World's Apart

Back To Square One

It had been weeks since she'd left the house. Her mother and sister were the same. Ever since that letter had arrived, a darkness had fell over the house. Nobody laughed anymore and few words were spoken between them. Her fathers body had been flown back from France a few days later and he was buried soon after in the village church grounds.

The army didn't say much; just that her father, Thomas David Dawes, had been killed during the retreat in France. The thought of him laying in pain on a cobbled road in France, without his family around him, broke Ali's heart.

Guilt washed over her too. Her mother was so consumed with her grief that she hadn't even thought to quiz Ali over her whereabouts after the party that night. Ali had been so worried about facing her mothers anger; but now she found herself wishing for the anger, instead of the pain and grief she was drowning in.

Today was the first time she had felt able to go outside for anything other than to visit the shop in town for essentials. 

The evening was closing in around her as the sun began to set, making the sky glow a deep orange colour. Ali found herself walking barefoot along the beach; her sandals clutched in her hand. The sand was cold and hard under her feet and the early winter air whipped in from the sea, blowing her blonde hair about her face.

Ali reached back and fastened her hair into a pony tail. She pulled her dark blue cardigan around her as she sat down on the sand. Hugging her legs to her chest, she watched the sun start to set over the water. As she closed her eyes, she breathed in slowly, taking in the smell of the salty fresh air. The waves washed up the beach and the seagulls over head cawed loudly to each other. 

Sitting here alone now, she wished for Jack's company. He would sit behind her and his strong arms would pull her back to lean against his chest. He would kiss her head and tell her everything will be alright in the end, you'll see. But Jack wasn't here and Ali was all alone.

"Ali," 

She turned her face away from the water to look at him.

James walked towards her slowly, he removed his homburg hat and held it delicately in his hands as he approached her with sympathetic eyes.

"Your mother said I would find you here," 

Ali's expression remains vacant as James sits down on the sand beside her. Neither of them speak for a long time. James clasps his hands and rests them on his knees, watching the waves roll back and forth.

"I'm sorry to hear about your father Ali," he says, turning his head to look at her "I tried to visit sooner but I couldn't reach you,"

Her eyes meet his "It's okay," her voice is thick with sadness. A tear rolled down her cheek; she hadn't even realised she was crying.

James shuffled closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned against him and he rubbed her back.

"Dearest Ali-" he starts to say but he can't find the words to comfort her "Shhh, it'll be okay," he stays rubbing her back for some time as she cries softly against his shoulder.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she croaks wiping her finger under her eye.

James takes his arms from around her and offers her his handkerchief from his shirt pocket. Ali takes it and dabs lightly at her eyes. She offers it back to him but he shakes his head politely.

"You keep it. I think you need it more than me," 

Ali laughs once and tucks the handkerchief underneath her watch strap. 

The sound of her laughter makes James smile. "You have a great laugh Ali. I wish I could hear it more," 

Ali watches him carefully "There isn't much to laugh about these days," 

James shrugs his shoulders "I don't know about that," he looks up and down the beach "Light can be found even in the darkest of places," 

Ali smiles then, his poetic words capturing her.

"I hope you're right," 

As she looks back towards the sea, the sun has nearly fallen below the horizon and the sky above them is now a deep purple colour.

"May I walk you home?" James asks as they both stand.

Ali nods. As they walk across the sand dunes she hugs her arms close as the brisk wind whips at her skin.

"Here," James drapes his smart suit Jacket around her shoulders.

Ali was about to complain but the material warmed her and she pulled the jacket around her "Thank you," 

As the two of them walked the short distance back to her house they fell into light conversation and James spoke of his childhood growing up in the big house on the hill.

"It sounds like a wonderful place," Ali says as they linger at the front gate of her house.

"It is," James nods "You should come and see it one day, mother would be glad for the visit," 

Ali smiles as she takes the jacket from around her shoulder and hands it back to James. "Maybe I will,"

"Thank you James," Ali nods her head towards him as she starts to walk down the path to her front door.

"Miss Ali!" James calls after her, making her turn back around "Might I see you again? he asks.

She tucks the loose strand of hair that has fallen out of the pony tail behind her ear before she speaks again.

"I'd like that very much,"