Full Circle (18 page)

Charles slapped Nick on the back. “Bon chance, Nicholas. Go. Quickly.” The plane was already taking off as Nick scrambled inside. He was shaking with nerves as the airplane rose above the dark line of the trees. He kept expecting to hear gunfire, but all was quiet. The pilot gave Nick a thumbs-up and soon they were heading for the Channel.

Nick could already see the dark outline of the Cliffs of Dover when they were spotted. There were two Stukas and they opened fire. The pilot dropped down sharply and continued to press on towards England. The Germans kept firing until several shots pierced the fuselage and hit the tail. Just as Nick thought that they were done for, three Spitfires appeared out of nowhere and opened fire. Nick saw one of the Stukas burst into flames and nosedive into the black water as the other pilot beat a hasty retreat. Their plane was shaking and sputtering, but the pilot managed to clear the Channel and made an emergency landing somewhere outside Dover.

The tail of the plane was on fire and the pilot and Nick jumped out before the fire had time to spread and reach the fuel tank.

Nick and the pilot watched the plane burn from a safe distance until an army Jeep showed up to pick them up. They were taken to the nearest base and from then Nick was sent on to headquarters to make a report to his superiors. It took several days for all the proper protocol to be satisfied before Nick was given leave. He called Aunt Gwen at the first opportunity, but begged her not to tell Lily that he was back in England. He wanted to surprise her. The news that Lily was no longer in London came as a surprise and Nick doubled over as if someone punched him in the stomach when Gwen told him about Ian. He got roaring drunk that night, but the alcohol did little to dull the pain.

Lily had never been fond of going to church and after what she had witnessed in the past several years her faith in God was sorely lacking. She knew that some people turned to God in times of turmoil and grief, but she felt angry with him. She couldn’t accept the idea of a just, benevolent God allowing the kind of atrocities one read about in the papers and witnessed first hand.

Lily skipped the service and decided to go for a walk on the boardwalk instead. She craved solitude after spending the morning with her parents and brother and this was the best time to find respite from the beach-goers. Most people still went to Sunday services and the beach was nearly deserted except for a few solitary people who preferred nature to God. She was tired of hearing her mother chattering on about her war work and her father going on about his patients and the latest news from the front. Her brother kept reciting the number of German planes that had been shot down during the week and recounting whatever other victories he could recall. Lily just walked along the water’s edge listening to the cries of the sea gulls and enjoying the feel of the wet sand between her toes. She swung her sandals in her hand as she slowly strolled through the surf.

It was an unusually hot that July and the air was thick with humidity. Lily could see dark clouds forming on the horizon over the tranquil sea and a light drizzle was beginning to make her hair feel damp. She was wearing a faded white cotton frock with pink stripes. She had never been a big fan of pink, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. All her good clothes had been lost in the fire and she was forced to wear some of the old dresses she left behind when she left for London. Her clothing coupons allowed a few new things, but she saved them for special occasions, wearing old things whenever possible.

As drizzle began to turn into a downpour, she lifted up her face to the sky. The heat was oppressive. Maybe the rain would bring some welcome release. Lily reluctantly turned towards home. She would be soaked by the time she got there and her mother would lecture her sending her to her room to change like a naughty child.

Lily saw a solitary figure some distance away walking in her direction. The man was wearing a light colored summer suit and hat and the wet fabric was beginning to cling to his legs and chest. Lily couldn’t see his face, but something in his manner seemed familiar. “Probably one of father’s colleagues from the hospital” she thought. She continued to walk towards him not bothering to rush. She was wet to the bone, so she couldn’t get any wetter. The man looked up and seemed to momentarily freeze before his brisk walk turned into a run.

As Lily got closer her brain refused to believe what her heart was yelling at her. Before she knew it she was running with the rain streaming down her face. She flew into his arms and was kissing his face as his hat flew off his head. He lifted her off the ground and spun her around as he kissed her face, tears mingling with rain drops as the two of them finally stopped their twirling and stood still looking at each other.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” said Lily through tears. She was sobbing so hard by this point; she could barely get the words out.

“There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t think of getting back to you. It’s what kept me going all these months. I had imagined this moment so many times. That’s why I begged Aunt Gwen not to tell you that I was back. I wanted to surprise you and see the look on your face. I didn’t want you to find out by telephone.” He looked so happy that Lily began to laugh through her tears.

“I am glad you did. This has been the most wonderful surprise of my life. I was just giving God a piece of my mind and now I am sorry about everything I said. Maybe he is not as bad as all that,” said Lily contritely. “Nick, where have you been all this time? You look so thin, and why are you out of uniform?”

“I’ll tell you everything later. Let’s get back to your parents’ house and change into some dry clothes”.

The two of them walked back with their arms wrapped around each other barely noticing the rain or the flashes of lightening that periodically lit up the sky. Lily kept looking at Nick just to make sure that she wasn’t hallucinating from the heat. She hadn’t realized how much she loved him until she thought she lost him.

“Nick, I love you so much. I hope you don’t have to leave again, but I know you probably do,” she said with a sigh.

“I was given three weeks leave and I intend to make them count. I want to spend every minute with you.”

The Rectory children briefly crossed Lily’s mind, but she was too happy to think of that now. Lily and Nick ran up the steps to the house and Lily quickly opened the door, running into the hall laughing and dripping water all over her mother’s parquet floors.

