Early July
With Adam’s arm around her back, Jess’s heart lifted when she saw the farm gate ahead of them. It was late in the afternoon and they’d caught the ferry from St Mary’s after arriving on the lunchtime flight. The airport and the harbour had been very busy, the ferry packed with visitors now that holiday season was in full swing. The air was warm and a gentle breeze blew from the west, rippling the shallow sea like a silken ribbon. As they walked home, carrying their bags, the heathland and hedgerows around them were thick with wildflowers.
There were a few people around when they pushed open the gate. The chug of a quad bike, the cry of gulls and bleating of goats blended with the distant drone of a small plane overhead. It was a quiet time of year for the farm with Will, Gaby and many of the seasonal workers gone and only the permanent staff manning the phones, doing the admin, looking after the chalets and essential farm work.
They stopped by the top field and leaned on the fence, taking in the farm and the rest of the isles dreaming amid a silver sea under a hazy sun.
Adam gazed out over the fence. ‘Do you think I’ve done the right thing?’ he said. ‘People think we only went for a break in Cornwall …’
‘That’s all they need to know.’ Jess rested her head on his shoulder and he tightened his arm around her. They had been for a break, but they’d also been to see a genetic counsellor in Truro and discussed Adam’s options.
‘It helped a lot to talk through what having a predictive test would mean,’ he said. ‘And I’ve realised that I don’t want to know and that it’s not cowardly not to want to know. I’d rather live with the fifty per cent risk of not having it, than the certainty of knowing I have.’
‘I told you I’d stand by you, whatever you did – or didn’t.’
‘Talking to the counsellor helped me understand that the fears I had – still have – and that the way I reacted was understandable, even though I still regret every second of hurt I caused you.’
She laid her head on his shoulder. ‘That’s behind us now.’
‘I’ve also realised that I want to get on with my life, whatever it brings. Even if I do have the gene, it might be years or decades before the condition affects me, so it’s more important than ever to make the most of every minute. Who knows, maybe there will be some new treatment on the horizon by then too. I feel I’ve already wasted so much time and I don’t want to waste any more.’
‘Good plan.’ She smiled, but Adam still looked downcast. It had been an emotional trip even if it had given him some peace of mind in other respects.
He cleared his throat. ‘Do you think,’ he said quietly, ‘that you’d ever think about marrying me?’
Jess couldn’t speak for what seemed like an age and when she did, she sounded strange to herself. ‘Definitely.’
‘What? Think about marrying me or actually do it?’
She gasped in exasperation. ‘Actually, do it.’
Adam’s smile was so wide, she thought it might crack his face. After what they’d been through, this moment was so sweet, she could hardly bear the happiness. No matter what the future held, it didn’t matter, because she and Adam were a thousand times stronger together than they were apart.
When they stopped, Jess giggled as she spotted Len watching them with a disgusted expression on his face.
‘Shall we tell our parents first or Will and Gaby?’ said Jess.
‘Will and Gaby,’ said Adam.
‘Now?’
‘Like I said, there’s not a moment to lose.’
Adam pulled out his phone and opened up WhatsApp. ‘Smile!’ he said, taking a selfie of the two of them, grinning like maniacs. He typed a caption: ‘The future Mr and Mrs Pengelly’.
‘I don’t know if they’ll get it. It might be the middle of the night in Adelaide,’ he said.
Half a minute later, during another kiss, Adam’s phone buzzed. There was a picture of Gaby and Will hand in hand in a beautiful garden, both with floral garlands around their necks. Will was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. Gaby had a white floaty maxi dress with exotic camellia in her hair and a posy in her hand. The message read: ‘Congratulations! But we beat you to it. Lots of love, The new Mr and Mrs Godrevy.’
Jess squealed in delight. ‘Oh my God? They haven’t, have they? Mum will kill him! What about her hat? What about the reception? She always wanted Erlicheers and Daymarks at our weddings. I’ve heard her talking to my auntie about it!’
A new message came through showing Will and Gaby holding up a glass with the words, ‘PS We’re coming home for a party next month. We’ll phone Mum and tell her tonight. We are SO happy for you two. Xxx’
‘Those two. What are they like?’ said Jess, still wondering what her mum’s reaction would be when she heard about the ‘secret’ wedding. For her own part, she was thrilled. She’d spoken to him and seen him on Skype while they’d been travelling, and could see he was happier than he’d ever been. She couldn’t have wished for more for her brother.
‘They’re full of surprises …’ said Adam. ‘Uh-oh. I think Len’s after you.’
Len was heading straight for them, scowl on his face.
‘Oh dear. It seems as if our “holiday” is over. He’s on the warpath, judging by his face.’
‘He always looks like that,’ said Adam and Jess laughed.
Len caught them before they’d reached the packing sheds. ‘Bloody good job you’re back. Now look, I’ve got a problem with a wholesale order for September. It could be the making of us, but not if we can’t handle it …’
Jess interrupted the flow. ‘Hold on a second, Len. Can this wait until we’ve had a chance to dump our bags in the house and say hello to Mum?’
Len huffed.
Adam glanced at Jess. ‘And actually, Len,’ he said, swelling with pride, ‘I’ve just asked Jess to marry me.’
Len stared at Adam and then at Jess. ‘Right. Congratulations. I hope you’ll both be very happy,’ he said. ‘Now, about this order …’
Leaving their bags in the middle of the yard, with Len muttering ahead of them, Jess and Adam followed him. Life on the farm never stopped and she wouldn’t have it any other way. In the fields ahead of them, the bare earth showed not a hint of the green shoots that would peep out in a couple of months’ time. Yet, Jess knew the flowers were there, only waiting for the right moment to push their way through and burst into life.