What He Left Behind

Twenty Eight

I change for bed and make a mental note to call Charlie back in the morning, too tired to string a sentence together right now.

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The next day, I'm woken by the sound of movement in the hall. I glance at the clock to see that it is 7am; it must be Rena getting up. I crawl out of bed, put on my sweater and go into the living room. Rena greets me with her usual warm smile and we make breakfast together. Then Jacob wakes and the three of us eat in front of the television, a giggling Jacob nestled in Rena's lap. I can't help but feel completely at peace, brimming with a new sense of hope. True, the situation is far from conventional, but paradoxically, I feel a degree of normalcy. I'm not taking care of sick people or attempting to reason with drug addicts. Rena's made this life for herself and Jacob that is everything I aspire to, and I feel privileged to be able to share a piece of it.

Austin may be gone and that's a wound that will never fully heal, but I still have a family. I have the brightest most adorable nephew, who at not even a year old has a wicked sense of humour and the kindest of hearts. I have Rena who may not be related to me by blood, but she's shown me more warmth and support than some of the people who are, so I regard her as family nonetheless. She's confident and determined and knows exactly what she wants and how to achieve it. Having spent just a few days with her, I am already inspired by her pragmatism and dedication, and it makes me truly believe that I can create for myself whatever life I wish.

All the things that have happened in the past are exactly that – things that happened in the past. I'm not saying they don't matter, I'm just saying they're not controlling my life for once. I feel stronger than ever and more hopeful than usual. I never thought I'd see myself come to terms with my brother's tragic passing, but finally, I feel like I'm ready to move on.

We don't get home from the wedding until late, having had an extremely hectic but interesting day. Everything went so well and it's made me remember why I was so passionate about photography. I've never photographed a wedding before so I learnt a lot from Rena, and I also managed to get some nice shots of my own that Rena was happy with. That, to me, is the ultimate seal of approval.

We unpack all of the equipment onto the kitchen counter and Rena, upon noticing the light flashing on the landline phone, dials voicemail. While Rena listens to her messages, I quietly put the cameras we used on charge and look through some of the shots from the day.

"Anything interesting?" I ask Rena once she's put the phone down.

"A couple of people wanting me to do some work for them, and a missed call from a number I don't recognise," she explains, nodding her head towards the piece of paper she jotted down the messages on. I instantly recognise the last number written down as Charlie's.

"Shit, that's Charlie," I mutter, "He's been trying to get hold of me but I forgot to ring him back. How'd he get your number?"

"It's online. Probably got it through my Instagram or the company website," she suggests, "Best ring your boyfriend back since he's clearly missing you." I smile and shake my head, taking out my mobile and calling Charlie, figuring it's best to do it now before I forget again. He answers after the first ring.

"About fucking time," Charlie greets, "Care to explain why you've been completely AWOL?"

"Charlie, I'm so sorry. I was going to ring you back but I got caught up. I've been so busy."

"What could possibly be more important than me?"

"Nothing. How could anything be more important than you are Charlie?" I tease, and Rena shoots me a knowing look, winking as she leaves the room.