Time After Time

“So…guys, we are going to at least thank Rose in some way, right?”

It was another celebrating night when Gustav actually asks his best friends about Rose. They guys looked at each other. Fraser was the one who responded first.

“Gus…are you even serious by asking that question?” he groaned.

What came to Gustav’s surprise was John was the one who talk next.

“She done what we couldn’t do—contacting you, rescuing you…of course she has to at least come with us to England.”

Si and Ben were quite shocked to hear that, but they managed to shout, “Of course! Of course she has to!” together.



Young Guns went home, chatting about where are they going to take Rose in London all the way home. Gustav was participating, but when they finally reached home and everyone went to bed, he stayed awake long after he could hear that the rest of Young Guns had fall asleep. He could hear the sound of trees and winds and all the sounds he knew he was going to miss when he’s finally back in his flat in London.

Suddenly, Gustav was scared.

He was going back—and if he was going to continue with his career with Young Guns, he was going to be busy again. There would be no more sleeping in a little, sleepy, calm town in Australia. There would be no more beach whenever he want to go to there—there would be no more Rose Lette in his life.

When he thought about that, he needed to sit because he just couldn’t think whether he was going to be fine if he couldn’t see her for months—or even years. Of course Young Guns had agree that they would bring Rose back with them, but what if she doesn’t want to? What if she smiled at him and told him that she’s exactly where she needs to be and she doesn’t want to leave her current life?

Would that be the end of them?

No. No, it mustn’t. It mustn’t.

Gustav felt like he just want to run out of Gilbert’s house to Rose’s, hug her and plead to her to at least come with him to England—no matter what’s going to happen to them after that. But then he knew he couldn’t handle the rejection right now—not now, not when they were both tired and it was dark outside.

It was dark outside—and he didn’t want it to be dark inside.

Gustav fell asleep to the thought that she’d come with him. She’d come with him and she was going to stay in his life. He didn’t know how, but she will. She will and that’s everything that Gustav Wood had ever truly needed in his life.



The next morning, Gustav woke up really early and when he realised it, he made a dozen omelettes. Si, Fraser, John, and Ben weren’t mind eating his omelettes, but there was still some omelettes left and Gustav was happily take that chance to bring some to Rose’s house. He knocked her door impatiently and she opened her rather quickly.

“Is that omelette you bring me?” was her first response.

She was sleepy and she was messy. Her eyes were red and Gustav was pretty sure she wasn’t fully conscious about whatever she was doing right now, but that was just made her really…human.

“Yeah. Omelette,” he responded, chuckling.

“I heard you coming, but I didn’t think you’d bring me omelette,” Rose laughed sleepily. “This is amazing. This is so romantic.” She continued to laugh so he laughed as well.

When they finished laughing, Gustav stared at her.

“You heard me?”

Rose nodded, “I recognise your steps.”

Gustav smiled and he was happy. He didn’t know that she would remember his steps. He remembered about the sadness and worried he felt last night, but now he was no longer concerned about that.

She was precious. She was so very precious so he’d just want her to be happy.

It’s okay if she can’t go with him to England. It’s okay if she stepped out of his life. It doesn’t matter as long as she’s content and happy.



“If it’s not too much to ask for, do you guys have time this evening?”

It was early in the morning and Woolworths was still pretty quiet when Young Guns plus Rose went to get their big last supply of food and water before they go back to England. Gustav shook his head immediately, but then he looked at his friends and glad that they were giving same response.

“Why? Do you need any help for anything?” asked Ben.

Rose smiled slyly.

“Something like that.”



That night was one of the strange but nice warm nights where everyone can go out and enjoy their food outside. Rose brought Young Guns to a little nice park near the beach where they had small barbeque party and everyone was saying that they were never hungrier before. Halfway through the party, Gustav noticed that Rose collected the bones from sheep ribs, only to throw it away later like she forgot that she shouldn’t collect them anymore.

