Chapter Nineteen
She was perched atop the ancient mountain once again.
Zara’s legs dangled over the jagged edge as if she were a bird about to take flight, while behind her the wind whispered through the towering pines, carrying with it the heady scent of damp earth and vibrant blooms. Peeking over the edge with childlike wonder, she gazed at the world below, at her hometown nestled in the valley like a hidden gem.
She wanted to go back there. But for some reason, unlike all the other times, she couldn’t bring herself to tumble forward.
It just didn’t feel right. It was as if this time she wouldn’t make it to the ground, but instead disappear into the ether, never to return.
So, closing her eyes, she revelled in the gentle caress of the breeze against her skin, her silver-and-chestnut curls swaying in its softly whispered wake.
Then she smiled, all the way from deep down in her heart.
Verena Ferrara, the girl who once hid in darkness, was here too, unafraid, wrapped in Jay’s acceptance.
This place, this mountain, held a special place in her soul, its outcrops having offered solace in her many times of uncertainty.
The jutting peaks seemed to hold secrets within the rocky terrain, answers to questions she didn’t even know she had.
Her life — shattered by the horrific death of her parents, living in a patchwork of foster homes, but later developing deep connections — had taught her to be resilient and fierce in a world that often felt like an endless storm.
But here, surrounded by the silent sentinels of trees and stone, she always, somehow, some way, found her peace.
The recurring presence of this mountaintop in her life had to be no coincidence.
There was magic here, a serene energy that pulsed through the air and seeped into her very bones.
Perhaps it was the universe’s way of reassuring her that amid all of life’s chaos, there was beauty to be found in stillness.
Because it was here that she could really hear the soft beat of her own heart, mirroring the steady rhythm of the earth itself.
Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath as she looked down at her bare feet.
Fluffy white clouds floated lazily across the vast expanse of blue, some above, some below, and some passing right through her, casting playful shadows that danced over her toes.
They moved with such grace and ease, untouched by the concerns of life below, free to roam the boundless heavens.
But it was not just the clouds that captured her attention, it was their reflection on the sparkling ocean just off in the distance.
It was the very first time she’d spotted the wide sandy beaches and aquamarine sea from all the way up there.
From her vantage point, the horizon was a shimmering mirage where sky met sea in a breathtaking sight that filled her with so much wonder.
And in that very moment, in that magical instant, she felt connected to something much greater than herself, as if each cloud carried a fragment of her soul on its journey.
If only she could reach out and hug one to her, relive the whispered secrets within its cottony heart.
Wow. Just, wow. She smiled as a sense of peace enveloped her, the kind that comes from knowing you’re exactly where you need to be.
There, on the mountain, all the threads of her life — love, loss and time — somehow wove together to tell her own unique story.
And it was an epic story of resilience filled with her unyielding trust in the boundless magic that was all around, if you dared to believe in it.
And she most certainly had.
Always.
But now it was time for her to go home. To a place she wasn’t sure of, but nevertheless was being called to. So she trusted this, and stood, arms out. And without another thought, she tipped courageously forward, into the clouds.
* * *
Jay stood by the window with his gaze fixed on the skyline where the vast expanse of cerulean sky met with the sun-soaked horizon.
Despite the beauty before him, his thoughts were heavy with emotion, burdened by the realisation that life was moving forward even as he stood still.
Turning from the breathtaking view, he looked to where Zara was resting on the plush sofa in their living room.
Amy and Lily sat at her side, and Suzanne and Mark had arrived, too.
The four of them were filling the room with a silent strength that hummed beneath the surface of hushed voices and quiet sobs.
His mum would be there soon enough too. In two days, she’d told him.
It was the quickest she could get there, given the last-minute flight booking.
Nadine Maverick was now eighty-six years old, and he was appreciative she was flying at all.
‘Mum, look,’ Lily said, holding up a photograph with trembling fingers. It was a portrait of their family under a bright sun, standing beside what appeared to be an endless ocean.
