Page 4 of One More Time

The room hushed as Hope grabbed Grace’s hand, and tugged her forward. ‘Come on, the girls have made a spot for you to sit between them.’

Grace positioned herself between her granddaughters, both looking tickled pink. ‘So, tell me, you two munchkins, what’s this all about, then?’ she whispered.

Flashing her legendary cheeky smile, Sharni laced her fingers in between Grace’s. ‘It’s a slideshow of your life, Nanna.’

Rose did the same as her twin sister, squeezing Grace’s hand tightly. ‘We helped Mum make it.’

Before Grace got a chance to respond, a screen dropped down from the ceiling, the lights dimmed and Sarah McLachlan’s voice sang out ‘I Will Remember You’. The room hushed as all eyes fell upon a black-and-white image of Grace’s dear mother admiring her as a giggling baby, then to a toddler looking up at her father with such wonder, to a teenage girl playing ball with her golden retriever, Holly, to an image of her on the beach in her very first bikini with wind-whipped platinum blonde hair, a smile as wide as the ocean behind her and a handsome man’s arm slung around her shoulder.

Caught up in the recollection, Grace’s hand went to the brooch resting above her heart. Charlie looked so young, and so happy; a man head-over-heels in love. That had been the day he’d proposed to her. The nostalgia was so intense, it made her soul ache. Feeling eyes upon her, she glanced to the left and came to meet Charlie’s gaze. They shared a lifetime of emotion in those few short seconds, the profound bond between them overwhelming her so much that she had to look away or risk bursting into unstoppable tears.

The trip down memory lane continued, and Grace blinked faster as she looked toward the screen. As each clip flashed before her eyes, she felt herself transported back to each captured moment and flickers of a life gone by. For the next minute, the fragments in time caught her breath, made her laugh, and brought tears of both joy and sadness. Then came snippets of her life as a single mother, and she wondered if everyone else could see the ghosts hidden within her eyes, the sadness behind her smiles. Next, there she was, with her dear Rodger – short, wiry and serious, he’d been the polar opposite to Charlie. He’d proven to be exactly what she’d thought she’d needed at the time – a man she could rely on to always be there, for her and for Hope. Sadly, their relationship had become more of a friendship over the years, and that could be seen in the photos – not one picture showed the look of love that she and Charlie had so evidently shared and, according to Hope and her lack of better judgement, still did.

Before Grace knew it, the show was over, to the cheers and claps of her family and friends. The band started up again, to the familiar tune of ‘Macarena’. Squealing with glee, Sharni and Rose kissed her on the cheek, and then headed over to the dance floor to join their father who was giving the moves his best shot. Grace wanted to thank Hope for the moving tribute, but it appeared her daughter had found herself cornered by two of the township’s gossips. It would take her a little while to pry herself away from Jacob and Christine Jones, so Grace took the chance to step outside and get a minute to herself. She quickly realised she wasn’t alone; Charlie was leaning against the railing, his gaze fixed on the glittering lights of the harbour. She almost turned around and headed back inside, but thought better of it.

‘Hey, you,’ she said, easing in beside him. ‘That was a lovely slideshow, don’t you think?’ She drew in a quick breath and then added, ‘It was crazy seeing us both so young.’

‘Yes, it was, and a little overwhelming, to be honest.’ His voice a little quivery, Charlie didn’t turn to look at her. ‘I needed a moment out here to regroup, before dancing with the girls.’

Grace nodded. ‘Great minds think alike.’ The sea breeze was a little chilly, and she pulled her shawl over her shoulders.

‘It’s such a pretty spot, isn’t it, Grace?’ His voice steadying, it became low and husky, almost dreamy.

‘It sure is.’ She looked to where bobbing boats lapped the water against the mooring. ‘It always brings me peace, this view.’

With neither of them feeling the need to fill it, they remained in a comfortable silence.

‘Thanks again for my gift, Charlie,’ Grace finally said, bringing her hand to the brooch. ‘I’d forgotten just how beautiful it is.’

‘You’re very welcome.’ Charlie turned to her now, his smile heartfelt. ‘I’m glad you like it, and that you decided to wear it tonight. It means a lot that you did.’

‘Of course.’ Her heart pitter-pattering a little faster, she offered him a delicate smile. ‘I had no idea you’d kept it all these years.’

‘Yes, and I’m so glad that I did.’ Reaching out, Charlie gently brushed his fingers over the sapphire, his smile widening. ‘It’s been my lucky charm on more than one occasion.’

‘It has?’ Grace peered into his calm blue eyes, like an ocean without waves – the depth in them had been what had drawn her to him, like a bee to honey, all those years ago.

Charlie nodded. ‘Yes, I like to think so.’

‘How so?’ Grace tipped her head to the side.

There was a short silence before Charlie answered. ‘I took it with me everywhere in Vietnam, and the day of the explosion …’ He stumbled over the word, and cleared his throat. ‘I realised at the last second that it wasn’t in my pocket, and that I must have dropped it outside the building we were meant to be bunkering down in for the night, so I left the others to get settled and went back out to see if I could find it. That’s when the bomb went off.’

‘Oh my goodness, Charlie! Why haven’t you told me this before?’ Grace’s throat ached with rising emotion – if he hadn’t have gone looking for it, he’d likely have died too.

Nodding, Charlie sucked in a breath. ‘Maybe I should have, but, at the very least, I’m telling you now.’

‘Indeed you are.’ Blinking back tears, she reached out and gave his hand resting on the railings a gentle pat. ‘I know how it broke you, losing your friends like that, and I know how guilty you’ve felt, being the only survivor of that mission, but I’m pleased to know I played a part in saving you that day.’

‘Oh, believe me, Grace, you’ve saved me a hundred times over, and when I least deserved it, too.’

Grace left her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘You’re the father of my child, Charlie, and were my very first love. Of course I’m going to try and take care of you when and where I can.’

‘You’re a beautiful soul, Grace, in every single way.’ Charlie blinked faster. ‘I know I’ve said it before, but I hope you believe me when I say how sorry I am, for all the hurt I’ve caused you over the years.’ For a few short moments, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were wet with unshed tears. ‘Just know, that if I could take it all back, and do things over again, I would do everything so differently.’

Unable to witness his anguish, and not sure what to make of the emotions swirling within her heart, Grace lowered her gaze, drawing in a slow, steady breath. ‘I do believe you, Charlie, but let’s just enjoy every moment for what it is, and be content in the fact we’ve remained friends over the years.’

‘Yes.’ With a sharp inhalation, he nodded. ‘You’re right.’