‘And have you made up your mind?’ he said, when she’d finished speaking.
She nodded, eyes shining. ‘I think so.’ She hadn’t decided until this precise second but suddenly felt as if she could achieve whatever she set her mind to, face the fear and change her life.
‘Whatever you’ve decided, I’ll back you.’
‘But I won’t be an hour’s drive from you, Johnny.’
‘Then I’ll move.’ He took her hand, studying it intently. ‘When Dad had his fall in the car park at the Art School it made me realise how old he was getting. I’d like to be nearer my parents. Maybe it’s time this boy of the sea came back to his roots? I’d like to have the scent of the tide in my nostrils again.’
‘Oh, Johnny. Would you really do that for me?’
‘Callie, when are you going to realise I’d do anything for you? And,’ he shrugged, ‘after all, it’s only another house move. One of many.’
She gazed at him, tears beginning yet again. She hadn’t cried for years but, over the last day or so hadn’t been able to stop. Shaking her head slightly, she said, ‘I’ll never get used to how casually you treat moving house.’
Holding her hand tightly he kissed her. ‘One move I won’t make is away from you.’
‘Promise?’
‘Promise.’
They kissed. Lingeringly. And then broke away as Callie’s phone vibrated.
Reading the text she said, on a laugh, ‘It’s from Frida. She says she and Verity have got talking to Austin and Lucie in the Sea Spray and they’re all going to watch the RNLI Raft Race. Does it matter if they don’t come home for a couple of hours?’
Johnny’s eyes twinkled. ‘Fine with me.’ Standing, he pulled Callie up to meet him. ‘Shall we,finally,take this upstairs?’
Callie threw her arms around him. ‘Oh yes. I think that’s one move I can do! I love you, Johnny Starling.’
‘I love you right back, my Calliope.’
And, with that, he took her by the hand and led her to the steep stairs.
Thirty-Eight
FEBRUARY THE FOLLOWING YEAR
Calliope Thorne
Contemporary and award-winning multi-media artist based in the south-west.
(Taken fromSouth West Art and Cultural Life Magazine, ‘Top Ten Creatives: Ones to Watch’)
Callie sat in her new office in the Art School. Happiness and contentment filled her until she felt like a helium balloon about to float away.
After giving her notice at school, everything had sprung into action at a speed which took her breath away. Frida started at university and was loving it. The little Victorian house in Worcester was under offer from a student landlord and she and Johnny had found as much time as they could to spend together, either in Worcester or Stratford.
At the end of the autumn term, she’d moved into Sea Haven House. Frida decided to spend the holidays with Sunil so Callie and Johnny had spent Christmas closeted together. In the new year, Johnny hadn’t moved out.
Callie thought it should seem too early to commit to living together but it had actually seemed the most natural thing in the world. They were careful to give each other space and she’d adjusted with remarkable speed to having a man around. Frida’s time with Sunil’s family, although fraught at times, was developing positively.
Frida had accepted a possible reconciliation with Callie’s parents and brother with aplomb. ‘We can go-see and if we hate them all, we don’t have to have anything to do with them, do we?’ she’d said. ‘Chill out, Mum. We’ve managed without them all this time, it’s no biggie if they’re still horrible.’ Her eyes had gleamed. ‘But I’m dead nosey to see what they’re like!’
It had turned out to be a testing afternoon and not one Callie wanted to repeat too soon. But they were back on speaking terms at least. Sam had even suggested they all get together when he was next on holiday in Dorset.
Donna had taken news of the move badly. Callie had been wracked with guilt when telling her. Her friend had sulked for weeks but there were signs she was gradually coming round. She’d even admitted, grudgingly, it could be handy having friends living in a gorgeous seaside town.
Once Donna had met Johnny, she’d warmed up a little. Callie assured her that, despite her new friends in Lullbury Bay and Johnny’s sister and baby nearby, Donna would always be her bestie.
