Our Bruised Bodies | Bradley Bradshaw

ACT FOUR - PART TWENTY-ONE

Cheers!

<><><>

"What are you doing over here?" Bradley asked as he joined Grace, who was sitting further back in the yard under the shades of an old Oaktree, on a bench. A camera in her hands with which they've taken wedding pictures and a lot of snap shots about the gathering in a whole. She had just been looking at their wedding pictures, deciding on a favourite, which she would frame and present their parents with, so they could hang it up on their living room wall. Just as all the major milestones.

"Just thinking." Grace told him, lowering the camera, to smile at him. The sun was setting right behind him, giving his hair a certain golden glow, reminding Grace of the many times, she had watched Bradley walking on an airfield, the sun in his hair, making him glow with it.

She was sure he missed it, she surely missed the sight of him, wearing his aviators and his flight suite, walking down the tarmac with a certain swag in his steps.

The moment Bradley took a seat right next to her, Grace moved to rest her head on his shoulder, looking over to the oval table where their uncles and parents were still mostly sitting, now snacking on the wedding cake they've cut a while ago and having some drinks while catching up.

"Are you happy?" Bradley asked out of the blue, his eyes on their family too, before he turned slightly, his eyes now on Grace, who looked up at him.

"Yeah." She breathed out after another moment, which had Bradley return his gaze to the oval table.

"It's alright. We'll work on it." He assured her while reaching out to settle his hand over hers, only for them to intervene their fingers, their rings shining proudly in the setting sun.

Bradley was reading the truth, as if it was written on her face. He knew Grace her entire life already, it was hard to not read what was written in the same language he was raised in. The only language he had known for so long.

"It's not about you." Grace muttered, noting how calm Bradley was despite the conversation they were having right in that moment, about four hours after they got married.

She should be happy, she knew that. Every bride oathed to be. For where was the point in getting married when it brought no happiness, but that wasn't the case, it's not like it brought her no happiness, it also wasn't that she was unhappy. It was just not quite enough to take her mind off all those other things going on.

"As lame as it sounds. I think it's just about life. So much is going on right now that I... I'm not unhappy. And I love you more than I ever thought I would ever love someone." Grace swore, reaching out with the fingers of her free hand to gently turn Bradley's head towards her, her fingertips feathery light against his chin, but he allowed her to do as she pleased, turning to face her.

"I'm not angry. I don't need you to justify yourself." Her husband told her, offering more patience and understanding than Grace felt she deserved, but that was always the case with Bradley. It had never been any other way.

"I have the rest of our life to make you happy." Bradley told her before lightly kissing the corner of her mouth.

"I am happy." Grace argued, which caused Bradshaw to pull back and give her a sceptical look. Or maybe it was more of a warning, to not to lie to him, just to make him comfortable. "I mean with you I am happiest. I'm just struggling with the rest a bit right now. So much is going on I'm worried about."

"I know." The older aviator allowed. For he was aware of all the things plaguing his wife's mind. "We will work it out." The promise came easily, while Grace worried that some things might be too intervened to ever work them out fully.