Page 57 of Strictly Friends
‘There ain’t no such thing as perfect, child,’ said MissIda, brushing away an insect that had landed on her arm. She looked up at Ruby with a wry smile. ‘See that? Even paradise has mosquitoes.’
Ruby returned the twinkle in the older woman’s eyes with a weak smile. ‘So, even soul mates have to work at this love business? I don’t think I have the patience or the faith for all of that, MissIda. I feel like I – I’ve lost my balance and... it’s too hard.’
‘Right now, your heart is feeling bruised, but in there’ – she pointed at Ruby’s chest – ‘is the kindest, sweetest heart I know. You loved your little boy enough to bring him to meet the man who had wronged you, and look at what you’ve done for me since you’ve been here! Both Kenny and Griffin made mistakes, but they are good men. Now, I can’t tell you what to do about your situation, but I know your heart will find the answer when it’s ready. Just remember, sweetheart, that not one of us is perfect and even when you love someone, you will make mistakes.’
Ruby smoothed down her braids and blinked fiercely to stop the tears threatening to return. ‘But what if I can’t forgive? I don’t know that I want love if it hurts this much.’
For a long time, MissIda stared out into the darkness beyond the terrace, and then she tilted her head up at Ruby with a tiny smile. ‘When you get to my age, darlin’, you learn that while love can hurt, mostly it heals. On Sorrel Island, we see love as a gift, a magical and powerful gift. If you can open your heart and trust in the capacity of folks to change, you’ll find your balance in time, and when you do—’
Ruby opened her mouth, but MissIda cut her off with a shake of her head and a knowing smile. ‘When you do, Ruby, you’ll see that love is a gift you can give yourself.’
39
Ruby pulled open the emptied wardrobes in a final check for any stray items of clothing or – God forbid – cherished toy that she might have missed. Jellybean was safely stuffed into Jake’s backpack, and a quick scan of the cupboards and the large chest of drawers confirmed she had removed every trace of their month-long stay in the Cloud Room.
Whether it was the conversation with MissIda the previous evening or sheer exhaustion from sleepless nights and endless tears, Ruby had slept through the night and woken up in the morning feeling brighter than she had for ages. The packing was finished, and their bill settled, and she glanced at her watch and sighed with frustration. There were still two more hours to get through before Zeke arrived. Although Kenny had offered to drive them, Ruby had declined, not wanting to upset Jake with emotional farewells at the airport. With nothing else to occupy her mind and distract her from thoughts of Griffin, Ruby slid open the glass doors and went out on to the balcony.
Gazing out at the familiar gardens bathed in sunshine, Ruby breathed in deeply, feeling a sense of peace stealing over her.The magic of Sorrel Island, she thought with a whimsical smile. Well, whatever happened going forward, she was thankful to have finally made peace with Kenny.
Earlier that day, Kenny had driven over to say his final goodbyes. Jake – his face crumpled as tears poured down his cheeks – had clung fiercely to his father.
Intervening before the boy went into a full-scale meltdown, Ruby knelt and wiped his face with a tissue. ‘Why don’t you go up to the room and check you’ve put Jellybean safely into your travel bag while I walk your dad to his car?’ she suggested gently.
It would be the last chance she and Kenny would have to speak, and no matter what had happened in the past, he was Jake’s father and she wanted to leave knowing they had buried any acrimony between them.
Kenny slowly disentangled himself from Jake’s arms and, with a glance at Ruby, he nodded encouragingly at Jake. ‘Don’t forget we’ll see each other again soon and you’ve got your room waiting for you. Now, your mum’s right, son. You don’t want to forget to pack Jellybean again.’
Jake’s eyes widened in alarm and with a wobbly, ‘Bye, Dad!’, he turned and scooted up the steps and into the house.
Ruby walked with Kenny down the driveway, and neither of them spoke until they reached his car.
‘How are you doing, Rubes?’ Kenny played with the car keys, his expression unreadable. Before she could answer, he said softly, ‘Jake says you and Griffin aren’t speaking to each other.’
So much for trying to hide things from kids. Although it shouldn’t have come as a shock that Jake would notice she and Griffin hadn’t been near each other in a while, she still felt uncomfortable under Kenny’s probing gaze.
‘The past couple of days have been a lot, and I still need time to process everything,’ she said finally.
Looking troubled, Kenny thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans. ‘For what it’s worth, I deeply regret my part in all this. I don’t want you to leave without knowing how truly sorry I am for the hurt I caused you and Jake. It’s more than I have any right to expect, but I hope one day you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.’
When Ruby bit her lip and said nothing, Kenny nodded in acceptance. ‘Look, I understand you’ve got a lot of thinking to do. Have a safe flight home and thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the chance to know my son. I swear to you that I won’t waste this opportunity to be the father Jake deserves.’
Ruby turned and started to walk towards the house, but after a couple of paces, she looked back. Kenny’s eyes were following her and, seeing the desolation in his expression, she stopped. This time, it was she and Jake who were leaving Kenny, but there were no winners here today, and as she watched him standing alone, Ruby felt a surge of compassion. While Kenny had caused her so much pain, he was also the missing part of Jake that had made her son whole again. MissIda was right; love could also heal, and Ruby’s love for her son gave her the strength to try to heal the rift with his father.
Walking slowly back to him, she looked into his eyes and in that moment felt the weight of the bitterness that had for so long clouded her feelings about him slide away like a heavy cloak dropping from her shoulders.
‘For what it’s worth, Kenny, I don’t think you’re a monster. For a moment, I even wondered if we could find a way back to each other, but then everything I felt when you left us came rushing back. We can’t force ourselves together for the sake of our son because, although it might seem like a good reason, it’s not the right one, so let’s do the right thing. I think it’s time we both let go of the past. You’ve missed so much time with Jake, but I can see how much you love him. I know you want to make up for losttime and we’ll work it out so he comes to you for some holidays. If we communicate honestly with each other, I know we’ll do what’s best for our son.’
Kenny nodded and swallowed hard. His eyes glistened, and seeing the emotion on his face, Ruby knew she was doing what was best for Jake – and for herself. ‘You hurt me, Kenny, I won’t lie. But I forgive you. Ihaveto forgive you, for my own sake and for Jake’s, because he needs you. And you should forgive yourself and move on.’
Kenny held out his arms hesitantly and Ruby moved forward into his embrace, suddenly filled with a sense of lightness. When he released her, she pushed back her braids and looked up at him with a shaky but mischievous smile.
‘MissIda says you’re quite the catch here on Sorrel Island, so it’s probably time you thought about sharing your life with someone special. From what I’ve seen of the ladies here, I don’t think you’ll be single for long if you put your mind to it.’
With a hearty chuckle, Kenny climbed into the car and closed the door. Switching on the engine, he rolled down the window and they gazed at each other, silently acknowledging that the past had finally been buried.
‘Take care of yourself, Rubes,’ Kenny said softly.
‘I will.’ Ruby nodded, her eyes misting over as she thought of all the wasted years. ‘You were wrong about one thing, though, Kenny. Being with you made me happy, and Ididlove you.’
