Chapter 2

Candy and Eleanor could not move and could not say a word.

Terry was looking at them, one eyebrow upward, his blue eyes were icy. He was happy to see the two women he loved more in the world and at the same time very angry because he was ashamed that they found him in such a shape. He took a chair, sat with them and ordered a coffee.

"So Ladies, will you explain me what you are doing here?" He asked in a cold voice.

Candy was frozen on the spot. She had dreamt so many times of her reunion with Terry. She never though it would happen that way and that he would be so cold. Suddenly she got angry with him. Why was he so cold? Why was he angry with her? He was the one who was wasting his life? He was the one who let her go instead of trying to keep her?

"What are YOU doing here? I though you were in New-York being a Broadway star and preparing your wedding with Suzanne and I found you here, completely drunk playing in that awful theatre" Candy said with an angry tone "When I saw you for the last time, you asked me to promise to try to be happy and I kept my promise, What about you? You did not even try to be happy. All this was for nothing in the end..."

Eleanor was keeping silent, observing them. She could feel the tension between them.

"I did try, but it was too hard, I just could not stand my life the way it was after… you left. But Candy, you chose to leave me, you did not even give us a chance to find a solution..." Terry said with a reproaching tone.

"What? I do not remember you fighting for me to stay, you let me go very easily, and you did not tell me anything when I arrived in New York. I felt there was something wrong but you were not sincere enough to tell me what was going on. I had to find out by myself. Suzanne loves you, Terry, she lost her leg for you and you chose to stay with her. It was our choice to part Terry and now… look what you are making of your and her life"

"You do not know anything about the way I wanted my life to be, you always make the other's happiness come before your happiness, Candy, but I am not like you, I am a bit more selfish sometimes…And since you left me, you do not have any right to tell me which way I should run my life"

"I, I …" Candy was so hurt she could not even answer, her heart was broken, she stood up, murmured some excuse to Eleanor, and ran out of the restaurant with her eyes full of tears.

Eleanor gave a severe glance at her son.

"You are stupid, Terrence, run after her, or you will regret it even more this time" she said.

Candy was running to the railway station, with torrents of tears running on her cheeks. Why did I come here? Albert, why did you make me come here? Terry, you were so horrible to me. All this time I still loved you. But you do not love me anymore; I have been so stupid.

She bought a return ticket and found out that the next train was in 2 hours. She sat on a bench on the platform, lost in her thoughts.

Terry was anxiously looking for her. He's been so stupid. If he weren't going to find her he would never forgive himself. She probably went to get the next train to Chicago, he thought.

Finally he reached the station; he tried to recover his breath. Since he had started to smoke and drink again, he was not as healthy as before. He made himself the promise that if he manages to reconciliate with Candy he would start a new life and the first step will be to quit alcohol and cigarettes.

Suddenly, he saw her on the platform of the railway station.

"CANDY" he shouted

She stood up immediately with uncertainty in her eyes.

"Terry!"

"Candy" he reached her and embraced her strongly like if he was holding a treasure. He kissed her hair, filling himself with the nice essence of it.

"Candy, forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude to you. I am stupid. I have been dying to see you all this months and all I manage to do when this day finally came is to make you cry… Candy" his voice broke.

Candy wasn't moving. She did not know what to say. She could hear the beating of his heart running very fast just like hers. She was feeling so good, so much alive in Terry's arms. She raised her head and looked at him.

"Candy "he said drying her tears with his trembling fingertips "I have missed you so much. I have been dead since that day in New York"

"Oh Terry, I missed you too. I kept my life going only because I thought you would find true happiness"

"I would never be happy without you. I never had a chance to tell you my true feeling, Candy… I love you, I always did, since the very first time I saw you on that boat for the New Years Eve"

His eyes got darker, he slowly took her lips in a gentle kiss, tasting the nectar of Candy. They felt like they would never be able to satisfy the hunger they had of each other. Candy was surprising herself in responding to the kiss with passion. She realised that she had been living in the hope of this moment since they parted.

"I love you too Terry" She said shyly. It was the first time she was pronouncing these words in front of him.

"My Lovely freckles, I apologize again, I was ashamed that you and my mother found me in such a degrading state. But when you left me in New York, I lost all my inspiration, my mind, and my soul. I did not believe in anything except that I wanted to die"

"Terry, What about Suzanne? What are your intentions towards her?" asked Candy anxiously. She did not think she would have the courage to leave him to Suzanne this time.

"Well, I have not even started thinking about that yet. My priority when I saw you at the theatre was to talk to you and make sure you were not a dream" He said with a smile. The very first smile since they had encountered again.

"She must be so lonely and so worried for you, Terry you should go… " She couldn't say "back to her" and instead said "…and see if she is all right"

"There is one thing I am sure of, I will not let you go now that I found you again. Candy I want to spend my life with you. I have been acting like a fool lately. Give me some time to sort out my life, my career and to find the best solution for Suzanne. I will go back to New York and talk to her but promise me that it is only a good bye this time and that soon we will be together again."

"Terry, I have been living with this hope for months now, I can wait a bit more. I love you. I never told you that I ran to Southampton to say good-bye when you left St Paul College, but the boat had just left. I shouted your name thinking I would never see you again"

"So I was not dreaming then, I heard you Candy"

"Did you? I remember a man told me that parting was an inevitable part of life, but as long as we are alive, we will meet again. These words gave me the strength to keep going."

"He was very wise. This is exactly what happened. I love you and I want to marry you, I had plans for us before Suzanne's accident..."

"Marry me…" Candy said her eyes wide open.

"Of course Freckles, why did you think I sent you a one way ticket…"

Candy blushed but her eyes were sparkling.

"Maybe because you did not have enough money to pay for a return ticket" she joked.

"Ah this is the Candy I know" Laughed Terry. "I will go back to New York and write you every week to let you know how things are progressing. I promise you that soon we will be together again and nothing will part us this time"

"I will be waiting for you" They heard a train coming on the platform. "Oh this is my train...I still have the same address, I will be waiting for your letters" she said.

Terry took her lips again in a passionate kiss. He did not want to let her go. He was holding her body against his and felt there was nothing more important in the world than holding her closely. He finally made a step backward before his passion took him too far.

Candy was feeling a bit dizzy, she had never been kissed like that, and well she had not been kissed at all except by Terry in Scotland, as a matter of fact. But this time she could feel his true love for her. He raised a hand and caressed gently her cheeks, her nose, and her freckles.

"I love you Freckles, do not forget it" He said.

Candy boarded on the train and they exchanged an ultimate kiss before the train started to move.

He stood still on the platform until the train had completely disappeared.

He started walking thinking he had a lot to do now. First he had to go back and speak to his mother then pack his stuff and go back to New York. He was feeling better than he had ever felt for a long time. He was alive and love had given him the strength to fight for his happiness again.