Where You Are

Windsor

Jesse

I was back in London at my parents' house for Sunday lunch.

Alone.

Again.

And it wasn't even Sunday, it was Friday, but I was working the weekend, so we were doing it today.

Part of me wished I hadn't used up all my holiday time on the honeymoon, that way I could just be with her while she waited for permission to move to England. But then I got to thinking about it and decided I wouldn't trade our honeymoon for anything. I could be patient. Probably not for much longer, the waiting was killing me. I'd made sure she kept her mobile on the entire trip, but each day had passed without a single phone call or email from the British Consulate. I'd been so certain that by the time we were separated again, she would at least have her appointment for her interview.

Maybe we ought to have waited before getting married. Just knowing I had a wife and couldn't be with her was torture. But then I'd speak to her on the telephone and she'd remind me that we would have had to have proof of a two-year relationship for her to get permission to come to the UK otherwise. Plus, she was qualified to work a job where there were shortages in England. She'd seemed confident that would speed the process along even more.

It hadn't helped that Billy had rang the day I'd returned to London alone to share the happy news that Lucy was pregnant again. I was happy for him, I really was. But it was really hard seeing everyone moving along in life where I was stuck indefinitely. I tired to sound excited on the phone for him, and I was pretty sure he wouldn't have known any better.

Or, at least for a few more weeks.

'Uncle Jesse?' Ella approached my chair and rested her head on my shoulder, as if she knew that I was having a difficult time.

'Yes, poppet?' I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

'Did you really marry Aunt Birgitta?' She asked.

'Yeah,' I scoffed and showed her my hand with the plain, gold band on it. 'See? I've got the wedding ring and everything. Why d'you ask?'

'Because when people get married, they get to live together,' she went on. 'And you aren't living with Aunt Birgitta, so I think you're only joking.'

'Ella!' Stuart and Liz both hissed at her while my heart clenched involuntarily and I felt like I was going to vomit.

'And you said that I could be your flower girl at your wedding,' she went on.

'Ella, that's enough!' Liz scolded her.

I was struck dumb, not expecting this attack out of nowhere.

'Come here, petal,' Mum gestured for Ella. She left me in favour of Mum and I was relieved. I was having a hard enough time holding it together as it was without my own niece questioning the validity of my marriage.

Mum pulled Ella up into her lap and kissed the top of her head.

'You're right, when two people get married, they do get to live together,' she explained patiently. 'But it's a little different for Uncle Jesse because Aunt Birgitta lives all the way in Canada, which is a completely different country. Do you remember when you had to get your photo taken for your passport so we could all go to Spain?'

'Yeah,' Ella nodded slowly. 'Does Aunt Birgitta need to get a passport?'

'Sort of,' Mum answered patiently. 'You need a passport to travel to a different country, but you need something called a visa if you want to live in a different country, and that takes time to apply for. So, right now, Aunt Birgitta has applied for her visa and needs to wait for England to tell her she's allowed to come.'