She didn‘t believe there was anything like perfect, fairytale love. Most people were flawed and prone to mistakes. She thought herself a romantic but treated love with the same practicality she did most things. They‘d had fall-outs and misunderstandings but she‘d never been free to be herself like she was with Edward. She couldn‘t imagine being with another person after him. She also believed they‘d got most of their issues under control. Since he proposed, she caught herself fantasizing not about the wedding but about their marriage, being totally with him to experience life as one.
Edward was a basically good person. He always brought out the best side of her. He made her mad sometimes but also made her laugh. He challenged her to think outside the box, to open up to life outside her small world. The butterflies took flight in her tummy whenever he was around and she‘d never been as happy as he made her. Most of all, she believed that he loved her. No one could say what the future held but she had a very good feeling that having gone through all these troubles now, they would be stronger for it.
**********
Edward heard someone calling his name from the direction of the road and turned. Gladys stopped a couple of feet away and drank in the sight of him. He looked quite tired with a drawn face and puffy eyes. It seemed as if he‘d not slept well since the last time she had seen him. His tie was skewed and the breeze off the sea blew his trousers against his lean frame. He‘d taken off his jacket and a tentative smile tugged at his lips when he saw her.
“Hello, Edward.”
“It‘s so good to see you Gladys.” He opened his arms then allowed them to drop back. “Please let‘s sit.” He spread his jacket on the sand, sat down on one corner and pulled his tie off completely.
Gladys sat. Her heart raced madly as she unbuttoned her suit and set her purse close to her feet. “Are you ready to talk now?”
Edward placed both hands on his face as though praying, and then rubbed his eyes. “I‘ve been thinking a lot about you. I missed you Gladys. I don‘t know whether I made a mistake inviting you here. Maybe somewhere else would‘ve been better for us to really talk. I want us to see how we can work through this situation.” His voice sounded more hesitant than she‘d ever heard it. Her heart slowed to its normal beat.