The Midwife's Son

‘Mummy, Jackson, come on. Everyone’s hungry and we’re not allowed to eat until you sit at your table.’ Nicholas burst through the bushes they’d hidden behind. ‘Come on.’

‘That means you’re the hungry one.’ Jackson swung his son up into his arms, and nudged Jess softly. ‘Guess we’d better return to our wedding.’

She followed her men back to the front lawn and into the marquee, decorated in apricot and sky blue: the colour of love.

* * *

As they sat down at the top table Jackson pinched himself. It had happened. He’d married his love. His beautiful Jessica. She’d changed him, saved him really. Shown him that the important things in life were family, community, generosity. She’d brought him to his senses. But most of all she’d shown him love.

‘Didn’t I tell you it was time for you to return home?’ Ping stood in front of them, nodding sagely.

Standing, Jackson reached over to shake the hand of his best buddy. ‘Yes, Ping, you did. Took me a while to hear what you were saying.’

‘Jessica’s a good woman, that’s for sure.’ Ping draped an arm over the shoulders of the petite woman standing beside him. ‘Like my Chen.’

Chen smiled and elbowed her husband. ‘You’re talking too much again, husband.’

Ping laughed. ‘I can see why this Golden Bay brought you back. It’s beautiful. All that land with only cattle on it. And the sea that’s so clean.’

‘You’ll be moving here next,’ Jackson told him.

Ping and Chen shook their heads at the same time. ‘We’ve got family that we’d never leave back in Hong Kong. More important than green paddocks and sparkling waters.’

Exactly. Family. There was nothing more important. So important that he would soon quit his days in Nelson and become a full-time partner in the medical centre in town. There was no way he’d be leaving Jess and Nicholas for three days at a time every week. Absolutely no way.

Beside him Jess was talking and laughing with Sasha, as happy as he’d ever seen her. Her eyes were fudge-coloured today, matching that orange ribbon wound through her fair hair. A lump blocked the air to his lungs. He’d do anything for this woman who’d stolen his heart. Blinking rapidly, he looked around the marquee at all their friends and family, here to celebrate with them.

Lifting his eyes, he noted the decorations. Blue and orange ribbons festooned the walls. Orange. He grinned as he heard Jess growling, It’s apricot. Apricot, orange. Whatever. For him, this was the colour of love.

* * * * *