Making Jane Proud

Chapter 43 - Red is for A New Life

In the few days left to them they spent as much time as possible with both families though they did check into a hotel so they would at least have some privacy, where Tom lavished Ellie with love and attention, both passionate and sweet, determined she would know just how much he adored being her husband. Without the need to be back in the UK for New Year, he changed his flight plans to accompany her to India and spend another week before he had to return for his next filming commitment.

They made a large and noisy group at the airport, as those travelling – all of them on the same flight to Auckland, where they would then split into a London contingent and an India contingent – bade farewell to those staying behind. Tom was hugged warmly by his new family and reminded he'd promised to visit when he came out to Australia in April for the premiere of Thor. Ellie was in tears at leaving her family after such a short but emotionally packed visit and had to be practically dragged away as the last call for their flight was announced, promising to travel home again before the year was out. She continued to weep in Tom's arms through take-off but her tears finally stilled once they were airborne.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm so emotional. It feels harder to leave them now than it did when I originally left to go to London," she hiccupped as Sarah, sitting behind them with her mother, passed over some tissues.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, darling," Tom assured her, rubbing her arm and kissing her hair as she dried her tears. "It's perfectly understandable."

"How on earth am I going to cope when you have to leave? Oh god, Tom, this is supposed to be getting easier, not more difficult."

"We managed before and we'll manage now too, love. We'll Skype, talk, text and email just like we've been doing and one of us will jump on a plane whenever possible. You're not sorry we got married, are you?"

She looked at his face, so apprehensive, and immediately sought to put his mind at ease. "No, love, of course not."

Taking his face in her hands, she pulled him towards her but before their lips could touch Emma, sitting across the aisle from Tom, said loudly, "Oh lord, if you two are going to carry on like newlyweds the whole flight, I'm swapping seats with mum so I don't have to watch." Her entire family promptly shushed her.

"May I remind you, baby sister, that we are in fact newlyweds and therefore entitled to carry on as such as much as we like," Tom pointed out.

Emma rolled her eyes at her brother then turned to Ellie. "Please tell me you're younger than I am so I'm not the baby any more."

Ellie smiled, replying, "Sorry Emma," and shaking her head, "I'm a couple of years ahead of you." To which Emma groaned, then again louder when her father told her she'd always be his baby girl, no matter how old she got, a sentiment echoed by her mother. Emma flopped back in her seat in exasperation, everyone else chuckling softly.

"Well, now that that's settled," Ellie murmured to Tom, "where were we, husband?"

"I believe you were about to kiss me, wife." His blue eyes sparkled into her green ones.

"So I was," she said, and promptly did so.

---

They parted ways in Auckland; James, Emma and Diana bound for London and Sarah, Tom and Ellie flying to Singapore where they would then take separate routes to India. Just as in Christchurch there were many hugs of farewell and urges to visit as soon as possible.

"My dear, come visit us any time," Diana told Ellie, "even when Tom's away filming – if you just want to be with family, we're here for you." Moved again to tears, Ellie thanked her and promised she would come at the end of term break if she could.