The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (188) Departing for the Antipodes

 

January

 

The snow that began on New Years Day persisted to some degree for several days, which suited Molly and Danny very well and they spent their final days before setting off on the book signing tour in Australia, New Zealand and the far east, slobbing around in their pyjama’s, watching movies and enjoying the peace of each other’s company before the stresses of the tour. 

The itinerary for the book signings was set in stone, so they had booked their Hotels and had their own itinerary of what they wanted to see while they were in the particular City’s and some other more extended excursions between City’s, and as they were going to Australia, they were greatly looking forward to seeing Danny’s brother and family again. 

Danny knew from past experience that cities and even countries can get added to tours if they are going well and drumming up sufficient interest, so they didn’t have a firm date of return, after all his last tour of North America took more than seven months, although four months of that was as a result of his crashing his car in Colorado and subsequent hospitalisation, which was where the life changing meeting with Molly took place which delayed him further.

But Molly wanted to be back in plenty of time before Arielle's baby was born in May. 

 

They could have left just after Christmas and celebrated the New Year in Australia, but there was no way Molly was leaving Cliff Haven until she had extracted every ounce of Christmas out of the season.

Although no fresh snow had fallen for three days there was still snow on the ground on Twelfth Night as they had to take the Christmas decorations down.

“This really isn’t as much fun as putting them up” Molly observed.

“You said that last year” he said

“Well I was right then and I'm right now” she retorted adamantly 

“Yes Princess” he agreed “But it’ll soon be November again, and we can put them back up again.”

“That sounds familiar” she said and giggled “Didn't you say that last January”

“At least we're inside in the warm,” he said “And not getting frostbite outside like George”

They both laughed, and just at that moment the door opened, and a blue faced George appeared, and they laughed even louder.

 

Once all the decorations had been neatly packed away, with the exception of the snow globes, which had pride of place, they had another pyjama day, well actually they had a pyjama weekend and then on Monday they said their goodbyes to their closest friends and her beloved St Clara's, which she knew was in safe hands after meeting Justyna, and hearing her first service and early on Tuesday morning they loaded the cases in the car and George drove them to St Pierre in time to catch the first ferry and then drove them to the Airport where they caught the five o’clock flight.