Nearly Eight o'clock

Next Friday will be Valentine’s Day, a day that evokes mixed emotions for her. 

In her younger days, she wholeheartedly embraced and adored this occasion. It was a time when she was deeply in love with a man who eventually became her husband, and together they celebrated countless romantic Valentine’s Days. However, as time went on, their family grew. First, there were three with the arrival of their precious child. Then, they became a family of four, and eventually, five. Any additional additions to their expanding family came in the form of their beloved four-legged companions. With the addition of two dogs, they settled into a harmonious family of seven, comprising two adults, three children, and two furry friends. Life couldn’t have been better.

However, as their family expanded, so did their obligations. Establishing and maintaining a daily routine became a constant struggle to keep everything and everyone organised. Their mornings began with dropping off the children at school before heading to work, followed by the inevitable task of picking them up later. The kids were involved in various activities, including sports and culturally oriented pursuits, like choir or playing musical instruments. There was the ongoing challenge of ensuring that homework was completed on time and that the correct uniforms were prepared for the following school day. Maintaining both the house and the garden, amid all of this, was no small feat. Not to mention, the dogs also required attention and occasionally needed to be taken to the vet.

Her husband also shared in the responsibilities, and while he performed better than most husbands (she had heard from her friends about their husbands’ efforts), it still became overwhelming. As a result, their relationship suffered for a period, and Cupid seemed to be absent. Trust became an issue between them, and both were partially at fault, but they resolved it, resulting in a stronger relationship today. Valentine’s Day has once again become a joyous occasion for them, with Cupid making a subtle return. The fact that their children were a bit older and more self-reliant certainly helped.

As Clare sat in traffic on her way to work, she gazed out of the window and admired the flourishing sugar canes growing alongside the highway. Although she lived in a coastal town with a population of approximately 200,000 residents, it was not as bustling as larger cities like Brisbane or Sydney. However, the road infrastructure struggled to keep up with the growing population. Consequently, after dropping off her children at school around 7.30 am, the journey into the central business district often involved some sluggish traffic until reaching a specific creek where congestion eased. Clare still had a little while to go before reaching that creek. It was currently the wet season, and the sky appeared mostly cloudy, with only a few patches of clear blue peeking through. This caused the sun’s rays to cast a magnificent orange hue, illuminating the open spaces while the shadows of the clouds protected the near blue range on the horizon.

Clare was eagerly anticipating a call from Luke, which could come at any moment. It had become their routine to touch base after dropping off their children for school in the mornings. Clare would drop off two of their kids at the primary school, while Luke would take the older sibling to high school. As expected, her phone soon rang and she answered it using the car’s voice system.

“Good morning! How did the drop-off go?” Luke asked, his friendly tone resonating through the car. This indicated that the drop-off with the older sibling went well. It was his first year in high school, and there had been a few emotional days at the start.

Clare breathed a sigh of relief. “Morning! You don’t sound tired, so I assume yours went well?” she replied.

“Yep, it went smoothly. It seems like he’s made a few friends, which always helps. How about your drop-off?” Luke inquired.

“You know the two girls, they’re always excited to go to school,” Clare replied.

“It’s just a shame they don’t enjoy doing their homework as much,” Luke added, chuckling.

Clare asked Luke, “How far are you from work?”

Luke paused for a moment before responding, “I’m guessing about another ten minutes.” Then, he changed the topic, saying, “I know we just spoke about the kids, but... how was last night?”

Even though they were in separate cars, Clare could vividly imagine the mischievous glint in Luke’s eyes and the playful grin on his face as he asked the question. “Hmm, I really enjoyed it,” Clare replied. “I don’t mind how you used your tongue last night.”

Luke laughed on the other end, clearly relishing the satisfaction of having pleased her. “You were pretty good with your tongue too,” he said. “We should do that more often.”

Clare snorted in response, saying, “We should reserve that for special occasions.” Luke countered, “Special occasions, pfft. It’s already difficult enough to find the time, so every time should be a special occasion.”

Clare knew he was winking at her from his car, despite not being able to see him. It was undeniable that finding the opportunity for intimacy was challenging with the children always around. Once they were finally settled in their beds, exhaustion had taken hold of everyone. Even Luke appeared more inclined to sleep than engage in sexual activities. However, he began initiating intimate moments early in the morning, when the household was peaceful and asleep. Surprisingly, this arrangement seemed to satisfy both of them.

Last night, or rather early in the morning, she sensed his hand gently resting on her leg as she lay on her side. Both of them were awake, and his hand explored the smooth contours of her leg, edging up to her stomach and then her ribcage. Without resistance, she could feel his hand tenderly cupping her breast. By this point, her nipples were erect, and he delicately squeezed one of them that stood at attention. In response, she turned around and spread her legs, inviting him closer. As he positioned himself on top of her, she reached into his boxers and discovered him to be warm and erect. Instead of immediately entering her, he leaned down and kissed her stomach, making his way down slowly. Clare knew exactly where he was headed, and she gently stroked his hair as he continued his journey between her legs.

“So, are you curious about the surprise next week on Friday?” Luke’s voice brought her back to reality.

“Of course,” she replied, feeling somewhat flustered. Lately, he had been full of surprises, always planning the next special event. After his successful Valentine’s Day celebrations in the past few years, she couldn’t help but wonder what he had in store this time. Besides, he had a mischievous side, making it difficult to distinguish between what was real and what was not.

“Do you want to ask for clues?” he asked playfully.

“I don’t know,” she responded. “You’re always so cryptic with your answers that it’s almost not worth it.”

