A Second Chance at First Love - Chapter 20

The day was sunny, bright and clear. A perfect afternoon for a picnic outside. Breathing in the crisp, fresh air, Gemma slipped her hand into her husband's outstretched one as he reached for her.

Despite all the upheaval, she was going to miss it here in New England. Louis promised they'd be back as soon as feasible. First, she had to reacclimatize herself to her new...well, technically it was her old life, she supposed. Just new to her.

This trip to Beech Front national park on the tip of the peninsula was to be one of their last outings before saying goodbye to this part of the world.

"Hungry yet?" Louis asked. "Ready to eat?"

She shook her head. Food could wait. Right now, she just wanted to admire the view and enjoy his company. "Let's walk the trail a bit."

"As you wish," he answered, clasping her hand tighter.

They followed the dirt path around a flowing stream to reach a small cliff with a gushing waterfall.

Waterfall.

The word tugged at the corners of her mind. Gemma halted her step, staring at the water flowing over the rocks. Her eyes blurred. She didn't so much as blink.

Suddenly, her vision grew tunneled, narrowing to the spot she stared at. The next sensation felt like a pop, almost like the uncorking of a champagne bottle.

Then, without warning or preamble, like the water she was staring at, it all came rushing back.

Gemma sucked in a breath. She turned to Louis, her mouth faltering, her voice failing her.

"The waterfall," she finally managed to utter.

Louis gave her a confused and rather concerned look. "Yes, it's very pretty here. "

Gemma swallowed. "No, I mean, I was in front of a waterfall. During our wedding. We were on an island…"

Louis's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. He took her in his arms. "Gemma, do you remember our wedding?"

She could only nod. But there was more, so much more. "Yes," she cried out, the joy threatening to overwhelm her. "The orchestra playing. Walking over the sandy beach to where you stood at the altar. Guests dancing on a makeshift dance floor near the beach. Then flying in a jet to our honeymoon." The words were pouring out of her now, just as the memories were pouring into her head.

Gemma felt dizzy and disoriented but it didn't alarm her. She knew it was due to pure elation and utter relief.

Like a movie, the scenes played out in her head, going backward in time. The night Louis had proposed, atop the Eiffel Tower during a trip to Paris. How he'd slipped the ring on her finger. The way they'd celebrated after she'd said yes.

Louis gripped her tighter in his embrace. "What else? What else do you remember?"

Gemma threw her arms around her husband’s waist, leaned tight against his length. "Everything, my love. I remember all of it."

The End

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