Page 36 of Forever is Now

Summer Taylor-Braddon: The media really made my life hell—even more so—after Ruari was found. Of course, they found out about Mia, I think they actually knew about her before I did, and they spun this whole angle about how I was trying to break up their love story.

The papers just wanted me to be the villain. Like, they really hated me. They made it out like I’d been abusive to Ruari. That he’d finally done what he had to, to escape me. It’s ridiculous, but that’s what they said.

And they loved Mia. Of course they did. She was the innocent bystander in all of this, and her only crime was that she loved the man that I was set on destroying—that’s literally what they said.

They pitted me against her constantly. She was the angel, the princess. I was the witch, the devil. And they really loved that—there were some cartoons going around, about us. I’m sure you saw them?

Dante Fiore: Yes, I have. It’s shocking what they did to you.

Summer Taylor-Braddon: Of course, there were still people who were still loyal to me—I saw their comments on Facebook posts, defending me—but their voices were just swamped. There was this huge tide of anger, and it was directed at me.

Mum and I were pretty much having to move about a lot. Different hotels in Australia, as they kept finding out where we lived. I didn’t really mind the constant check-outs and check-ins though, because I was just so set on getting Rauri back. On him getting better. On him remembering me. And it seemed to me, that if I had to just put up with all this media hate on me, to get him back, if that was the price I had to pay, then I could do that.

Because Ruari, getting lost in the tsunami, swept all those miles, and not knowing who he was? Well, he’d been through much worse.

##

Ruari Braddon: I guess it makes sense now to call me Ruari from this point on, right? Now we’ve got to the point where we know who I am?

Dante Fiore: Whatever you feel more comfortable with.

Ruari Braddon: [He laughs, dryly] I don’t know if I’ll ever know who I am.

Dante Fiore: Would you like another cup of coffee?

Ruari Braddon: No, thank you. The only drink that could calm me right now would be something with, like, 90% alcohol, and I better not. That wouldn’t be a good thing for either of us. [He groans] God, this is all so messed up, isn’t it? Even just thinking back to it.

I was a mess, right after I’d had this reunion with the wife I didn’t remember. It was hard on me, of course—and I knew it was hard on her too. I could see the desperation in her eyes, when we were in that hotel room. She wanted that moment of recognition. But I couldn’t give it to her.

But most of all, it was hardest for Mia. She was... She had a conversation with Summer. She told me that, once we’d got back from the hospital the next day with JoJo—that was what we were calling our daughter now. Josephine was her middle name, and Mia just started using it. Then it became JoJo. But Mia was... she was really struggling. Like, massively.

She asked me, “Are you going to leave me?”

And it didn’t matter how often I told her I wasn’t, because she was my life now, because she always seemed to think that I’d go back to Summer. She was so, so scared. And I often felt that I couldn’t comfort her either. I couldn’t give her the support after everything she’d given me—my whole new life. And I’d just ripped hers to shreds.

##

Summer Taylor-Braddon: Ruari’s father flew out at some point. I’m not too sure when, but suddenly he was just there. It was the first time I’d actually met him, as he’d not come to the wedding, and though I’d been on video calls with him—all those times when Ruari and I sat in our flat, awkwardly talking to Maverick, I wasn’t prepared for just how different this man would be in person.

For one, Maverick was six foot five. This was something that Ruari had never mentioned to me before, and with Ruari himself being five foot eight, I’d never even considered that his father might be very tall.

Maverick wasn’t just tall though. He was built like a tank. His voice that had come across on our Skype calls as strong and rich was actually booming and very, very loud in person. He made quite the dramatic entrance, in the hotel lobby. Mum and I were sitting there, waiting to meet with a woman called Vera. I’m not too sure what her job title was, but she was acting as a counsellor really, helping us all navigate this tricky situation. And so Mum and I weren’t really talking, but rather anxiously waiting when Maverick Manners strode into the hotel, wearing these ginormous shoes that seemed comically big.

I recognized him instantly—and he saw me, but he didn’t even stop to say anything. We made eye contact, and then he strode right on past me.

That was all I saw of Maverick, that day.

You want to know the thing that upset me the most?

Ruari remembered him. And I didn’t even find out at the time. It was a week later, when I was speaking to Ruari’s doctors.

##

Ruari Braddon: It was weird, when my dad came. This huge ape of a man. Apparently, I rarely even saw him before. He’d been in and out of prison.

But I saw him. And there was just a part of me that knew who he was—instantly.

“Dad,” I said.

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