Chapter Five
Two months after their first date in Amsterdam, which had been followed by stolen time together whenever their rosters allowed it — which was never enough for either of them — Zara delicately traced her fingertips over the edges of the latest letter from him, relishing the indentations left by his pen.
The parchment, a soft cream hue, was covered in his looping script.
Sitting cross-legged on the cushioned window seat of her bedroom, she took in the serene night-veiled view outside.
After reading the letter several times, she now almost knew it word for word.
In the quiet of night, he’d written, when the world falls away and I’m left alone with my thoughts, it’s your laughter that echoes in the chambers of my heart, like a melody that dances through the shadows and brings light to even the darkest corners of my mind.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she tucked a loose curl behind her ear.
Jay was such a romantic, just like her. Still wrapped within the joys of courtship, he hadn’t made any move to take her to bed, and she was grateful for his chivalry.
Not many would pick up that he had a deeply romantic side, for it was held at bay, only for her to experience, and she adored him all the more for it.
Hugging her knees to her chest, she sighed like a woman deeply in love.
It was in these quiet moments that their connection felt tangible, as if he were just beyond the veil of distance, a mere whisper away.
If only it were so. Once she’d been forced to run for miles to get away from her previous self, but now she’d run for miles to get to him — and he’d do the same for her, she was certain of it.
And although scarred for life by the lingering memories of Verona Ferrara and her parents, she was also thankful for her dramatic escape when she’d been just ten years old, because otherwise she wouldn’t be here, happy, alive and falling in love with the most amazing man in the world.
It had been almost a week since they’d seen each other now, and she missed Jay terribly.
She hated not knowing when they’d meet up again, but their work, and the distance between their home towns, made it extremely difficult.
The telephone on her bedside table suddenly rang, shattering the tranquil silence. She knew instantly it was him, the man who owned her thoughts and her heart. They’d carefully planned this dance of correspondence, their letters serving as stepping stones to their late-night calls.
Eagerly, she jumped from the cushion and reached for the receiver. ‘Jay,’ she greeted softly, her voice carrying echoes of longing as she twisted the cord around her finger.
‘Zara,’ came his reply, his tone warm and deep like the embrace of the sun after a cool dawn. ‘It’s so nice to hear your voice. Even though I’m all the way over in New York, I suddenly feel like I’m close to you.’ He sighed. ‘I miss you so much.’
‘I miss you, too, always,’ she said, gazing out at the starry sky above.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly from dreams and desires to everyday joys and meaningful confessions.
Laughter intertwined with their words, filling the call with an unspoken sense of closeness that bridged the thousands of miles between them.
And as the moon ascended to the highest point of its nightly journey, casting a silvery glow upon her face through the window, she finally summoned the courage nestled within her hopeful heart.
‘Jay,’ she ventured, ‘I’ve been wondering if you’d like to come and visit me here?
’ She didn’t give him the chance to respond straight away, because she sought to really sell the idea.
‘I want to show you my side of the world, the picturesque beaches, the Great Barrier Reef’s vibrant kaleidoscope of wonders, the quaint cafés nearby, and if you’re up for it, I’d love for you to meet my soul sister, Suzanne, too. ’
There was a momentary silence on the other end of the line, a heartbeat suspended in time. Zara held her breath, waiting for his response.
‘My darling Zara,’ he finally answered, his voice laced with yearning.
‘I wasn’t going to invite myself up there, so I left it for when you were ready, and now you are, nothing could keep me away.
’ He took a breath. ‘How about on our next days off together, we spend them in Cairns, and while I’m there I’d love to meet the sister you chose as your own, as you like to put it. ’
Zara adored how, after she had alluded to growing up in foster care, he hadn’t pressed her for more information about her family, or lack thereof.
‘Oh, Jay, that’s awesome. I’m so happy!’ she gushed while spinning on the spot, then, finding herself tangled within the long spiral of phone cord, she cursed beneath her breath.
‘Ha ha, I heard that cuss.’ He chuckled. ‘You okay?’
‘Yup.’ She un-spiralled herself in the opposite direction. ‘Just all tangled up in you,’ she added, with a giggle. ‘And the phone cord,’ she admitted.
‘Considering how you can sometimes trip over thin air, I can just imagine you doing that.’ His tone was wholeheartedly playful.
‘I only trip over air when I’m with you,’ she countered with a chuckle. And it was the truth, because he always made her feel light-footed and floaty.
After working out that Jay would be arriving in four days’ time, when both of them had a couple of days off, they talked for another hour, about everything from their favourite movies to the music they liked to listen to — they were astonished at how similar their tastes were.
Then, when she needed to get to bed and Jay had to get to his next shift, they said their goodnights, the bittersweet pang of parting lingering like the aftertaste of rich dark chocolate when she hung up the phone.
Pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the window, she gazed out at the constellations blanketing the night sky.
The charming town of Cairns, with its hidden gems and boundless skies, would be painted in the vibrant hues of their budding romance and she couldn’t wait to wield the brush.
He’d promised to visit her there, so she knew it would be so.
If she’d learnt one thing, it was that Jay was a man true to his word, and that had been a breath of fresh air.
Truth had been such a rarity in her peculiar journey thus far.
She’d been raised to not trust anyone, for good reason, and then, after she’d left Mexico on a freighter ship bound for Australia, she’d been catapulted into a foreign life that had taught her just how right her father had been in preaching distrust. But now, maybe, hopefully, she could rid herself of Mateo Ferrara’s tainted impression of men, and how they could break you.
And that was all thanks to Jay.
With a song in her heart, she imagined showing him all the places that had helped shape the woman she was today.
All the nooks of nature, the beaches and parks, where she’d weaved her wildest dreams of love and family as a young girl without memory or a name — or so the authorities had been led to believe by her — who’d been lost in the foster system until she was old enough to step out into the world as an eighteen-year-old woman.
And as the night whispered on, she retreated to bed with thoughts of her lover’s upcoming visit cradled close to her heart like a child with a precious seashell pressed against her ear, listening to its sighed assurance of a bright future ahead.
* * *
Jay’s fingers trembled slightly as he checked the times and flight number on his ticket. It was a big thing to be meeting Suzanne — the closest thing Zara had to family — and he was grateful she was ready to introduce him to the only person who’d supported her through all her years in foster homes.
Recalling their conversation from that morning, his heart fluttered with excitement and nervous anticipation at the thought of finally being with Zara in her element.
The cities where they’d spent precious time in the past few months had been amazing — Amsterdam, Paris, London, Los Angeles, Prague, Rome, Barcelona, New York, Dublin — but nothing would compare to being in her tropical hometown, living her everyday life.
Unlike most people, pilots and flight attendants craved normalcy.
And after that, when they could swing it, he couldn’t wait to show her his life in Brisbane, and eventually introduce her to his parents.
He already knew they were going to love her as their own.
He hoped they would help fill the void left by Zara’s mother and father — late parents she’d only mentioned once.
She’d been vague about their cause of death, and her life before and after what must have been a terrible tragedy, but his instincts had warned him not to ask questions.
She’d clearly been through enough, and was getting on with her life, and he respected that.
Zara would tell him more about her past when she was ready.
For now, he was focused on their future. Together.
He carefully packed his belongings, each item meticulously folded and placed as though creating a gallery display of moments yet to come.
He’d made sure to pick clothing that would suit the tropics, and the humidity that came with late spring.
Zara had told him that there were really only two seasons in Cairns, hot and hotter, and he couldn’t wait to experience it for the very first time, with her by his side.
There were going to be some amazing memories made, he was sure of it.
And with that thought, the satisfying click of his suitcase closing sealed his commitment to whatever the future held for them.