HOPE

 

FAITH WAS PLAYING IN her travel cot behind the counter while I rearranged the magazines. It was another beautiful day, two in a row, a rare treat this far north. Once Morag came back from her lunch, I'd take Faith down to the beach and let her play. It seemed a shame to spend so long inside on a day like this but she was happy enough playing with her few toys.

The travel cot had come from the mainland, a present for Faith when she started to crawl, to keep her in sight while I worked. It was just on the doorstep when I opened up one morning, no note attached.

The island had looked after me so well, I felt a warm glow inside me whenever I thought about it. Perhaps it was fate that I was supposed to end up there, a place I'd never even heard of before I sat down and looked at the map while choosing where to go.

I bent down to tickle her chin as the door to the shop rattled open. "Back already?" I shouted up to Morag but she didn't answer.

"Could I buy this please?" a voice asked and my heart skipped a beat as I stood up and found myself looking at Rob, his voice unmistakeable. He was holding a baby toy and he set it down on the counter, acting for all the world as if he'd seen me yesterday.

"Hi," I said, no more words coming out.

"Hi," he replied. "You're a hard woman to find, Hope Lewis."

I went to speak but nothing happened. I was frozen to the spot but when he touched my hand, the spell was broken and I burst into tears, sobbing into his chest as he leaned over the counter and wrapped his arms around me.

"I've missed you," he muttered, as Faith began babbling happily. His head twisted away. "Is that...?"

I nodded, turning to see him looking into the travel cot. "Meet Faith," I said, bending down and lifting her up. "Faith, this is Rob."

"Hello, Faith," he said, waving at her. “You look just like your mum.”

The door opened again and Morag appeared, smiling and humming to herself before stopping short. "You came in on the boat," she said, looking at Rob. "How was it? The sea looked a bit rough today."

"Worth it," Rob replied. “My helicopter was out of action so I had to slum it by sea.”

Morag looked at him as if he was joking and then at me and then she seemed to realise. "Well, you better go get your lunch, Hope," she said, moving around the counter. "I'll take over for now."

Ten minutes later, I was sitting on the beach, Faith playing in the sand next to me, Rob sat on a washed up log, watching us.

"How are you both?" he asked, smiling as Faith spat out a finger worth of sand.

"All right," I replied. "What are you doing here Rob?"

"I had to see you."

"How did you find me?"

"The postmark on your letter. And the captain of the boat knew exactly who you were. It seems as if you've made a lot of friends here." He fell silent for a moment before his face sounded quieter, more anxious. "Why did you go?"

"To make things easier," I replied after rejecting several possible answers. "For both of us."

"Was it hard? Being with me?"

"It wasn't that." I looked down at Faith and he realised at once what I meant.

"I knew you were pregnant," he said, moving to sit next to me, putting an arm around my shoulder. “I should have told you I knew.”

"What? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to scare you away."

"Hang on, how did you know?"

"Remember when I got my doctor to examine you."

"He told me he wanted blood to check iron levels."

"He checked something else as well. It doesn't matter, Hope. What matters is that you're well and so is she."

"I can't believe you renamed the company after her."

"Only right if she's going to inherit it."

"What?" I turned to look at him, not sure I'd heard him right. "What are you talking about?"

He looked at me in a way I'd never seen him do before. "I love you," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "And I thought I'd lost you forever and I'm not letting that happen again." He fell silent, still looking intensely at me. "Say something, Hope. Say anything."

"I love you too," I managed to get out before starting to cry again, sobbing into his chest as he held me. Faith glanced up at me, tugging at my leg as if she thought that might help cheer me up.

"She looks just like you," Rob said, lifting her up into lap. "Don't you, little thing?"

I watched him hold her, marvelling at how good he was with her. "I thought you'd hate me," I said quietly.

"Hate you, why would I hate you?"

"Because of her." I told him about the father, in as short a version as I could manage, not wanting to burst into tears yet again. It was hard to do it but I told him the truth about what had happened to me. When I was finished he took my hand in his and squeezed it. "You don't need to worry about Jason or his father ever again."

"What? Why?"

