Joshua
The sound of laughter and chatter fill the cabin-we are finally on a plane to Kamala. I didn’t think this day would ever come. I walk back from the bathroom up the aisle. As I hold onto the seats my eyes flick to my beautiful girl who is up the front. She is laughing while sitting with Adrian, her mum and the girls and they are deep in conversation. Gratitude sweeps over me. Three days ago my life could have been so different-I may not have even been here.
“How’s Tash doing?” Nicholas asks as his eyes go to her as he walks up the aisle towards me.
“She seems ok,” I reply.
Nicholas nods and his eyes come back to me. “Prepare yourself-she’s in for a tough time.”I nod. “Yeah I know,” I sigh as my eyes move to my love again. She’s been through hell, the mental ramifications are going to show eventually and when they do she will fall into a heap.
I look back at Nicholas and I shake his hand. “Thank you,” I whisper. “You saved my life. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come and seen me that day in prison.”
He smiles sympathetically and pulls me into an embrace. “You’re welcome,” he whispers. “I’m just ecstatic that it turned out how it did. Imagine if she went through all of that to come home to find you dead?”
I shake my head at the disturbing realisation of just how close that scenario came. Adrian and Natasha burst into laughter and both of our eyes flick to them.
“What’s happening with you and Adrian?” I ask.
He shrugs sadly. “I’m trying my hardest but he won’t let me in.”
I shake my head, stubborn bastard. “Don’t give up.” I smile.
He smiles warmly as he shakes his head. “That, my friend, is a whole other story.” He smiles.
My eyes hold his. “I’d like to hear it one day,” I reply.
He hugs me and slaps me on the back. “One day,” he repeats.
I keep walking up toward my seat and I pass my mother and father. I bend and kiss my mum on the forehead as I hug her. She smiles warmly as she puts her hand over mine on her shoulder. “Thank god, you’re home, Joshua,” she whispers.
“You ok?” I ask her.
“Yes darling, I’m ok.” She smiles. One thing this whole nightmare has taught me is that life’s too short to hold grudges about what was or wasn’t told to you. Things that happen in the past should stay in the past. Suffering or making other people suffer does not make you happy. My mother has suffered enough. Natasha has taught me how to love and more importantly the power of compassion. She holds no grudges and takes everyone on how they treat her that day… something I am striving to achieve with my beautiful mum. James Brennan, on the other hand, is a whole different story and my eyes flick to my father. “Have you made that call yet?” I ask him
He shakes his head.
“What call?” my mother asks.
“I need someone to do a job for me and Dad has the contact,” I reply.
“Do it or I will,” I say to him as I kiss my mother again on the forehead. Nobody treats my mother like that and lives to tell the tale. Dad nods knowingly and I keep walking back to my seat and sit down. Cameron falls into the seat next to me and smirks as his eyes scan my face.
I look at him deadpan. “What?” I ask.
“You look like shit, man,” he frowns.
“Nothing a seminal fluid transfusion couldn’t help,” I mutter as I yawn and put my hands behind my head.
Cameron rolls his lips. “Big night?” he asks.
I widen my eyes. “Huge. I’ve created a monster.” I smirk as I rub my face.
Cameron shakes his head. “You’re a lucky prick.”
I smile at him. “I know.”
Natasha walks back up the aisle and Cameron stands so she can sit down. “I’m going to have a sleep,” she says softly as she takes her blanket from the overhead carriage.
I pat my lap and she smiles as she sits like a child across my knee and puts her head on my shoulder. I shake the blanket and spread it over us and she nestles into me.
“I love you,” she whispers as she kisses my neck.
“I love you too.” I smile softly. “Go to sleep.” I kiss her forehead and before I know it we are both snuggled and content and sleeping like babies.
This is the meaning of my life.
Natasha
I sit and look in the direction of Bridget who is putting my lip gloss on. She kisses me gently on the cheek.
“It’s here, Tash. You’re going to marry him,” she looks at the clock, “in approximately ten minutes.”
A knock sounds on the door. “Come in,” I call.
A Thai girl bows her head and enters with a white gift box and I smile broadly. “For you, Miss Natasha,” she says softly.
I smile and bow. “Thank you,” I reply as I take it from her. I inhale deeply as I open the card attached.
Today I marry my best friend
Always Joshua
x
I smile broadly as my heart flutters with nerves. I open the box and find a single red rose and a package wrapped in white paper. I frown and open the wrapping to find my diaries bound in a bundle. My heart stops. He was going to rot in prison rather than have my diaries read out in an open court. My eyes overflow with tears at the amount of love I have for this man. It’s overwhelming.
“What does it say?” Bridget asks and I hand over the card.
“Oh god, he’s beautiful, Tash.” She sighs.
“I know.” I smile as I turn and look at myself in the mirror. I’m wearing my white wedding dress which has a low back and shoestring straps. It’s very simple but uber-sexy. My hair is out and full and pulled back on one side with a large white flower pinned behind one ear. I have a veil but I’m not wearing it because it makes me feel like a bee keeper.
Brock walks into the room with Mum behind him and he smiles softly. “You look beautiful, babe.”