Chapter 24
J onah argued with himself all morning about whether he should go over to see Eleanor or not. But, in the end, he knew there was no way he could not go see her. He had to. Even if it was just one last time. See her face. Her smile. Hear her voice.
Jonah walked down the familiar, and yet not so familiar, streets of Magnolia Key, his heart pounding with each step that brought him closer to Ellie’s house. The years had passed, but the island remained largely unchanged, as if time had stood still during his absence. The sunlit sidewalks and quaint cottages brought back memories of a life he had left behind, a life that had once included Ellie.
As he approached her house, his thoughts rambled with questions and uncertainties. What would Ellie be like now, after all these years? Would she still possess the same spirit and warm smile that had captured his heart so long ago? Most importantly, would she find it in her heart to forgive him for allowing her to believe he had perished in the hurricane?
His steps slowed as he neared the white picket fence surrounding Ellie’s yard. He caught a glimpse of her, kneeling among the vibrant blooms of her flower garden. Her silver hair was tucked beneath a floppy-brimmed hat, shielding her face from the sun’s rays. Beside her, an old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel lay in the shade, its tail thumping lazily against the ground.
Taking a deep breath, he unlatched the gate and stepped into the yard. The sound of his footsteps on the path alerted Ellie to his presence, and she looked up from her gardening. As their eyes met, Jonah felt a rush of emotions—love, regret, and a desperate hope for understanding.
Ellie slowly rose to her feet, removing her hat as she took in the sight of him. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. He moved closer, reaching out to steady her, and stood before her, his heart laid bare, waiting for her reaction.
“Ellie…” he began, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s me, Jonah.”
She pulled off her gardening gloves, letting them drop to the ground. Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch his face, her fingertips grazing his weathered skin. “Jonah? Is it really you?” Her voice quivered with a mixture of shock and wonder.
He nodded, covering her hand with his own. “Yes, Ellie. It’s really me. I’m so sorry for… for everything.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to comprehend the reality of his presence. “But… how? We thought you were… We had a memorial service for you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. I had my reasons for staying away, but I never stopped loving you, Ellie. Not for a single day.”
Her tears spilled over, trailing down her cheeks. “Oh, Jonah… I have so many questions. So much time has passed.”
He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. “I know, and I promise to tell you everything. But for now, can you find it in your heart to forgive an old fool who made a terrible mistake?”
She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth behind his words. After a moment, she nodded, a tentative smile gracing her lips. “I do, Jonah. I forgive you.” She poked her finger at his chest. “But you have a lot of explaining to do.”
Jonah chuckled softly, relief washing over him. “I know, and I will. I promise.”
Eleanor tried to collect her wits about her. Jonah. After all these years. And he was alive. Alive . Her heart thundered in her chest, and if she wouldn’t have looked like an old fool, she would have pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Instead, she just said, “Let’s go in. I have some freshly made sweet tea.” She said it as if it was the most normal thing to be inviting Jonah Burton into her home.
“Come on, Winston. Let’s go in.”’
She led Jonah and Winston into the sitting room, her mind reeling with the shock of seeing him alive after all these years. She excused herself to the kitchen, needing a moment to compose herself as she prepared a tray of sweet tea.
With shaking hands, she placed the glasses on the tray, the ice clinking against the sides. How many times had she imagined what she would say to Jonah if she ever saw him again, never thinking it was truly possible? And now, here he was, standing in her home as if no time had passed at all.
She carried the tray back to the sitting room, where Jonah stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the view outside. Winston settled onto his bed in the corner, seemingly unperturbed by the unexpected visitor.
“I never would have been invited into your home back then,” Jonah said, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.
She set the tray down on the coffee table, the memory of their shared past hanging heavy in the air. “No, you wouldn’t have,” she agreed. “Father would never have allowed it.”
She sank onto the sofa, her legs suddenly feeling weak beneath her. Jonah turned from the window, his eyes meeting hers. In that moment, it was as if the years melted away and they were young again, their love forbidden by the rigid expectations of her family and society.
“I’m sorry,” Jonah said, his voice rough with emotion. “For leaving the way I did. For letting you believe I was dead. But I thought… I thought it would be easier for you. Easier for you to marry Theodore.”
“And all these years, I thought it was my fault you died. You were at the docks because I was supposed to come meet you. But I never showed up. And then… you were gone. I blamed myself.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry Ellie. It wasn’t your fault. I understood when you didn’t show up that you chose Theodore. I didn’t blame you for making that choice, but it hurt deeply. It was easier to just go away. I couldn’t bear to see you with him.”
“I was a young fool.” She shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I guess you did what you had to do. We both did.”
He crossed the room and sat down beside her, his presence both familiar and strange. “I never stopped thinking about you, Ellie. Not for a single day.”
The use of her old nickname, the one only he had ever called her, made her heart ache with longing. She reached out and took his hand, marveling at the way it still fit perfectly in hers.
“I never stopped loving you,” she whispered, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
His eyes widened, and for a moment, she feared she had said too much. But then he smiled, a soft, gentle smile that made her feel like everything might be all right after all.
“I never stopped loving you either,” he said, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.
They sat like that for a long time, their hands intertwined, as the years of separation melted away. There was still so much to say, so much to discuss, but for now, it was enough to simply be in each other’s presence, to know that the love they had once shared had never truly died.
Eleanor sat up late that night, sleep eluding her. Winston had long abandoned her and was snoring softly in his bed. She got up from her dressing table and walked over to the window, looking out over her garden softly lit by the light of the moon.
Her choice all those years ago had shaped her destiny. Shaped Jonah’s destiny.
Choices always have consequences.
Like her choice to marry Theodore. Like the choices Vera had made to be with Lawrence. And Lawrence’s feelings for Vera. And suddenly, she realized that Lawrence was just like her. He’d married who he was expected to marry, who his family wanted him to marry, instead of the woman he loved.
Eleanor let out a long, deep sigh. She should have stood up to her father all those years ago. Gone to meet Jonah that night. All these years she’d blamed herself for Jonah’s death. Because if she’d gone to meet him, he would have been with her instead of working on the docks, securing the boats.
And yet, here she was, with the unexpected gift that Jonah was still alive. And the pain that tore at her for all of her adult life was eased with the knowledge he lived. Her choice hadn’t killed him.
She walked back and forth in the room, restless. If only she’d chosen Jonah all those years ago. Her life would have been so different. She wouldn’t have been trapped in a loveless marriage… albeit one of her own choosing. And maybe her children would have had a lick of sense, unlike Cliff and his ridiculous idea to put up a high-rise on the island.
Life had a funny way of pointing out your mistakes, and she’d made many. She sat back down at her dressing table and pulled out the envelope with Jonah’s photo in it. She smiled as she ran her finger over it. He’d changed so much, and yet not a bit. Some grey threaded through his dark brown hair. His face was weathered from years of working outdoors. But his smile… it was still the same. And the way he looked at her? Yes, that was still the same too.
She set the photo out, resting against the mirror, no longer hidden away in the drawer.