The Firefighter

Chapter 12 - Engagement

Oliver took over a year to fully get over the passing of Sandy and still remembered her strongly in his memories. Charlotte had been around to visit a few times and when Oliver felt ready, they cleaned out Sandy's things and gave them to local charities.

In the meantime, Jimmy and Jane had fallen in love and Jimmy proposed to her, with a sapphire ring, which was her favourite stone. They held a medium-sized engagement party, with Spanish dancers for entertainment. Oliver and Charlotte sat next to each other to watch the show.

A year after their engagement, Jimmy and Jane got married in their local church. Charlotte was very generous to Jimmy and paid for much of the wedding. After the honeymoon, Jimmy and Jane returned to the sheep farm and Charlotte gave them the larger farmhouse to live in. She decided to live in the smaller farmhouse as she didn't need much anymore, being single again.

Charlotte's three children also came to visit her frequently on the farm and brought along her grandchildren. She was never lonely with so much activity going on around her. One of her grandchildren had decided to become a farm vet and Charlotte helped her with the years of studies required to get through the University course.

Charlotte felt a sense of inner piece except for a hole in her heart, where she still felt her love for Oliver as an empty black hole. Now that he was free of any wives or relationships, they remained friends and she couldn't see how they could take their relationship further. She wanted a physical and spiritual relationship with Oliver, but he didn't seem ready for it.

Jane asked Charlotte with help to ready the nursery for the twins that she was preparing for. When Jimmy had found out that he was about to become a father, he had jumped up and down with excitement. On the day of the scanning at the hospital, the nurse had noticed two beating hearts and she had given the good news to the couple. Jane felt a little worried about the imminent birth but was assured that she could have a caesarian if she couldn't give natural birth to the twins.

When the day arrived that Jane's water broke, she was at the dam on the farm and Charlotte ran out to her and put her arm around Jane's shoulder and accompanied her to the car. Jimmy drove carefully but fearfully to the hospital and the twins were born healthily, a boy and a girl. They were non-identical twins but still had much in common personality-wise.

Charlotte became the doting, honorary grandmother to the twins. She was often wanted for her baby-sitting skills. Sometimes Oliver would come out to the sheep farm and they would sit around the fireside, with one of the twins on each of their laps and play with the babies. Charlotte valued these magical times of sharing her life with the people around her. The twins were growing up fast and able to walk before they turned one year old.

While Oliver was looking after one of the twins, he tripped over one of their toys and landed awkwardly, hitting his head on the side of a wooden table. Blood gushed from his wound and Charlotte called an ambulance. She accompanied him to the hospital.