Chapter Seven
The autumn, then the winter breeze, had carried with it six more fleeting months since the lives of Zara Monroe and Jay Maverick had intertwined in sun-kissed Amalfi.
And so much had happened in that tangle of twelve months, all of which had brought them closer, drawing them together.
Tighter than ever. Their shared abode, a charming three-bedroom cottage nestled in the leafy suburbs with white-washed walls and a porch that caught the afternoon sunshine, now brimmed with the palpable warmth only true, unconditional love could bestow.
And at the centre of the home, atop the mantelpiece, for everyone that was welcomed within their haven to see, was the ceramic plate that Jay had painstakingly pieced back together.
It was a forever keepsake that had filled Zara with overwrought emotion when she’d first seen it.
Even now, she often caught herself tearing up when she stopped long enough to really look at all the little cracks now holding together because of Jay’s attentiveness.
And caught up in the magic, she’d recollect the astonishing, breathless moments of that ephemeral time, in the little shop in Sorrento, that had brought them together.
Their working escapades had taken them far beyond Australian shores and given them a treasure trove of memories of their shared experiences.
From dancing beneath starlight on the cobblestone streets of Paris, to watching the sea whisper ancient tales on the tranquil beaches of Fiji, each journey had added a new thread to the tapestry of their romance.
In Venice, they’d chased the dawn aboard a gondola, serenaded by the lilting melodies of Italian musicians.
In Morocco, they’d wandered through vibrant souks, fingers intertwined amid the kaleidoscope of colours and scents.
And in Japan, they’d marvelled at the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, a reminder of the delicate dance of time and love.
Yet the deepest connection was forged not by the stamps in their passports, but by the quiet moments separating their work lives from their personal ones — lazy mornings spent sipping coffee on their patio, exchanging soft words before sleep claimed them, cooking dinner together with their favourite records playing, shopping at the local farmers markets and, at the core of it all, understanding each other without words.
Now the pair strolled through the newly opened South Bank Parklands, alongside the Brisbane River, bathed in the golden hour of dusk, Zara’s long curls tinged by the fading sunlight.
The move to Brisbane had been everything she’d hoped it would be, and to top it all off, Suzanne had just made the move there, too, renting a cottage only five doors down from theirs.
How lucky she was to have her best friend so close.
She’d been fraught with nerves when she’d been packing up belongings, preparing to farewell Cairns as her home, but the second she’d arrived in Jay’s high-rise-studded hometown, with its far-reaching suburbs and glistening river at its heart, she’d felt nothing but peace.
Coming home after working away felt all the more satisfying now. For her, and for her pilot.
‘Race you to the bridge!’ Jay’s voice broke through the gentle hum of the evening crowd. ‘Last one to get there has to kiss the other.’
Zara’s eyes sparkled with playful challenge. ‘You’re on,’ she replied, a smile playing at the corners of her glossy lips.
After a split second of weighing each other up, they darted forward, weaving through the throng of people, laughter trailing behind them like a fluttering cape.
Breathless and flushed, they arrived at the quaint curved bridge over the canal at exactly the same time.
Conceding they were mutual winners they agreed to call it a tie between fits of cackling laughter.
They walked to the top and looked out over the iridescent cityscape unfolding across the river, the lights and shadows painting a picture of bustling life.
Jay slipped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close. ‘Look at this view, Zaza. It’s as if all the world’s secrets are laid out before us, tempting us to discover them,’ he murmured, his gaze sweeping across the river.
Zara adored how her name had evolved on his tongue. ‘Every moment with you feels like a discovery, something secretly magical, made only just for us,’ she confessed as she rested her head against his shoulder.
Unravelling from her, Jay stood tall, took a breath, then sank to one knee. And for a breathless second, Zara fought to believe what she was seeing.
In a voice barely above a whisper, Jay began.
‘Zara Monroe, my love, my life, my everything. From the moment our paths crossed in that small Sorrento shop, I knew you were the missing piece of my soul that I never knew existed.’ His eyes locked with hers, shimmering with unshed tears.
‘Will you do me the extraordinary honour of becoming my wife?’
Zara’s hand flew to her mouth, her heart swelling with emotion as tears gathered in her eyes. And without hesitation, she nodded, her voice choked with happy sobs. ‘Yes, Jay Maverick. A thousand times yes!’
