Chapter 32-3

Ali's gaze found Thomas, who winked at her from his seat. Will sat next to him, the almost-twelve year old waving happily. Will's dad held hands with his new girlfriend, a jovial woman with luscious curves who ran the local day-care centre and had managed to capture Mark's heart and the affection of his son. Mrs Hentely and Eric giggled like young lovers at the back of the seating. Shen was the best man, beaming quietly on the other side of the aisle from where Ali stood, and the entire beach was filled with people who had been drawn to Haven for different reasons, but were united by the couple at the top of the aisle. We are all connected, in ways we can't understand. Ali felt her heart expand with love and contentment as the celebrant began to speak, and Kimble and Meg bound their lives together. A few hours later, Meg stood up on a table at the reception. "Hey, ladies!" she yelled out over the outdoor decking of the pub, "it's time! Single gals, gather 'round - it's time for the bouquet toss!" A general excited squeal filled the air and every unmarried girl in the vicinity rushed towards Meg. Ali stayed by the railing, content to be held by Thomas. "Are you sure you don't want to get in there, Ali?" he teased her softly, nipping at her earlobe and making her shiver. "No, thanks. My money's on Mark's girlfriend." Sure enough, the curvaceous woman leaped high into the air and snatched the bouquet from the sky. Bright with delight, she raced to Will's dad and planted an enthusiastic smooch on his face while Will cheered. Meanwhile, Kimble trundled over to where Meg stood and lifted her delicately from the table, the love practically simmering in the air between them. "Do you think they'll like their gift?" Thomas asked. Ali wrapped her arm around his waist. "They'll be over the moon." She and Thomas were turning the lease of EatPrayRaw over to the newlyweds. They'd been managing the café for over a year and doing an amazing job. Holding the lease meant that Kimble and Meg would have the chance to earn a greater income based on the success of the café, rather than just the wage they were currently paid. The party began to amp up around them, the music playing louder as the sky burned in vivid hues from the joyful sunset canting above them. Ali sighed, watching everyone dance and laugh. Thomas murmured, "Do you want to slip away for a walk?" They wouldn't be missed and in the middle of the happy melee, Ali could use a quiet moment with her man. "I'd love that." They wandered down to the sand, linked by the arm, suspended between the golden earth and open sky. Looking along the gentle crescent of the beach, Ali could picture herself in her past iterations - running away from Thomas in anguish, dancing with her friends around the bonfire pit, spinning fire under clear skies. It was one of the perfect parts of being free from her past and unworried about the future. Grounded solidly in the moment, she could appreciate everything behind her and before her without judgement or fear. "You know," said Thomas, breaking gently into her thoughts, "if you ever did want to catch a bouquet, you know I'd be okay with that." "I know." They'd had the discussion a dozen times before, but Ali wanted to make sure they were still on the same page. "I don't need a ring from you, Thomas. You already live in my heart; I don't have to wear a white dress and announce to the world that we'll be together forever, because you and I know how we feel and that's all that matters. Do you want to get married?" "Only if it was something you wanted, Ali." He stopped and tilted her chin, capturing her eyes with his. "There are other things I want so much more, like expanding our reach to help more people." Keeping up with all the charities they were both involved with was almost a full-time job for Ali. On top of the finance lessons and managing Time Break and caring for Haven, they also sat on the board for a homeless teen's centre and were investigating a program to help pensioners who were struggling. "Ali, you know I love how much you want to help the world, but you've got a birthday coming up, and if you don't want a ring, you have to give me some clue for presents. And don't say that you want the cash to go towards Time Break or Haven, because you know we'll do that stuff anyway." He kissed the pads of her fingers, and his breath against her skin made her toes curl into the sand. "I want to give you something for you." "Well, actually..." She guided his hand down to her belly and said, "There actually is something I've been thinking about that only you can give me." Thomas looked confused for a second, and then his face exploded in brilliant understanding. "You... You want to start trying?" Nervous and excited and peaceful all at once, she nodded. "I want to have a baby with you, Thomas." "I want that too. So much. I love you, Ali." "I love you too." They kissed, as the wind kicked up a plume of sand around them, the elements in total balance. Ali cast her mind forward, imagining their love making later that evening, and the positive pregnancy test, and the long labour, and the sleepless nights, and the balance between being a mother and a partner and a crusader. But as Thomas' warm hands squeezed hers, she allowed herself to settle back in the present, knowing this moment, this instant, was all that anybody was ever given, and she was going to breathe and live every second of it. The End