Page 25 of The Gift Of Life

I don’t need to be asked twice. I throw my bag in the back seat and jog around to the passenger side. It has been a long time since I saw my wife behind the wheel of a car.

“I know where we can go,” says Harper.

I shrug. She could drive me to the devil himself and I wouldn’t care as long as we were together.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Silence surrounds us for a long minute. All that I can hear is the fan from the air conditioning, and my heart rate picks up a notch.

“I was in Culross with Pete. We had lunch and a walk through the village.”

“Cool. Culross is a beautiful village. You used to love The Red Lion for something to eat.”

She nods. I can’t help but notice her biting her lip, deep in thought. It’s a tell-tale sign that she’s thinking about something.

“Did something happen?”

“In a way. I want to show you something and I don’t want you to be mad or worry about me.”

I reach over and rest my hand over hers on the gear stick. “You’re worrying me now. Just spit it out, baby.”

She sighs. “I want to open my own gallery.”

It’s my turn to sigh now. With bloody relief. My mind was working at a thousand miles a minute thinking all sorts.

“What did you think I was going to say?”

“Honestly, I have no idea, but a gallery is good. It’s what you always wanted.”

“It means I would have to dip into our savings.”

For a while, I didn’t think I’d have a life to care about savings because if Harper died, I wouldn’t have a life worth living.

“Use whatever you need to. This is your dream. It’s a step in the right direction for you.”

“I had an argument with my mum today, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.” She changes the subject. “She didn’t want me to go out alone. She obviously didn’t trust that I wouldn’t try to do anything stupid again.”

I thought it would be me who would make the first rookie mistake and treat Harper with kid gloves. In a way, I’m glad it wasn’t, but I can see how hurt she feels because it was her mum. Her rock. Her idol.

“I trust you. You have a good support network; Dr Carmichael is the man. I’ll speak to your mum if you want.”

She shakes her head. “I need to do it. I need to clear the air. I need to fight these battles on my own, Drew.”

Pride soars through me. My girl has had to claw her way back from the brink of death and she’s smashing all her demons one by one.

We pull up outside an old building. I look up and down, wondering why we’re here.

“We can't park here for very long, but this is it,” she says with the biggest smile on her face.

I get out and she follows me around. It’s in the perfect location for tourists and residents of the village, it has ample parking right across the road, and it’s Harper. She’s an old soul. I can picture her here.

“What about work?” I ask.

Not that I’m bothered about her work. I’m more concerned about her happiness. If she wanted to be a stay-at-home wife and twiddle her thumbs all day then I’d support that too.

“It’s time for a change. I know it’s a big risk, especially in today’s cost of living crisis, but I can make it work. I know I can.”

Her determination is shining through. Her personality and vibrancy are back, and if this is down to this building, then she can have it.

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