"They're both dead."

It was his turn to talk. He told me what had happened on the day I left and I listened, feeling a creeping numbness spreading over me. I'd spent so long in fear of the two of them, it didn't seem possible that it could be over, that I was free from them both.

I knew I should have felt sad, the father of my child was dead. But I didn't. I just felt numb.

"She's your child," Rob said when he finished explaining. "And what happens to her in the future is up to you. I just wondered if maybe you'd like me to be a part of that future."

"What are you asking me?"

"I'm asking you to marry me, Hope."

 

*

 

We got married on the island. Words I never expected to say. But then maybe it was fate. It had never occurred to me that there would be a postmark on the letter I sent him, I just wanted to return the money I'd borrowed. But things happen for a reason sometimes. Maybe all the time. If I hadn't been with Jason, I wouldn't have run, I wouldn't have met Rob, I wouldn't be standing next to my husband on the beach, looking out at the ocean as the sounds of the entire village celebrating rolled slowly in from behind us.

It didn't take long to plan. Rob was happy just inviting a few people from his life. Anthony stood on the front row next to Annie and I noticed they were holding hands. The next story was beginning as mine was coming to an end. It was a perfect ending too. I only wished my mum had been around to see it.

Morag acted like my mum though, telling me how proud she was of me, crying at the sight of me in the dress.

It felt like a lifetime since I'd left Rob behind and come to the island. It was a lifetime ago really. I was entering a new life, a life with him. It was a life I was looking forward to more than anything in the world.

After the ceremony was finished, Rob and I stood on the beach with Faith, looking out at the sea. The rest of the village was in the pub, celebrating for us while we took some time to ourselves.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Rob asked, turning to look back at the village. "You don't want to go back to England?"

"There's nothing there for me," I said. "But is there enough here for you?"

"There's plenty," he said, looking down at Faith in her buggy. It was an off road one, top of the range, Rob had insisted on buying it for her. It meant he could take her walking around the island, something he'd done on a daily basis since arriving.

"Can you run things from here?"

"Anthony's doing most of the work. Besides, it's about time I took a bit of a break."

I looked at him and thoughts of the wedding came flooding back. It had been a whirlwind at the time but now I could breathe, memories came back to me in a rush and I could suddenly picture every moment. Me standing in the tiny little church, the entire population of the village beaming at me from the ancient pews. I wore the white dress that had belonged to Morag's grandmother, making me terrified I might tear some of the intricate lacework.

Rob walking in, his eyes fixed on mine. My heart bursting with pride and love at the sight of him The sun shining just as we said our vows. Me looking at his face and trying to understand why I'd thought it was a good idea to leave him behind.

Never again, I told myself.

"I've bought you something," Rob said, interrupting my thoughts. "I hope you like it."

"What?" I asked as the waves began to lap at my feet. "You've been buying me more things?"

"Just one more thing," he said, taking hold of the buggy and pushing it whilst we walked back up into the village. “Maybe two.” He stopped in front of my little house, the place Morag had rented to me when I'd first arrived, the only vacant property on the island. "I bought you two things."

He told me to close my eyes and I did, feeling his hands slide to the back of my neck. “What is it?” I asked.

“Open your eyes and see.”

I looked down and found myself staring at the necklace from his mansion. “Cleopatra’s?” I asked, running my fingers over it.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Hope’s.”

“It’s too much,” I said. “I can’t take it.”

“You can and you will and you can take this present too.” He pointed at the house and I looked at it and then back at him.

"You didn't? You bought the house?"

"Morag wanted some retirement money,” he replied. “Is that enough proof that I want to stay here?" he asked, turning me to face him.

"You shouldn't have bought it," I replied, shaking my head coldly.

"Why not?"

"Because I heard that it's haunted."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. I bet you're too scared to stay in it now you know that."

"Stay in a haunted house?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "I've done it before."

"I bet you won't last the night."

"How much do you bet?"

"A pound. The traditional amount."

He shook my hand firmly before kissing me. "You're on."

Then he took hold of the buggy and the three of us went up the path and into the house together, closing the door behind us.