The Life of Riley

Chapter 40: Life is Good

Poppy woke to the sound of knocking late one night, or was it early one morning?
She rolled out of bed and plodded to the door, her eyes still shut. She pulled open the door expecting to see her father or Sophie asking her to take the baby for a night but much to her delight, there stood her tall, dark cowboy. His hat created a shadow that shielded his eyes and there was no shirt covering that torso.

"Jack, why are you up?" Poppy yawned.

"C'mon let's go swimming." He said.

Confused but excited Poppy slipped her thongs onto her feet and took the hand of the handsome man. He grinned and scooped her into his arms. Poppy nestled into his chest, his scent of old spice cologne and PK chewies filled her nose and his heart beat calmed her.

He carried her down to the dam behind the homestead. Where the trees lined the perimeter and the water was clean and hadn't been touched by the cattle. Where the rope swing swung lazily in the breeze and the rocks were smooth, flat and perfect for skipping. The soft mountain breeze drifted down and for once it was warm.

Jack placed Poppy gently on the ground, he slipped off his boots and threw his body into the water. Diving down into its depths. He rose to the surface, pushing his hair back and grinning.

"This is living my sweet." He chanted, floating on the water. "This is living."

Poppy laughed, dipping her toes into the cool water. She shivered as goosebumps raced up her legs. She watched as Jack dived under the water before busting through the surface and cheered.

He'd missed this.
The feeling of fresh air filling his lungs.
The gasp after holding his breath.
The release of a cheer trapped in his throat.
The feeling of being alive.
The feeling of life.

Poppy slipped out of her pyjama shorts and trembled her way into the water, her arms were crossed across her chest and her hair was bundled up on the top of her head.
"Jack it's Cold." Her voice shook, but her smile beamed.

Jack splashed his way over the the girl. Once again, he scooped her into his arms and slowly wandered into the water.
In his arms Poppy was warm, no chill would reach her. The water was warm in his arms, it was soft and cleansing.
How lucky she was to feel such a love.

She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, feeling his skin against hers and just being.
She knew he was the one.
His arms were strong enough to hold everything that she bought. Every problem, every passion and everyone.

"See Poppy, one day, we'll be here like this again, maybe a bit older and with a few more things to be thankful for, but we'll be in the water just like we are now, thanking God that we understood each other. That we got to spend every moment of every day loving each other and knowing that we could never love anyone as much as we do each other." He sighed, not a laboured sigh but a grateful one as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I hope so," Poppy replied softly, tilting her head up so he could kiss her lips.

•••

"Poppy, when you were small what did you want to be?" Jack asked, as he ran his fingers up and down her arm.

Poppy paused, "in truth I didn't really have anything in mind."

"Not an astronaut or a teacher perhaps?" Jack stated obviously.

Poppy chuckled; "no I'm serious, I was so busy wanting to keep up with Joel, I never had time to dream for myself. I wanted to ride the broncs, I wanted to play footy and cricket and drive old Utes and ride fast horses. My twin brother was so care free. He lived his life by the skin of his teeth without any fear and that's what I wanted. To be free of my parents and in love with life."

Jack laid his back against the dirt beneath a tree as the sun began to peep over the mountain, on that lazy Sunday morning.

"Sounds like me, except I was stupid about it." Jack said.

"Stupid?" Poppy scoffed, "how?"

"I took 'carefree' too far. I turned it into an excuse, I'll get drunk tonight because I don't care. I'll take those drugs because I don't care. I won't go and see my sister because there are better things to do. My Dad lost his shit so I'll lose mine but I won't end up like him, I'm nothing like him. I ended up in Hospital so often, my mother ended up being admitted because she was so worried. She stopped eating and caring for herself and eventually it did kill her. I killed my mother, she never met her granddaughter and she should've lived so much longer than she did." Jack was almost sobbing, Poppy turned to face him, winding her arms around his torso.

"Jack," She whispered, she had so many things to tell him but couldn't find the words.

"It was all meant to happen," said Jack, "all of this. Meeting you, raising June, living here, riding rodeo. It's like everything I was terrified of has come to haunt me but I've ended up falling in love with it."

Jack rose to his feet, he roared to the morning sky before sinking to his knees, his fingers clutching at tufts of his hair.

"I'm so sorry Mum," he cried, "I'm so, so sorry." He hung his head, sobbing uncontrollably.

Poppy scuttled over to the broken man, she pulled him into her chest as he blubbered.

"Shhh Jacky, c'mon." She wiped a tear away as she held him. That tear was followed by another and then a kiss and then well....

•••

Jack and Mr Hughes were loading cattle into the truck later that morning. They worked in silence only speaking when cursing the stubborn cattle.
Jack didn't usually like June working with the cattle but today he wanted her little hand in his because the silence was deafening.

Jack was about to head into town to pick up June, in fact he was just about to shut the door of his ute when Mr Hughes stopped him.

"You're going to marry her, aren't you?" The man questioned.

His eyes were desperate. Almost like they were pleading for him to answer.
Jack was stunned for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

The whole world stilled.

"Jack Riley, I need you to answer me," Mr Hughes urged, "You're going to marry her, aren't you?"

A tear trickled down his cheek as he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"My life is so beautiful," Jack choked, "but I'm in awe at how much more spectacular she makes it."

Mr Hughes threw his arms around the spluttering Jack, holding him close like a father would his son.

"Life is good with you in it Mr Riley." Mr Hughes said.