“So, you’ve found her. Splendid. Gave you a nice surprise, did he?” asked George Stratton jovially. He was beaming at them both. “Go get changed and come have a drink. We want to hear all about it,” he said as he strode into the parlor.

Lily and Nick were giggling and kissing in her room as they pulled off their wet things and changed into dry clothes. They desperately wished they could just stay there for the rest of the day, but being rude to the in-laws he had only just met was a definite mistake. Reluctantly they trudged into the parlor where her parents were already waiting with drinks.

Once the glasses had been passed around, George started asking Nick all kinds of questions about the front, the most recent news and about the situation in London. Lily was grateful that neither parent asked Nick about where he had been since February. He seemed reluctant to talk about it at the moment and they didn’t press. Lily studied Nick’s face as he answered her father’s questions. He was leaner and he looked older than when he had left her in January. There was a grim set to him mouth and he didn’t seem as quick to smile when he talked. She wondered what had happened to him, but instinctively knew that he would tell her everything in his own good time.

She could see that Edward was burning to ask him all kinds of questions, but she gave him a warning look. He settled into an arm chair and just watched Nick with open curiosity.

“George,” said Martha Stratton, “we really must be going. Don’t you remember we are having tea with the Rowlings? We mustn’t be late, dear.” George looked bewildered for a moment and then got up from his seat and headed for the front door.

“Of course, it slipped my mind with all the excitement of young Nicholas coming home. We’ll be back in a few hours. Edward, do hurry up. We are leaving!”

“I don’t want to come,” Edward began to say, but his mother gave him a look so full of meaning that he got up and meekly followed them out the door.

Lily had never been so grateful to her parents. She knew perfectly well that they had no plans to have tea with anyone, but they wanted to give them privacy. The Rowlings were their oldest friends and she was sure would gladly receive them and rejoice at the good news.

“Race you!” yelled Lily as she ran to her room. Nick was right behind her and he was pulling off his clothes before they even reached the room. They fell on the bed panting and laughing. For a minute Nick went quiet and just studied her face. He traced the curve of her cheek and the outline of her lips with his finger learning her features all over again. He seemed very melancholy and Lily didn’t say anything. She just held his head to her breast. She knew he was crying and gave him a moment to compose himself.

“Lil, I thought I might never see you again and then I found out about Ian…” he whispered. “What a horrible death. I can’t stop thinking about his last moments and what he must have been feeling. I keep thinking of the little boy he was and how he always looked up to me to get him out of trouble.” Lily gently wiped his tears away and kissed him. He was so dear to her. He was a boy when he left her, but he came back a man.

The moment of sadness was being quickly eclipsed by lust and Nick kissed her back, demanding and hungry. He tore off her knickers while Lily opened his fly and pushed his trousers down. Nick grabbed her legs and put them on his shoulders as he rammed himself inside her thrusting like a madman, devouring her with his need. Lily felt herself shaking as her body responded to the onslaught and her hips rose to meet him with every thrust leaving her senseless with ecstasy. The intensity of his passion took Lily’s breath away and her orgasm shook her to the core as Nick collapsed on top of her, panting and murmuring apologies for his lack of restraint.

The second time was less frenzied, but no less intense as Lily sat on top of Nick watching his face as she moved her hips bringing him to the brink and then pausing to make their pleasure last longer. Their eyes never left each other’s face as his hands caressed her breasts and slid down to her buttocks to bring her closer to him. Lily lay down on top of him afterwards, still joined, and Nick wrapped his arms around her stroking her hair and whispering words of love.

“Nick, I am so sorry about Ian,” whispered Lily. She knew he was thinking about his brother and needed to talk about him.

“I know. Me too. I have to keep reminding myself that he is gone and I’ll never see him again. I didn’t even know he was living with you. Aunt Gwen told me. At least I know his last months had been happy. He was always a bit of a loner. I am glad you were with him.”

Lily was glad he wasn’t looking at her face when he said that. She still felt horrid about having a fight with Ian right before he died. She wouldn’t tell Nick about it, but it would bother her for the rest of her life. She turned to face him and found his green gaze on her. He looked at her with such tenderness that Lily was overcome with emotion. She started kissing him and before long they were making love again, feasting on each other like two people who had been starving to death.

By the time the Strattons returned, they found Lily and Nick sitting together in a big, overstuffed chair listening to music on the wireless. Lily slid off his lap as her parents walked in, but there was no need. They exchanged a private smile as they saw the sparkle in their daughter’s eyes. They hadn’t seen her look this way since before she left for London three years ago. They were overjoyed to have their son-in-law come back safely, but their hearts were full of anguish. He seemed in good health and they both knew that it was just a matter of time until he was sent back to the front. He wasn’t out of danger. Martha correctly assumed that they were hungry and set about preparing supper. Once they had eaten, the small talk turned to the war again.

“Edward, off you go. Time for bed,” George said. Edward gave his father a resentful glance and walked out slamming the door behind him. He wasn’t a little boy anymore and hated being sent off to bed like a child. Lily knew this was the cue that they were about to start asking serious questions. She just hoped that Nick was ready to talk.

“So, Nicholas, you were missing in action. Where were you all these months?” asked George. Lily was a little angry with her father for being so blunt, but she quickly forgave him because she desperately wanted to know herself.