When Stars Collide

by Tammy Robinson

  “I’m not as delicate as I look.”

  “You look incredible,” he said quietly.

  “Ivy -” he started to speak in an urgent tone but was interrupted by the shrill ring of a cell phone. “Shit,” Walt fumbled through pockets until he found the phone and grimaced when he saw who the caller was. With an apologetic look at Ivy he pushed the answer button.

  “Mum,” he said, “what’s up.” He listened for a minute and then frowned, “yes I know what day it is. It doesn’t matter where I am - you guys know where the spare key is, just let yourselves in and I will be there soon.” He hung up and put his head in his hands.

  “It’s your wedding day.” Ivy said sadly.

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re going through with it.”

  He looked up at her. “What choice do I have?”

  “You always have a choice Walt, don’t be weak.”

  “Weak? You think I’m being weak?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think.”

  “Of course it does, why do you think I’m here.”

  “I don’t know Walt, I’ve asked you twice already. Why are you here? Why did you come here last night?”

  “I found your painting.”

  “What do you mean, found it?”

  “That doesn’t matter. Your painting, it’s beautiful. I have these memories of you, of us. I had all these dreams –” he clenched his hands, frustrated, unable to find the words for what he wanted to say.

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said. “You didn’t need to come all this way to tell me that though. You’re making this harder than it already is.”

  “That’s not my intention.”

  She softened. “I know.”

  His phone rang again. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I really should answer it.”

  Ivy gave a little wave and said, “Go for it. I’ll be in the kitchen with granddad.”

  Even from the kitchen though she could clearly hear his side of the conversation.

  “Hello Nina – yes I’m ok – I’m sorry, my mother shouldn’t have called you – it doesn’t matter where I am –– look I can’t talk right now – I’ll see you at the church soon.”

  Hearing those words Ivy’s heart broke all over again. He was still intent on marrying Nina. She couldn’t be near him, couldn’t keep up the pretence that she was ok with him pledging his love to someone else.

  “I have to get out of here granddad,” she whispered, “I’ll be back in a few hours, once I know he’s gone. Can you distract him while I leave?”

  He nodded sympathetically, “Ok love.”

  She slipped past Walt, smiling at him as he talked on the phone as if she didn’t care who he was speaking to and what he was saying. Heading upstairs she went straight to her room and changed quickly into tights and a long tunic top. Some flat shoes and a quick brush of her hair, pinning it back to one side with a pretty black ribbon clip and she was ready to go.

  At the top of the stairs she peered down through the banisters. Walt was off the phone and had joined her grandfather in the kitchen for coffee.

  “Where is Ivy?” she heard him ask.

  “Oh, she’ll be back in a minute, just wanted to get changed. Why don’t we take our coffees out to the porch and see what sort of day is dawning out there.”

  Walt agreed and Leo stepped to one side to let him go through the door first. He leant forwards slightly to see up the stairs and saw Ivy waiting. He gave her a quick thumbs up and blew her a kiss. She blew one back and then waited until he had followed Walt outside. She stepped quietly down the stairs, dodging the creaky boards, and stole out the front door. On her way out she grabbed the keys to her grandfather’s old truck. Normally she avoided driving it, as it was manual and unreliable and she preferred to walk, but today she needed to make a quick getaway. It started on the third turn and with one last glance at the house she backed out of the driveway and headed off.

  On the porch Walt grew restless. He finished his coffee and tapped his feet impatiently while Leo made him another one. The caffeine had gone some way towards reviving him and clearing his head. He felt jittery, and not just from nerves about his upcoming nuptials. Anticipation laced the air. He had that ‘first day back at school’ feeling, bubbly and with barely suppressed excitement. Like fresh cut grass and the first day of summer. He felt raring to go.

  “Here,” Leo emerged from the house and passed him his freshly topped up cup.

  “Thanks Leo.”

  “No problem.”

  “I’m sorry, again, for turning up like I did last night.”

  Leo gave him a knowing look. “I understand why you did. The question is, do you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Walt, anyone with eyes that work can see how you and Ivy feel about each other. It was as plain as day ten years ago, and it’s even more obvious now.”

  Walt smiled wryly. “I’m not very subtle am I?”

  “Last night you said you love her.”

  “I do love her. That’s not the problem.”

  “Then what is? Why are you marrying someone else if you still love my granddaughter?”

  “Things have got away on me, I don’t feel like I have a choice anymore”

  “There you go again, banging on about choices.”

  “”It’s not as easy as you think.”

  “Dammit Walt, it is easy. You love her. She loves you. What else matters?”

  Walt leaned back in his chair. “I thought that if I pretended to love someone else and made a life with her, it would help me move on from Ivy. In hindsight that’s pretty stupid. But I can’t hurt Nina now, it wouldn’t be fair to her.”

  “Fair? Walt, would it be more fair to hurt her in a year’s time, or five years down the track when there are children involved?”

  “No, of course not”

  “Then do the right thing now. End the charade if it’s not where your heart truly lies”

  Walt closed his eyes. Everything the old man was saying made sense. He couldn’t marry Nina if he didn’t love her, it wasn’t fair. But how could he think about jilting her on her wedding day? In front of all her family and friends?

