Nothing Compares To You

Happy Again

They watched him walk away in silence. It was almost as if the previous thirty-odd minutes had been some sort of surreal tv drama. Not the three of them, intimidating and ultimately scaring the life out of a real person.

Simon nudged Joe. "Come on, let's pack up and leave these two in peace. Think they need the space, don't you?"

Tom turned, "Would you like to stay for a nightcap? We'd love you to stay - wouldn't we darling?"

Debbie turned and nodded. "Absolutely, it would be lovely?" She reached out and grasped Joe's hand.

Simon smiled at them, "thanks, that's genuinely a kind and generous thought. But no, it's late - or is it early? Why don't we make it tomorrow or is that today?" They all smiled.

"Tomorrow would be great, see you about 7.30?" Tom put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "Red or White?"

"Mmmm, red, please!" They exhanged a smile, and Tom nodded. "Look forward to it."

Simon and Joe gathered up all their stuff, and before another ten minutes had passed, they were gone.

Tom closed her door and turned back to see her standing in the kitchen looking out to the darkened back garden.

He walked up and circled her with his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Penny for them?"

"Oh, just thinking, how lucky I am? Even after all this time and all the tears and sadness, you're still here for me?"

"I told you, didn't I?"

She turned in his arms, threading hers around his waist. "Tell me again?" She whispered softly. "Please?"

"I love you. I have always and will always love you." He looked down at her. "I just want a chance to show you that I am worthy of another chance. I love you. I can't recall a single day when I didn't think about you. A single moment when I didn't draw breath without wondering if you ever thought about me." He raised a hand and gently stroked her cheek. "There wasn't a night where my last thought wasn't of you and a morning where my eyes didn't miss seeing your beautiful face as they opened."

Her face was awash with tears as she listened.

"Darling, I know I have so much to make up to you. I want to show you I am the same man you fell in love with but so very different too. This, being here for you, was just the start. I would do ANYTHING to keep you safe. Go anywhere, be anyone you need me to be. Just as long as you need me, darling." He bent and rested his forehead against hers. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course." She whispered, barely holding it together.

"I kept it. All this time. I kept it."

"What?"

"This..." he pulled a hand away and reached into his pocket for his wallet. Pulling it, he handed it to her, and she looked at him, puzzled.

"Your wallet?"

He smiled softly, "No silly. Open it." She carefully pulled the little tab and unfolded it. Inside was the usual billfold section and credit card slots. The worn brown leather was as soft as butter under her fingers. The smell of the leather a beautiful echo of days in his arms as he wore their favourite leather jacket.

"Ok?"

"Now, the little coin section. Open it."

Her hands were shaking now, she fumbled it and he took her hand and covered it with his own. Standing there, encased in his arms and his love, they just looked at each other. Taking a breath, she nodded, and he released her hand.

Carefully, she undid the little stud closure. Pulling gently, she felt inside with her finger, their eyes locked. Her heart pounded, and she realised there were no coins. There was, however, something much more precious.

Her breath hitched, and she gasped, tearing her eyes away. She looked down as she extracted the contents. Shiny. Precious. Gold. His - their - wedding ring.

"Oh my God." She whispered, looking back up at him. "It's... your... our..." she could barely speak, her lip wobbling uncontrollably.

"Yes, my darling. I always believed I would find you again. Always knew my heart would find you. " he stooped and took the ring. "One day, I hope to prove I am worthy of replacing this. I don't feel I am yet. One day I will. Let me try?"

"Oh, Tom!" She cried and pulled him into a breathless kiss. As their lips met, she tasted not just her tears. Pulling back, she saw he was crying, too. His beautiful eyes awash every bit as much as hers.

Silently, she pulled out of his arms and walked out into the hall. Holding out a hand, she waited. He slipped the ring back into his wallet and joined her, taking her hand.

"My turn to show you something darling." She said softly. They walked down to the little cupboard at the end of the small hall. Opening the door, she pulled him close. The little cottage had, being so old, virtually no storage. Instead, what extra stuff she had was shoehorned into her suitcase and stowed here . The rest of her stuff would be FedEx'd over soon enough.

Pulling it out, she laid it on the floor and opened it. Rifling through the contents, she pulled out a manilla envelope. Roughly A4, it was dogeared and a little grubby around the edges.

Standing up, she left the case where it was and wandered back into the living room.

Tom watched her, fascinated. She sat on the little sofa, looking as delicately beautiful as he could ever remember. If the room.was old world charm, then Debbie was the living embodiment of old world beauty.

She patted the sofa. "Sit down. There is something you need to see. I think it might help."

He sat down carefully, their knees touching as he turned to face her. She smiled and handed him the envelope.

"Open it, darling." She said softly.

He carefully pulled the flap out and extracted a bundle of paper. Examining each one, he saw newspaper cuttings, magazine articles, and reviews. His career from the moment they'd met until now. She'd kept it all. His jaw dropped, and his eyes widened when he picked out one particular item. A theatre programme. From New York.

"You - you came? To see me?" His voice was barely audible, his eyes barely able to see. She nodded.

"Yes." She breathed. "I have always been your biggest supporter. Always. There's just one more thing you need to see. The white envelope. Open it."

He rifled the remaining papers and came to a small, white, sealed envelope. It had two words on the front. 'Perfect Day."

His hand shook as he ran his finger along the seal, pulling it open. His eyes flitted from her face to the envelope and back. Now, after years of waiting, she could show him. She bit her lip and waited.

She didn't look down. She didn't need to. She knew what his eyes were currently struggling to see through the tears. His expression slowly changed from fear to disbelief to joy.

"These? You kept these? All this time?" His voice shook with emotion, and he looked up at her. "Your perfect day?"

"Yes, darling. I sealed it so that I would have it forever. I never dared to hope I would get another. Now, I can open it. I have that perfect day again." She smiled, and his heart sang.

"Oh my God. I love you. " As he took her in his arms and kissed her, the envelope fell onto the floor along with the contents. A strip of 3 photobooth photos, one seemingly cut off. Tom and Debbie. From their day by the sea. Their perfect day.

As he carried her to bed, he picked the photos off the floor and dropped them on the table. It would be several hours before they saw them again.

Reconciliation wasn't something to be rushed...