chrissie, look.'

The fuzziness in front of her cleared as she refocused, glancing down at her legs, the water now up to her knees. She
was
doing it. She was in the water, and she was okay. The panic that had risen a moment ago subsided at her small achievement. She could go back inside now, having fulfilled Drew's demand, or she could keep going. Go further and end the debilitating fear once and for all. Or at least make a huge dent in it.

‘Don't let me go, Drew,' she said, still gripping his arm.

‘I won't.' He stepped forward with her, and when another wave tumbled into them he wrapped her in a supportive embrace. ‘I've got you.'

Weightlessness lifted her feet from the sand for a moment as her body buoyed itself in the rhythmic dance of the ocean, Drew letting one arm go to tread water. She mimicked him, her arm creating arcs in the water, and when the next wave rolled in she let go of him, water surrounding her completely. ‘Oh God,' she said. ‘Oh God.' Adrenalin rushed through her, keeping her afloat, and strangely, a smile stretched across her cheeks. She was swimming, she was okay, and so was Drew. She locked eyes with him as water moved their bodies up and down, and he smiled so widely she thought he might burst open with happiness.

‘Drew, I'm doing it, I'm really doing it,' she said. ‘After twenty-five years.' She moved her arms around and swam closer to him, her slippery hands meeting his under the water. They moved closer to shore, putting their feet on the ground, their bodies closing in and wrapping around each other along with the water's embrace lapping at their waists.

She buried her face in his chest, pulling him close to her, and tears spilled from her eyes. ‘Goodbye, Danielle,' she cried.

His hands rubbed her back, up and down, soothing her like nothing else could. It had started, the dam holding all her grief had cracked open and the pent-up emotion gushed out, releasing itself in healing sobs. He held her close for a long time, her tears falling from her face onto his chest, into the sea, merging with it, the cleansing salt water washing them away.

When her sobs became exhausted sighs, she eased her head off his chest and looked at him. Drew's eyes were glossy, and a lone tear slid down his chiselled cheekbone. She brought her hand to his cheek, stroking it and caressing the face of the wonderful, beautiful man who'd helped her more than she thought she could be helped.

‘Thank you,' she said, her gaze connecting intimately with his. ‘Thank you.'

He leaned forward and his soft lips cushioned hers, kissing her gently and tenderly, before they moved to her forehead and the top of her head as he cradled her head against his chest. His hands ran down her arms, bringing her hands up to his face, and he kissed them too, one finger at a time as though they were a lost treasure he'd finally found. His kisses stopped and he focused on her right hand. He lifted her wrist and eyed the bracelet. ‘I haven't seen you wear this before, it's yours?'

‘Yes. This is the first time I've worn it. It was my sister's.'

‘Danielle's?'

She nodded. ‘She gave me one of my own not long before she died, and each had half of a silver heart-shaped charm. Except I lost it.' She sighed. ‘They went together, a matching pair, except, while hers said
sisters
, mine said — '

‘
Forever
,' Drew whispered, his eyes wide.

‘Good guess,' Chrissie said. ‘How did you know?'

‘It wasn't a guess.' A small smile floated onto his face. ‘Come with me.' He pulled on her hand and led her out of the water. ‘Go lock up, then come over to Serendipity with me.'

‘What? Why?'

‘Just…come on.' He smiled.

She dried off and wrapped a sarong around her waist, then grabbed her phone and keys and followed Drew to the private side entrance of the V.I.P. quarters.

He dashed up the stairs, Chrissie behind him, and when they arrived at his bedroom he said, ‘Close your eyes.'

Curiosity creased her forehead but she closed her eyes, trusting him implicitly. She expected him to say, ‘Now, open your eyes,' but he didn't, as something else prompted them to open. She felt his hands near her wrist, then the familiar cool touch of metal, and the click of a clasp.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at her wrist as he held it up.

Another bracelet. Exactly the same as Danielle's, only the charm had the word
forever
on it. Her free hand flew to her mouth to meet her gasp. Drew held both charms together, two halves of the heart forming a whole, displaying the words,
sisters forever
.

‘Where did you get this? It couldn't be mine, could it?'

‘I believe it is.' His smile grew wider.

‘But how? Where?' She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

He patted the bed and she sat next to him. ‘Let me tell you a story.'

