text: “But you’re...” “You would have thought so.” “But.. How?” He smiled at her, his gorgeous crooked smile, she’d always loved. She was in too much shock to smile back. She just stood there doing an impression of a goldfish. Bob, Bob, Bob. “You’re going to catch a fly” He said, still grinning triumphantly. She fought to regain her senses. “You are going to explain, right?”She wanted to reach out to touch him, make sure he was really there and not just a dream. But, she was too afraid. He tilted his head and frowned, his face darkened for a second in memory. “I don’t know how to begin.” He said simply “The beginning.” She blurted “OK, well I got up to take a leak...” He began I got up to take a leak. It was so dark I could barely see. I always thought in the middle of no where with no light pollution the nights were supposed to be lighter. I was wrong. I put my hands out like a blind man feeling my way around. Then my foot hit a rock or a root, Something. I went A over T. Cut my bloody knee and face. Literally bloody hole in jeans and everything. That’s when I gave up and put the torch on my phone on. Night sight be damned!, I’m telling you, Pirates had the right idea with their eye patches. I hadn’t wanted to disturb you, before. So I left the torch off, I know how lightly you sleep. Anyways, I digress. I walked with my torch for awhile. I should have stayed nearer the tent, I know I should have now, but that’s what hindsight is for, I guess. Then I saw a road with bushes lining the other side so I went there. I shouldn’t have gone so far but I really didn’t want to disturb you. I can’t express that enough. I was zipping up when a jeep came along the road, It flashed me and I waved. It stopped, I thought they were just checking up on me, making sure I wasn’t lost or something. Then 2 guys got out, grabbed me and threw me into the back. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying. I was so scared Claire, more scared than I’ve ever been in my life. If I hadn’t of just had a slash, I would have had one in my jeans. They drove off with me to a warehouse. They threw me in a cage, just left me there for days, I think. I lost track of time. They gave me food and water, but that was the only kindness they showed me. Then I made a daring escape, just like in the movies. And, now I’m here ta-da!! “But you’ve been gone for months, declared dead! I grieved for you, Mat! I grieved and I cried, I went to 2 memorials for you, candle light vigils, search parties. The works.” Mat opened his mouth to speak but Claire held up a finger, now she had found her voice she needed to be heard. “You can’t just come back with a pretty little story and a ta-da, and expect everything to be OK, you can’t, you just can’t” Claire’s voice had gotten higher and higher during this speech and she broke down in tears at the end of it. Mat rushed over and held her, sobbing into his arms. They stood like that until Claire had calmed down, she looked up at his face, he really was back. “Tell me what happened for you?” Claire shook her head “Do you really want to know?” “Yes.” He said gently staring into her eyes. She closed her eyes and nodded “OK” I woke up and you weren’t there. I was scared. I lay in the dark, It was so quiet. I listened to faint hoots, I could hear things scurrying around. But, I couldn’t hear you. I must have fallen back asleep because then next thing I knew it was morning and you were still missing. I waited for over an hour, then I went looking. I found the blood. So much blood, it seemed to me. I ran to the nearest town and got help. They launched a search party. They found your phone near the road, it must have fallen out of your pocket. The police said you had been kidnapped or just left me behind and gone off, I knew you hadn’t. I stayed an extra week but my money was running out and the trail had gone cold. You had disappeared. I had to go home, without you. I’d gone on every search party while I was there. When I got home there were candle light vigils for you, the Church held a special service for your safe return. Everyone was worried about you, I got some odd looks and comments that some people thought I’d killed you! Then they found a burned out jeep with a body in it, your blood was in it too. They said the body was you! No one saw it, they wouldn’t send it here, we had an empty box funeral for you. Good turn out by the way. I was inconsolable. I wanted to join you. I ended up in hospital twice, I spent a week in the nutty hospital on suicide watch. I was a mess. I’ve only just got my med’s right to control myself. “And now you just stand there, like you just went to get the morning paper.” She smiled through her tears. The trauma of the past few months reflected in them. Mat held her close, tears in his eyes too. “Who know’s you are back?” Claire asked “I had to find you first.” He replied. She leaned against him again. “We should tell your mam, she’s been having a tough time of it too.” she felt him nod his head on top of hers. He was back. It was real. Miracles do happen