Chapter 2

Three Years Later

It was only 11:30 in the morning, and Elizabeth already felt tired. Not much had been done, and she was thankful that not much more had to be done that day. At the moment, she was folding laundry. The amount of clothes Emma could go through in just a few days still amazed her, but she didn't mind because at least there were no more nappies to wash. Elizabeth definitely did not miss those.

When she was pregnant, everyone had told her that time would start to pass quickly once the baby arrived, and it would feel as if the child was growing up too fast. She would always nod and smile, but inwardly she scoffed because at the time, she felt as if her pregnancy would never end. But when Emma finally arrived, Elizabeth realized that their warnings were absolutely true. She had taken a job at a nursery school near their home in order to prolong the time spent with her daughter and just recently requested her workweek be decreased from five days to two now that Emma was no longer attending. It had only been four months since Emma started her first year at primary school, and Elizabeth was still coming to terms with the silence and emptiness that pervaded the house while her daughter was away.

Empty. That was a good description of how things had felt since Paul had passed away. Though daily routines had gotten easier, she still missed him, and what hurt the most was that Emma had lost him at such a young age. Elizabeth's older brother lived nearby, and he had become the primary father figure for her daughter and did his best to help out as much as possible, and for that, she was grateful. In fact, Andy had promised to take Emma for a ride on his boat near a local pier on Saturday. He insisted that his sister take the day for herself since she rarely got the opportunity. The thought made her feel slightly guilty because she was so used to making sure Emma's needs were put before her own, especially now that she was a single mother, but her brother assured her that Saturday would be all about his little niece. This simple promise made Elizabeth smile because he had never really left his childhood behind. This is why Emma gravitated towards her only uncle, and there was no doubt in Elizabeth's mind that the two would have an exceptional time. She hadn't decided what she would do during her "alone time" yet. She supposed she could go on a walk or spend a few hours at a spa, which is something she hadn't done since before she was married. She also considered following her intention to find a satisfying hobby.

A ringing phone interrupted her thoughts. She finished folding one of Emma's shirts before walking over to her kitchen counter to answer the noisy distraction.

"Hello?"

"Liz! It's Andy. You've got to get down here!"

His abruptness startled her. "Why? What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing. You just need to come to Beadmans Café. I want to show you something."

"Don't scare me like that again! I nearly had a heart attack! I thought something serious had happened."

Andy laughed. "Something serious has happened, and you need to be here to see it!"

"What is it?"

"I'm not telling. You'll have to meet me at Beadmans, Liz."

"I'm in the middle of folding laundry."

"Forget the sodding laundry for one second. I'm on break, and I can't stay gone the entire afternoon."

"I don't know if I should Andy. I'll have to pick up Emma in a few hours."

"I'm not asking you to spend the night down here."

Elizabeth hesitated. "How long? Because I really need to–"

"Just get down here. You're wasting time."

"Andy–"

"See you in a bit."

She didn't get a chance to say no. Andy had already ended the conversation, and there was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. Elizabeth stared blankly at the receiver for a moment. She wasn't surprised that the conversation had stopped abruptly because that was a typical quirk of her brother's. He knew that her curiosity was insatiable, and he knew that leaving her in suspense would successfully get her to meet him. And so did Elizabeth. In a matter of seconds she managed to collect her keys and purse before making her way towards Beadmans Café.

When she arrived, Elizabeth parked her car and started walking towards the small building her brother loved to frequent. Her mind sifted through all the possibilities of what was so important that she had to drop everything to see his surprise. Whatever it was, she hoped it was worth the drive because if it wasn't, Andy would owe her a lot more than a free Saturday this week.

The café didn't seem particularly crowded that day. At least, not outside. There were tables underneath a canopy set off to the side of the building and a few patrons were seated there. She could see that her brother was one of them, and he was facing her, but he was not alone at the table. There was another man sitting across from him with his back towards her. Elizabeth inwardly groaned at the thought of having to sit between Andy and one of his coworkers, a fellow fisherman, and listen to them babble about such nonsensical topics like football. Irritation bubbled within her, and she was certain he had conned her into coming for something ridiculous. She decided to leave before getting too close to their table, but before she could turn around, Andy caught her eye and waved her over. Elizabeth sighed and started walking towards him again. As she did so, she saw Andy lean forward and whisper something to his table partner as he stood to greet his sister.

"Liz! It's about time you got here! It's almost time for me to get back to work!" He laughed as he hugged her.

"Piss off, Andy. What's this big secret you're dying to show me, then?"

"What? You didn't see it when you came in? It's right at this table, you loon."

