Page 107 of The Summer That Changed Us
‘God, I’ve missed you.’ He pulls back to stare straight into my eyes.
I lean towards him and press my lips to his. They’re firm and warm and he smells of him. His arms tighten around me and for a second, I forget I’m in the middle of an airport and being inhis arms is the only thing that matters. When we break apart, he takes my hand and we walk back to Reeni’s car.
‘I could have got the train you know. You didn’t have to come all the way to get me.’
‘That would have taken over three hours. I couldn’t wait that long.’ I give him a grin. ‘It’s good to have you back.’
He squeezes my hand tight. ‘It’s good to be back.’
I stare at myself in the mirror. I’m wearing navy tailored trousers and a yellow blouse with a notched collar covered in white polka dots. We’re heading into winter although it’s one of those rare days when the sun is out in earnest. In case the weather turns I’ve added a beautiful scarf in a multitude of soft rainbow colours. Sophie didn’t want anyone wearing black to her funeral, so we figured she wouldn’t want it when we’re scattering her ashes either.
‘Are you ready to go?’ Jackson comes out of my bathroom and a lump appears at the back of my throat. He’s in navy suit trousers and a light blue shirt with the top two buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up to below his elbows. ‘Are you bringing your new camera?’
He’s looking at an open box on the kitchen side. It’s a peace offering Dad sent me last week. I’ve had a couple of texts from Mum, but the parcel was Dad’s way of reaching out, I think. I haven’t worked out how to thank him yet, although I know I will.
I shake my head. ‘I’ve not tried it out yet. Be safer to bring my trusty old one.’
‘You look lovely,’ he says, hooking an arm around my waist and kissing me gently on the cheek.
I cradle his jaw, it’s smooth and clean-shaven. He has dark circles under his eyes and a vulnerability to his expression which pulls at my heart. ‘Are you OK?’
He gives me a simple nod. ‘I’ll be better when it’s over.’
We head outside to find everyone is already milling around The Beach House’s picnic tables. Sally has Tippi on a lead and she and Roz are chatting to Aaron and Reeni. Milo, who is also in a formal shirt and trousers with a tote bag slung over his shoulder, is standing on the outside of the group chatting to Dillon.
‘Everybody ready?’ asks Jackson as he searches out my hand.
We make our way down onto the beach. The hum of conversation which met us when we walked out of my house has evaporated and everyone is walking quietly, all lost in our own thoughts and memories. There’s a spot along from Daisy where we stop. It’s early enough that the beach is quiet and we’re on our own.
Milo gets two small cardboard tubes out of the tote bag. I hear Jackson take in a breath and my chest tightens knowing they contain Sophie’s ashes.
‘Does anyone want to say something?’ asks Milo.
There’s quiet and then Sally clears her throat and looks towards Jackson and Milo. ‘Your mum was one in a million and I don’t think anyone that ever met her will forget her. She was kind and caring and had a brilliant sense of humour. And I know I am, but I’m sure you’ll all agree …’ she pauses to look at Roz, ‘… we’re all better people for having known her. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s something Sophie said to me herself. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. My heart hurts right now, but there are lots of things to smile about. And she lived her life to the full right up to the end.’
‘I wonder if anyone else has ever been threatened with being evicted from a hospice for being too rowdy?’ says Roz, with a smile.
‘We weren’t even that loud,’ says Milo with a small laugh.‘They’re lucky I didn’t bring in the karaoke machine like Mum requested!’
‘And the day she insisted she had to attend your photography evening,’ says Aaron, looking at me. ‘Her wheelchair got stuck and sunk in the sand with the tide coming in. If that passer-by hadn’t helped me lift her and the chair to safety she’d have floated away.’
‘And she laughed the whole time,’ says Reeni, her face tilting into a smile. ‘I didn’t know her long, but her verve for life rubbed off on me too, and in some ways even saved me.’
Dillon shifts his weight, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Sophie once told me I needed to “grow up just a smidge” – then two minutes later dared me to race Milo into the sea. Fully clothed.’
There are a few quiet laughs and Milo’s face wears a sad smile.
‘She didn’t just make life brighter. She made it fun. And she made people feel … at ease in themselves. I hope she knew how much that meant,’ finishes Dillon.
I take a breath. ‘I think she did. I’ll never forget the way she knew who I truly was and how she was in my …’ I glance at Jackson, ‘… our corner every step of the way.’
Milo and Jackson look at each other.
‘You can do this. I don’t know if I …’ Milo’s voice cracks and he turns to look out to sea.
Jackson runs his hand through his hair and then reaches for Milo’s hand to hold it while he speaks.
‘Well, Mum, you were the queen at organising things and I hope we’ve all done you proud.’ He looks to the sky as he says this, then looks back at us. ‘You are all the people Mum thought the world of. She was many things. A wife, although I think she’d have quite liked to have forgotten that at times. A mother, a grandma …’ he squeezes my hand, ‘… and a friend and neighbour.’ He twists a foot into the sand. ‘She was someone you could depend on and always delivered hard truths even whenyou didn’t want to hear them. But she believed in people and always saw the best in them. You’re right, Sally. Mine and Milo’s life will be better for having been her sons and I hope in the future when you’re looking down on us, Mum, you’ll be proud. You left too soon, with too much life still left to live, and I love you with all my heart and will miss you always.’ He pauses to compose himself. ‘And to carry on in the way I know you’d expect us to, we thought we’d scatter your ashes out in the sea where you loved to be.’
