Oblivion 1 parts index

Epilogue

"Cathy?" Devin spoke just a little nervously, some hours later, as they secured everything down in preparation for embarking on the homeward journey, "I have an incy wincy confession to make to you."

Catherine lifted her head from her chores and faced him, shielding her eyes from the sun, with one hand, as Vincent came alongside to listen too.

"Remember when I encountered you in Paris...?"

"Yes, Devin." Catherine smiled, whatever was he going to say?

"Well, I wasn't exactly truthful about that," he spun her one of his most endearing smiles.

"Okay Devin spill it," Catherine told him, with a hint of seriousness to her voice, and heard Vincent chuckle.

"Well, as you know Peter is my GP too, and while I was in England I had to see a doctor there, for a minor ailment, but he needed to refer to my notes, so he faxed Peter for them. Well the truth is, Peter then knew that I was in London, and when he was ringing around looking for you, he contacted me before he had spoken to your friend Joanna, and gave me a list of possible addresses that you might be at, and he said he would contact me again if he found out anything for certain, and I told him likewise, but that I was expecting to leave for Austria a couple of days later."

"Go on Devin."

"Well then I explained to him, that I was just on my way to a party, which was expected to be an all nighter, but I would take the addresses with me and check some of them out the following day. As it happens, your friend Joanna lived not many streets away from the place where the party was held, and so I thought I'd start there as I was in the neighbourhood, and I could not believe my eyes, when I got there I found you coming out of the door with your suitcase in the early hours. I'm afraid I got curious, and just kinda followed you." Vincent laughed.

"What all the way to Paris I suppose." Catherine asked him.

Devin smiled sheepishly. "I followed you to the hotel, listened while you made the reservation, went back to my own hotel, packed my bags and checked out, then went back to stay where you were. The funny thing is, I did happen to have a seat booked on the same flight that you took to Paris anyway, so I still may have bumped into you, but this way was better, because I knew you were there, and kept an eye on you."

Catherine's mouth dropped open, no sound came out.

Devin went on, "When the plane landed I hurried to the car hire firm that I'd heard you ask directions for at the airport, and by threading my way through some familiar back alleys, I arrived there ahead of you. The rest they say, is history. I'm just surprised you never saw me at all before that."

"But I did. You had got out of your car outside Joanna's."

"Yes, I did, but only to cross the road, when I saw the door open, I hurried back to the car, to hide I guess."

"And then at the airport, I saw you going out through the swing doors, I thought I recognised you, but I couldn't think who you were, and then once you had gone I forgot all about it."

Vincent burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Devin wanted to know.

"You. Father and I spent hours wondering how the two of you had met just like that. Father said that the odds of meeting someone you knew like that would be five million to one, until Mary told us differently, nonetheless we thought it remarkable."

Devin leaned his head to one side, beckoning a response from Catherine. She exhaled a deep sigh, and then with her eyes lighting up, she told him, "Okay I forgive you, that is what all this is about I take it, this great confession of yours?"

Devin laughed, "Yes I didn't want to deceive you Cathy, but I didn't think you would approve if I just blundered in, and after all it wasn't pre-meditated, it just happened that way. I would never have thought of following you, had you not have been sneaking off in the early hours like you were. I was curious that's all."

"Devin, its okay really. As it happened I am pleased you did all that now, I owe you an awful lot, without your help look what I could have missed." she said, slipping her arm around Vincent's waist.

"And me too." Devin replied thinking of Gerry, who was preparing some lunch.

"So whose hungry then? Its time we had something to eat before we pull up anchor and set off into the sunset?" Catherine attempted to help Devin feel at ease by changing the subject.

"I don't want to leave," Vincent stated flatly, "I could stay here forever. To think I will never come here again...." his voice trailed away sadly.

"Arh, well now that's where you are wrong, I have one more plan to delight you with yet, but I am going to keep you waiting until after we have eaten." Devin told him happily.

"Do you know about this Catherine?" Vincent asked her. She shook her head, "No, but you know Devin, I expect it is something wonderful".

Vincent looked at his brother, saw the fun filled expression on his face, "Yes." he agreed, " I think it will be."

"......and so, I would like to initiate a new celebration," spoke Devin after they had eaten a wonderful lunch, and he had brought out a bottle of chilled champagne that he had reserved for the occasion, "that we let all our sorrows, all our regrets, all things left unsaid, all our past mistakes, all our wishes that could never come true, and all our problems slip away into oblivion, and look forward to a glorious future. For from this day forth, I propose that once a year, every year for the rest of our lives that we come here to this secluded cove or some other, and have ten glorious fun-filled days of sunshine, of freedom and of love. So if you would all raise your glasses, let us drink to us and to forever."

Devin and Gerry, Vincent and Catherine raised their glasses high above their heads and clinked the crystal together, sprinkling champagne over the sides. The sunlight dazzled their eyes as it sparkled and danced upon the crystal in a million flashes of vibrant colour and Vincent's eyes lit up to the most amazing depth of ocean blue that Catherine had ever seen, such was his happiness, as he slid his arm around Catherine's waist drawing her to him to tenderly kiss the top of her head.

"To us" cried Devin happily, drawing Gerry to his side.

"To us" Gerry echoed.

"Always and forever." Vincent said joyfully.

"And to love." added Catherine, as she rested her head on Vincent's shoulder, safe in the security of his arms.

Oblivion 2 Part 1