Elizabeth heard a soft laugh behind her and turned to face the man who was sharing her brother's table. She gasped when she realized who it was. His face was instantly recognizable as an old friend she hadn't seen in years, and her brother's introduction was hardly necessary.

"Elizabeth Collins, I give you, William Turner."

Elizabeth practically squealed with surprise. "Will! Oh my god!"

Will stood and hugged her shyly. "How have you been?"

"Good, good," she said, completely at a loss for words. He was very warm and smelled exactly the same as she remembered. "I can't believe you're here."

Everyone sat down again, and Elizabeth continued to stare at him in shock. The two men just laughed.

"So I came here to Beadmans for my break, yeh?" Andy said. "And who do I see walking past me but Will Turner – back from the dead. Didn't even recognize me, did you?"

"To be honest, I didn't see you, mate. I was a little too focused on the menu."

"Anyway, we'd been sitting here chatting it up for a while when I figured I'd give you a call since you'd probably pout if I failed to inform you that he was back."

Elizabeth stared at him. "I'd have kicked your arse if you hadn't." She turned her attention back to Will with a grin. "I'm so glad you're back in Brighton."

"Yeah, yeah. Home sweet home and all that rubbish," Andy said, glancing down at his watch. "Look, I've got to go. Sorry we couldn't catch up as a group since a certain someone," he looked pointedly at Elizabeth, "spent too much time folding her knickers when she should have left as soon as I'd called her."

"I did, you great prat!"

"Will, ring me up when you get a chance. We'll go out for a pint at the end of the week, yeh?"

"Sounds good, Andy."

Elizabeth smiled, "Don't you dare develop a hangover because I'm still holding you to taking Emma out Saturday. You'd better not disappoint her."

"What kind of brother do you think I am? Leavin' my little niece hanging like that. You know me better."

"I'm starting to look forward to a day all to myself."

"And you deserve every bit of it, Liz. See you around, mate," he called over his shoulder as he waved goodbye.

A waitress walked up to their table and plopped a sandwich in front of Will. She looked at Elizabeth and asked, "Havin' anythin' today, love?"

"I'll have a coffee with milk."

"Sure thing."

Will ate as the waitress left, and Elizabeth, still a little breathless, asked, "What brings you back to Brighton?"

"Well," he started, taking a sip of his drink before continuing, "I was just…ready to come home, I guess."

"What have you been doing for the past four years? Last I'd heard you were being sent off to do some shoots in France."

He nodded. "Spain. Then France. Japan. Cameroon. Egypt. Kenya."

"That's amazing."

"Well, I'd signed on with this modeling agency and followed their clients around, but after about a year and a half, it got really tiresome. Wasn't really my thing," he said, laughing softly. "When I came back to London after my trip to Japan, I'd gotten wind that this wildlife research group was looking for a new photographer. So, naturally, I went with the more exciting offer. I even got to take on a videographer's role when one of their cameramen caught some sort of virus."

"And that's where you've been?"

"Yep." He smiled and took another bite of his sandwich.

"What was it for? The wildlife trip, I mean."

"There were various nature programs the BBC had commissioned."

"You worked for the BBC?'

"Not directly, but yeah."

The waitress returned with the coffee. Elizabeth thanked her, paid for the drink, and said, "I'm so jealous."

"I've got pictures to share if you're interested."

Her eyes lit up, and she asked, "Can I see?"

Will gave a tiny half-smile. "Sorry. I don't take my entire portfolio with me when I go to cafés. I'll show them to you soon." He hesitated and then asked, "What about you? How have things been since…"

She knew what he was referring to as he trailed off and gave him a small smile. "Fine. Things have been difficult, of course, but Andy's been a big help to me. So has Mum and Dad. Thank you, by the way, for the flowers you sent. They were beautiful."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to come, you know, to Paul's funeral. I was in Bordeaux or I would have…"

She smiled again. "I know."

Will looked timid. "So you've been doing alright?"

"Yeah. As fine as I can be."

He nodded and looked around. "How's Emma?"

Elizabeth perked at the mention of her daughter. "She just started primary school this year and positively loves it."

"Primary school? Already? Last time I saw her she was barely able to stand!"

"I have pictures. Would you like to see?"

"Absolutely."

Elizabeth looked in her purse for the few pictures of her daughter she carried with her. After locating them, she handed them to Will, who shook his head in bewilderment.

"Oh wow, Elizabeth. She looks exactly like you. It's uncanny. Well, except for the dimples. Look at them."

"I don't know where she got them. Maybe from Paul's side. I'm not sure."

Will grinned. "I can't believe she's so big already. She was so small when I saw her last!"

"She arrived a month early."

"Ah, yes. I remember that now. I'd never been around many babies, much less very small ones…I almost sent you something for her when I was in Kenya. I should have, but I didn't think she'd remember me."

