Berena Advent 2024
Day 6 - Snow Globe
‘Mum!’
‘Charlie.’
‘Madre?’
‘Cameron.’
‘Darling.’
‘Hello my love.’
Bernie stood there awkwardly in her standard clothes of tight black jeans and a black shirt, as both of her children were just staring at her in complete and utter shock. She walks over to them all with arms wide open in greeting as both of her children stand and throw themselves into them, she’s instantly hugging and kissing them, tears are flowing from all of them including Serena who is sitting there smiling while watching the beautiful family reunion happening right before her eyes.
Tapping the seat next to her on the small corner settee, Serena indicated for the soldier to sit down next to her, hating being the centre of attention unless she’s working Bernie moves to the seat to end the show the other guests are witnessing. Bernie sat down so close to her with thighs touching that her heart rate increased, Serena was well aware that just by feeling the blonde’s presence her body would always react positively to her.
So many questions pass too and fro until they’re interrupted by a waiter who’s there to escort them to their table. Charlotte is hanging on Bernie’s left arm, while the soldier is clinging with her right hand to Serena like she’s her lifeline, which she has been since they first met.
They’ve all ordered roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and Serena had already had a bottle of Shiraz open and waiting on the table to breathe before they arrived along with a jug of iced water. The kids couldn’t stop looking at their mother, smiling and laughing at how grateful they are to have her back from the dead, they were also less than subtle asking for the status of the two women’s relationship.
Serena’s heart still yearning to be with Bernie but so unsure because of the situation of Alex lurking in the back of her mind, she didn’t need to wait too long before Cameron begins:
‘So when did you and Alex get engaged then Mum?’
Bernie gulps down the mouthful of wine rather than spitting it all over the table while looking awkwardly into Serena’s eyes.
‘Where …… when … did you hear that Cam?’
‘Oh, only when she arrived at Holby after we were informed you were MIA. She’s the one who said you were dead and she told Serena you were engaged and she was the love of your life. Can you imagine how we all felt Mum?’
Charlotte then interjected:
‘If it wasn’t bad enough for Serena that Dad attempted to hijack the funeral to be all about him, she would not go away and was a hurtful reminder of what we had lost.’
Bernie hung her head, eyes hidden by her fringe when she flicked her tongue out to wet her lips before she spoke.
‘As I’d mentioned to Serena already, we had attempted to rekindle our relationship but you can’t really fall for someone when your heart belongs to somebody else, it didn’t feel right so I called an end to anything except friendship.’
Her eyes lit up with love as she looked at Serena.
‘We were packing for a brief break to Cyprus when she saw a tiny snow globe ring box in my things that I’d been carrying around for a little while and despite being told nothing was going to happen between us again she misconstrued it and expected me to propose. When I didn’t she took it upon herself to ask me, I then had to tell her in no uncertain terms who the ring was intended for and it wasn’t and never would be her. I don’t know why she came here and told you all these lies, I’d never expected her to try and cause trouble.’
As she’d been talking their meals were brought to the table and conversation dried up a little. Serena was in her own head as she ate, thinking about the engagement ring Bernie had been carrying around with her; who was it for? How long had she had it?
Charlotte asked:
‘When did your memory return? Why have we only just been told? Where have you been all this time?’
Bernie’s face blanched because she knew she had to explain herself to them all sometime.
‘As you’re all aware there was a terrorist attack and I’d been caught up in the blast, what you aren’t aware of is that I’d been taken captive by one of the insurgent groups in the area. I had received a head injury in the blast but as I still had my name tags on they knew my name and that I was a doctor so had me treating patients.’
She paused for a mouthful of water and started off into the distance before catching herself and began talking once again.
‘I didn’t know how long I was captured for or where I was kept but one day there was gun fire and then I heard keys in my cell door and British Soldiers were storming the place and I was escorted back to base where I underwent a medical examination and interrogation, that was when they determined I had head trauma, amnesia and delayed PTSD. I was flown back to the U.K. last week and received intensive CBT. Then the RBL paid for me to come here for a few days and then I walked into reception and saw ……. This beautiful woman and the rest is history as they say. She was the trigger to me remembering my life and when she told me she’d been keeping in touch with you two we decided to get you here.’
Bernie went pale as she finished speaking, Serena reached over and taking her hand in her own asked if she was ok. They all expected her to say she was fine but she didn’t.
‘My head is pounding and I have things floating before my eyes. I think I’ve overdone it a bit today, I’m sorry for this but I need to go and have a lie down.’
‘Do you need me to escort you to your room Bernie?’
‘I’m not completely incapable.’
Bernie snapped, then immediately apologised. She got up and left them all staring after her, she just managed to get out of the dining room before her legs began to shake and she was falling down.