“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Absence is supposed to make the heart grow stronger.

But…

This is no ordinary romance.  There’s a great big ocean between them, in more ways than one.  Getting off that ocean, getting to the port, and getting to the girl is proving a very hard task indeed.

Ships have a mind of their own.

Then the planets align…

This date starts out badly.  Henry is running behind time, and, the meeting place is, well, far from being private.  It’s like he’s in the middle of a spy novel, finding himself surveilling the crowded public square …. For what?

She’s there but hardly acknowledges his presence.

Then he feels the presence of another, hiding in plain sight.

Something is amiss.  Michelle is on edge, and from the, the date goes downhill.

They get some time ‘alone’, and words are spoken, but their not anywhere near what he had hoped to hear.  There’s fallout from the last date, and we learn a little more about who and what Michelle is, and why she is acting this way.

In a desperate attempt to win her over, Henry proposes marriage.

It doesn’t work.

They part, but not before that old adage ‘eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves’ which sends him into a deeper spiral of despair.

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Words written 2,560, for a total of 35,970

“The Things We Do For Love”

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The course of love never runs smoothly. 

After the disappointment, Henry is on a plane heading to what he hopes will be a wonderful day.  That first meeting, she comes to the airport, appears as an exquisite vision.

A perfect morning, but when lunch beckons, her mood changes and they are suddenly in a whole different world, she has changed completely.

Questions but no substantive answers, she apologises, and they move on, but the mood does not return.  Henry now realizes something is terribly wrong.

The past always catches up with you eventually.

What Michelle could not tell him is that someone from her past, someone she had hoped never to see again, appears, and everything she had hoped for is ripped out from under her.

There is no hiding, and those who swore to protect her, have no choice but to give her up.

And, for them, there is no room for Henry, no possibility of love.

In order for them not to hurt him, she must tell him they can never be together.

…

Words written 3,505, for a total of 33,410

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

The course of love never runs smoothly. 

After the disappointment, Henry is on a plane heading to what he hopes will be a wonderful day.  That first meeting, she comes to the airport, appears as an exquisite vision.

A perfect morning, but when lunch beckons, her mood changes and they are suddenly in a whole different world, she has changed completely.

Questions but no substantive answers, she apologises, and they move on, but the mood does not return.  Henry now realizes something is terribly wrong.

The past always catches up with you eventually.

What Michelle could not tell him is that someone from her past, someone she had hoped never to see again, appears, and everything she had hoped for is ripped out from under her.

There is no hiding, and those who swore to protect her, have no choice but to give her up.

And, for them, there is no room for Henry, no possibility of love.

In order for them not to hurt him, she must tell him they can never be together.

…

Words written 3,505, for a total of 33,410

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Henry writes a letter and sends it.   He’s disappointed when after a week there is no reply.  He resigns himself to the thought he might never see her again.

Michelle gets a message concerning a person from her past, one who was helpful even when she was at her worst.  But, it could be a trap because one of the people she was hiding from knew of his association with her.

Then a real letter arrives, one from Henry, but it is not fully of his undying love for her, removing him from the status of the knight in shining armour.  What was she expecting, and then remembered she had told him expectation ruined everything.

This was her reality, not what it had been with him.  She was hiding, she was alone, and she was afraid.  All the time.

She writes back, reassuring him, and admonishing his writing skill.

He in turn tries harder to improve, and then advises her it might be possible to meet again giving her a date and time.

Plans are made and plans are dashed, and more plans are made, and there springs a possibility.

…

Words written 2,939, for a total of 29,905

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Henry writes a letter and sends it.   He’s disappointed when after a week there is no reply.  He resigns himself to the thought he might never see her again.

Michelle gets a message concerning a person from her past, one who was helpful even when she was at her worst.  But, it could be a trap because one of the people she was hiding from knew of his association with her.

Then a real letter arrives, one from Henry, but it is not fully of his undying love for her, removing him from the status of the knight in shining armour.  What was she expecting, and then remembered she had told him expectation ruined everything.

This was her reality, not what it had been with him.  She was hiding, she was alone, and she was afraid.  All the time.

She writes back, reassuring him, and admonishing his writing skill.

He in turn tries harder to improve, and then advises her it might be possible to meet again giving her a date and time.

Plans are made and plans are dashed, and more plans are made, and there springs a possibility.

…

Words written 2,939, for a total of 29,905

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Back at work, all thoughts of the holiday are shoved to one side.  Ships, being very large machines with many working parts, and humans left to tend to them., provide a dearth of distractions, from badly loaded cargo, engines with problems, crew signing on and off, victualling, and duelling with the officers.

And helping his relief purser sort out everything that had gone wrong.

Only after sailing hour passed, and there were moments when nothing could be done, did Henry get to tell his captain and others of what had happened, in not so many words.  All are surprised at who she is.  None, apparently, knew what had happened to her.  Yet.

