My parents, sister Paula, her husband Bryan, and nieces Skylar and Hazel are seated in my dining room.
“Great timing sis, dinner is almost ready.” Paula laughs as she pours me a glass of wine. My parents come over and hug me tightly.
“How are you, darling? We missed you. We brought photos and gifts around for everyone. Sorry to spring this on you,” Mum says, hugging me extra tightly, followed by my dad doing much of the same.
“No worries guys, it’s great to see you.” I want to cry; not because I don’t want to see my family, but because they’re not who I expected.
I wanted it to be the one person I can’t have.
Jake.
Jake
It’s been a month since I left—four weeks of torture. During the day I’m fine, able to keep busy and my mind off Stephanie. The night is the worst. All I think about is her. She’s in my dreams so deep that I swear I can smell her perfume in them too.
I miss her more than I ever thought possible.
I regret leaving her the way I did. I was livid with her and felt she’d used me. Now that I’ve had a chance to calm down, I wonder if I got the wrong end of the stick. Perhaps I jumped to conclusions.
I’m sitting in my bunk, penning a letter to her; one I won’t send. It explains everything I’m feeling, how much I hurt because of her, how much I miss her, and what I’ve been doing here. I find it therapeutic to write. I’m not known for sharing my feelings verbally, but to write things out works best for me.
Things might have been different between us now if I’d hung around to let her explain. I’m not completely at fault in this, but I do know I should’ve been honest with her. Aria has said Stephanie has been miserable and hasn’t really been around to see her for a while. I never wanted to come between my sister and her best friend. I’m worried about Stephanie and how she is coping with my absence.
After I finish the letter, I fold it gently, perfectly, and then search for an envelope. After finding one, I carefully insert the letter, seal the envelope and place it into my bag with all the others. I haven’t counted them, but there’s been at least two letters a week since I’ve left. I look at my phone, finding a photo of Stephanie that I took after our night together. She’s coyly sitting on my bed, wearing my shirt. It’s pulled up to her chin, and she’s laughing at me.
God, I could get lost in those opal coloured eyes.
A knock on my door distracts me, and I put my phone down.
“Enter,” I call.
“Wanna play ball with us, bro?” my comrade Michael asks, tossing a ball between his hands. He’s one of the medical officers in my unit and probably one of my best friends.
I chuckle. “Are you looking for an ass-kicking?” I take to my feet, turning towards him.
“Come on old man. I’ll show you my skills.”
He tosses the ball at me, and I catch it. “Who are you calling old man?” I dribble it around him like a dance and bounce it out to the court before I take a shot for the hoop, landing the ball through it. I spend the rest of the day showing Michael this old dog still has moves.
If only they were as useful to get Steph back.
Stephanie
“How was the trip?” I ask my Dad as I take a seat next to him at the table and pour myself a glass of wine.
“Fabulous. Your mother wants to go again.” He chuckles.
“We recommend cruising to anyone. There was lots to do aboard the boat, and when we stopped, you could choose whether or not to go ashore or stay on board. We, of course, went ashore. It was a perfect trip.”
“That’s awesome. I missed you both.”
Paula and Bryan serve up dinner. I inhale the scent of something yummy, but my stomach lurches at the smell, and an acidic liquid rises into my throat. I turn away from the meal, trying to erase the odour, but it’s hard.
“What have you made?” Mum asks.
“A vegetarian curry, rice and naan bread,” Bryan says.
“And for dessert, there’s homemade chocolate mousse, ice cream and chocolate sauce,” Paula says.
“How was your day?” My mum asks.
“Busy. The show was sold out. I had fifty new clients sign up with me. It was awesome. They all want a bridal gown made but have no idea if they want bridesmaid dresses or not. I assured them they could sort those details later.”
“Excellent, hopefully, this puts you on track for opening your own store.”
I smile at my mum. I don’t tell her that I’m not sure I want to open a store but rather own my own home with the hope to set up my business out of there. I take a sip of my wine and don’t say anything else. Suddenly, I don’t feel like drinking wine anymore, nor am I particularly hungry.
This is weird. I was starving earlier.
I pick up a spoon, digging into the rice and curry. I take a few mouthfuls, and it’s delicious, but my stomach really doesn’t want to eat it. It lurches, flip flops and doesn’t want anymore. I feel queasy. Maybe I’m coming down with something new, or perhaps I haven’t quite shaken my illness from a few weeks ago. If only Jake were here, he’d be able to tell me.
Jake.
My thoughts vanish in a blink as I think of him. I stare at my plate, lost in my own little world. I miss him so much it hurts. Every night I dream of him. His hot, sexy body fills my very naughty dreams. When I wake, I’m horny as hell and in desperate need for him.
I want him back.
“Earth to Steph.” A gentle shake to my shoulder breaks my trance. I turn to find Paula sitting there, giving me a concerned look. “Are you okay?”
“Actually no, I’m not. I’m about to be very rude and kick you all out. I’m not feeling well, and I just want to head to bed.”
My mother searches my face with her eyes. “You do look pale.”
“It might be remnants from my infections a few weeks ago. I was really sick.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” my mum asks.
“I didn’t want to spoil your holiday, and besides, I was in good hands. Jake, Aria’s twin brother who happens to be an Army medic, came over to look after me.”
Paula nudges me playfully. “Looking after you, aye? I bet he did.”
“Mummy, what does that mean?” Hazel asks curiously.
“And that is where we are going to end this conversation,” Bryan says, picking up Hazel. “Let’s go, babe.”
Paula rises out of her seat. “Call us if you need anything.” She hugs me and chases her family down my hall.
“You head to bed, sweetheart. Your mum and I will clear away the dishes,” my dad offers.
“You don’t need to do that.”
“We will.”
They don’t need to do much but rinse everything and put it in the dishwasher. Meanwhile, I get myself ready for bed. I take some pain relief and get into my pyjamas, and my mum comes to check on me. She’s a nurse or used to be until she decided she wanted to be a midwife. She actually delivered my sister’s babies.
“Call me anytime.”
“Thanks, Mum.” I hug her, and they leave. I tuck myself into bed, and suddenly, the need to be sick becomes overwhelming, and I barely make it to the bathroom and toilet.