He laughed.

Suddenly, their connection seemed to cut out for a few seconds, leaving a brief moment of silence.

“Luke? Have we lost connection?” Glancing quickly at the information dashboard of her car as she drove, she noticed that the call had dropped, though she wasn’t entirely sure. It was nearly eight o’clock.

“Yes, I’m still here.”

“Oh, I thought the call had dropped,” she remarked, finding it somewhat typical for this to happen.

“So tell me,” Luke began, but Clare quickly interrupted him.

“Alright, give me a clue. Any clue.” She knew it was pointless, as Luke’s clues never made sense until he revealed the surprise.

“No, I actually want to talk about something else now.”

“Really? Is this part of your clue or surprise?” Clare chuckled. Luke always kept her guessing.

Luke simply laughed in response. “I love you so much, Clare.”

She was a little puzzled. If this was part of his surprise, he had truly outdone himself this time. Now she was incredibly curious about where this was going.

“I want to apologise for all the stupid things I’ve done in the past. You didn’t deserve any of it.”

A hint of anger welled up within Clare. “Why bring that up now, Luke? We’ve moved past it completely, and we were just in such a good mood planning for Valentine’s Day next week.”

“I’m sorry, I won’t bring it up again. You’re right, there’s probably no need since you’ve said your piece. But it’s important for you to know.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for what I’ve done too. But I don’t want to dwell on it. I thought we both wanted to move forward.”

There was a moment of silence before Luke spoke. “Speaking of what lies ahead, I think the kids will be alright.”

Uncertainly, she replied, “Yes...”

“They’re in excellent hands with you,” he reassured her. “Just make sure they continue with more than just homework. Their sport and music are also important. I love all of you, Clare. More than you will ever know.”

“I know, Luke. And we love you too.” As she pulled into the parking lot beside her workplace, she added, “I’m at work now. Let me know when you arrive at your workplace.”

There was a pause before she called out his name. “Luke?”

“I’ll let you know, Clare. I love you,” he responded.

“Love you. Bye.” Clare hung up the phone, feeling slightly annoyed by the direction their conversation had taken.

As she entered the building and waited for the elevator to reach ground level, she felt a vibration on her wrist. She glanced at her watch and saw a missed call from Luke, nearly at eight o’clock. “That’s strange,” she thought, as they had been talking well past that time. Maybe it was part of his plan to keep her guessing and make the surprise even more impactful. He had done similar things before to surprise her. She smiled at the thought, but decided to ask him to tone it down next time.

As the elevator arrived, a scent of Luke suddenly filled the air, almost as if she could still smell him from last night. Her mind drifted back to their love-making session, but the sound of people arguing outside interrupted her. While it didn’t happen every day, it wasn’t uncommon either. Neither were the flashing ambulance and police sirens rushing past their building, indicating a serious situation they were on their way to attend.

When the elevator doors opened, she pressed the button for the fourth floor where her department’s offices were located. As she rode the elevator alone, the scent of Luke still lingered. She worked in the human resources department at their region’s hospital and health services. Although not a clinician, she was already running late for her first meeting.

As the morning progressed and she attended the meeting, she couldn’t help but notice that Luke hadn’t texted her to let her know he had arrived safely at work. Not all couples did this, but it was their little thing. Although Luke could be forgetful, it wouldn’t be the first time he had forgotten to text her. Plus, he had a demanding job, so having early morning meetings was a regular occurrence for him.

After her first meeting, she quickly made herself a cup of coffee. The scent of Luke still lingered in the air, making her feel self-conscious. She wondered if other people could smell it, too. With her coffee in hand, she entered the second meeting of the morning.

Halfway through, Stella, her line manager, interrupted the meeting and asked for Clare’s attention. “Clare, do you have a moment, please?” Stella said quietly, apologising to the rest of the attendees.

“Of course,” Clare replied, stepping out of the meeting room.

Stella, a fit woman in her mid-fifties with straight, black hair, sparked Clare’s curiosity about her heritage. Although Clare never asked directly, she speculated Stella might be of South Korean descent, acknowledging the possibility of being mistaken. Clare also considered that “Stella” was likely an English name and not what her parents would have called her.

Stella appeared visibly shaken and asked if they could go to her office. Stella spoke English impeccably, with only a slight accent.

Clare grew concerned, wondering if this was related to one of her outstanding tasks. Upon entering Stella’s office, she gestured for Clare to take a seat.

Clare couldn’t help but ask, “What is this about, Stella?”

Stella nervously played with the ring on her hand and finally spoke, “I received a call from Doctor Arvind...”

Doctor Arvind, the director of medical services, had assigned Clare to assist his medical workforce division with a delicate matter.

“I thought I still had another week before meeting with them and the unions,” Clare said, surprised.

Stella interrupted, saying, “It’s not about that, Clare. Doctor Arvind called to let me know about Luke...”

In an instant, it all made sense.

“No!” Clare screamed, feeling a sudden chill in her world. “No!” Tears began streaming down her face. “Please, tell me it’s not true!”

“I’m so sorry, Clare,” Stella said, crying. “Luke was in a car accident this morning around eight o’clock.”

Clare’s numbness was interrupted by a vibration on her wrist. Without looking, she knew it was the same text notifying her of a missed call from Luke at nearly eight o’clock.

“It was fatal,” Stella said through her tears.

Clare was speechless.

An invisible warmth suddenly embraced her trembling body, and she could smell Luke’s presence strongly. And then, gently, it vanished.