Voice

Her hair swayed in the breeze, tickling the back of her neck

She was lounging in the hammock, under the tall beach tree

I could only see her back from where I was standing, but by the curvature of her neck I guessed she was reading

It had been 175 days since I’d last seen my wife

And now I was frozen, unable to move

She looked so peaceful, so beautiful

So soft and distinctly different from the active war zone I’d just left

And she didn’t know I was home

-Layla-

I spent most of my evenings in the hammock, enjoying the late August sun

Today I was reading, but sometimes I’d knit, or draw, or just watch the birds

I was trying to take my mind off the fact that it was my second wedding anniversary today, and I had no wife to spend it with

But all of a sudden I head a sound behind me, and turned my head

“Jasmine!” I cried, all but falling out of the hammock

She gave me the biggest grin I’d ever seen as she ran to steady me

I threw my arms around her, burying my face in her neck

And I started to sob with relief

....

The voices and footsteps from the stage echoed back into the wings, and the familiar nervous exhilaration prickled across Lainie’s skin, raising goosebumps on her bare forearms and rousing butterflies beneath the tight lacing of her gown. She had thoroughly enjoyed her television work this past year, but she’d missed the visceral, bone-deep thrill of theatre. There was nothing quite like performing live.

She inserted the tip of her little finger beneath a ribbon and pulled hard. The Jacobean corsetry, however, she could do without. Her 1920s costumes for Knightsbridge might be hellishly unflattering on anyone with hips, but they didn’t squeeze her internal organs.

A burst of laughter from the audience eased a fraction of the tension from her neck and back. When the crowd was having a good time, and was generous in showing it, the energy was infectious.

It was still surreal that she was standing here, surrounded by so much history that the walls seemed to resonate with words and nerves and ghosts.

She wasn’t kidding herself. She’d been offered this festival role so the public could pay to watch her publicly insult and snog her husband, not because the director had watched her jiggling through the Charleston on telly and been struck with the vision of his ideal Beatrice, but whatever. She hadn’t been about to turn down the most famous theatre in London. And Much Ado About Nothing was one of her favourite plays, so it checked off two career goals in one contract.

Although it might have been better if the production team had picked one of Shakespeare’s bloody, violent tragedies for the gala run. Pressing her palm against the wooden beam next to her, Lainie leaned her cheek against her hand and listened to the faint strains of the deep cadence of Richard’s voice. The butterfly wings beat harder.

He really was a brilliant actor.

Inspiring to every other performer on the stage.

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