The last day had arrived. Night had passed and the sun was shining. Charity woke earlier than usual and lay staring at the ceiling.
The holiday fun was to come to an end that evening and real life was going to take her away back to The Woolpack kicking and screaming.
Chas had text to say that it was dry but miserable at home and that the family were all looking forward to her and the kids getting back safely, and were wanting to see all the photos of happy memories made in the sun.
She replied with a thumb and tossed her phone aside.
"What are we going to do today?" Noah asked as he roused, still half asleep and rubbing his eyes. Charity shrugged.
They had to finish their packing and check out of the room, then they were in for a long day of hanging around, just waiting to go to the airport.
"You can do whatever you want" Charity replied when she noticed Noah was waiting for an answer.
"I was thinking about going out to the shops and spending the last of my money. I have around fifty euros left. I might get a handbag" Sarah mentioned casually as she applied a layer of suncream.
"I have sixty euros left" Noah teased, always trying to one-up his niece.
Sarah pulled a face but continued getting ready without a fight, which Charity was grateful for.
The whole day was going to feel like a lead balloon for her.
On one hand she was looking forward to catching the last rays of sun before returning to the windy dales, but knowing that the last day of the holiday was also the last day she was going to get with Vanessa was overriding everything else.
She thought that if she stayed curled up in bed that she could pretend none of that was going to happen, but that was wishful thinking and there was a lot to put away before breakfast so she needed to get a shift on.
Once all her clothes and accessories were packed and any remaining liquids were put in the bin, Charity zipped up her suitcase, only leaving out a warm jumper and her trainers to wear home.
Moses was feeling generous and decided he was going to gift his pool toys before they left and was making it his mission to seek out a child who he deemed worthy to receive them, only after he'd played with them one last time himself, though.
Before the fun of the last day could begin, their stomachs were calling out to be fed, and as they'd done for most days that week, the two families met in the lobby so that they could eat together.
As the Dingle's stepped out of the elevator, Charity's first instinct was to look for Vanessa, who was found sitting silently in an armchair, staring into space. As the commotion of their noisy arrival alerted her to her surroundings, Vanessa turned to face Charity, but her smile was small and weighed down by a sadness that only the two of them could feel.
Charity blinked ferociously to keep her emotion at bay and plastered on a fake grin that covered up all of her true feelings.
"Good Morning," She announced cheerily.
Tracy grinned back at her. "Someone's in a good mood" she breathed, cocking her head in silent questioning as to why.
"Yeah, well, it's another glorious day in Majorca, might as well make the most of it. It's miserable and grey at home" Charity groaned, dragging her heavy suitcase to a halt at her side.
"Isn't it always?" Tracy replied, rolling her eyes. "We've already checked out. There's a room just over there where you can store your cases. You have to pay a euro per case but you get it back when you leave" she blabbered on.
Charity only half paid attention as she tried to catch Vanessa's eye.
"Our transfer is picking us up just after midday" Vanessa breathed, trying her hand at false positivity.
Charity's smile instantly fell from her face as she scrambled to check her watch.
"What? That's only three hours from now".
She felt sick.
Vanessa's eyes glazed over as she watched Charity try to remain calm.
"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed" Tracy announced, groaning in delight at the thought of stretching out under the comfort of her silk sheets, whilst Charity and Vanessa stared at one another in silence, their sad faces doing all the talking.
Sarah glanced at Noah, noticing their exchange and nudged him.
"Moses wants to go to the beach to collect shells before we leave, we said we'd take him after breakfast. Johnny can come with us too, if you like?" Sarah smiled, ruffling the little boy's hair, looking up at Noah to back her up.
The teens knew that Charity and Vanessa were going to need some time to themselves this morning, and now that Vanessa had dropped the bombshell that they were leaving earlier than the rest of them, whisking the little ones off would give them some childfree time to come to terms with the end of their holiday romance.
Johnny was still on the shy side but nodded enthusiastically at the invitation.
