Island girl

One More night

Much to Paul's frustration, even after the funeral, his attempt to get Alison on her own so he could have a private talk with her, was turning out to be almost impossible.

Her local friends and neighbours remained constant callers, keeping an eye on her to make sure she was alright.

Before he knew it the week had almost gone in, he had only one day left. Now he found himself facing the prospect of leaving the Island without really talking with Alison privately as he had hoped he could do.,

Once more he found himself packing his clothes, wondering if perhaps it was too late to say anything except goodbye, something he was not looking forward to. But he knew he could not put it of any longer.

He didn't really know what to do for the best.

Perhaps it would be easier all round if he just left without seeing her, whilst she was still preoccupied with people calling on her. Then there would be no awkward moments between them. After all she had just lost her grandmother and was feeling low enough, without having to face him and be reminded he was going out of her life as well.

But he wasn't sure if this course of action was just a way to ease his own conscience and guilt, so he didn't have to face her feeling like he was abandoning her in her time of need.

But then she might be upset if he left without saying goodbye, and thinking him cowardly.

In the end he decided to take the bull by the horns.

He walked up to the cottage to see her, not even sure what he was going to say. But much to his dismay and frustration, no one was at home. Then he realised she was more likely be in the village staying with Teresa.

He returned to Harvey's cottage to resume the rest of his packing, wondering gloomily if this was just the way things were meant to be, and he and Alison were just not meant to be together again. He came to the conclusion that under the circumstances, maybe it was for the best after all

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Later that evening, having finished his packing and everything was done, Paul found himself pacing the cottage with a sense of restlessness and the feeling that the cottage walls were closing in on him.

He didn't like being here alone and left with his thoughts.

Between not seeing Alison, and the prospect of going back to his real life the following day, it was making him feel jittery, which was why he decided he needed to get out.

Getting into his car, he decided to take drive around the Island for one last time. It was raining heavily just as bad as the first day he arrived he realised with some irony, but it suited his own stormy mood.

He found himself driving round, revisiting old haunts and places he had been to with Alison, including the small jetty where they had gone fishing.

It was here, under the dull glare of his car headlights, he spotted a familiar lone figure standing on the jetty, that made him get out of his car, He had to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him, because of the rain streaming down his windscreen and the growing darkness around him.

Peering harder as he stood getting soaked, he realised it was not his imagination; there was someone there, and recognising the person's jacket, he realised it was indeed Alison as he had first suspected

She had her back to him, with her arms wrapped around herself, staring out at the restless grey mass of heaving sea in front of her. She seemed totally unaware of his presence as he approached her.