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I looked over at Mac. Did we have plans?
“I’m happy to go if you are. We can take some of the leftover food. It’ll be cold and windy, but it’ll blow away the cobwebs.”
And the hangover I was sporting. Had I really drunk that much?
Either way, when breakfast was done, we piled into our respective cars and headed for the sea.
“I’ve never done this before,” I said as we neared the coast.
“What do you mean? You’ve never seen the sea?”
“Nope. Not once. We never ventured that far.” I gazed excitedly out of the window, craning for a glimpse of the water. “There it is. I can see it.”
I turned to look at Mac, at the bright smile on his face. “Your enthusiasm is catching. I love seeing you light up at every new thing we do. I wish I could experience this for the first time with you. This has always been my happy place.”
“I think it could be mine, too. Maybe we could move here.”
“Um, if you’ve got a spare half a million quid lying around, we could, but until then we’ll have to make do with day trips.”
I opened the window, and the smell of sea air filled the car. I inhaled and listened to the screech of gulls, the crash of the waves, and realised this was where I needed to be.
Our little convoy pulled into a car park, and we piled out; kids and dogs making for the beach. I joined them, wanting to feel the sand beneath my feet, the wind whistling through my hair, the coldness of the water.
I slipped off my shoes and socks and ran into the surf, ignoring Mac’s shouts. I yelped as the frigid water hit my feet, almost instantly losing all sensation, but I didn’t give a fuck.
I ran back towards him, my arms open, laughing at the wildness of it all, and launched myself at him, hoping to God that he caught me.
“I feel so alive, Mac,” I said and swiped at my tears. “You’ve made all this possible.”
“What did I do?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“What didn’t you do? You saved me when I didn’t know I needed to be saved. You took me in when you could have turned me away, but most of all, you healed me.”
“I’m a doctor; that’s kind of what I do.” He placed me on the cold sand, my feet still wet, a confused look on his face.
I looked around at my family, and for the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere.
“I want to say something wild, like ask you to marry me, but it’s too soon for that, isn’t it? I never thought when I met you that you’d become the most important person in my life.”
“I don’t know what to say, Frankie. Marriage is a big thing, but you know what? Fuck it. Let’s do it.”
“Really? You think we should? We’ve known each other for months, not years. What would our families say?”
“Who really gives a fuck? As long as we’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
I laughed as he dropped to one knee, the wet sand soaking into his jeans. “Frankie Dodds. Will you marry me?”
I knelt down next to him and took his face in my hands. “I will happily marry you, and we’ll live for all eternity, loving each other and making each other happy.”
I kissed him softly, sealing my promise to him. Young or not, we had a lifetime to get to know each other, and that was what mattered most to me.
Mac had not only healed my body, but he’d healed my heart, too, and for that, I’d be eternally grateful.
EPILOGUE
Mac
One Year Later
