Bondi Beach (22 page)

Chapter 43

JUNE 7-15

We’d had a lazy morning in bed when Martin asked me if I wanted a big wedding. I told him that I’d already had the big wedding with Jack.

“I don’t need another one,” I said,
resting my head on his chest. “Besides, I’m more interested in the marriage than the wedding.”

He didn’t say anything so I opened my eyes and looked up at him
.

“What do
you
want?” I asked.

He looked down at me and smiled
. “As long as we’re together, I don’t care. I’d SCUBA dive naked if I had to.”

I laughed
. “Let’s not do that.”

“Honeymoon?”

I shrugged. “We’re going to Brazil in a few months. Let’s just stay home.”

“Okay,” he said, kissing me and pulling the covers over our heads.

*****

The next week, Janine flew in
to Sydney. We picked her up at the airport and went to a local justice of the peace to get married. Although Janine was our official witness, Martin and I had both set up our laptops, and Tess and Denise Skyped in for the event. It was fun to see them there. It was like having a piece of home with me. Bud, Drew, and Syke showed up, too.

A
justice of the peace officiated at the ceremony. Initially, he’d planned to prompt us in our vows, but Martin had memorized the entire thing.

“
I, Martin Ross, take you, Eva Jensen, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I promise to love you unconditionally and to support you in your goals. I will trust you and respect you and laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.”

T
ears rolled down my cheek, and Martin squeezed my hand. When it was my turn, I spoke my vows, which I had also memorized. We had practiced them many times back at the house and had laughed and cried as we had gone through them together.

The justice of the peace said, “
In the presence of God and these our friends, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss.”

When we did, cheers came
out of our computer speakers. As for the small group that had assembled there for us on that special day, there were many hugs all around. We walked out into the sunshine with our future ahead of us, and neither of us could wait for the rest of our lives.

Chapter 44

Martin and I have been together for two years now. It's amazing how quickly time passes when you're happy. At first, a lot of friends were really concerned that we hadn’t known each other long enough to marry. Yet, when Martin and I returned to North Carolina after we married, we spent about five months there getting together with my friends and visiting my small extended family, which was scattered around the East Coast. Of course, everyone who met Martin loved him. It was also clear to everyone how well we get along and how easy it is between us.

As much as I love my home in North Carolina and
am not ready to let it go permanently, I decided that I was ready to embrace the life that I had begun in Sydney with Martin and to leave this place behind for a while – so I rented my house to Tess. I knew that she needed a sanctuary of her own and that she would take great care of my place. It also gave us a place to stay whenever we went back home.

Not long after we got married, Melanie and Steve split up. I understand that she left him for
Mike.

After we returned from North Carolina, Martin got back into surfing and spendi
ng more time with his friends. As much as I loved doing artistic things, I decided that my true passion was in green jewelry design. I would rebuild my business only this time it would be based in Sydney.

Martin left the company that he was working with and started his own
business. Now, he’s teaching surf lessons and is a part-time SCUBA instructor. To say that he loves his job is an understatement.

Neither of us had a really strong desire to have children so
we haven't tried. We’re happy with the life that we have, and, even though we live mostly in Sydney, we make a point of going back to North Carolina a couple of times a year to visit with friends and family. Martin has always encouraged me not to sever those ties, and I never would. Relationships are the most important things that we have, and I treasure mine every day.

Copyright Page

Bondi Beach

Copyright: Kat Lansby
Published: 7th January 2013
Publisher: Amazon
Kindle Edition

The right of Kat Lansby to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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