Maddie and Sofia let themselves be led onto the dance floor, and the moves came back to them in a rush.
The warm air, the stars, and the sight of people of all ages and nationalities giving it their all was a truly memorable experience, mused Maddie. She’d never dream of going to a club in Britain, but here it really didn’t seem to matter.
After dancing through the whole of Grace’s set, which brought the memories flooding back, all Maddie could think was how much Tony would have enjoyed it.
It was like she’d taken two steps forward and one back. Every song recalled a moment frozen in time in a way that hit her more deeply than a photo ever could. As the beat pulsed through her, the final song brought an overload of memories from a soul weekender they’d gone on with friends in Norfolk, a precious few days away together while Tony was at university.
Everything from being pushed squealing around the on-site supermarket in a trolley, to dancing next to each other in unison with hundreds of others, and shutting themselves away in their room for a snatched few minutes alone all through the day and night made her head whirl.
She couldn’t bear to let the music pulse through her any longer. She left the others to it, found their table and ordered more beers for everyone. The blonde male DJ was back andhad changed the music to more of an Indie vibe. Sofia and Charlotte were still going strong, and she watched them for a long moment, trying to calm her racing mind.
‘All a bit much?’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Maddie nodded. She hadn’t noticed Grace sit down next to her.
‘You could say that. It’s the memories that overwhelm you.’
‘I get it. I really do. Music has a way of reaching right into your soul and twisting it over and over again.’
Maddie passed Grace a beer.
‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers to you too and thank you for a wonderful set. It’s the story of my youth. I was always a soul girl.’
‘Me too.’ Grace indicated towards the dance floor where their friends were still jumping up and down frenziedly. ‘Not as keen on this Indie stuff.’
‘Me neither.’
Maddie turned to face Grace.
‘You obviously heard from Sof about Tony. It’s what’s making me ultra-sensitive to everything tonight.’
‘Yes, I was very sorry to hear about your husband.’
Maddie put her hand over Grace’s for a moment.
‘And I was sorry to hear about your husband too. Phil, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
‘I think it’s important to keep their memory alive, don’t you? I hate referring to Tony in the past.’
‘I agree. The girls and I often talk about Phil. There’s usually some laughter in there now as well as tears.’
The others would be back in their seats soon. This was her opportunity to speak to someone who really understood.
‘Be honest with me. Does it really get any better?’
Grace took a careful sip at her beer.
‘It does get better, gradually, but it never goes away fully. There are no easy fixes, but based on my experience, you do learn to live with it. Family is key. Friends are invaluable, of course, but you need those ties with your family to be unbreakable too.’
Maddie swallowed some beer a little too quickly and coughed.
‘You have children, don’t you?’
