May 27th, 1970
We were in bed, beside each other, on the morning I was to leave Scotland. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about all kinds of things. The way Cameron made me feel, emotionally and physically. When he spoke to me, meaningful words of adoration, I felt like I was going to melt. And when he touched me, God, I felt like I was being shocked with electricity. Was I really going to go home and have to pretend like my life didn’t change completely?
Cameron hummed beside me and I snuggled into him. The necklace he’d given me was on the nightstand, and I felt compelled to hold it in my hands again. I didn’t move, though, wanting to be close to him more than anything.
The morning came quickly, and the alarm we’d set for five rang loudly in my ears. Cameron turned it off and I lay beside him, wondering what was to happen now.
“Good morning,” he said groggily.
“Morning,” I replied.
He kissed me then, his breath smelling of sleep and last night’s tea. I pulled him into my embrace and we kissed deeply, for what felt like forever.
When we finally pulled away from each other, I went to shower. Cameron did the same once I was drying myself off, and I finished getting ready. I put the chain around my neck and put my shirt on, hiding the necklace beneath the collar.
He stepped out of the bathroom and got dressed, quietly humming a tune I didn’t recognize.
“You know, there’s always something good in the bad,” Cameron said suddenly. He put his arms around me and kissed me softly. “Don’t be too sad. Like I promised you, we will see each other again. Even if I have to swim across the Atlantic.”
I smiled at him as he tenderly touched my cheek.
“Come, let’s go get your sister. You’ve got a plane to catch.”
We got to Lily’s house around six thirty. We stayed for a quick bite to eat and a cup of tea, then grabbed all the bags and headed to the car. My sister and I said goodbye to our great-aunt, who had been more than generous to us during our stay, and joined Cameron in his van.
The trip to the airport was mostly silent. I couldn’t say much in front of my sister, so instead I touched the pearl around my neck through the fabric of my shirt and smiled. Cameron parked and hauled both of our checked bags into the airport for us while we had our respective carry-ons and purses with us.
Lil went to the washroom before we reached the gate, so I had a chance to say goodbye to Cameron in relative privacy.
“Be safe, sweetheart,” he told me while handing me a small piece of paper. “My address, for letters.”
“Thank you, Cameron.”
“And if you could do one thing for me?”
“Of course. Anything,” I answered.
“Call me, collect, when you get home.”
He pulled me towards him in a sweet embrace, kissing me with purpose. I held him close to me and hugged him until Liliane showed up and broke us apart.
“Come on, I get a hug too,” she said. “Thank you for bringing us, Cameron.”
Their brief hug ended and Cameron told her it was his pleasure to do so.
“We should get going,” Liliane told me quietly.
“Alright.”
“No point in long goodbyes, Emily,” Cameron told me with a smile. “Have a safe flight, and remember, not before you’re over the ocean.”
Take-off was smooth, but my emotions were far from it. Liliane asked me numerous times if I was feeling sick, nervous, or even scared. I wanted to tell her that she was spot on and I was feeling all three, but I told her I was just tired and tried to sleep.
When I woke for the fourth time, Liliane was asleep beside me. I could see out of the window that we were above the ocean, and I suddenly remembered what Cameron had told me earlier.
I rummaged through my purse until I found the envelope he’d given me a few days prior. I took a deep breath and carefully opened the seal, then unfolded the letter and began to read.
Dearest Emily,
I don’t know when I will give this to you, but I hope you are well. I remember the first time we spent a night together, in the greenhouse at Duthie Park. I was so stricken with you I would have fought God Himself to be able to call you mine. As it turns out, your feelings for me mirror my own for you. I am beyond happy at this, but there is something I must tell you.
I’ve seen you before. Before we met in Garlogie. I’ve seen you in my dreams many times. You come to me and speak, but I can never understand what you are saying. That is until we met. The night I met you in that pub, I knew there was a reason I’d been brought to you.
Then you told me of your... encounter at the creek. I have seen things at that creek as well, but what you told me of your vision was very familiar to me. The woman you saw, she is my spirit guide, I suppose you could say. I know what this sounds like, but please keep reading.
She comes to me at times. I see her in my mind’s eye and I know which way to walk, so to say. When you told me you saw her, it all began to piece together. I’d been dreaming of you because we were meant to meet, and I thank my lucky stars every day that we fell in love.
I don’t know if it will ever be revealed to either of us why we were meant to meet. But I know that we will see each other again, because I see you in my dreams still; we stand beside each other.
I hope that day will come. Still, I understand if you do not want to be in contact with me. I kept this from you because I was afraid you wouldn’t understand. Afraid I'd make a fool of myself. I can only hope that I am wrong.
With all of my love,
Cameron
I put the letter down on my lap and felt the tears running down my cheeks. I didn’t feel lied to, betrayed, or like a fool. I felt remorse. Remorse that I had left Cameron feeling this way, all the while being oblivious to it.
“We hide things to protect ourselves,” he had said yesterday, and he was right. Cameron was only protecting himself, and I didn’t blame him for it. In an odd way, it made me love him even more because I knew that he was stronger than I thought.
“What have I done?” I whispered quietly.
