"And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by.
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by."

- As time goes by, Casablanca.

Beth stood in the balcony, tending her plants. The two rose plants were in full bloom. She touched the soil to check for moisture, they were watered well thanks to the rains. Off season, the clouds had been gathering in the sky for almost two days now. Alec was annoyed, most people were. But she was happy. She felt happy seeing the rains. She smiled and leaned on the edge. She removed her slippers and stepped in the small puddle that had formed on the limestone floor of the balcony.

She looked at the scenery stretching in front of her. It wasn't a cityscape anymore. They both had moved out of the apartment few months back. They now lived in the house Alec had inherited. And it was registered under her name.

She had protested a lot but he was adamant about it. He said to her that it was because of her they got the house and so it should now be registered under her name. The house became her anniversary gift. Her gift in return was comparitively small, a pair of silver plated cufflinks. Alec though loved them so much that he wears them to every party they attend.

It felt like a lifetime since new year's eve. So much has changed between them. Their marriage wasn't fake and they both weren't planning to divorce each other any time soon. Everyday before leaving for office, Alec would tell her how much he loves her. When she would return late at night, he would be waiting for her. No matter how many times she asked him to go to bed early, every night she would find him waiting for her.

Their house now was begining to feel more like home. They had got it slightly renovated and there were repairs made. They both had sat down together planning how each room would look. They had gone shopping together to buy the home decor. It took them more than a month before they were satisfied with their new home but it was all for the best.

Of course there were few things that were still same. They both still would wake up shouting from their nightmares. Some days they would miss their late spouses and there would be days when they find themselves sitting with the photos. But between those old frames, now there was picture of Alec and Beth together.

°

"Hey, come on." Alec pulled her by his side. He pulled out his phone and tilted it to click their picture.
"No, I don't like getting my pictures clicked."

"Oh come on, it is our first vacation together."

Amused by his excitement, Beth smiled and said, "Alec, driving to nowhere hardly ever counts as a vacation, especially when we will be returning soon."

"We can stay here forever if you want." He winked at her.

"You are crazy, you know that right?"

"You kept saying that the entire time we were driving also, so yes I got the point. I am crazy."

It was a crazy decision that Alec had taken after they had watched a movie on the Saturday afternoon. Bored of their regular routine, he had decided to keep on driving instead of going back home. Beth had protested all along the way, but he didn't want to go back home. He just kept driving until they reached the coast and found one of the most scenic lighthouse they had ever scene.

"But don't deny this that you don't like being here. Even you needed a little getaway." He nudged at her.

She turned back to the ocean and closed her eyes. "Yes, you are right. I needed this."

"And we wouldn't have found this beautiful place if it wasn't for me." He smirked.

"Okay, thank you Alec for bringing me here." She shook her head. "Happy now?"

He grabbed her waist and pulled her to his side. "I love you."

"You are silly." She said shyly.

"Oh look," Alec pointed at a couple who were walking on the beach too.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?"
Alec approached them and pointed at his phone. He desperately wanted a picture.

"Come on," he stood next to her. "Smile Beth." She looked at him, how happy he was and it was first time in a long time she had felt relaxed and happy. She knew he was the one to thank for it. She looked at him. He caught her staring. He smiled at her, asking her what happened and she just wrapped fingers around his.

One week later, that candid moment stood on the shelf above the fireplace between all the other photographs.

°

Alec was laying in the meadow, when his phone ringed. A message came from his lawyer. The message was an affirmation that all his connections with Jacqueline were now over. She had tried to sabotage his marriage and he wasn't going to let her loose so easily. He knew what he had to do and had cut off all the ties with her. He had withdrawn the shares from her company and from what his lawyer has told him on text, he is sure the company is going to soon get bankrupt.

It was a bittersweet feeling for him though. That company was originally started by his late wife. Jacqueline had taken over it after Melissa's death. But it had to be done. He couldn't let her play with his personal life anymore.

And as for Lewis Hosley, Alec had made sure he would never trouble them again. Alec had decided to sue him saying he had tried to intimidate both Beth and him, and also got him suspended from his job, giving proof of his bribe offer.

He was satisfied with how things had turned for the two of them. In contrast, he now had a beautiful wife whom he loved ardently, a house and after a long time, his life was not so much of a mess.

He looked back and saw Beth standing in the balcony. Her long loose gown flowed behind her. There was a sense of peace and calm in her today. She was probably staring at the open fields and winding roads that led to their house. She smiled a little, then tilted her head up to look at the sky and then back, looking far into the distance.