  Then the wind changed, and he caught the scent of flowers in the air. Sweet and tropical, the scent danced invitingly beneath his nose. He inhaled it deeply. And in that instant he knew. He opened his eyes.

  “I can’t marry Nina,” he said. “Not when I love Ivy. I have to call off the wedding, it’s the right thing to do.”

  “Good boy,” Leo nodded satisfactorily.

  “Thank you Leo, for everything.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “I still need to leave the village. I can’t stand to stay and see Ivy so happy with someone else, even though her happiness is all I desire. If we’re meant to be then I just have to hope that one day it will happen. That’s all I can do.”

  He got to his feet, “will you tell her I said goodbye?”

  Leo also got to his feet, confused. “What on earth are you talking about – someone else?”

  “James,” Walt spat the name out like it hurt him to say it, but to his surprise Leo started to laugh, great big belly laughs, almost reminiscent of Santa Claus, “Ho Ho Ho!”

  “Should I be pleased my misfortune entertains you?” Walt asked.

  “Oh Walt, you idiot,” Leo managed to say between bellows.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Walt said, a little angered by Leo’s reaction. “I have a wedding to cancel, a woman’s heart to break,” and he stood and headed back inside the house, banging the coffee cup down loudly on the kitchen bench.

  “No, wait!” Leo called after him.

  And because he respected the old man Walt stopped, although he was seething at Leo’s sudden caviller attitude about something so serious.

  “What,” he said sharply as Leo appeared in the door frame.

  “I’m sorry boy, I really am. That wasn’t very nice of me. Only you see, I made the same
mistake myself not long ago. I’m just pleased I’m not the only one.”

  “What mistake?”

  “James is, how do I say this - he’s not Ivy’s type. And she is most definitely not his.”

  Walt gave him a questioning look.

  “He’s probably more likely to be interested in you, let’s put it that way,” and he watched, amused, as understanding dawned on Walt.

  “He’s gay?”

  “About as gay as they come.”

  “They’re not a couple?”

  “No.”

  “But, the baby. If not James then who is the father?”

  “A man, and I use the term very loosely, back in the UK who Ivy briefly dated. He wants nothing to do with the baby.”

  Walt felt the most incredible joy well up inside him.

  “Oh my god,” he said, “she’s not with anyone? She’s available?”

  “Yes” Leo nodded happily. “And now you are too, or at least you soon will be,” he checked his watch. “You better get going though, people will be wondering where you are.”

  Walt couldn’t move though, he was still taking it all in. Ivy wasn’t with James; she wasn’t with anyone. Once he broke it off with Nina he would be a free man. They could be together. There would be nothing standing in their way. It was almost too good to believe.

  “Did you hear me?” Leo prodded him, “you’d better go and break the bad news to Nina.”

  But again Walt didn’t seem to hear him, “Where’s Ivy?” he said, heading towards the stairs, “I must see her.”

  “She’s not here,” Leo said but Walt took the stairs two at a time anyway, throwing open Ivy’s door and feeling devastated when he realised Leo was telling the truth, she wasn’t in there.

  “Where is she?” he said, heading back downstairs.

  “I don’t know, she went out so she didn’t have to face you. She thought you were marrying Nina. She’ll be back later.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “No,” Leo said firmly. “Go and sort out your business. Come back when you’re ready to give yourself to her properly and without restraint.”

  Walt nodded, “you’re right. I’ll go and break the news to everyone. I’ll be back when I can. When she comes home can you make sure she stays put, please, and tell her – tell her I –” he struggled with his words.

  “Just hurry back and tell her yourself,” Leo smiled.

  Chapter thirty four

  The pews at the church were filling up as people arrived, dressed in their finest and eager for a good knees up. The bride was in a side room pacing, while her attendants flurried around her doing last minute primping and attempting to take her mind off the fact that it was less than ten minutes till show time and the groom was currently absent and unaccounted for.

  “Where the hell is he?” she hissed.

  Her mother, biting her nails and gagging for a cigarette, shrugged helplessly.

  “I’m sure he’ll be along shortly dear, he’s obviously just been held up somewhere.”

  “Held up on our wedding day? He had better be lying dead in a ditch. That’s the only excuse I’m going to accept.”

  There was a knock on the door. One of the bridesmaids opened it and turned to Nina with relief.

  “It’s Walt,” she said.

  “Tell him to hurry up and get to the altar – I’ll deal with him later.”

  “No, we’ll deal with this now,” Walt said, sweeping past the bridesmaid and entering the room.

  “You’re not supposed to see me before the wedding,” she shrieked. “It’s bad luck”

  “I think it’s the least of our problems don’t you? We need to talk”

  “Afterwards”

  “No, now”

  “Fine” she said through gritted teeth. “Mother please go out there and make an announcement that there will be a short delay but things will start progressing shortly”

  Walt put a hand on the shoulder of the woman who was to have become his mother-in-law. “No Caroline,” he said. “Any announcements will come from me.”

