BooksBarbecue
Back Walking on Sunshine Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. Three Months Later
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. Epilogue – Five Years Later
  44. Acknowledgements
  45. An extra note from me …
  46. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘Yes! She’d kick me out of the bed for snoring after having one too many with Reece and AJ, or I’d go there myself when I was bored of her moaning at me for not doing something I should’ve,’ he says, making us both laugh at the thought. I often forget that he has his guy mates and therefore this whole other life that we’re not privy to, not really. ‘The sleeping arrangements might’ve changed slightly when she was diagnosed,’ he continues. ‘But she could still be annoying, and I was still a dick occasionally. No one person or relationship is perfect.’

‘You miss her,’ I state.

‘So much,’ he declares passionately. ‘I’m already thinking about running back up that mountain and trying to find the pieces of her I left behind … but I have to let her go. And I want to do that in the most amazing way possible.’

I take his hand. ‘You can only go to so many places. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.’

‘I’m not. It’s something I feel I need to do. To feel closer to her, maybe. To feel at peace,’ he says, letting me know there’s no way he’ll be backing out of the plan now that it’s been made. ‘I’ve been thinking about those boys, Josh and Ben, too. I don’t know how it could work, but I wonder if there’s a way of setting up an organization that runs yearly trips for those who’ve been bereaved.’

‘A group scattering-of-ashes session?’

‘Maybe, but also a time to walk, process and feel that’s away from the pressures of everyday life. I think of what I’ve been feeling and it kills me that those young kids are going through something similar. It might just help.’

A groan comes from the tent behind us.

We turn to hear Scott asking how she is doing from the tent door.

‘Awful!’ she whimpers.

‘Can you stomach dinner?’ he says, his face looking at us doubtfully while he waits for an answer.

‘No. I can’t move from this spot,’ she calls, the pain audible in her voice.

‘Drink some water and try to sleep,’ he says before turning to us with a pursed smile. ‘Ready when you are.’

‘I’ll just check on her and then come over,’ I say, hopping down from the rock before turning back to Mike. ‘I love that idea. I love it a lot.’

Penguin walking logo

29

Vicky

I spent the first half of last night toing and froing from the toilet (I debated whether I should make a makeshift loo from a bag and just stay in the tent, but decided against it), shivering with a fever and crying because I felt so flipping awful.