"Emma loves getting presents. It doesn't matter to her who they're from."

Will laughed. "Well, I've still got it. It's a lion plush I bought from a local town."

"How sweet of you."

He shrugged. "It was there. So I bought it. She can have it now that I'm back."

"She would love it. Animals fascinate her."

"As they should. Animals are fascinating…creatures."

Elizabeth laughed. "Where are you living now? Are you just visiting or are you moving back?"

"Well, I considered staying in London, but I really missed Brighton. When I got back, I looked into possibly opening my own studio, and I found a place to set up. So, I sold my place in London, bought a new home here, and…here I am."

"You're here to stay? For good?" Elizabeth knew she sounded pathetically hopeful and overly eager, but she couldn't contain her excitement. Will had been one of her closest friends since the age of fifteen. They had a long and tightly knit history, and the fact that he would be close by after such a long absence from her life was making her practically giddy.

His eyes twinkled in amusement. "Good enough to have purchased a home, I suppose."

Elizabeth could no longer contain herself. She jumped out of her seat and hugged him tightly, babbling about how happy she was that he had returned. The sudden movement shocked him, but he recovered quickly and did his best to return her affection. When she regained her composure, Elizabeth asked for the details about his new house and where it was. Will indulged her curiosity and answered her questions. As they talked, she studied his face and took in the subtle changes that had appeared. His features were a bit more weathered than the boyish face she remembered, but time had been kind to him, and he still kept a youthful appearance every time he smiled at her.

The conversation turned to the changes that had taken place in Brighton since he had left and what Elizabeth was doing. He listened intently and answered more of her questions, eventually landing on the topic about his growing collection of odds and ends he'd picked up as he traveled, including his knife and currency collections.

"Weapons and money? That's quite the combination, Mr. Turner."

"What can I say? They're cool. I mean, they look cool, and they're just…cool."

"I've always admired your way with words."

Elizabeth looked at her watch and suddenly stood. "Oh, I'm sorry Will. I've got to pick up Emma. Can we…I mean – Here, let me give you my number. Call me when you're settled, and we'll meet up again."

As she scribbled her mobile number on a napkin, Will hesitantly asked, "What about Saturday? You said something to Andy about–"

"That's right! Is that alright? I can come by your place if that's okay with you. How about…noon? "

"Sounds delightful."

"I'm sorry for having to go and not being able to stay…"

"It's fine! Go and get your daughter. I'd like to see her someday."

Elizabeth started to walk away. "Yes, of course! I'll talk to you soon!"

As she made the trek back to her car, she was overwhelmed with joy. The last time she saw Will had been four years ago, and he had only dropped by for an afternoon before he left for his trip to Spain. He spent the day with Andy, Paul, and her. Emma had only been fourteen months old at the time, and it was actually only the third time Will had set eyes on her baby girl. The photography studio in London that employed him kept him from away Brighton for extended periods of time. That's how the past six years had been. Her best friend would pop in whenever he could, but he was usually only able to spend two or three days in the city before having to go back to London. And Elizabeth missed him on the majority of those occasions.

They had been almost inseparable since Elizabeth met him when she was fifteen. Will was obsessed with photography then, and it was apparent that things had not changed since. He followed his interests after his A-levels that next year and enrolled in the University of Sussex to major in Media Studies. Elizabeth joined him one year later and pursued a degree in English. They remained very close throughout their time at the university, and it was Will who introduced her to Paul, who was a friend of a friend of a friend.

Elizabeth smiled at the memory. Paul had already been established with his marketing job at the magazine firm. He was a few years her senior, but none of that had mattered to her. Their courtship lasted less than a year before they were engaged and married in what her friends had described as a whirlwind wedding. Looking back on it now, Elizabeth wished they had pushed the wedding forward by just a few weeks because that was the same time Will accepted the job offer in London. He left three weeks before they were married and was not given time off to attend. This upset both of them greatly, but Elizabeth had taken it especially hard. Her other friends were able to make it, but Will was the one person outside of her parents and brother (and Paul, of course) that she desperately wanted to be there. The night before he left for London had been spent out in the city, the two of them laughing and reminiscing, and that was the last she'd seen of him until he came back two months after Emma was born to congratulate her and Paul. As a gift, he'd photographed their family and sent the pictures in beautiful frames a week after he had returned from his visit. She still treasured those photographs. They were her favorite pictures of the three of them. And they were even more special to her because Will had taken them.

As Elizabeth neared Emma's school, she pushed the sad thoughts to the back of her mind. Will had returned, and the short time they spent at Beadmans that afternoon had convinced her that their bond had not weakened in the time they spent apart. And that was reason enough to smile.