Page 90 of The London Girls
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
AVA
Ava stood and waited, trying her hardest not to fidget. She didn’t want to be there; every part of what was happening felt wrong, especially without Olivia. She would have traded everything, every success, every accolade, to have her friend by her side.
‘I don’t deserve this,’ she whispered to herself, digging her nails into her palms.This isn’t right. It’s not I who should be standing here.
‘Wren Ava Williamson, you are hereby awarded the British Empire Medal for bravery, for displaying great gallantry and complete disregard for danger on the night of the twenty-ninth of December, when you delivered on foot a message to me personally at Admiralty House, as bombs continued to fall around you, on a journey that took you a great many hours. And for courageously volunteering to travel that same route to deliver a message of great importance, despite not having yet recovered from your injuries.’
Ava smiled and nodded politely, knowing what was expected of her and understanding what a great privilege it was to receive such an award. Only it didn’t feel like she deserved it. What was it for? All she’d done was her job. She was standing there and Olivia wasn’t, and that alone told her exactly who deserved the medal.
‘Thank you, sir,’ Ava said, as the Naval Commander-in-Chief shook her hand and presented her with the award. She was dressedin her formal WRN uniform for the occasion, and she looked down at the medal as it was pinned to her lapel, wishing she felt something other than guilt at seeing it there.
The Ava who’d started out as a Wren would have done anything to receive such an award, but after everything that had happened since, she barely recognised the Ava of the past any more.
As if sensing her discomfort, George stepped forward once the ceremony was over, and she clasped his outstretched hand when he offered it, taking the chance to move closer to him.
‘You deserve this, Ava. I can almost see the cogs working in your brain, telling you that somehow this shouldn’t be yours. But you’re wrong.’
She smiled, despite her glum thoughts. ‘I didn’t realise I was so easy to read.’
George pulled her a little closer, still holding her hand as he whispered to her. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve made an official recommendation for Olivia to receive a medal posthumously.’
Her eyebrows peaked in surprise. ‘You have?’
‘I have. But that doesn’t take away from what you’ve received here today, Ava. No matter how you feel right now, you deserve this. You can hold your head high and know that, no matter what, you’ve displayed great bravery and delivered messages that could very well change the course of the war, and for that you deserve to be recognised.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, finally letting go of his hand. ‘That means a lot.’
George looked at her a long moment before speaking again. ‘Ava, I know the past weeks have been difficult, but I’d like you to take over training the new recruits, if you’re willing. When you’re ready, of course.’
She swallowed. Weeks ago, she’d have done anything to beat Olivia to the job, but now, hearing the news was bittersweet.
‘I’m sorry you have to give it to me,’ she said, looking down at her shoes. ‘I know she was the better candidate, and for that I’m truly sorry.’
George’s fingers touched beneath her chin, slowly lifting her face up.
‘Ava, the job belongs to you,’ he said, softly. ‘Olivia was one of our best riders, she was conscientious and incredibly capable, but the rider you’ve become, the woman you’ve become in this role, it’s perfect for you. Your enthusiasm is exactly what our new recruits need.’
Ava couldn’t help but smile. ‘You mean that?’
‘Yes, Ava, I most certainly do.’
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Your praise means more to me than anyone else’s.’
‘No need to thank me,’ George said, smiling as he reached out and touched her medal with his fingertips. ‘Just promise me that you’ll wear this with pride, and remember how much your actions will inspire another generation of women.’
She blinked away tears. ‘I’m not that same girl you trained all those months ago,’ she said.
‘I know.’ His fingers brushed her cheek then, as he stared into her eyes. ‘You’re now a woman who knows how to balance her speed and enthusiasm with a sense of duty and respect. I liked that girl, but it just so happens that I love this one.’
Ava stood for a long moment after George walked away, wondering if Olivia was looking down on them from above, as George’s words continued to play in her mind.
She touched her medal and smiled, seeing her friend beside her, feeling the warm embrace she would have given her, hearing the laughter they would have shared.
I’ll never forget you, Liv. Not for a second.
Life would never feel the same without her, but she had no choice; the work she was doing was the most meaningful thing she’d ever done, and it was a responsibility that she cherished. She owed it to Olivia to live every day to the fullest, and although it was Olivia who’d been the true motorcycle enthusiast in the beginning, Ava had come to understand that her own life would be forever connected to motorcycles, too. Truth be told, she couldn’t imagine a life that didn’t involve riding them, even long after the war.
