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Winter had segued into spring and onto summer and now the once bare branches of the jacarandas were in full vivid colour. A few weeks ago, they’d commemorated another special Christmas together and tonight Hope and Mitch were joining with their friends and family to celebrate Mitchell’s New Year’s Eve birthday.
And their second wedding anniversary.
A hint of wood smoke tinged the air from the fire the boys had just lit.
Hope glanced across to where Mitchell stood with Jordan and Lachie tossing logs onto the fire and remembered the incredible night of Mitchell’s fortieth birthday, two years earlier. So much had happened since then.
That night all their family and friends had gathered at The Ark to celebrate. New Year’s Eve had started early with fireworks and lots of food and drink as they’d celebrated the beginning of Mitchell’s “Festival of Forty”.
It had ended a few hours later with Hope and Mitchell exchanging solemn vows under the stars.
They’d planned the entire surprise wedding in secret, and it had been totally worth it for the expressions on everyone’s faces. The only people who were in on it were Hope’s parents who had flown home from Africa for the event. Mitchell had contacted Hope’s dad and asked for her hand in marriage and explained their plans.
After Mitchell stood on the back deck and got everyone’s attention, Hope, on her dad’s arm, had walked slowly through the crowd in a long white dress. It hadn’t taken more than a heartbeat for everyone to grasp what was happening and there had been so many cheers and whoops that it had taken a few minutes to get everyone to quieten down enough for the wedding to start. Hope’s dad had performed the simple ceremony and afterwards the guests had danced and partied until dawn.
Her parents had stayed for a couple of weeks and Hope had enjoyed every moment of their short time together before they headed back to the mission field.
Three weeks later, Monika had peacefully passed away with Mitchell, Hope and Beth at her side, and a small funeral service and cremation was held in Macarthur Point. Afterwards, Mitchell and Hope went to the beach behind his house and scattered Monika’s ashes into the wind. It had been a poignant moment and one Hope had dreaded on Mitchell’s behalf, but in the short time he’d had with his mother, he’d found total healing and peace.
A week later Hope and Mitchell went to New Zealand for their month-long honeymoon.
Hope smiled as a giggling Piper and Charlotte ran past her with Ollie trailing behind trying to keep up with them. There was no doubt the little boy was besotted with his sisters and there was no doubt the girls had strong personalities and would keep him in line.
Courtney waddled behind, heavily pregnant, urging them not to get too close to the fire. She carried a packet of marshmallows in one hand and a handful of long sticks in the other.
‘You look like you need help,’ Hope said.
‘It’s like herding cats,’ Courtney replied with a roll of her eyes. ‘I need to be an octopus sometimes to keep hold of them. I don’t know what I’m going to do when this one arrives.’
Hope smiled. ‘You’ll cope exactly the way you did when the triplets were born. Brilliantly.’
‘She’s a natural mother,’ Margot said, coming alongside and taking the marshmallows from Courtney’s hand letting Courtney chase after her children.
As always, Margot was dressed immaculately, and no-one would ever know the health scare she’d had nearly three years earlier. Since then, her heart, literally, hadn’t skipped a beat.
‘You’ll be a great mum one day too,’ she said to Hope with a smile.
Hope felt herself blush and resisted the urge to put a hand to her belly where her big secret lay. Later that night she and Mitchell were going to tell everyone about their pregnancy with a surprise gender reveal.
She gazed back towards the fire. Mitchell had set up hay bales in a large circle and as their friends drifted in, they found spots to sit. Some people had brought picnic rugs and they’d set them up on the grass and laid them out. She couldn’t see Mitchell, but she heard him laughing with her cousin Sam as they set up the BBQ.
Sam had shocked everyone by showing up for Christmas. He wasn’t planning to stay in Australia for long, so everyone was making the most of having him home, especially Margot and the other members of the Awesome Foursome.
Hope caught Jordan’s eye and smiled. As she’d expected, Liz had broken things off and since then Jordan had gone out with a couple of other women, but none of them had lasted. Hope continued to believe one day he’d find the woman who was right for him. If he didn’t get his act together, she was going to set him up with one of her friends from Melbourne.
Hope searched for Beth and Bill and smiled sadly. Bill’s dementia was very advanced now and most days he lived in a past world. Beth was incredible, continuing to love him unconditionally, celebrating the moments when his memory cleared enough for him to remember her or Mitch or Jordan. He and Beth had moved to a retirement village where Beth could access as much nursing care as she needed in order to care for Bill as long as she could. She regularly brought him out to The Ark and Hope always looked forward to the visits, just to see the way he’d close his eyes, lift his chin and smell the salty sea breeze. In those moments, he looked at peace.
On the other side of the fire, Clancy and Ian sat side by side, deep in conversation. The two men were firm friends and now business partners. Ian had retired completely from the vet clinic and was working with Clancy operating a deluxe horse driven carriage company which was booked up for weddings a year in advance. When Clancy had suggested Ian move into the old cottage on his property, Ian had jumped at the chance. Now neither man was lonely.
Mitchell caught her eye, smiled, then tapped his watch and raised his eyebrows.
Her heart fluttered as she nodded in reply. It was time to share their news. She went to him and slipped her hand in his. Together, they walked over to the deck.
‘Hey, everyone,’ Mitchell shouted. It took a few minutes to get everyone’s attention. ‘Before we have dinner, Hope and I have something to tell you.’
Courtney’s eyes widened, then she squealed. ‘Are you pregnant?’
Hope nodded and laughed when Courtney threw herself at her.
They were quickly surrounded by their family and friends congratulating them.
‘We’d actually like to reveal the baby’s gender,’ Hope said when everyone had finally quietened down enough to hear her.
‘Do you know what you’re having?’ Margot asked.
Hope glanced at Mitchell and bit her lip to stop from smiling.
‘No, we don’t know,’ he said.
‘What do you think it will be?’ Beth asked.
Mitchell shrugged. ‘No idea.’ He turned to Hope. ‘Do you want to get the box?’
She nodded and dashed inside, returning moments later with a large cardboard box wrapped in pink and blue paper. On the outside was a large heart and the words “Boy or Girl? What will it be?” She placed the box on the grass between them and smiled at Mitchell. They couldn’t wait to share their next surprise.
‘Are you ready?’ Hope asked, gazing out at the eager faces in front of them.
‘Hurry up,’ Courtney called out.
Everyone laughed.
‘Five, four, three—’ Clancy started the countdown, and everyone quickly joined in.
‘Two. One.’
Hope and Mitchell lifted the flap of the box and a large gold balloon in the shape of a number 2 floated out.
They laughed at the confused faced in front of them.
‘You’re having two babies?’ Jordan shouted as he realised what was happening.
Hope nodded and everyone started screaming again and hugging them.
‘But we don’t know what we’re having,’ she said, again raising her voice to be heard. ‘All we know is they’re identical.’ She reached into the box, pulled out two small packages and handed one to Mitchell. She kissed him tenderly on the lips. ‘Are you ready?’
‘As I’ll ever be.’
Hope’s mouth felt dry. This was the moment they’d been waiting for. Neither of them minded whether they had girls or boys. They just wanted them to be healthy.
They pulled off the wrapping at the same time and pulled out two blue jumpsuits. Boys!
Hope threw herself into Mitchell’s arms and hugged him tight.
‘You’re going to be the best Daddy ever.’
‘And you’re already the best Mum. I love you so much Hope Davis.’
‘I love you, too.’ She smiled at him. ‘I’m so glad you didn’t let me go.’
‘And I’m so glad you let me hold onto you.’