by Sue Fortin
She picks up the iPad. ‘Can I finish my game now?’
For a second we are all a bit stunned. That’s it? That’s how a ten-year-old takes the news she has a new family. I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet, but I feel whatever she has taken on board is enough for the time being.
‘Can we all have one big group hug?’ I say. Sophie pulls a face, but Sean laughs and pulls his daughter towards him.
‘Ah, sure, you’re not too big for a hug.’ He stretches out his other arm and embraces Fiona. ‘And you,’ he says looking at me. ‘You’re not too big for a cuddle either.’
I dive in for the best group hug of my life.
Chapter 43
After a quiet afternoon at Fiona’s and a family tea together, I drive Mum up to the hospital.
‘I think I’ll stay the night with your father,’ says Mum, as we pull up outside.
‘You sure?’
‘Yes, I want to tell him what’s happened. I don’t want any surprises for him. If it sets him back at all, at least he’ll be in the right place and I’ll be here.’ Mum unfastens her seat belt.
‘Mum,’ I say. ‘You don’t have to feel guilty about what happened, you know. We all understand.’
‘And the same applies to you. We are very lucky to come out of this all intact, apart from your father, but nothing that won’t mend, by the looks of things. It could have been a lot worse.’
‘I know it’s been forced on us, but I’m glad it’s out in the open now,’ I say. ‘Fiona and I had some romantic notion that we could keep the secret forever, but I think both of us knew deep down that we couldn’t. We were just putting off the inevitable.’
‘I know. I tried my hardest to protect you all,’ says Mum, looking over and placing her hand on the side of my face. ‘I really did. I would have done whatever was needed.’
I rest my hand on hers. ‘Me too,’ I whisper.
I leave Mum at the hospital an hour or so later. Dad was quite tired this afternoon, but we did have something resembling a conversation. He hasn’t got the concentration at the moment to hold a long discussion, but he asked me if I was okay. I got the feeling it was a more in-depth question. I told him everything was fine and couldn’t be better. I think he knew what I meant. Mum is going to tell him this evening. An abridged version of events. Myself, I have one final loose end to tie up.
As I park the car in the bay in front of the café, I look up at the flat above the bike shop. There’s no light on. I go round the back and up the steps to try the door anyway. I knock loudly a couple of times, but there’s no answer. I’m not sure I want to go in the pub, not right now. I may be ready to face Kerry again, but I’m not ready to face any of the villagers or questions they might throw my way.
I take out my phone and call Kerry’s mobile.
As it rings in my ear, I hear the sound of a phone ringing down in the street. I lean over the railings and there, under the streetlight, is Kerry. He’s looking up at me as he takes his phone from his pocket and answers.
‘Hey,’ he says.
‘Hey, back atcha.’
‘I was wondering if you’d call by,’ he says, still standing under the amber glow of the light.
‘Is there any reason why I wouldn’t?’
‘Have you forgiven me?’
‘Forgiven you?’ I say. ‘There’s nothing to forgive.’
‘Goodbye, then? You’ve come to say goodbye.’
‘I wasn’t planning to.’
‘So, what are you here for?’ I can hear a smile in his voice and the corners of his mouth tip up as proof.
‘I’ve come to say thank you.’ I’m smiling as I speak.
‘Is that right?’ He begins to walk to the bottom of the steps.
‘I always pay my debts,’ I say. ‘In full.’
‘I have some of my own to repay,’ he says, as he strides up the steps and comes to a stop right in front of me. We both still have our phones to our ears. ‘And how long will that take?’ he says. ‘Full repayment, that is.’
I close the gap between us. Our faces almost touching, our mouths separated by only our breath.
‘How long?’ I say. ‘A long time. A very long time.’ I drop the phone from my ear. ‘What about yours?’
‘A lifetime?’ says Kerry, his whisper matching mine.
‘Sounds good to me.’
In one swift movement, he pulls me into his arms, his kiss is gentle, and then as I respond it becomes more urgent. Reaching round, Kerry somehow unlocks the door before we practically bundle our way into the flat, down the hall and into the bedroom.
EPILOGUE
‘Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born: You are my sun, my moon and all my stars’
E. E. Cummings
‘It’s only me, Mum,’ I call, opening the front door to the two-bedroom bungalow my parents now live in. I go into the sitting room, where Mum is helping Dad on with his coat. ‘Great, you’re ready,’ I say, kissing both my parents in turn. ‘How are you today, Dad?’
‘Not too bad,’ he replies.
‘We’re going to try it without the wheelchair today,’ says Mum. ‘Just the sticks.’
‘No chair yesterday,’ says Dad. His speech seems to improve each time I see him. It’s been six months since the accident and although he can’t speak quite so quickly, the words are definitely more distinguishable. His walking has come on quite well, but it’s a slow process. His physio assures him it’s only a matter of time, patience and practice. Poor Dad, having to learn to walk again at his age. Still, we are grateful for small mercies, it could have been a whole lot worse.
‘We went to the café yesterday,’ says Mum passing Dad his sticks. He begins his laboured walk to the front door. ‘We thought we’d see how the new owners are getting on.’