  And Caroline could see the truth in his eyes of what was about to happen. She scowled at him then pushed his hand from her shoulder and stormed from the room without answering.

  “Please give us a moment,” Walt said to the other women and one by one they left the room, casting sympathetic glances at Nina. When the door had closed behind the last of them Walt said softly to Nina,

  “Why was the painting behind the couch?”

  “What painting, what are you talking about? You need to get out there, people are starting to talk.”

  “Let them. Were you trying to hide it from me?”

  She could see there was no point in lying so she lifted her chin defiantly.

  “So what if I was?”

  “Why?”

  “Because she shouldn’t have given it to us. Your past has no place in our future. Thank god we’re moving and won’t have to see her ever again.”

  He shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.”

  Her eyes narrowed.

  “Say it.”

  “I think you know what –”

  “Say it! I need to hear the words from you.”

  “I can’t marry you.”

  She sagged down onto an armchair.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not in love with you. I’m sorry.”

  Tears sprung up in her eyes. “It’s because of her isn’t it? That Ivy woman.” And she said the name with such venom that Walt took a step backwards as if she’d slapped him.

  “Don’t you say her name again,” he said.

  “Or what?”

  “I’m not here to threaten you Nina. Believe it or not this isn’t bringing me any pleasure. Hurting you was never my intention.”

  “Then why are you doing it?”

  He knew she deserved the truth. It might help her recover and move on quicker if she hated him. “I love Ivy,” he said. “I always have and I always will.”

  “Then why on earth did you propose to me?”

  “That was wrong and I am sorry. When I did I honestly intended on marrying you. I thought that I could forget her, that you and I could be happy.”

  She crossed the room and tried to put her arms around him.

  ‘We still could be” she pleaded. “I will make you happy, I promise”

  He removed her hands from his arms, ‘I know you would try Nina, and I’m thankful for that. But it’s not fair on you”

  “But…but she’s pregnant. Do you really want to take on someone else’s problem?”

  He sucked in his breath sharply, “that baby is not a problem. How dare you call it that” he was getting angry with her now. He knew he was hurting her and she was just lashing out, but he was seeing a vicious side to her that he hadn’t seen before, and it did nothing but reinforce his knowledge that he was making the right choice.

  “Obviously I will cover all the wedding costs,” he said

  “You’re damn right you will.”

  “I wish you all the best Nina.”

  “Get out.”

  “I will tell everyone.”

  “Get out!” and she collapsed back into the chair, sobbing. He felt terrible about the pain he’d caused her, but as he closed the door behind him he also felt intense relief. It was done.

  He was free.

  Free to find Ivy and declare his love for her.

  First though, he had to face the difficult task of cancelling his wedding. People weren’t as surprised as he expected though and his family especially took it philosophically.

  “Ah well,” his father said. “These things happen.”

  His sister pulled him to one side and whispered in his ear “Thank god, I never liked her much. She had cold eyes like a snake.”

  He waited till all the crowd had cleared, answering questions as best as he could. He never saw Nina leave; her family drove round back and bundled her away so that she didn’t have to face
anyone. He thanked the vicar and apologised for the waste of his time, then he drove to the restaurant where the reception was due to be held and told them to pull down the flowers and put away the cutlery; everything was cancelled.

  So it was that almost six hours passed between the time he left Ivy’s house and the time he returned, weary but happier than he’d been in a long, long time. But as he pulled into the driveway he noticed that Leo’s truck was not back, and before he had even taken the keys out of the ignition Leo was down the front steps, his face worried.

  “What is it?” Walt asked.

  “Have you seen her?”

  “Ivy?”

  “Yes, of course Ivy. She hasn’t returned yet. She should have been back hours ago.” The old man was clearly anxious, rubbing his hands through his hair and peering down the street.

  “Relax, I’m sure she’s ok. She’s probably just lost track of time” But Walt was secretly worried too. It wasn’t like Ivy to worry her grandfather like this. “I’ll find her.” he added, getting back into his truck.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “No, you should stay here in case she comes back. Here –” Walt opened up his wallet and pulled out one of his business cards. “Here’s my cell number, call me when she turns up. If I find her first I’ll call you.”

  “Ok. I’m really worried Walt, what if something’s happened? I couldn’t bear it.”

  “She’ll be fine, I promise.”

  But as he drove off towards the village in search of her he couldn’t help but feel a niggling worry himself. She couldn’t have gone far though, after all she was due to give birth any day. Then through the open window he caught the scent of flowers, and he knew. He knew exactly where she was. He turned and headed for the estuary. Sure enough, Leo’s truck was parked at the back of the reserve.

  He parked beside it and scanned the reserve and the beach but there was no sign of her, not that he’d expected it. She would be at the treehouse, he was sure of it. He couldn’t believe that she had made the crossing in her condition, but he would take that up with her later. For now he just wanted to make sure she was safe and take her home. After that, well he had no idea what was going to happen, but he was excited at the possibilities.

  Stopping to remove his shoes and roll up his jeans, he left them on the bank and stepped into the water. Memories flooded back of the last time he had left shoes here.