"Wow, what do you say Johnny?" Vanessa coaxed, giving her blessing for the two little boys to have a last hour together before they had to say goodbye.
"Yes, please" Johnny smiled, jamming his fingers into his mouth to hide behind his contagious smile.
"Alright, now how about you go dump your stuff in a locker and we go and grab something to eat before there's nothing left but cold beans and veggie sausages?" Tracy suggested, jumping to her feet and patting her growling stomach, completely oblivious to the strained atmosphere before her eyes.
Charity nodded and smiled as Noah took her suitcase and began wheeling it to the hold room across the lobby.
Charity couldn't stomach breakfast. She spent most of the half an hour that they were all seated just pushing food around her plate. When Tracy asked why she wasn't eating, she told her that she was a nervous traveller and that she would eat later.
Vanessa ate a round of toast and sipped at a weak tea, all while ensuring that Johnny ate his fair share of bacon and eggs because they wouldn't be eating again until they landed back in England.
Noah raced the boys to the front door of the hotel soon after, running off in fits of giggles as Sarah played mother and huffed and puffed while carrying a beach bag of towels and the last of the sun cream as she followed behind them.
The three adult women watched as the kids disappeared across the road and onto the beach.
"Have I told you how glad I am that we met?" Tracy asked Charity as she took her arm and dragged her away from the door. "If it weren't for you lot I'd have probably spent too much time with my sister and fallen out with her by now" She chuckled, imagining the different scenarios that would have led to her and Vanessa arguing over pointless things and tantrums in the sun.
"I'm glad we met too" Charity replied, though she kept her eyes on Vanessa as she spoke, her words meant especially for her.
Vanessa sighed and hugged her own arms for comfort.
"So, what now?" She asked, wondering what they were going to do with themselves for the remainder of their time left together at the hotel.
"Well, I was thinking of getting a massage. I've been downstairs for a nose at the beauty parlour and it looks dead relaxing. I think it would be a good wind down. It's women who do it, though, unfortunately, but if we all close our eyes we could imagine some strong Spanish hunks pouring baby oil all over our skin" Tracy rambled on. "Although, you might enjoy it as is" She added, joking at Charity's expense.
"I was actually thinking of going for a walk. We're going to be cooped up inside the airport for a couple of hours, soon enough, and with my lot nagging about how long it's going to be before we board, I'll need a clear head so that I don't throttle them" She replied, trying to be light hearted about the situation.
"You sure I can't tempt you with a beautiful sinorita, running her hands over you? You never did get that holiday romance, maybe you could get a happy ending today" Tracy laughed, throwing in a cheeky wink.
"Tracy, inappropriate" Vanessa scolded her as the idea alone filled her with a jealous rage.
"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. We're all adults here" Tracy scoffed, holding her hands up in surrender.
"It's fine" Charity breathed, too stressed to bite back how she normally would have.
"Tell you what, Trace, you go and have your massage and I'll go for a stroll with Charity, then we'll meet you out by the bar for a drink before the coach comes" Vanessa suggested.
"Sounds like a plan" Tracy grinned, then she threw her handbag over her shoulder and tottered off towards the parlour on the ground floor.
Charity took Vanessa by the hand and entwined their fingers together before leading her out into the street.
Together, they walked in silence until they reached the opening to a path belonging to a trail that led up into the mountains.
The road ahead was mostly deserted and the only people in direct proximity to them were an older couple in hiking boots and a young man on a bicycle.
Birds chirped from the trees that caused them to walk in shadow with a cool breeze at their backs. It was nice to be out of direct sunlight but still warm enough to appreciate the climate.
Charity had thrown on her trainers, a pair of baggy grey shorts and a white t-shirt. Her sweater was tied around her waist while her hair hung limply from a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck.
She and Vanessa looked very much opposites as the latter had donned a yellow cotton dress and sandals, with a denim jacket draped over the bag that hung from her shoulder.
It made Charity realise just how different they were.
Charity took her in her sights and smiled.
Vanessa was the definition of sunshine but cloudy thoughts of parting took away from her usual glow.