It was rare moment for her to be so relaxed. On most days she would be running in the house wearing her same old jeans and shirts, with a phone tucked between her shoulders and ears, saying something in medical terminology.

He picked up his phone and opened the camera. He wanted to capture this. The limestone house, pastel coloured, her standing in the balcony by her plants, the vines winding up to the balcony complementing her soft pink floral gown. She was perfect, in the photographs. She was perfect in his life. The more he lived with her, the more he believed they both were meant to be together.

"Alec!" He heard her call out for him. "Come inside. It's about to rain." She pointed up at the sky.

He looked up and saw the clouds gathering again. Annoyed, he got up. Only Beth was happy with this weather. Rest everyone was angry or annoyed. Even Mrs. Norris and Roger hated it. There were times when they were stuck in the house because going to outhouse, which now was their residence, became impossible due to rains.

He checked his clothes, his trousers were soiled a little from behind but not much damage was done. He pushed his phone into his pocket and absentmindedly took the next step. His foot slipped and next thing he knew, he was on the ground.
Landing straight on his face, he was still unsure as to what happened to him. Covered in mud, he looked around and saw a muddy patch of grass, on which he had stepped.

"Alec, are you alright?" Beth came running towards him. "I saw you fall and-" Suddenly she stopped speaking. She kept looking at him.

"What?" He asked angrily. Her mouth retracted a little at first, her lips pursed a little but she couldn't hold it back and a burst of laughter escaped her mouth.

"Oh come on!" He got up cleaning himself up. She laughed more loudly and laughed on. "Your- your face!"

"Yes yes, very funny Beth!"

"It is. I am sorry I can't stop." She bent down holding her stomach, laughing continuously.

And that was when it struck him, he had never seen her laugh. He remembered Lucy had told him, she never laughed. But here she was, laughing at him and suddenly his fall didn't seem so bad. She didn't stop and he didn't want her to stop.

Lucy was right, that laugh could bring a dying man back to life.

He smiled at her while she tried to calm down. "Come on, let's get you inside." She said as tried to control her laughter.

•

"Hey come, look at this." Beth called him in the hall. "Alec, look Casablanca is coming on TV."

Beth loved watching movies. Alec had noted this on several occasions. Actually, she enjoyed watching TV. She knew about all the soaps and movies that were coming on it while the only thing he was concerned with was news and stock markets. But every now and then, she would force him to watch a movie with her. Today was one of those days.

By the time he reached to see the movie, she was already on the piano.

Just like his apartment, he wanted the piano to be placed next to the windows. It was finally placed next to large French style glass doors in the hall.
She was sitting there with the sun as her spotlight, her fingers ready to play the chords.

"Come, come here." She patted on the seat. She gleamed just like setting sun did behind her. "Come no! Play this song with me."

"Which song?"

"It's going to start in the film. Come quick."

He sat down just as she began playing, syncing her music to that of the movie's. He played along with her, following the notes he heard. It was an old song he had only heard at his mother's house.

It started with the humming and soon the humming became lyrics of the song. Smiling broadly she sang,
"You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by."

He couldn't help himself, she looked so happy, he couldn't stop looking at her. Lucy was right. She had the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. It was the first time she had sing in front of him and he didn't want her to stop. With her laughter and her singing, she had enchanted him all over again.
But then she stopped, the moment she saw him staring at her.

"What?" Her fingers still playing the chords.

He took her by her hand and whirled her around, "Dance with me."

She smiled as he twirled her again. Catching her by her waist, he looked into her eyes. She hid her face in his shoulders.

He knew there was something going on her mind, there was something she wanted to say and suddenly, he heard a whisper. The words he never thought he would ever hear.

"I love you."

She blushed the brightest Pink and rested her head back on his shoulders.  He smiled, nudged her with his head and danced around the room with her.

"I love you too."

****
And this is it, my baby is finished. I couldn't help it, I had to give them a cute cheesy ending. They deserved it.

Thank you all again for staying with me till the end. I hope you all enjoyed it and to everyone who wants to read more of my stories, I have written another one, first law of thermodynamics. It has reached till #5 in short stories. I hope you all will enjoy that one too.
I will be back soon, with a new story, up in the clouds. It will be a short story again. I hope you all will Wait for it too.

Write to me in the comments or in personal messages.

Love you all soooooo much. Thank you again.

Cheerio.

Love,
Alice.

****