Michelle has found herself in a sanctuary away from those whom she is hiding from, courtesy of a friend, Millie, and a girl who was still caught up in the trade she used to ply.  She had friends who had helped her get to this point, and if she was discovered all three would pay for it dearly.  Any wonder that first night, home, alone, she was very miserable.

We are also introduced to Radly, the man who has no trouble with women, a man who only wishes Henry the same opportunities he has.  Always interested in his holiday, Henry finally catches up with him, and the secret is a secret no longer.  Eight weeks at sea was going to feel like a year.

…

Words written 3,844, for a total of 26,966

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Back at work, all thoughts of the holiday are shoved to one side.  Ships, being very large machines with many working parts, and humans left to tend to them., provide a dearth of distractions, from badly loaded cargo, engines with problems, crew signing on and off, victualling, and duelling with the officers.

And helping his relief purser sort out everything that had gone wrong.

Only after sailing hour passed, and there were moments when nothing could be done, did Henry get to tell his captain and others of what had happened, in not so many words.  All are surprised at who she is.  None, apparently, knew what had happened to her.  Yet.

Michelle has found herself in a sanctuary away from those whom she is hiding from, courtesy of a friend, Millie, and a girl who was still caught up in the trade she used to ply.  She had friends who had helped her get to this point, and if she was discovered all three would pay for it dearly.  Any wonder that first night, home, alone, she was very miserable.

We are also introduced to Radly, the man who has no trouble with women, a man who only wishes Henry the same opportunities he has.  Always interested in his holiday, Henry finally catches up with him, and the secret is a secret no longer.  Eight weeks at sea was going to feel like a year.

…

Words written 3,844, for a total of 26,966

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

It’s a slow march to the end of the stay for both of them.  By unspoken agreement, they partake in picnics, walks, and talk about anything other than parting.

And in the end, she alleviates his concerns for her by telling him about a fictitious job that might be available, if only to keep the truth from him.  It’s not fair, but it is better than the alternative.  She also tells him he can write to her.

And at the end, she realizes that on one hand, happiness was an option if she let it happen, and on the other, she had stronger feelings towards him than she should, and should not have let it happen.  It had, and it would have to be dealt with.

His concern that Mrs Mac might be worried about them is not a concern, she tells him that Mrs Mac had been subtly drawing them together with candle-lit meals, subdued lighting and gentle hints.

The fact he tells her he loves her almost breaks her heart. 

They remained together this time in his room that last night, and she had to use every reserve to stop them from making a mistake.

They have to go back to their lives, and maybe one day they could be together again.

…

Henry takes the train back, an early call to return to the ship.  At least he will not have time, at home or elsewhere to reflect on what just happened.

…

When Michelle returns home, we learn exactly who she is and why she left him.  But, after everything, was there a glimmer of a plan that might be her salvation.

…

Words written 3,673, for a total of 23,122

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

It’s a slow march to the end of the stay for both of them.  By unspoken agreement, they partake in picnics, walks, and talk about anything other than parting.

And in the end, she alleviates his concerns for her by telling him about a fictitious job that might be available, if only to keep the truth from him.  It’s not fair, but it is better than the alternative.  She also tells him he can write to her.

And at the end, she realizes that on one hand, happiness was an option if she let it happen, and on the other, she had stronger feelings towards him than she should, and should not have let it happen.  It had, and it would have to be dealt with.

His concern that Mrs Mac might be worried about them is not a concern, she tells him that Mrs Mac had been subtly drawing them together with candle-lit meals, subdued lighting and gentle hints.

The fact he tells her he loves her almost breaks her heart. 

They remained together this time in his room that last night, and she had to use every reserve to stop them from making a mistake.

They have to go back to their lives, and maybe one day they could be together again.

…

Henry takes the train back, an early call to return to the ship.  At least he will not have time, at home or elsewhere to reflect on what just happened.

…

When Michelle returns home, we learn exactly who she is and why she left him.  But, after everything, was there a glimmer of a plan that might be her salvation.

…

Words written 3,673, for a total of 23,122

“The Things We Do For Love”

…

Of course, it’s too good to be true, and Henry is going to have to steel himself when the holiday comes to an end.

It’s halfway through the holiday, and the conversation veers towards the elephant in the room; parting.

Then…

Michelle takes ill, the ravages of the past still causing her problems that she does not speak about, but requires a doctor’s ministrations, and discretion.

We learn she had been in rehab and left early.  Grim determination is not enough to substitute for doing the time.

She recovers, but Henry knows something is wrong.

Once again out for a drive, Henry is overcoming that painful shyness, and awkwardness in her presence, and she is letting him via the door that is more than ajar.  

After another pleasant dinner, he ‘escorts’ her back to her room, at the other end of the corridor, a metaphorical wall built between them, where she asks, innocently or otherwise, if he’d like to stay.

It’s that proverbial loaded question with a double-edged sword.

He does, and he doesn’t take it any further, afraid of what it might lead to, and disappointment.

But …

They sleep, fully clothed, on her bed.  Another subliminal moment.

…

Words written 2,999, for a total of 19,449