She squeezed her hand before finally letting go.
"So," She said, not really knowing what she wanted to say out loud.
"So," Vanessa echoed, shrugging and looking up at her.
"It's been quite a week"
"Quite" Vanessa replied.
The vibe between them was teetering on awkwardness and Charity didn't want it to swarm them and keep them in silence as they strolled aimlessly down the gravelly path.
"I can't believe you're deserting me in two hours" She breathed, elbowing Vanessa and hoping to liven the atmosphere between them.
"Deserting you? We both knew this day was coming"
"Yeah, but I assumed we'd be going at the same time. Catching the same flight"
"Sadly not," Vanessa replied.
"Well, there goes my chances of joining the mile high club"
Vanessa shook her head.
"I can't believe we didn't know each other this time last week"
"I know. And there I thought I was going to have a relatively quiet holiday with my family"
"To be fair, you were never going to get that with Tracy in tow" Charity joked.
Vanessa finally smiled.
"I suppose that's true. But I doubt you'd have had a much quieter time without me"
"You're kidding? I'd have let my lot go off anywhere they wanted as soon as they started to get on my nerves"
"But only seeing them at breakfast would have been so lonely-" Vanessa began, giving up on the rest of her sentence as Charity jabbed her in the ribs.
"Is that how you see me? Single mum to too many and desperate to be shot of them?"
"No,- I didn't mean it like that" Vanessa smirked, now that she'd finally gotten used to Charity's sarcastic humour.
Charity laughed.
"They've actually not been that bad. I can't fault them this week, they've been on their best behaviour."
"Yeah. It's been so nice seeing Johnny making friends, too. He's always been so shy. I was worried he'd be a bit of a loner in life, but I don't think I need to worry about that anymore. He really took to Moses and came out of his shell. Now, it just seems a shame to part them. Maybe they can be pen pals? I used to write to the friends I made on holiday all the time when I was a kid. For a few weeks at least, before they stopped replying"
Charity stopped walking and turned to Vanessa, who looked up at her expectantly.
"Maybe we could be pen pals?" She suggested. "I could write to you on weekends about how the kids are doing my head in. Or how much I miss seeing you sauntering around in that bikini I like so much"
"You'd just take the opportunity to sext me with pen and paper" Vanessa scoffed.
"Yeah, the good old fashioned way of flirting. It's making a comeback don't you know?"
"Mhm," Vanessa breathed as Charity wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her in. "And what happens when the summer holidays are over and you forget about me just like the rest of my friends used to?"
"I could never forget about you".
With those words uttered, Charity planted a soft kiss on Vanessa's lips and held her close.
A middle aged woman whipped by with her head down as the two of them made out in the middle of the path, too lost in one another to give a second thought to their surroundings.
Life was going to part them soon enough, so nothing else was going to stand in their way during the time that they had left.
Charity kissed passionately, saying her goodbyes with her lips.
She knew when the real time for goodbye came that she wouldn't be able to get the words out. And in front of their families, she wouldn't be able to say what she really wanted to, either way. So the kiss had to say it for her.
Vanessa melted into her arms as she slipped her tongue into her mouth and moaned lightly.
She was teetering on her tiptoes, trying to get as close to Charity as gravity would allow without physically jumping up into her arms.
Charity held her tight, her fingertips pressing hard into her lower back, paling her skin at her touch.
But eventually, they acknowledged that they had to part and get back to the hotel as time ticked by, unwilling to wait for them.
And so they stole one last desperate kiss. And as Charity held on, trying with all her might to let go of her without breaking down, she took in Vanessa's scent and tried to commit to memory her height. How the top of her head was at the perfect distance to lay a kiss upon. She wanted to remember just how perfectly their bodies moulded together, how soft her skin felt under her clothes, the feel of their palms together, their fingers entwined. Most of all she wanted to remember how Vanessa truly made her feel. Alive.
On the way to the hotel they bumped into the kids who were making their own way back from the beach.
