Chapter 29 #2
‘I have a feeling I’m right,’ Tricia said. ‘But if I’m not, I’m really sorry. In any case, we’re all here for you. All the Fleury girls. Even Sylvia. Especially Sylvia, I should say,’ she added. ‘After all she gave us strict instructions to be nice to Theo to make him feel welcome.’
‘That’s lovely to hear,’ Marian said. ‘And he did feel very welcome. I think he fell in love with the Fleurys and Kerry all at once. Only he fell out of love with me,’ she added with a sigh.
‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Tricia soothed.
‘I’m afraid I do. I think I’ll go now in any case,’ Marian said.
‘My car is parked outside. I haven’t been home since yesterday and now I feel like I want to go to sleep in my own bed tonight.
I love that little flat, you know. It feels like my own little haven where I can be safe and eventually maybe even happy. ’
‘It’s such a cute flat,’ Tricia said. ‘And maybe the best place for you right now. Let me know if I can do anything at all. Cillian is coming home tomorrow and we’ll both be here if you need company.’
‘Thanks, Tricia.’ Marian leaned forward and kissed Tricia on the cheek.
‘I’ll slip away now. Say goodnight to everyone.
’ Marian smiled and left, tiptoeing down the corridor, smiling as she heard chatting and laughter in the living room and then walked through the front door and down the steps to her car.
The fresh air cooled her hot cheeks and she got into the car and drove away, looking forward to a good night’s sleep, finally feeling relaxed after all the stress and excitement of the past few days.
What she had said to Tricia was true. She loved her little apartment at the top of Magnolia Manor, where she would never feel really alone.
Her life was changing and now she would have to learn to live on her own.
She felt oddly carefree, even if the sadness of her broken relationship with Theo would linger for a long time.
She loved him, but if he didn’t want her, she would have to accept that and move on.
It was as if all the problems and heartbreak was floating away in the slipstream of the car as she speeded up and drove down the main road on her way to Magnolia Manor.
When Marian arrived at the manor, she parked the car and entered through the big entrance doors, slowly climbing the stairs, suddenly feeling exhausted.
It would be so good to sink into bed and go to sleep after all the drama and emotion.
Then, as she arrived at the top landing, she was startled by someone moving by the door to her flat.
She froze as a figure appeared out of the shadows, her heart beating, nearly breathless with fright.
‘Marian?’ a voice said.
‘Yes?’ Marian said. ‘Who’s there?’
‘Me,’ Theo said and stepped forward, holding a huge bunch of flowers. ‘I got these for you. Can I come in?’
‘Yes, but…’ she stammered. ‘Why? What are you doing here?’
He pushed the flowers at her and she saw they were peonies and roses, her favourites. ‘I want to say sorry and a lot of other things too. But first of all, I want to ask you to forgive me.’
‘Oh,’ Marian whispered, fumbling with her keys.
‘Yes, well… Come in anyway.’ She finally manged to open the door and put on the light in the hall.
Then Theo followed her inside and they looked at each other for a loaded moment, full of emotion.
Marian took the flowers from Theo. ‘I’ll put these in water. Have you been waiting here long?’
‘About two hours,’ Theo said. ‘I sat in the car for a bit listening to Sylvia’s interview and then I thought I’d come up here and ring the doorbell. But you were out so I thought I’d wait until you came home.’
‘I’m here now.’ Marian walked ahead with the flowers and turned on the lamps in the living room before she went into the kitchen and found a jug.
‘I don’t have a vase, so this will have to do,’ she said and poured water into it and then put the flowers in and placed the whole thing on the kitchen counter. ‘There. They’re lovely. Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Theo joined Marian in the kitchen, took her hands in his and breathed in deeply before he spoke.
‘I don’t want to rake over the past,’ he said slowly.
‘I just want whatever was wrong between us to be right again. I love you, Marian. I don’t want to lose you ever again.
I’ll buy that house if you want and I’ll do it up for you.
I’ll do anything, actually, to make you happy. ’
Marian saw his tears and all her feelings of resentment disappeared.
She put her arms around him and looked into his grey eyes, so full of sorrow and remorse.
‘Oh, Theo, of course I forgive you. And I do love you, too, you silly man. But I don’t want that house.
It would always remind me of that guy who nearly wrecked everything for us.
I’d like for us to find some other place where we can be happy.
But not yet. I think that we could live apart for a bit and go on dates and look for a house together a little later. Would that be okay?’
‘I was going to suggest that, actually,’ Theo said, smiling through his tears.
‘I’ve found a place to rent in a holiday complex nearby.
It’s nice and comfortable and the bed is big enough for two if you want to come and stay the night from time to time.
I want you to know that this place – Kerry, I mean – is where I want to grow old.
With you.’ He drew breath and looked at her with an expression so full of love it made her own tears well up.
‘That sounds absolutely perfect,’ Marian whispered and kissed him. Then she pulled back. ‘Oh, Theo,’ she said. ‘You’ve made me so happy. You were right that time, when you said my dreams would come true one day. Now I feel they have.’
‘Mine too,’ Theo said. ‘I always dreamed about a place where we could both be happy. I thought we had found it in Surfers Paradise. It seemed perfect to me. You leaving was my wake-up call. I realised then that I was the only one to be happy and you’d been miserable.
You hid it well and always greeted me with a smile and a hug when I came home.
But when you left, you didn’t pretend any more.
I knew I’d have to go to Ireland and see for myself why Kerry was so much better than Queensland.
It didn’t take me long to love the gentle pace of life here and the warmth and friendliness of people in Kerry.
All the Fleurys made me feel so welcome and that was what made see how we could both settle here and finally both feel at home.
’ He drew breath and grinned. ‘Gee, that was a long speech for me.’
‘It came from your heart,’ Marian said. ‘I’m really happy you feel like that about Kerry. But I believe the winters can be rough, with storms and torrential rain.’
‘I think we can cope with that,’ he said. ‘Endless sunshine isn’t all it’s cracked up to be either.’
‘That’s for sure.’ She looked at him and saw the dark circles under his eyes, and knew he had not got much sleep the past few nights.
She touched his cheek. ‘You need to rest,’ she said.
‘Lie down on my bed and then I’ll make us something to eat.
I think I can at least make a grilled cheese sandwich. ’
‘With mustard?’ he asked.
‘Yes. And I even have a jar of gherkins.’
‘Brilliant.’ Theo let her go and went to sit on the sofa, putting his feet on the coffee table. ‘I’m good here,’ he said.
She bent over to kiss him. ‘You look good anywhere.’ Then she went into the kitchen and made the cheese sandwich, putting it under the grill, knowing that they had finally come home. Whatever happened in the future, they would stay here and grow old together surrounded by family.