Page 62 of The Facilitator: Part 2
“Does it stay here?” I asked, as he revved theengine.
“No, I had someone bring it over for us.Ready?”
I nodded. Then I shrieked. I wasn’t sure Mackenzie needed to drive as fast back down the driveway as he had. I was convinced he was showing off, but I laughed along with him. The windows were wound down and the wind blew my hair around my face. I held it to one side as Mackenzie slowed when we left the property. We drove for no more than a half hour before he slowed the car to a halt at the side of the road. In front was the coastline and its beauty stunnedme.
“Mackenzie,” Iwhispered.
“I know. That view hits me in the chest everytime.”
We didn’t speak anymore as he pulled onto an unmade side road. He crawled the length until we rounded a corner and his house came into view. Although a lot smaller, it resembled the property we had just left. It was as beautiful, wooden with the same wraparound veranda. Although there were no flowers or plants, the front area was just grass; I could see from the side and rear the garden was just an extension of the beach. I stepped from the car and walked towards the sound of thesea.
The sun had started to lower and the shimmer of reds and oranges on the ocean was mesmerising. I stood and breathed in deep. Although less than an hour from Mrs. Collingsworth’s house, we could have been in a different state. I turned as Mackenzie stood besideme.
“I envy you this view, Mackenzie,” I whispered. Hesighed.
I wasn’t sure what the sigh meant, but I wrapped my arm around his waist. I faced him, stood up on my tiptoes, and kissedhim.
“Show me your house,” Isaid.
We walked to the house and he opened the front door with a key he’d taken from the car. The interior was open-plan and surprisingly modern. Whereas Mrs. Collingsworth’s house was full of antiques, Mackenzie’s was furniture from local makers, he toldme.
“Wine?” he said, as I followed him to thekitchen.
As he’d expected, the fridge had been stocked and two bottles of red wine were standing on the counter. He picked one up and looked at the label. Satisfied, he opened a drawer and extracted an opener. I opened a couple of cupboards until I found someglasses.
“Who looks after the house when you’re not here?” Iasked.
“My dad’s partner,” he said, as hepoured.
“You didn’t say he’d met someone.” I took the glass fromhim.
“I didn’t? I don’t think I’ve really told you much about my family at all, haveI?”
“No, and that’s okay. You asked me to Google you once; I did, so I knew about your car crash and your dad’s business before you’d mentioned those. But other than that…” I shrugged myshoulders.
He laughed. “I guess that was pretty arrogant of me, wasn’t it?” I nodded and he laughed some more. “Comeon.”
We walked to the back of the property and followed the veranda to the side of the house. The view was stunning. We sat on wooden chairs and sipped ourwine.
“My dad lives in a condo now, I think I told you that, on a seniors’ complex. Anyway, he met Sandra years ago, she nursed him after his heart attack, and I guess theyfell inlove.”
“You don’t believe they are?” Iasked.
“I don’t know. She’s nice, I like her, and if she makes him happy then who am I to interfere? I just think he never spent the time to grieve for my mother. As soon as she died, it was as if she hadn’t existed and that hurt me considerably. He had woman after woman, and he wanted me to respect them all. I rebelled, obviously. We didn’t speak for a long time. Sandra was the one who actually got us talking again, but I can’t completely forgive him. So, it’s not Sandra I’m unhappy with, it’s myfather.”
“I can understand that, he’s an old man now, though. Maybe you should make your peace withhim.”
“We talk, I call him, you’ve spoken to him. I doubt he even knows I haven’t completely forgiven him, and I wouldn’t ever tell himthat.”
“Then maybe you should make peace with yourself,” I said. “What you wanted from life after your mother died wasn’t the same for your dad. Some people can’t grieve in the way we want them to. Some people can’t be alone, Mackenzie. Isn’t it wonderful he found a companion, not someone to replace your mum, but someone to fill the hole insidehim?”
He didn’t answer me immediately, in fact he didn’t answer at all. He sipped on his wine and then placed it back on the small woodentable.
“I need to cook dinner and then, if you’re still awake, I’d like for us to take a walk on that beach. Barefoot in the cool sand at night is one of the places I feelgrounded.”
I sat, still staring at the sun just peeking over the horizon, fighting to spread its rays for a few more minutes before the moon took over. My body was most certainly confused. I think it hadn’t realised we’d missed a night and I was now buzzing. My brain was fizzing, fighting to determine if I was exhausted or wide-awake. My limbs ached but that could have been the horse ride, and my heart skipped a beat as Mackenzie kissed the back of my neck when he passed, heading to thekitchen.
A simple steak and salad was served, more wine was poured, and we sat and chatted. He told me all about the house, what he’d done as a child, where he’d played, fished, and sailed. He’d hated the summer months because it meant tourists, and although his house was at the end of the beach, some would invade his space, as that end of the beach was privatelyowned.
