A Love Like Ours

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I wasn't sure I liked this me. I was all over the place and couldn't do a thing about it. I wasn't sure I wanted Justin's ex Martha designing my wedding gown now. But I couldn't do a thing about that either, not with Janet so clearly having the hots for that blonde piece of fluff.

Why did all things abnormal have to happen to me?

I pounded after my sister, taking the door that exited out into the gardens. I was momentarily bewildered by the bright glow of the morning sun. It was clearly almost noon. I ignored the automatic pang of hunger that knowledge produced and reminded myself that I'd only just had a late breakfast.

I moved forward into the lush green garden. Lawns were well mowed, shrubs and hedges manicured, and there were fountains and Grecian statues also amongst the endless beds of flowers.

Wandering further in, I couldn't help sparing some time looking about and sighing in pure wonder. Taking an excitedly deep, delightful breath of the aromatic air filled with scents of cultivated nature, I forgot my hay fever and broke off into bouts of sneezes.

Retreat was the only course of action now.

With both hands wrapped in a muzzle around my mouth and nose, I turned back in defeat to head back to the house.

"How's the nose?"

"Janet!" I exclaimed her name on a gasp of relief then swung about to wrap her up in my arms. She was the only sister I had, and faults and all, I could only love her.

The firm grip she returned on me was telling, as was the tremble in her limbs.

"Oh, Janet," I sighed again. I hated feeling helpless and had been unfortunate in experiencing more and more of that sorry state for some time now.

"Do you love her? I mean really, really?" I leaned back and set Janet apart. I needed to see her eyes and, searching her blue hues, found what I was looking for even before she said those damning words. I should have known that look was by now too familiar, having seen it in my own dark gaze and Justin's sunnier one.

"She is my world. I have never felt anything like this ever. I can't ever let her go."

I bit my lips to hear her say it anyhow. It still felt too strange to think of Janet with a woman. She might have told me earlier of her inclination towards the fairer sex. At least then it would have all been much easier to understand and less confusing all round. At a loss as to what to say, I pulled her back into a hug and patted her back, not quite so soothingly as I racked my brains on what to do next.

"Let's walk," I huffed out finally. The views here were great even though the noon sun was not the best time to go off wandering. Sunburn and skin cancer aside, it was dehydrating as well.

Janet must have thought of this as a poor idea too because she said, "Okay, but not too far."

I promptly nodded my head. Tucking my arms in under hers, I led the way aimlessly as I studied the horizon. The wind whipped at my hair and my clothing battering against me, making me aware of the sea I could see not far away. I found myself heading in that direction even though I had no plans of actually making it to the edge of the cliff top. The lookout point beckoning at my inner nature lover would have to wait for later to satisfy its curiosity.

Peace invaded my head as we stepped closer to the great views of the expansive ocean. My thoughts fell into alignment. Suddenly, I knew exactly what to say.

"Thank you for sharing with me your feelings about Martha. I am sure she is a great girl, and I am happy for you and happier still that she clearly returns your feelings. Mama will come around. Papa will too. But you must give them time." At this point, I turned to look at her insistently. "You are their favorite. They have always looked up to you—put you on a pedestal for me to follow. They no doubt had some aspirations of your choice of life partner, and I doubt they would have envisaged Martha as your better half. You must know you've shattered any dreams they must have had for you. Give them time to make new dreams. Give them time to share your dreams."