He thought it a good idea to go ahead now and call Lacey and ask if he could drop by a few minutes. He knew he would be busy tomorrow going to the airport purchasing a ticket and then getting rid of the car. He wanted to tell Lacey in person he was leaving town to go on assignment to do a story in another part of Australia.
He called Lacey and apologized for disturbing her on Sunday, but it was very important he speak to her in person.
"Please don't think you are ever disturbing me. You can come over anytime you like. I will be home all day," Lacey said as she invited him over and hung up the phone. Arflin wasted no time in driving over to visit Lacey.
"Would you like something to drink?" Lacey asked as she welcomed Jock or should I say Arflin inside?"
" A glass of water would be just fine," he replied as he took a seat on the sofa.
Lacey returned a few minutes later with a glass of ice water and handed it to him. He took 2 small sips, but even that seemed hard to swallow as he searched for a way to break the news about his leaving to Lacey.
"I came by to tell you I would be leaving town for a while. The magazine is sending me on another assignment, Arflin said as he took another sip of water and waited for Lacey's reaction.
This was exactly the same story he told Sarah Marston. He wanted to be sure he told the same story just incase Lacey and Sarah Marston should happen to run in to one another.
"Well Jock Farmington I shall miss you. You just came into my life and now you are leaving. Although we have only known each other a short period of time I have grown quite fond of you, " Lacey said as tears were now forming in her eyes.
"I feel the same way about you and that is why I really dreaded coming by here. I know I will be gone a couple of months at least before I get a chance to come back, he said as he began to choke up.
They talked awhile about how much they enjoyed the opera house and dinner from the previous night. Finally Arflin told Lacey he still had a lot of things to do before he left for Alice Springs the next morning. He kissed her good-bye and left.
For the first time in his adult life Arflin felt loved. He couldn't remember ever feeling this way a bout a woman. This feeling was something he could not explain. It seemed his adult life had just been one big let down after another. He now felt his life had a purpose, but he realized it was just too late. He would have to find away to cope with this newfound feeling. He believed putting as many miles as possible between him and Australia would be the only reasonable solution.