His soft smile now turned to a beam, Jay slipped the diamond ring onto her finger, then sealed their promise with a kiss that tasted of starlight. All the while, the lights of the city glittered on the water, a breathtaking backdrop to their newfound engagement.
‘You know what, my handsome fiancé?’ Zara whispered.
‘I never knew happiness could be so simple yet so profound.’ She held her hand out, admiring the glittering symbol of Jay’s commitment.
‘And I can’t believe I’m going to be your wife!
’ Jiggling on the spot, she squealed. ‘Oh, my goodness I love you!’ ‘I’m so happy you’re so happy,’ Jay replied, his blue eyes, like the river, reflecting the city lights reaching for them.
‘I love you, my beautiful Zaza, more and more, every single day.’ He brushed a loose curl from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear.
‘And it’s only going to keep getting better, stronger, because you and me, we were made for each other. ’
She didn’t need to say anything in return.
What she needed was to kiss him like she meant it, deeply, passionately, with all of her heart.
And so she did, until a group of teenagers walked past along the canal, laughing and whistling because they’d caught them making out.
Lips parting way, but their hands still clasping each other’s, they laughed as they waited for them to pass by.
And as they stepped off the bridge where she’d been proposed to, still hand in hand, their laughter lingered between them while they wandered back towards the car park.
The gentle currents of the Brisbane River that had carried them through six months of blissful cohabitation glistened beside them, as it always did on their regular strolls that would often lead them to a spontaneous adventure.
But today’s topped every single one. On this particularly enchanted night, Zara’s heart beat with a newly discovered rhythm.
And not only because she was now Jay’s fiancée.
Clasping her hands over her belly, she could feel the weight of joy and anticipation pulsing within her, too.
Their baby’s life was blooming inside her, and in a little less than seven months’ time, they’d get to meet the greatest love of their lives.
As they turned the corner, Jay’s gaze fell upon her radiant face and then the way she cradled her stomach, and in that moment his brilliant blue eyes sparked brighter than the dew-kissed grass at daybreak. ‘I still can’t believe we’re pregnant,’ he said with a broad smile.
‘Me neither, but we are, and we’re engaged, and it’s wonderful.’ Their connection, always electric, now held an extra charge, like a shared pulse that bound them to the imminent adventure of marriage and parenthood. ‘We’re going to have to start thinking of names, for a boy or a girl.’
‘Maybe you’ll have twins, and it’ll be both.’ Jay’s tone was playful.
‘Oh, lordy, don’t wish that on us, Jay Maverick.’ She chuckled, shaking her head at the bantering she loved so much. ‘I reckon we’ll have our hands full with one mini us, for now.’
* * *
As the weeks and months went by, Zara’s body became a canvas for time’s passage. Her petite frame gracefully carried the weight of their future, and her growing curves were a testament to their love’s transformative power.
‘I wonder who you’ll become,’ Zara mused aloud one afternoon while she and Jay tended to their beloved garden. ‘Will you have your father’s eyes, deep as the ocean? Or will you inherit my wild spirit, unbridled like the clouds that traverse the sky?’
‘Whoever our child may be,’ Jay said, keeping the spray of the hose facing forward as he turned to reply, ‘they’ll be loved immensely, and spoilt rotten.’
‘Ha, yes, very true,’ she said with a little chuckle. ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’
‘I’d kill for one, but please.’ He reached for the tap and turned it off. ‘You go sit and let me take care of you.’
‘I’m pregnant, Jay, not incapacitated.’
‘I know you’re fiercely independent, but I’m going to be bossy, and tell you that you need to sit.’ He hooked her arm into his, and steered her bare feet across their back lawn to the swing chair on the patio. ‘Earl Grey or English breakfast?’
‘Earl Grey, please, with two sugars today.’ Settling into the cushions, she relished the sensation of her feet being freed from gravity. ‘I need some sweetening up.’
‘Oh trust me, you’re sweet enough.’ Chuckling, he brushed a kiss on her lips then headed inside. ‘Don’t move, you hear me,’ he called back spiritedly.
‘I promise I’ll sit tight.’
‘Glad to hear it,’ was his hollered response.