Johnny and Moses had collected a dozen shells each and planned to give them out as presents when they got home. Sarah had found a pretty pink one with a hole in it that was the perfect size to slip onto a chain. Noah on the other hand had found a smooth, palm sized rock that he'd decided was worth keeping and planned to use it as a paper weight, even though he had no use for a paper weight at all. But the kids were happy.
Charity only wished their happiness could transfer into her as she dragged herself along to the poolside, drowning in emotions that were close to slipping out into the open.
Tracy was glowing and so relaxed that she was almost dozing off near the bar. Her glass was half empty and her skin was bronzed and shining.
"Oh, you're back" She smiled as she felt a shadow loom over her.
"Look what we got" Moses boomed as he and Johnny emptied their shell filled pockets.
"This one is for you" Johnny told her as he presented his auntie with a delicate purple shell.
"Oh, wow. Thank you" Tracy beamed, kissing each boy on the head as they giggled and squirmed but did nothing to get away from her.
Vanessa pulled out two chairs and sat in one as Charity flopped down into the other. Their knees touching.
Sarah and Noah went to the bar to get themselves a coke and some crisps, as Charity anxiously checked the time.
Quarter to twelve.
"How was your walk?" Tracy asked, not really interested in hearing the answer as she soaked up her final few minutes of sun.
"Yeah, it was nice," Vanessa replied.
Tracy had closed her eyes. Vanessa only had eyes for Charity, who was looking back at her as if she was the only person in the world.
"I hate to say it but we should probably get a shift on, shouldn't we?" Tracy sighed, re-opening one eye and squinting as she adjusted to the light as she took off her sunglasses and popped them onto her head.
"I suppose" Vanessa muttered. "I'll go get the bags",
Charity swallowed around a lump that was forming in her throat.
"I'll help you" she offered, immediately climbing to her feet to follow after Vanessa.
In the privacy of the storage room, amongst a dozen suitcases and backpacks, Vanessa slinked into Charity's arms.
"Don't you start crying, you'll get mascara on my top" Charity joked, trying her best not to let her own tears slip.
"Don't flatter yourself" Vanessa replied, pretending she was fine as she buried her face deeper into Charity's neck.
They held onto one another for one last time, then broke apart abruptly as the door handle pressed down and opened to reveal Tracy in the doorway, mid yawn and scratching her head with the arm of her sunglasses.
"Coach just pulled up" She announced.
Charity placed a delicate finger against Vanessa's lower back, all she could do now that they weren't alone.
Vanessa froze and leaned into it for a moment longer before finally pushing forward.
Tracy put her arms around everyone, kissing each of them on the cheek as she said goodbye.
Johnny hugged Moses, then Charity, before Tracy helped him onto the coach.
"It was so nice to meet you two, and you Moses" Vanessa said to the kids with a big smile.
Then they too hugged and said goodbye.
"Come on Moses, let's get an ice cream" Sarah suggested, taking his little hand to drag him away to distract him as the driver switched on the engine.
Vanessa and Charity stood staring at one another for the last time.
"I don't know what to say" Vanessa whimpered, her voice catching in the back of her throat.
"You don't have to say anything," Charity replied, trying her best to smile through the pain. "I wish we'd booked a fortnight," She joked. Though she meant it.
Vanessa laughed and tucked that oh-so-familiar lock of hair behind her ear.
Charity swallowed hard, then leaned in and gave Vanessa a hug, short and not too personal, unlike all of the others they had shared, as she felt the eyes of the passengers lingering on them, waiting for Vanessa to climb aboard.
"I've had the best time with you" Vanessa whispered into her ear.
Charity held her breath and gripped onto her tighter before forcing herself to let go.
"You have a safe flight, alright?" she whimpered, before her bottom lip could start trembling.
"You too" Vanessa replied, then she turned and climbed the steep steps of the bus and found her seat.
Charity stepped away from the curb and waited, watching as the doors closed and the coach pulled off into the street.
Johnny waved from the window.
Then, once they were out of sight, Charity finally allowed the tears to fall.