I felt isolated in the full airplane, sitting beside my sister. To tell her of this letter I would have to explain the whole of the events that I’d kept from her. There was no way for me to do that.
My hand went to the pearl resting on my skin. I stroked it gently and closed my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. ‘Cameron.’
We landed at the airport in the late afternoon, and it was nearly eight by the time I got home and settled in enough to even think about calling Cameron. I had had a lot of time on the flight to think about his letter but I still couldn’t really put it into words.
Without overthinking, I picked up the phone and spoke to the operator. She dialed me through and the phone rang three times before Cameron picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Cameron. It’s Emily.”
“How was the flight?” he asked innocently.
“It was alright. I read your letter. Cameron… why didn’t you tell me this before I left?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. I wondered if the line had cut.
“I was afraid, Emily,” he said finally.
“What were you afraid of?” I pleaded with him, suddenly feeling desperate.
“Afraid you’d leave me.”
I was stunned. Did he really think that? “Cameron, did you—”
“I was worried you would think I’m crazy and never want to see me again. So I kept it from you.”
“Cameron, you’re an idiot!” I was so mad that his stunned silence pleased me, and I continued talking. “Do you think spirits were going to scare me off? Premonitions? You didn't beat someone or nearly kill them, and I did!” I took a breath and tried to calm myself down.
“Emily—”
“I would have done anything to stay in Scotland with you,” I confessed. “And you just sent me off, knowing we were supposed to be together. Knowing why I feel like this.” My speech was getting quieter and quieter as I neared tears.
“Emily, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please believe that.”
I stole a glance at the necklace I had placed on the counter. He wouldn’t have given me that if he’d meant to hurt me. And here I was, hurting him.
“I know, Cameron.” I was calmer now, but still on the verge of tears. “I just... You gave me the answer. And I know you’re not lying because I can hear it in your voice. I can see your face when I close my eyes and—” I stopped talking abruptly because I’d begun to cry.
“Oh, Emily. I’m truly sorry. If I’d known the right thing to do, I would have done it.”
I put my head against the wall and banged it twice. “I love you, Cameron,” I choked out. “I wish I’d told you that when I was with you. Now I’m across the ocean from you and I hate it.”
“I’ll make it up to you, Emily. I promise you that.”
“You don’t—”
“But I will. I will.”
I didn’t say anything. Tears were flowing freely and I didn’t know what to say. After a moment, Cameron spoke.
“I love you, and I will make this right. Please forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven, Cameron.”
“No, I’m not,” he said adamantly. “Take your time, be upset. Hate me for a while. And give me a call when you start to miss me.”
“Alright.”
“Good. It’s nearly morning here, so I’m going to hang up. But remember my promises, okay?”
“Okay,” I answered.
“Be safe.”
Click.
Cameron hummed beside me and I snuggled into him. The necklace he’d given me was on the nightstand, and I felt compelled to hold it in my hands again. I didn’t move, though, wanting to be close to him more than anything.
The morning came quickly, and the alarm we’d set for five rang loudly in my ears. Cameron turned it off and I lay beside him, wondering what was to happen now.
“Good morning,” he said groggily.
“Morning,” I replied.
He kissed me then, his breath smelling of sleep and last night’s tea. I pulled him into my embrace and we kissed deeply, for what felt like forever.
When we finally pulled away from each other, I went to shower. Cameron did the same once I was drying myself off, and I finished getting ready. I put the chain around my neck and put my shirt on, hiding the necklace beneath the collar.
He stepped out of the bathroom and got dressed, quietly humming a tune I didn’t recognize.
“You know, there’s always something good in the bad,” Cameron said suddenly. He put his arms around me and kissed me softly. “Don’t be too sad. Like I promised you, we will see each other again. Even if I have to swim across the Atlantic.”
I smiled at him as he tenderly touched my cheek.
“Come, let’s go get your sister. You’ve got a plane to catch.”
We got to Lily’s house around six thirty. We stayed for a quick bite to eat and a cup of tea, then grabbed all the bags and headed to the car. My sister and I said goodbye to our great-aunt, who had been more than generous to us during our stay, and joined Cameron in his van.
The trip to the airport was mostly silent. I couldn’t say much in front of my sister, so instead I touched the pearl around my neck through the fabric of my shirt and smiled. Cameron parked and hauled both of our checked bags into the airport for us while we had our respective carry-ons and purses with us.
Lil went to the washroom before we reached the gate, so I had a chance to say goodbye to Cameron in relative privacy.
“Be safe, sweetheart,” he told me while handing me a small piece of paper. “My address, for letters.”
“Thank you, Cameron.”
“And if you could do one thing for me?”
“Of course. Anything,” I answered.
“Call me, collect, when you get home.”
He pulled me towards him in a sweet embrace, kissing me with purpose. I held him close to me and hugged him until Liliane showed up and broke us apart.
“Come on, I get a hug too,” she said. “Thank you for bringing us, Cameron.”
Their brief hug ended and Cameron told her it was his pleasure to do so.
“We should get going,” Liliane told me quietly.
“Alright.”
“No point in long goodbyes, Emily,” Cameron told me with a smile. “Have a safe flight, and remember, not before you’re over the ocean.”