Chrissie's fingers fiddled with the bracelets as he spoke…

‘When I was thirteen, I met a cute girl on the beach, here in Tarrin's Bay. She had just been for a swim and had set her towel on the sand near mine. The beach was packed, it was January — tourist season — but she stood out from the rest. Her hair glowed under the sunlight and her smile was infectious.' Drew's eyes glazed over, as though lost in the memory. ‘As I was sunbaking, something bright glinted towards my eye as it reflected off the sun and I had to shade my face. It was the girl's bracelet. That's when I first saw her.' He grasped Chrissie's hands. ‘I said to her, “What are you trying to do, blind me?” and she laughed. When she sat I shuffled over next to her and took a look at the offending item. The half-heart said
forever
and I teased her about it, asking if her true love had the other half. I was surprised when she said her sister had the other half and together the bracelets said
sisters forever
.'

Oh my God. No way.
Chrissie's mouth gaped.

‘I went for a swim and when I came back she was gone. I lay in the sun for a while, fell asleep and got really sunburnt, and when I woke and most of the crowd had cleared the beach, I gathered my things to head home. But something glinted in the sand. I picked up the bracelet that the girl had left behind.'

Chrissie's heart felt about ready to topple over.

‘I tried to find her, asked around, but I didn't know her name or if she was a local or just here for the holidays.' Drew took a deep breath. ‘So, for some reason I held onto it, in case she showed up again. I hooked it onto the tuners of my guitar, and from that moment on it became my lucky charm. I went in an amateur talent show the next day and won, and hung it from my guitar every time I performed somewhere. I've had nothing but success ever since.' He smiled. ‘And I thought that if I ever saw her again she'd have to fight me for it.'

Tears welled up in Chrissie's eyes, even though she thought she had none left to cry, but instead of upsetting her, they brought joy.

Drew cupped her face in his hands. ‘It was you. All those years ago, it was you!' He shook his head in amazement.

‘I remember,' Chrissie said, ‘I remember you.' She grasped his face too, looked deeply into his eyes, as though trying to see the boy who resided in there more than two decades ago.

‘How did you lose it in the first place?' he asked, his hands stroking her hair in wonder, reunited after all this time.

‘I didn't realise till I got back to Aunt Felicia's. The bracelet had a wonky clasp and would sometimes unlatch and fall off. I remember it got caught on the fringing of my towel that day on the beach and I yanked it free, but it must have loosened the clasp and fallen off later without me noticing.'

‘Ah yes, it happened to me too, fell off my guitar, but I fixed the clasp for you.' He smiled with accomplishment.

‘And you've hooked it on your guitar ever since?' she asked.

‘Yep, not on a day to day basis, just before I perform, it's become kind of a ritual to quash my pre-performance nerves.'

The man had no reason to be nervous, his talent was outstanding, but knowing that he did get nervous and had created his own lucky ritual only reinforced the humility that she found so endearing. ‘That's incredible. I can't believe it. You found it, found me, and now it's back with its other half!'

Drew's grin was unfading. ‘Makes you wonder…'

‘Wonder what?'

‘If there is such a thing as fate.' His gaze locked with hers.

‘Maybe there is.' She smiled. ‘Maybe there is.'

It was close to five o'clock by the time Chrissie left Drew's room at Serendipity, her hand holding onto his until the last moment when she stepped out of the door and it fell from his grasp like a feather. Kai was due home any minute and she had to get back.

The day had been a mixture of tears, laughter, reminiscing, and pondering. Pondering the meaning of life, the way they'd been brought together, and how life had its own process of serendipity that was beyond all imaginable understanding. Drew had ordered up a gourmet meal for lunch, and after eating and drinking and talking and laughing, they'd made love all afternoon beneath the soft breeze that wafted in through the windows, and the low afternoon sun that cast a golden glow on their bodies.

When it had come time to leave, Drew had said, ‘I have a lot of things to think about, a lot of plans to consider, and a lot of decisions to make. I don't know what the future holds just yet, but I know that somehow, sometime, somewhere, I will see you again.'

That was enough for Chrissie. They had only known each other for one month; one sweet, spectacular, mind-blowing month, but they needed to be apart now, reassess their goals and where they were headed on life's journey.

Drew had given her a gift, the gift of belief. Belief in herself, in her ability to raise Kai, and in the fact that life was not to be feared. She could step forward, face her challenges with confidence, knowing that everything would be okay and would work out the way it was meant to.

She'd kissed him one last time, slowly, deeply, savouring every second, and she'd asked him what he would do now without his good luck charm hanging from his guitar. ‘I'll be right,' he'd said. ‘It's time for you to have some good luck. And besides, the memory of you, your face, your smile, that's my good luck charm now.'

And so she'd left him there, at Serendipity where they'd first met, and walked back home. Not to Felicia's house, but
her
house. She still planned on selling it so she could find a place to start anew, but for now, it was a place to call home.