With great effort, Zara reached out to touch the picture, her eyes lighting up with love and pride. ‘Beautiful,’ she whispered in a voice as delicate as a feather floating upon a gentle breeze.
‘It is, isn’t it?’ Amy looked to her sister and smiled sadly.
Jay’s chest tightened as he took in this scene; the stark contrast between his daughters’ innocent hope and the harsh truth of their reality was soul-destroying.
He knew he needed to be strong for Zara, their two darling girls and their beloved grandchildren, but inside he felt as frayed and fragile as the worn edges of sails that had travelled the world, many times over.
‘Tea, Jay?’ Suzanne asked as she passed him a steaming mug without waiting for his reply.
He nodded gratefully, welcoming the warmth that it could provide. ‘Thanks.’ Taking the cup in his hands, he felt the heat seep into his palms, offering a momentary comfort to his weary soul.
‘I’m here for whatever you need,’ she replied, her voice laced with unwavering support as she placed a weathered hand on his.
The room was filled with tokens of Zara’s life — framed photographs of beach picnics, joyful birthday celebrations, and even a spontaneous dance session in the rain one New Year’s Eve.
At the centre of it all was the ceramic plate, the very one that had also stood the test of time, and had brought them together.
Each memory now clung to the walls of the seaside house they’d called home for the last sixteen years.
‘We might be able to take you down to the beach tomorrow, if you’re feeling up to it, Mum?’ Amy said, hope shining in her cloudy eyes. ‘What say you, Dad?’
‘Let’s see how Mum feels, hey, sweetheart,’ Jay answered, gently, as he carried the weight of unspoken promises on his shoulders.
Zara’s illness had crept up on them, slowly at first, then all at once. And now, as they sat surrounded by the love of those who knew her best, it was clear that time was slipping away from them like grains of sand slipping through their fingers.
And he was helpless to stop it.
‘Remember when we first met?’ Zara said softly, her gaze finding his as a flicker of the past ignited in her eyes.
‘Of course, my love,’ he replied, kneeling beside her and taking her painfully thin hand in his own. ‘You knocked a plate from the shelf, and I helped you to pick up the pieces.’
‘And then you put them back together,’ she chuckled weakly, ‘just like you always did throughout our lives, my love, always picking up the pieces without a single complaint.’
‘Because I knew in that very moment,’ he said, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead, ‘that I had found something far more precious than I could’ve ever imagined, my dear, darling, sweet, kind, caring, Zara.
’ He sucked in a breath, silently begging himself not to cry.
‘I found the love that would define my life, and it was you, always.’
A single, defiant tear slipped and fell, and he wiped it away. ‘I love you.’
‘And I love you,’ she said with a trembling smile. ‘Forever and always.’
Surrounded by tangible reminders of their journey together — the echoes of shared laughter and whispered dreams — in the presence of the people they’d always classed as their family, blood or not, their hearts and souls held onto each other’s.
And as the day surrendered to the encroaching night, the room glowed with a soft luminescence, casting a halo around Zara and those who loved her.
In this space, the bonds of affection anchored them, even as the inexorable tide of time pulled at their hearts.
There wasn’t long left.
* * *
Zara felt her breath lessen as a shiver, like icy fingers tracing down her spine, seized her body.
But it wasn’t the chill of the room that caused it.
It was the tendrils of fear laced around her heart, scratching with every shallow breath she took.
The vibrant tapestry of her life was fraying at the edges, each thread unravelling.
She lay within the familiar embrace of their marital bed, the one that had known the whispers of midnight confessions and the warmth of morning cuddles with their daughters, and now cradled her dwindling frame, an island amid a sea of pillows and quilts.
‘Are you comfortable, my love?’ Jay’s voice cut through the hush of the room, soothing and gentle.
Not needing a reply, he adjusted the pillows behind her, his touch a balm to her aches. The soft warmth of his hand on her skin offered temporary relief from the relentless pain that seemed to consume her.
‘Thank you,’ she managed to say, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her tired eyes.