His Secret [Completed]

Chapter Forty

The vacation passed as a repetitive breeze; lounging by the pool was how Sophia spent most of her days, and sitting by the bar was how she spent most of her evenings with her friends. One day out of the ten she, Kelly, Mason and Jackson went off to a water park close by, but that was as far out of their comfort zone that they ventured.

On the odd occasion she would speak to Noah, but it was more often than not a friendly good morning or a tired goodnight, and neither tried to initiate deeper conversation. Sophia was well aware it wouldn't be possible while there were listening ears of his family and Brooke, but she didn't mind because for the first time, the promise he made to her back in her room was more than enough to put her mind at ease. He hadn't told her his feelings outright and neither had she, but the sense of understanding and common ground was enough for the both of them. The future was uncertain, she didn't know where she'd work when she left her home state, nor did she know where she would live, but there was one thing she was certain of; she and Noah would come back together, whether that be in the near future or the distant one. The love she felt for him was vast and she knew she would never feel another like it; and she didn't want to.

Arriving back at the New York airport, the cool morning air was spiky against her skin and she felt happy to get back to the grind. She was excited to get back to work, but she realised it was not for the job, it was for the money they deposited into her bank at the end of the week. That money was slowly but surely giving her a little financial freedom, and that was something she'd always wanted. Seeing her parents struggle only fuelled her drive as a young child, her parents taught her how to appreciate the things that are the most important. On her tenth birthday, she'd asked for a Barbie doll as most children her age wanted and that morning, when she unwrapped the paper - which she had to do carefully as they reused it a couple of times - she saw a slightly chewed Barbie doll with a small clump of hair missing and red pen that had been spread across it's lips. She thanked her parents, giving them loving hugs and took the doll to her bedroom and sat it on her dresser.

She'd gone to her room to try and brush out the doll's hair and maybe sew together the slightly ripped dress she wore. It was during the evening of her birthday that Sophia realised money didn't grow on trees. The doll had come from an online seller, the receipt was still in the box and from that day on, she appreciated the value of money more than she even realised. Her mother would give her five dollars each week as pocket money for doing chores, but after her birthday she began to refuse the money, knowing her parents couldn't afford it. In the long run, it seemed to help, as she could see that money was spent on snacks for her and her brother's lunch boxes at school, and that made her feel proud of herself.

James pulled up in his Land Rover and greeted the family with a grin. He wrapped Sophia in his arms, telling her she was glowing and took her suitcase, sliding it into the trunk along with the others. Once their luggage was inside, they climbed into the car. Alan and Sherry sat in the middle, with Jackson, Kelly and Mason in the back and Sophia sat next to James in the passenger's seat. The journey back to the McKenzie house was uneventful as everyone except Sophia and of course James, slept. She talked about the vacation, more specifically the heat and the beautiful scenery. "Have you ever been?" She asked in a whisper, careful not to wake the sleeping passengers.

"A long time ago when I was a kid. I don't really remember much of it, but I have a photograph of me and my father by a pier holding a fishing pole and a small fish on the end. My Dad always told me that was my first catch." James went silent and she assumed he was trying to recall those memories.

"You'll have to show me that photo."

He leant to the side in his chair and with one hand on the wheel, he reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet which he handed to Sophia. "It's in there." She unfolded the wallet and just as James had said, a small photograph was inside of him and his father. The long fishing rod was held between them, both of their hands gripping it. "My Dad always kept it in his wallet and when he died, it was the only thing I took. Everything else was materialistic but this, this is the only copy. It was taken by a traveller with a polaroid camera. It didn't cost much, but I'd do anything to go back to that moment and have it taken again if I could."