That was when Gustav decided that he’d bring Rose to England, even though she’d probably say something like ‘No, I can’t bother you guys while you’re reviving your career’. She was lonely enough by Lestat’s death—sometimes she even tried too hard not to remember it that she forgot that the dog who usually enjoy the bones leftover from the barbeque was no longer exist in this world.

When everyone was full and happy, they started to just sit around instead of moving even just a bit because they were so full. Rose was the one who suddenly stood up.

Gustav stared at her while realising that the others were looking at her too.

She looked small compared to Mount Kiera behind her.

The mountain was dark and the light from the beach’s lamps was falling to her face. She looked sad yet strong at the same time. Rose smiled—even though she looked like she was about to cry. She checked her iPhone once before she took a deep breath and start a little speech.

“I’m such a lucky person. I get to know you all—and you are very nice people even though you are so much more than that.”

She was still smiling.

And Gustav never felt more in love.

“Life is full with happiness and sadness, meeting and parting. I am so happy to know that I met you all and I know I’m going to be sad when we are finally parting. But nevertheless…I’m really grateful. And this is my gift.”

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and scattering light in the sky.

Fireworks, Gustav thought, amazed and shocked at the same time.

But the fireworks that were probably shoot from the top of the small mountain didn’t stop. There was more. And more. And more. And there were five fireworks before finally the night sky turned to completely black again.

Gustav was stunned, but he was still realised that all his friends were also stunned as well.

He never knew that he wanted someone to light up fireworks just for him.

And he never knew that he could be this happy—this appreciated.

“Rose…” Si was finally the one who opened his mouth to speak first. “Did you…?”

He only gestured to the mountain, but she just smiled and nod.

Rose Lette gave them the best parting gift ever.



When they went home after the fireworks, no one really said a word because everyone was so speechless. Rose on the other hand seemed to enjoy the effect of her surprise and spent her time by smiling while checking on the guys’ faces. After they reached home, Gustav was practically begging her to come with them to England.

To his surprise, everyone else felt the same.

“You never really leave Australia, right? Why don’t you give it a try?” asked Fraser who seemed rather annoyed that Rose didn’t even ask to join them in their journey back.

“Well, I…don’t really want to be a bother,” she shrugged. “I mean…this whole band thing is your life—it’s your job. And you guys are going to try to build your career back. I don’t want to stand in your way.”

“But we insist,” said Gustav who just didn’t know what else to do to thank her.

The rest of Young Guns nodded and Rose stared at them speechless.

“So you guys think…I can come? I can really come?” she blinked.

They responded ‘Yeah’, ‘Sure’, and ‘Of course’.

She looked unsure.

But then she stared back at them and smiled, “So…what would I need to go to England?”

And everyone cheered—and it felt even better than the fireworks effect.



Late at night, Rose felt like she had too many energy to just go to bed, so she clean up her house while singing randomly, ‘I’m going to England—who’s that going to England? It’s me! Rose! I’m going to England!’ She did that only so she could channel her energy somewhere. After she scrubbed her kitchen clean, she checked her phone to find a message from Gustav.

“I can’t sleep,” he wrote.

She replied in the speed of light, “Me too.”

“What are you thinking?” he responded straight away.

“England. And you. But mostly you,” she answered, rather playfully.

It took him awhile to respond after that that Rose thought he had fell asleep.

“Can I come there now?” was his next message.

Rose quickly typed, “Sure.” And Gustav showed up on her door in less than minute.

They didn’t even say anything when Rose let him in and then they did a dance where Gustav twirled her around like she was a little child. They laughed and made noises and they did more twirling dance through the corridor.

“You’re going to England,” he said, full of happiness.

“I am! I am going to England,” she responded, laughter full of joy.

And then they kissed—long and gentle and tender.

Rose stared at the man in her arms; he was so close, so real, so warm, so kind, and she was so in love with him. He stared back at her with those stunning blue eyes and they kissed again and that was the moment Rose suddenly could imagine what would it be like to spend the rest of her life with him. They would spend so many times together. And when the time is right, they are going to have little Gustavs and little Roses and they would have weird middle name like their parents who love them so much. And then they will grow old together, wrinkly and out-dated, but they are happy nevertheless.