‘You’re brilliant, honestly, Emma, you should be on stage.’
‘I love doing the pub gigs, but that’s all,’ replied Emma with a grin.
‘More!’ shouted Jack.
‘Any requests?’ laughed Emma.
‘“Pink Champagne”!’ Perry called, making Emma roll her eyes.
‘Not that again, choose another.’
‘“We’ll Meet Again”,’ said Bunty, leaning over the kitchen worktop.
‘Aw,’ cried Jasmine, turning to smile at her, then Perry. The words weren’t lost on him.
Emma started, then they all joined in, swaying in tune.
The end of the song was met with a huge round of applause. Amongst the commotion, Robin gently took Jasmine’s arm and led her out to the back garden. They stood by the hedge, where he’d first clapped eyes on her, smelling the lavender.
Jasmine looked up to the crescent moon, surrounded by stars in the black sky. She breathed in the salty air and listened to the sound of the sea. Perfect. Everything was perfect. She saw Robin reach for something in his pocket. He looked intensely at her, those hazel eyes focusing directly into hers, holding so much love. She thought her heart would burst.
‘Jasmine, I want you to have this.’ He took out a small box from his jeans. Jasmine opened it to find a gold anchor pendant.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she gasped. Then subconsciously her hand reached for the heart charm on her necklace.
‘It’s not to replace the heart you have,’ said Robin urgently, ‘but put alongside it? I want to be your anchor Jasmine, let me love and look after you.’ His voice cracked.
‘Oh Robin.’ A tear ran down her face. Hewasher anchor, right from the very start, always there, a steady force, keeping her grounded. He was hereverythingand she adored him.
Jasmine unfastened the necklace she wore and Robin carefully added the anchor pendant. Watching it slip down the chain to land next to the heart, they looked up at each other.
‘Let’s love and look after each other,’ she choked, flinging her arms round him.
As they embraced a gentle breeze passed over them and a faint voice whispered in the air,Well done, Jas.
