Chapter 8 – Growing up

Bronwyn was now a fully-fledged doctor.

She was performing surgeries and diagnosing patients. The surgery machine was a modern, but terrifying-looking machine.

Their friend Ann was pregnant again, Bronwyn marvelled at her. With twin toddler girls, Bronwyn had assumed she wouldn’t want anymore for some while.

Their other friends, Erin and David were also expecting.

Bronwyn had expanded her house again and now had a lovely kitchen/diner.

Bronwyn still saw her friend Clara and was teaching her to knit. She never forgot that Clara had been her first friend in the village.

Bronwyn and Aleksei were very much in love and with the end of their twenties looming, they had planned a weekend away, now that they finally had enough money to afford it.

They hired out their own log cabin for the weekend.

It was lovely to be away together, but Bronwyn had made herself a promise to tell Aleksei about her magic. She felt that perhaps it would be easier to tell Aleksei, when they were away from their home.

The woods here were beautiful and Aleksei seemed so happy to be away and out in the open air, even if it was very chilly.

They played horseshoes together, whilst a few flecks of snow fell around them.

They sat together toasting marshmallows around a fire, reminising how they first met and fell in love.

In all this time, Bronwyn was watching her husband trying to get up the nerve to bring up the subject. When he suggested a walk further into the forest, she agreed hoping it would be easier to have the talk whilst walking.

Just as she was pulling herself together to talk, Aleksei noticed something. There was a bramble patch that looked intriguing.

He poked his head inside and told Bronwyn there was a path. After a good ten minutes of stumbling around, they came out to a clearing. They could see a little house not too far off with a very shaggy figure outside grilling meat.

Moises was a hermit enjoying living in the middle of the forest. He was surprisingly friendly and Bronwyn who was always good with people got on very well with him. So much so, Moises invited them to stay for lunch.

When they finally got home it was late. Bronwyn went for a shower and whilst she cleaned her hair told herself it was now or never.

She came into the room to find Aleksei lost in his book. Bronwyn paused just staring at her husband, feeling so blessed to have him and not wanting to lose this moment.

Aleksei looked up, smiled and put down his book. He strode across the room and swept his wife into his arms and she forgot everything else.

Bronwyn never did find her perfect moment to talk to him and they returned home, with her secret still intact.

As Bronwyn blew out the candles on her 30th birthday cake she admitted to herself that she couldn’t tell her husband.

The secret would be discovered at some point, she guessed, but it had gone on too long now for her to have the courage to bring it up.