They knew the end of all this waiting would come eventually, but not knowing when made the wait seem unbearable.
It was worse during a case. She was sensitive to this, and he took advantage. Instead of reaching for the whiskey bottle, he began to reach for her, pulling her into his arms whenever she was near.
Every day she would say or do something that caught him off guard…and he realized he had never stopped falling in love with her. He didn't think he ever would.
Despite everything they had gone through, he counted himself lucky. She could have remarried. She could have stayed in Adelaide. She could have decided he was not worth the trouble and heartache he had caused her.
He was not a modest man. He knew he was intelligent, a talented doctor, and he knew the work he did with the police was invaluable. He also knew by the way most women reacted to him that he had some appeal physically and a kind of charm. But Jean knew him. All of him. She had seen him at his worst more times than he cared to remember. Why had she allowed herself to fall for him?
One night, months into their wait, he had begun to despair that the divorce would ever come through. She came to him as if bidden and sat in his lap, draping her arms around his neck. He had been on the verge of tears, and the sight of her sweet face so close to him nearly broke him. As she read his face, her hands slid down to his chest, but she didn't speak. He took her hand and placed it over his heart. He pressed it to his chest and told her that he wished she could feel the depth and breadth of the love he felt for her. He broke then, and she held him close until they had no more tears left to shed.
Not long after this, she came to his bedroom and told him that she would give herself to him. He pulled her close and looked into her eyes. He asked if she could without feeling any guilt or shame afterward. She couldn't answer. He told her he did not want to be the cause of any more pain. They slept together that night. She under the covers, he over them, holding her tight. This would have to be enough.
Months later, he found a large envelope in the post. He sought her out and led her back to the couch. She sat beside him, and they read it together. Then they planned and worked together to make their dreams come true.
There was no hesitation on their wedding night. No fear or awkwardness. Just a need to be as close to each other as possible. Afterward, they lay entangled, looking into each other's eyes. She took his hand and placed it over her heart, pressing it into her chest. She said she wished he could feel the depth and breadth of her love for him. Tears rolled down their cheeks, but they were smiling through them. This was more than enough.