Take-off was smooth, but my emotions were far from it. Liliane asked me numerous times if I was feeling sick, nervous, or even scared. I wanted to tell her that she was spot on and I was feeling all three, but I told her I was just tired and tried to sleep.
When I woke for the fourth time, Liliane was asleep beside me. I could see out of the window that we were above the ocean, and I suddenly remembered what Cameron had told me earlier.
I rummaged through my purse until I found the envelope he’d given me a few days prior. I took a deep breath and carefully opened the seal, then unfolded the letter and began to read.
Dearest Emily,
I don’t know when I will give this to you, but I hope you are well. I remember the first time we spent a night together, in the greenhouse at Duthie Park. I was so stricken with you I would have fought God Himself to be able to call you mine. As it turns out, your feelings for me mirror my own for you. I am beyond happy at this, but there is something I must tell you.
I’ve seen you before. Before we met in Garlogie. I’ve seen you in my dreams many times. You come to me and speak, but I can never understand what you are saying. That is until we met. The night I met you in that pub, I knew there was a reason I’d been brought to you.
Then you told me of your... encounter at the creek. I have seen things at that creek as well, but what you told me of your vision was very familiar to me. The woman you saw, she is my spirit guide, I suppose you could say. I know what this sounds like, but please keep reading.
She comes to me at times. I see her in my mind’s eye and I know which way to walk, so to say. When you told me you saw her, it all began to piece together. I’d been dreaming of you because we were meant to meet, and I thank my lucky stars every day that we fell in love.
I don’t know if it will ever be revealed to either of us why we were meant to meet. But I know that we will see each other again, because I see you in my dreams still; we stand beside each other.
I hope that day will come. Still, I understand if you do not want to be in contact with me. I kept this from you because I was afraid you wouldn’t understand. Afraid I'd make a fool of myself. I can only hope that I am wrong.
With all of my love,
Cameron
I put the letter down on my lap and felt the tears running down my cheeks. I didn’t feel lied to, betrayed, or like a fool. I felt remorse. Remorse that I had left Cameron feeling this way, all the while being oblivious to it.
“We hide things to protect ourselves,” he had said yesterday, and he was right. Cameron was only protecting himself, and I didn’t blame him for it. In an odd way, it made me love him even more because I knew that he was stronger than I thought.
“What have I done?” I whispered quietly.
I felt isolated in the full airplane, sitting beside my sister. To tell her of this letter I would have to explain the whole of the events that I’d kept from her. There was no way for me to do that.
My hand went to the pearl resting on my skin. I stroked it gently and closed my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. ‘Cameron.’
We landed at the airport in the late afternoon, and it was nearly eight by the time I got home and settled in enough to even think about calling Cameron. I had had a lot of time on the flight to think about his letter but I still couldn’t really put it into words.
Without overthinking, I picked up the phone and spoke to the operator. She dialed me through and the phone rang three times before Cameron picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Cameron. It’s Emily.”
“How was the flight?” he asked innocently.
“It was alright. I read your letter. Cameron… why didn’t you tell me this before I left?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. I wondered if the line had cut.
“I was afraid, Emily,” he said finally.
“What were you afraid of?” I pleaded with him, suddenly feeling desperate.
“Afraid you’d leave me.”
I was stunned. Did he really think that? “Cameron, did you—”
“I was worried you would think I’m crazy and never want to see me again. So I kept it from you.”
“Cameron, you’re an idiot!” I was so mad that his stunned silence pleased me, and I continued talking. “Do you think spirits were going to scare me off? Premonitions? You didn't beat someone or nearly kill them, and I did!” I took a breath and tried to calm myself down.
“Emily—”
“I would have done anything to stay in Scotland with you,” I confessed. “And you just sent me off, knowing we were supposed to be together. Knowing why I feel like this.” My speech was getting quieter and quieter as I neared tears.
“Emily, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please believe that.”
I stole a glance at the necklace I had placed on the counter. He wouldn’t have given me that if he’d meant to hurt me. And here I was, hurting him.
“I know, Cameron.” I was calmer now, but still on the verge of tears. “I just... You gave me the answer. And I know you’re not lying because I can hear it in your voice. I can see your face when I close my eyes and—” I stopped talking abruptly because I’d begun to cry.
“Oh, Emily. I’m truly sorry. If I’d known the right thing to do, I would have done it.”
I put my head against the wall and banged it twice. “I love you, Cameron,” I choked out. “I wish I’d told you that when I was with you. Now I’m across the ocean from you and I hate it.”
“I’ll make it up to you, Emily. I promise you that.”
“You don’t—”
“But I will. I will.”
I didn’t say anything. Tears were flowing freely and I didn’t know what to say. After a moment, Cameron spoke.
“I love you, and I will make this right. Please forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven, Cameron.”
“No, I’m not,” he said adamantly. “Take your time, be upset. Hate me for a while. And give me a call when you start to miss me.”
“Alright.”
“Good. It’s nearly morning here, so I’m going to hang up. But remember my promises, okay?”
“Okay,” I answered.
“Be safe.”
Click.
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