Page 143 of Play On

“No, don’t cry. I’m going to make this right. It might not change what your parents think, but at least they will know the truth.”

“You don’t have to do this,” I tell him. “This is none of their business.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. They need to see a different Violet. They need to see the butterfly who I see.”

I choke back a sob.

“I love you,” Noah says again.

“I love you, too,” I manage to say.

He brushes his lips against my forehead. “Then let me tell your parents who you really are, Violet.”

I step back from him. Noah takes my hand in his, and together, we head into the house. I’m feeling so many emotions right now. I’m moved beyond words that Noah is here. I’m shocked he made this trip to Dorset, coming here after taking a long flight from Perth. I’m anxious about what he’s going to say to my parents and how they are going to receive it, but I feel nothing but grateful that I have such a strong, thoughtful, determined man as my boyfriend.

Most of all, I feel love. I have so much love for this man in my heart, I think it might burst wide open trying to contain it all inside.

I lead him back to the family part of the house, my heart thumping inside my chest as we get closer to the den. When we reach the doorway, I find Nicholas and our parents sitting there, waiting for us to come in.

Noah lets go of my hand as my parents stand up. “Thomas, thank you for allowing me to see you tonight,” he says, shaking my dad’s hand.

“I have to admit, I’m still surprised by your request,” my dad says.

“I wouldn’t have asked to see you and Jocelyn unless it was important.” Noah turns towards my mum, shaking her hand as well. “Thank you for letting me come down.”

Nicholas crosses the room to greet Noah. “Glad to see you again,” my brother says, gripping his hand.

“Likewise,” Noah replies.

“Please, have a seat,” Mum says.

Noah sinks down next to me on the love seat, and the first thing he does is take my hand in his. I feel united by this gesture, as if we are going to face this situation together. I’m not alone in this. I have Noah by my side, and that means everything to me.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” he says simply. “I know Violet has sought opportunities to work on projects here. I also know she was denied any chance to prove herself.”

Dad immediately stiffens in his chair. “I don’t see where that is your business, Noah.”

“Sir, I would normally agree with you on that. But I do not when you don’t know the truth about Australia. That’s why I came here tonight. To tell you the real reason why Violet came to Australia. She didn’t tell you because she wanted to protect my privacy. But my privacy doesn’t mean anything if it’s hurting Violet.”

Mum exchanges a look with my dad, and Nicholas furrows his brow.

“The truth is, you have raised an exceptional, thoughtful, nurturing, caring daughter,” Noah says simply. “You raised a woman with a huge heart, who shows up for those she loves. And that is what she was doing in Australia. Violet showed up for me when nobody else has in a long, long time.”

I blink back tears. Noah squeezes my hand in his, as if to tell me he’s okay. Then he tells my family the story of his life. Everything he painfully confessed to me that night by the sea,he’s telling all over again, but this time, he’s telling it in a matter-of-fact way. His hands aren’t clammy, his voice isn’t thick.

I realise that Noah is finally free of the past that had haunted him for so long. He’s free of the guilt that was laid at his doorstep, the guilt that was misplaced and never should have been put on a sixteen-year-old boy in the first place.

I watch as my mum blinks back tears. My dad remains stoic, but I can see the compassion in Nicholas’s eyes.

Finally, Noah comes to the part about Australia and what it meant for him to see me in the stands that night. Mum is now reaching for a tissue, and even my dad has cleared his throat.

They’re all moved by his story.

“Your daughter,” Noah says, his voice soft, “wasn’t going to let me play the first friendly of the year without having someone in the stands cheering for me. Violet didn’t take this trip on a whim. She planned it to be there for me. To prove to me that I was worthy of being supported. She was there to erase the past and show me I deserve this future. That I deserve to be supported and have someone in the stands. It meant more to me than you could ever know. It changed everything for me that night. Because of Violet, I know I’m worth it.”

“Oh, Noah,” Mum says, sniffling. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for everything you’ve gone through.”

“Don’t be sorry for me,” he says quickly. “I didn’t come here seeking that. I came here for Violet. For you to see what she did for me. Don’t penalise her for that. If this is what is keeping her from having any kind of opportunity here to launch her career, I beg you not to do it. She proved herself in Australia in the biggest way she could. All I ask is that you see her as she is now. The way I see her. Not as a flittering butterfly moving from idea to idea. See her as the beautiful, strong butterfly who has emerged from her cocoon. See her as the butterfly who is determined to fight through her fears to find her future. Because that is what I see.Violet deserves a chance. All I’m asking is for you to please give that to her.”

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