Chapter 11 What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Kate awoke to the ringing of her alarm and it was time to feed Alexia, she walked down to her room and Alexia was nowhere to be found, panic spreading fast through Kate's mind, she rushed around the house to find Mike and finally she found him with Alexia on the couch. Kate sat down on the couch looking at Alexia she had her fathers eyes, she reached over to pick up Alexia and thanks to Mike she didn't need to be fed.
"2 Days until the wedding" Kate thought to herself, 2 days and she would be a married woman and so far nothing had gone wrong. Nav and Bomber arrived to discuss what food Kate wanted at the "after party" as 2Dads called it, Bomber had a list prepared it was just a matter of Kate ticking what she wanted.
Kate was working on her vows and so far she had "my love for you is deeper than the water we are yet to sail, I love you", as she read it to Nav and Bomber I lone tear ran down there faces.
"It's beautiful" replied Nav.
"Music, what music are we going to have" asked Bomber.
"I didn't think of that, I mean what song are you to going to dance to?" replied Nav
"I don't know we didn't think of that, I remember listening to a song and it made me think of Mike and I think it was the Beegees - One back when we were at ADFA together, and we had been together for a year and that song came on when I was being posted to HMAS Arunta" replied Kate a tear running down her face as she thought back to all those years ago, " I'll talk to Mike first though, he might have a song in mind but I suppose we both could have one" Kate said.
Mike came home to find Nav and Bomber sitting on the deck, he walked out holding Alexia as Bomber and Nav jumped up to swarm him, Bomber finally got to hold her god-daughter Kate smiled at Bomber noticing Alexia in her arms, she looked so happy. Bomber passed Alexia to Nav as she walked into her room to put her to bed, she had been out all day with the boys, Mike showing her off. Bomber and Nav headed off and by the time they left it was 7pm and time for dinner.
Mike and Kate sat at the table " So the girls and I were talking about the wedding today and Nav bought up something we haven't thought about" said Kate.
"What is it" replied Mike.
"Remember when they posted me to HMAS Arunta and were split apart well on the way to the ship I was listening to this song from the Beegees its was called one, and it made me think of you and well we are going to dance after the wedding aren't we and well I thought that song was perfect but I was going to ask you if you had a song in mind" replied Kate.
"Well I did actually I heard the gap girl listening to Imogen heap and the name of the song was canvas and she loves the song and once I listened to the song it made me think of you and how much I missed you" replied Mike.
"We could always dance to both" added Kate,
"Yeah we can, I like the idea of that" replied Mike as they were interrupted by the phone…..
"Yes sir, well there has to be another ship to take that sir, but sir I'm getting married in 32hrs, yes sir ill inform the crew" as Kate listened to the conversation she grew more and more worried by the second, Mike finally hung up the phone as he walked over to Kate.
All she had to say "not now please not now".
"That was Commander Marshall we have been crash sailed, here has been an explosion on one of the oil rigs and Hammersley is the only boat in port" replied Mike.
Kate clung to Mike never wanting to let go of him but at the same time she knew what the navy was like, she was in it for heavens sake, "look I have to be onboard Hammersley in 1hr there re-supplying it as we speak that gives me 15 minutes to pack and 30 minutes to say goodbye to you" Mike whispered to Kate as she laid in his arms crying.
"If anything could go wrong this weekend it has, what about the wedding , what are we going to do, how long is Hammersley going to be out there for ?" asked Kate.
"Well I can tell you this no matter what I still love you, we are still going to get married and well bad things seem to follow Hammersley and its crew but that's no excuse but we are going to have to postpone the wedding until I get back" replied Mike.
Mike and Kate laid in each others arms, Mike calming Kate down, she didn't want him to leave each time he went out she was worried he wouldn't come back and his luck would finally run out, but they both signed up for this and well Mike was right the navy had no sense of timing.
Kate drove Mike to the docks were she was met with the sight of Bomber and Nav they were both upset, they ran over to Kate hugging her and then turning there attention to Alexia.
"Be good for mummy" they both said in tandem when they were joined by 2Dads and Buffer they all took one final look at Alexia, Buffer kissing her on her forehead.
Mike kissed Kate goodbye before kissing Alexia he was going to miss his girls, the morning wake up call and the looks they both shared, she looked so much like her mother he waved goodbye to his to girls on the wharf Kate had tears in her eyes.
Mike reached the bridge " Bird do you have that song I requested?" asked Mike.
"Yes sir RO is setting it up" replied Bird.
"Thank-you" replied Mike.
The familiar song flooded his ears reminding him of Kate as tears were in his eyes as he listened to it, Nav made her way over to Mike placing her hand on his arm in comfort, he was not alone, the whole crew was thinking of Kate and they're little sailor.
Mike stormed off the bridge and into his cabin all he could think about was Kate and how he just left her on the wharf, he thought about what he said to Kate and he was right trouble always seemed to find them, Mike had his Ipod in his hand when he looked up and saw the speaker dock Kate had given him. He placed his Ipod in the dock bringing up Imogen heap- canvas, he laid in his rack thinking and listening when he noticed something Kate had placed on the roof of his rack sometime ago a message in Kate's handwriting.
"Mike I love you with all my heart and if you have noticed this then you must be thinking of me and thinking of the time I wrote this, things may never go our way but eventually everything changes, when I joined the navy I never thought I would meet someone like you, the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were the one, but when we were split up it made me think why do I do this as I said earlier on I go were I'm told but now everything has changed and we are back to the way we were, and now we know who we are and where were heading.
A special world for you and me
A special bond one cannot see
It wraps us up in its cocoon
And holds us fiercely in its womb.
Its fingers spread like fine spun gold
Gently nestling us to the fold
Like silken thread it holds us fast
Bonds like this are meant to last.
And though at times a thread may break
A new one forms in its wake
To bind us closer and keep us strong
In a special world, where we belong.
Mike smiled hearing Kate's voice as he read the poem, soon enough he would return home to his wife and child, but for now a song and a poem was enough it was as if Kate was by his side holding his hand every step of the way.