Most of those stories written so far have been about evil, and rage, and revenge.
Denise’s story, in the April issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, out today, is about something much stronger.
Denise’s story is about two young people from Victoria who met and got married more than 30 years ago.
It’s about the fact that when young couples stand at the altar and promise to love each other “for better or worse” they have no real idea what that might entail.
It’s about the fact that sometimes when you marry somebody, they will have to carry you.
It’s about the time Denise begged her husband for a divorce, just to escape the pain. It’s about the way he point-blank refused to give her one.
It’s about the tiny locket that Denise wears around her neck, with a picture of Daniel inside, and about the way Bruce gave it to her on her first Mother’s Day without her boy, as a tender acknowledgement of the fact that she would never stop being his mother, even though he’s no longer here.
Denise’s story is about sacred promises, made and kept. It’s about the joy Denise feels at maybe, hopefully, becoming a grandma one day.
The Denise Morcombe story is in the end one of hope. It’s also the story of love.
