Page 24 of The Gift Of Life

“It’s going well. He is being the perfect gentleman. Patient, kind, loving. Everything I love about Drew.”

Pete nudges me playfully. “Girl, you’re smitten all over again.”

I am. I’ve managed to fall in love with my husband all over again and it feels good.

“Important stuff out of the way, I got lunch from the cafe. I thought you'd prefer to eat it outside instead of cooped up in a small cafe.”

“You thought right. It’s a lovely day and I need the fresh air and Vitamin C. Let’s see what you’ve got in the bag.”

Everyone has been pushing for me to eat, but Pete has just made lunch feel so easy. I don’t feel like it’s a chore; it’s something to look forward to. Maybe that’s what I need to do going forward. Live outside of my comfort zone, take adventures, make memories. I can’t erase the past, but I can bury it with the future.

***

Pete and I stand and look at a for sale sign hanging outside an old building in the centre of Culross. All the buildings on the cobbled street are old and unique, but this one is beautiful. I look through the large glass window and imagine what it could be. Since I’m the queen of daydreaming it isn’t hard to transform this place into something magnificent.

“I think it used to be a boutique shop. If I remember rightly, it has a large area off to the side that opens up,” says Pete.

“It’s perfect.”

I look around myself slowly and smile brightly. This is something I have dreamed about for so long. Owning an art gallery, holding events to showcase artists and their work, and living my best life.

Thinking about my work, my day job, I realise I’m not missing it. Yeah, I like designing the pages in the magazine I work for, but it doesn’t push me. It’s just a mediocre job. My work colleagues are the only fascination.

“What are you thinking?” asks Pete. “You have that look on your face, the one that says you’re planning something crazy.”

“I want it. I want to own my own gallery.”

“Is it doable? I mean, are you ready for this?”

I shrug. I take out my phone and take a picture of the for-sale sign with all the details of the estate agent. “I’ll look into it. It could be exactly what I need to keep me busy. Something to take my mind off the past.”

“I like this impulsive Harper. I say go get it, beautiful. You only live once. Live it. You know where I am if you need any help.”

The thought of all my dreams coming true makes me excited and giddy. My mind is racing a million miles a minute trying to picture everything, where everything would go, and which local artists I could ask to commission pieces for me. Oh my God, this little village has just made me have an epiphany. For the first time in such a long time, I can picture a future.

Chapter 18

Drew

Today was a fucker at work. Between petty crimes, drink drivers, and boy racers, my head is pickled. Why did I go into the police force? Fuck my life. It’s days like today that I question my choices, but even if I got the chance to go back in time, I’d still make the same decisions.

I pull my car into the driveway. Instantly, I spot Harper's dad’s Land Rover sitting at the kerb. I jump out of my car and grab my bag from the back seat. The closer I walk to the Land Rover, I can see Harper sitting in the driver’s seat.

Harper rolls the window down and smiles at me. “Hey.”

“What’s wrong?” shock courses through my body at the sight of my wife sitting outside our house.

Of course, it’s good to see her here, it’s just strange after all this time and not something I expected to see on my arrival home.

“Nothing. I was passing and I wanted to talk. I was out with Pete.”

Wow. Okay. Breakthrough. “Well done. How was it?”

“Good. Erm. Can we talk? I thought I might be ready to come into the house, but...” She shakes her head and her shoulders tense.

“It’s okay. We can go for a drive. What do you want to do?”

“Get in.”

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