Time. That was something you could never get back. It kept moving regardless if you were ready for it to or not. There were no redos or take backs. “I know. I’m sorry I got scared this morning when you asked me to move in. I wanted to, but was afraid.”
Using the opposite hand that held me, Gael ran his fingers through his hair. “I should have given you a warning where I wanted it to go. Allow yourself to realize that you deserve to be loved, sweetheart. That you deserve my love and so much more. Maybe bringing us together is destiny’s way of righting a wrong that was done to Daniel and Sophia.”
Lying on Gael’s chest, I listened to the strong and steady beat of his heart. Daniel, Sophia, Colett, and Devlin’s story kept replaying in my mind. “I’d like to think so.”
“Do you want me to start reading again?”
With how this story was going, Romeo and Juliet had a better ending. The sadness was still too much. “No, I don’t think my heart could take it right now. I need a break from the journal reading. Honestly, this feels like a separate journey and I think we’ll know when it’s right for us to continue reading.” I yawned, exhausted.
Gael pulled the covers up higher to cover my back. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’ll listen to the radio.”
I closed my eyes as the events from Daniel and Sophia’s life replayed over in my head from the time she first spotted him in Oglethorpe Park, to when he had touched her in the garden, to when he had taken her to Tybee Island. Those were the stories I would remember.
A light movement woke me. I’d slept horribly on the plastic mattress. Every time we moved, it made noises. Plus, weather alerts had gone off all night long. Exhausted was an understatement of how I felt. “Sweetheart, it’s morning and the storm has passed. We need to see if there’s any damage.”
Gael coaxed me from my sleep. I stretched. We’d made love once and I treasured every minute of having my one true love in my arms. It was too cold to stay naked, like we normally slept, without the heat running.
Getting out of bed, I folded all of the blankets and set them on the table. Later on, I’d come back to wash them and get them ready for the next use. As we emerged from the house, we took stock of the damage.
Brush and debris littered the yard. The house had withstood the storm without any major damage. A few porch railings had been knocked loose, the screen door was crooked from the latch coming undone, and the Christmas wreath on the door was by the mailbox. All in all, we hadn’t been hit as hard as projected, thank goodness. Gael had called his parents, who’d also had minimal damage.
A few dark gray storm clouds lingered while the sun tried to shine through. The seas still looked choppy and I hadn’t seen a boat all morning.
Hanging up the phone, Gael walked over to me. “I need to go the restaurant. A friend called and several front windows were shattered. A handyman is going to meet me there to get it sealed off while we wait for the windows to come in. His son is going to come out here later and start picking up and doing the few repairs needed. I had them add your place to the list, in case anything is needed.”
“How’d you manage to have all these people lined-up so close after the storm?” Normally, it took a few days to get the handyman out to your place. They were swamped with calls. Gael’s efficiency was impressive.
Gael typed out something on this phone as he answered m
e. “I have a deal with the handyman. Each time a storm comes through, I give him a few hundred dollars to hold my spot. Even if no damage is done, he gets to keep the retainer. It pays off not having to wait when something does happen.”
“That’s a good idea.” Gael winked at me as we made our way back into the house to get ready. I needed a shower. Walking up to his room, Gael changed his clothes and prepared to leave. I sat on the bed, watching. “While you’re at the restaurant, I’ll head to my place and let you know if there’s any damage. I’ll pay you whatever my part is.”
Gael gave me a kiss. “Don’t worry about it. I need to get going. Do you know which place you want to live at, primarily? I figured we could start the move-in process in the next day or so, combining our stuff.”
“I thought you wanted me to move out here?” I’d never thought to consider Gael would want to leave his family’s historical home.
Gael stroked his nose along mine. “We both have homes that have been in the family for generations. I don’t care where we live as long as we’re living together.”
I was torn. The beach and reclusiveness of Gael’s home appealed to me on more levels than living in downtown Savannah. But, my home was where I’d grown up. “I love it out here. What if we use my place for when we have late functions in town or you have to work late? It’s a lot closer. I may keep using my place as my office to get me out of the house here.”
He smiled and gave me a quick good-bye kiss before grabbing his wallet. “I like that idea. It’ll make it easier. After you’re done looking at your place, why don’t you come to the restaurant and we’ll grab some lunch? I need to go out and check on Mom and Dad, too, at some point to make sure they really don’t need any help.”
“Sounds like a date.”
Gael came back to me, giving me one last kiss before he left. Making my way to the shower, I thought about what I wanted to bring out here from my place. I was going to talk to Gael about bringing the old desk to my house from the storm room. It was a shame to let such a beautiful piece stay hidden.
It was still late midmorning. I was at my house. Besides some turned over planters, there wasn’t any damage. Through the town, broken windows were overall the most serious damage anyone had that I’d seen on the news. No deaths were reported, only some minor injuries.
Packing up a few more of my clothes, I closed the suitcase and decided to text Amelia. We were due to go to New York next week to spend some time with her and Steven. It had been a few days since we’d talked last. Amelia’s in-laws were in town visiting and keeping her busy, but they were supposed to be leaving today. With Gael at the restaurant all afternoon, maybe we’d have some time to catch up.
Me: Hey! Let me know if you’re up for some girl time on the phone this afternoon. Gael’s working late.
Amelia: Yes! Let’s plan on it for four. Steven’s heading out to a game with his friends while I take his parents to the airport.
Me: Perfect! It’s a date.
For Christmas, Steven’s parents were going to his brother’s home in Wyoming. They rotated from year to year.