Review, Revision, Edit and Update
For this episode I have continued to be alert for an overuse of pronouns (he/she) and names (only two characters in this episode). Therefore, much of my revision has been a reworking of sentences to improve the flow. I must admit to some frustration as it really is easier to have sentences march dutifully across the page.
Otherwise, I did not find any typo's, spelling errors or punctuation issues.
Braving the Past
“Bring pictures.” Emmie's text flew through the air to Jeremy. She had spent all night going through her digital photo albums and hard copy albums. Two boxes of tissues and half of Cook’s chocolate cake later, Emmie made a decision. It was time to confront their ghosts if they were to continue seeing each other.
“Which ones?” As quickly, Jeremy's text ping-ed on her phone. He looked at all the photos scattered across his kitchen table, as well as the digital ones fading in and out on his laptop screen. There was Elaine laughing - she was so beautiful. Their traditional decorating of Christmas trees at the Beaufort Estate with Michael and Emelina. After the advent of cell phone cameras, so many selfies! Michael and Jeremy pulling silly faces. Emelina and Elaine dressed as Greek goddesses at a Hallowe’en do.
Emmie texted back. “Any with the four of us - or even just one or two of us.” They had planned a romantic week away with each other. Hibernating in a quaint cabin on a little bay. Running in the sand to splash and swim in its clear blue water. Strolling along the private beach that ringed their sanctuary. Climbing the grassy slopes rising above the cabin. Bittersweet tears for her dear Michael pushed aside any notion of a new romance.
Her phone lit up again “Bring your laptop. I’m bringing mine. We'll watch all the digital ones together.” His own vision of this romantic week had been drowned in his tears too. Annoyed and wanting a real life, he wanted to make something of this grief that had consumed him. There were too many tears every day, whether he wanted them or not. Speaking to Elaine’s photo in the gilt frame he said “I still love you and always will.”
~~~~~
The last text the night before they left on holiday grinning emoji. “And don’t forget your bathing suit.” In the morning, with two small suitcases packed, he loaded up his silver chariot. One suitcase had his laptop and all the photos, the other with his bathing suit and a change of clothes. The morning sun, in its ascent, hung just above the horizon. It lit up the highway to the Estate with a brilliant glare, the red sky above was clear and clean. Thankfully, traffic was light - he could hardly wait to pick up his old friend - this new love.
Emelina had purposely rented the little cabin by a private bay that she and Michael had never visited. When she snapped the clasp on her briefcase that held her laptop and her photos, she shared a laugh with her beautiful Michael. “I did try to keep you away, but as always you just had to come along.” From her bedroom window she saw Jeremy coming up the drive. Gathering everything up, she went down the few steps to the front door. Emmie paused. She hadn’t let anyone know where she was going. Should she? No. Any of them knew how to reach her. There was nothing pressing on the Estate, right now, anyway. Her moment of hesitation passed, she went to Jeremy. After parking at the front door, he got out and opened the trunk of his car. She put her things in and before he could close the trunk, she embraced him. Lifting her face to his, she said “We’re going to be all right Jeremy.” He kissed her and in a husky voice he said “We are better than all right, already, Emmie.”
~~~~~
The photographs stayed by the front door of their cabin for three days. They did stroll on the beach and hiked on the grassy slopes. Later each day, they walked into the tiny hamlet for a few groceries and swam in the little bay. On the fourth day, Emmie woke up, her hair tousled from sleep. She rolled over to face Jeremy. “Wake up, sleepy. It’s time.” With eyes still closed, he smiled “What for?” Turning away to get up and pulling the sheets around her, leaving him cold and shivering, she laughed. “For coffee, silly. And photographs. We’re not going to ignore them any longer.” Jeremy moaned. “I love the coffee idea, but do we really have to look at the photos?” Her shoulders set, her voice steady she said “Definitely, my dear. It has to be done. Elaine and Michael will keep haunting us until we do. Do you want us to continue or not?” Emmie was firm, something that he had forgotten about her. “Oh, all right.” He grabbed at the corner of the sheet wrapped around her. Avoiding his reach, with two quick steps she disappeared into their tiny bathroom. “Oh, all right. I’ll get the coffee on while you’re making yourself more beautiful than you already are.” Jeremy pulled on his walking shorts, dragged a t-shirt over his head and in bare feet padded across the room to the ‘kitchen’.
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences,
penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
~ Maya Angelou
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