The kids were paddling their feet in the pool when Charity found them again.
She stood and watched them from a distance, listening to their carefree giggling as her heart broke.
Juan was at the bar, as usual, but he looked different.
As Charity rubbed her eyes and sniffled, she was taken aback by his new look.
"What do you think?" He asked as Charity's eyes fell upon his freshly shaven face.
His eyebrows were still overcrowded and bushy with thick black hair, but his giant moustache was nowhere to be seen.
"What do 'You' think?" She asked him back, not sure what she made of this strange alteration to a face she'd come to know.
"Well, I kept hearing 'cut it off', 'cut it off, you don't need it. It's too much upkeep'. So, I did, I cut it off,"
"And?"
"And, now that it's gone, I wish I didn't do it. I regret it. I liked my moustache. But the good news is, it will grow back, so really it's no harm done"
"If it made you happy, why would you listen to negativity? You should have kept it. Cutting it off? That's just stupid" Charity breathed, a little dumbfounded and overwhelmed.
Juan nodded, taking on board her words and advice.
"You let go of something you liked today, too" he mentioned as he began pouring the vodka and lemonade that had become Charity's usual over the past few days.
Charity glared up at him, but didn't hit him with a warning or a witty comeback. She just stayed quiet, realising that the whole conversation up until now, had been a warm up to whatever it was he really wanted to say.
And she found that she actually wanted to hear it.
"All week, I've been standing here and I've seen two families come together as one. And now, they part again. But, it can't be like before, because each has a little of the other in their hearts."
Juan paused and handed over the drink, but before he let Charity take the glass from him he took her free hand in his.
"You like Vanessa, no? She made you happy?" he asked.
Charity nodded, very slightly.
"Then why do you cut her off?"
"Because! Because, we're different people from different worlds and I don't want her to see me for what I really am. So, it could never work in real life. Relationships have never worked out for me in the past. Why should they now?"
"Ah, negativity. You listen to it too. You are a hypocrite. I had a feeling you were going to be a hypocrite"
Charity gave him a stern look but he continued talking before she could defend herself.
"Listen to me. You cut off what makes you happy, you're going to regret it, just like me. And in your own words 'that's just stupid',"
Charity snatched the drink and turned to walk away, but before she could get very far she turned back, caught Juan's eye and nodded.
The seven o'clock flight back to Leeds Bradford Airport, was boarding and running on schedule.
Charity and the kids took to their seats in the sixth row and strapped themselves in tight whilst listening to the safety demonstration.
The sun was still shining outside, but the plane was cool.
Moses happily watched an old downloaded cartoon on his tablet as the plane ascended into the sky. Sarah and Noah both had their headphones on and were listening to vastly different genres of music, whilst Charity sat quietly with her thoughts and stared out of the window.
Vanessa would have landed by now and was probably already home.
She wondered if she was on her mind, the way Vanessa was on hers.
She wondered how long it would take for her to stop thinking about their holiday romance.
How long it would be before her name didn't come to mind as easily as it did now.
She wondered if Vanessa would forget her eye colour and her wavy hair and the way it felt to be curled up beside one another.
She wondered if Tracy had had any suspicions about their relationship and whether Vanessa would lie to her and say that nothing had happened, that she meant nothing to her.
She wondered how far from the truth that would be if she did.
But no matter how much she doubted her worth to Vanessa, she grew more aware of her own truth.
Charity replayed every moment they spent together.
She recalled the memory of their meeting.
She pictured Vanessa's bright blue eyes, her yellow bikini.
She smiled at the memory of their 'almost kiss' as they were drenched by a gallon of cold water.
She thought about making out with her in the toilets.
She thought about touching her in the bedroom.
She thought of the ache in her stomach when they'd rowed.
And she thought about the way they'd held onto one another that very morning.
She thought about it all and she remembered it all, and she knew she always would because it had finally happened. It may have taken forty years but Charity Dingle had finally fallen in love, and it was beautiful.
And it hurt.