Page 71 of Conviction

Me:You remember the gate code? x

Meebs:Of course. Might not get there till late tho. :( x

Me:How late. :(

Meebs:Real late. x

I hear Duke and Kaizergoing mad at something at the front of the house. Paranoid that it’s the press I head out the front door, only to find Meebs stepping out of a little black mini, fully sprayed up with black and white Union Jacks on the wing mirrors and roof.

My dogs are jumping around her like a pair of psychos.

“Shit, I didn’t realise you had dogs. Oh my God, Con. You got a Pointer.”

She totally ignores me as she bends down and rubs the dogs around their necks and ears.

Many years ago, Meebs and I’d been lying under a tree in our local park when a dog that we later discovered was a German Pointer came over and sat with us. His name was Trevor, and for some reason, he took a shine to Meebs and had to be dragged away with great force by his owner. We’d decided there and then, that one day, we would own a pair of Pointers. A boy and a girl, and we would call them Duke and Duchess.

I’d never forgotten that day, and when this house was finished, I went in search of a Duke, a year later I rescued Kaizer from the dog's home.

Meebs leans back against her car and looks across to where I’m standing on the steps that lead up to my front door. She smiles at me, her eyes shining with tears and I know she remembers that day in the park too.

“You got our Duke,” she says quietly.

“I got our Duke, then I rescued Kaizer,” I tell her. Both of my dogs now laying at her feet. She steps over them, and I think she’s about to walk toward me when instead she goes around to the passenger side and undoes the door. My mouth drops open as another Pointer comes bounding toward me.

“I got our Duchess,” I watch her jaw tremble as she speaks.

I take the steps two at a time down to her and pull her into my arms.

“This is surreal,” I say into her hair.

“It’s not fair,” she answers with a sob.

“Baby don’t cry, please don’t cry.”

“But it’s so unfair,” she says into my chest.

“I know, I know it is but we won, we’re here. We found our way back Meebs, and we’re here.” I look over the top of her head as the three dogs chase each other around on the front lawn. I turn her around so that she can see them.

“They were meant to be together, Meebs. I think Duchess and her owner need to move in.”

She turns back around to face me. I pull her arms up and wrap them around my neck.

“It’s been forty-eight hours, Con. Can we just ease ourselves into this gently?”

“It’s been about seventeen years since we planned all of this actually, Meebs. I think we’ve done plenty of easing in gently.”

We stand still, just looking into each other’s eyes for a few long moments.

“I’ve missed you,” I tell her.

“Ditto,” she replies.

I kiss her gently on the mouth and love when she responds by wrapping her legs around me, hanging onto my neck as she lifts herself off the floor.

“Fuck, I love you,” she says against my mouth.

I carry her inside, kissing her all the way, only sliding her down my body when I see my dad and Sandra standing in my kitchen.