‘They seem to be doing very well,’ I say. ‘It’s very modern in there now.’
‘Yes, it’s very nice,’ says Mum. ‘Now, what about Kerry? How did it go yesterday?’
‘Good,’ I say. ‘He and his mum are getting on really well now. It’s taken some time to get there, but I think it’s going to be okay. It makes it easier that she’s not with her husband any more.’
‘It’s a shame about the divorce,’ says Mum. ‘But it’s a fact, nothing will break a mother’s love.’
I smile at her. She is, of course, right. We make our way out the door.
‘What’s this?’ says Dad, nodding towards the Land Rover that’s parked outside. Kerry jumps out to open the passenger door and Storm waves madly from the child seat he is strapped into at the very back of the vehicle. Breeze is in her car seat on the other side. Skip is at the window too. Front paws on the glass, he gives a little yap as if to say ‘hurry up’.
‘I finally persuaded Kerry to buy a new Land Rover,’ I say. ‘The other one was fit for the scrap yard.’
‘Sure, it’s very grand,’ says Mum.
‘Good job I’m back at work full time and have plenty of paint jobs coming in. Your daughter has expensive tastes,’ says Kerry. He winks at me as he helps Dad into the front seat and then myself and Mum into the middle row of seats.
‘Hello, Storm,’ says Mum. ‘And hello darling little Breeze. My, what a bonny baby you are. And how are you Storm? Are you being good for Kerry and Erin?’
‘He most certainly is,’ I say.
‘Mummy and Daddy have gone on honeymoon,’ says Storm.
‘I know,’ says Mum. She smiles at me. I think she’s as relieved as everyone that Joe and Bex have got over the hurdle of his one-night stand with Roisin. ‘You have a very special mummy, there,’ says Mum.
‘You can say that again,’ says Kerry. ‘Their daddy is a very lucky man.’
He starts the engine and we head off to Fiona’s house.
‘Now, have I got the presents?’ says Mum. ‘Did I pick them up?’ She looks around her feet.
‘I’ve got them,’ I say. ‘I put them in the back.’
‘I can’t believe Sophie is eleven,’ says
Mum.
Storm starts singing happy birthday and we all join in. After the fourth rendition, we arrive at Fiona’s house.
Sophie rushes out to meet us excitedly. Molly and Storm are equally as excited and somehow, amongst all the fuss, we manage to get out of the Land Rover and into the house.
Fiona has done a great job of decorating the room with balloons and banners and the buffet of finger food is laid out on a pink tablecloth in the conservatory.
I get Mum and Dad settled in the living room. Kerry and Sean have cracked open a beer each. Sean comes through with a glass of wine for me and Fiona. Before I take the glass, I hand Sophie her present. It’s a small box wrapped in pink paper with a white ribbon.
Sophie tears off the paper eagerly. The small blue trinket box sits in the palm of her hand. She opens the lid and, with great care, takes out the necklace. Her face lights up. ‘It’s like yours,’ she says.
I shake my head. ‘No, Sophie, it is mine. Was mine. It’s yours now. It belongs to you.’
She lets the Triskelion pendant swing on the end of the chain, looking at it for a moment before looking up at me. ‘Was it the one Niall gave to you?’
‘That’s right. I spoke to your mummy and daddy and we all agree it’s time for you to have it now.’
Sophie smiles and then hugs me. I hold her tightly and then to distract myself because I don’t want to cry on her birthday, I say, ‘Shall we put it on you?’
‘Yes, please!’ Sophie lifts her hair and turns around while I fix the necklace.
‘Happy birthday, my darling Sophie,’ I say softly as she skips off to answer the doorbell.
‘It’s Nanny Diana!’ shouts Sophie as she opens the door. ‘And Granddad Pat and Aunty Roisin.’
I look at Fiona.
‘You ready for this?’ It’s the first time both families have got together.
‘As I’ll ever be,’ says Fiona.
After another whirlwind of hellos and greetings, the Marshalls sit in the living room with Mum and Dad.
Sean brings in the champagne and pours everyone a glass before gathering us all together to make a toast.
‘To families,’ he says. ‘In all their forms.’
‘To love, in all its forms,’ adds Kerry.
I look at Diana and we exchange a small smile. It’s another gesture of our truce and gradual acceptance of the past we share.
‘To mothers and daughters…in all their forms,’ she says.
I look around at the happy faces of both families. Never did I think it would turn out this way. For a brief moment I cast my mind back to eleven years ago. I think of Niall, as I always do every year on this day and I tell him I’m sorry he’s not here and I send my love to him, my love as a teenager and my love for giving me the most precious gift I’ve ever had. This year I take more comfort in knowing that although nothing will ever make up for his passing, his family now have more than just a memory of him.
Looking around at the scene before me, I ask myself if coming home was the right decision, but before I can answer, Roisin comes to stand next to me. We have a less strained relationship these days. We’re definitely at peace with each other.
‘Has it all been worth it?’ she says.
‘Yes, it has,’ I say. And then I silently answer my own question. Coming home was most definitely the right decision.
THE END
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to the HarperImpulse team and all those associated who have worked on this book – I really appreciate it. Wrong as it may be to single out individuals, I must thank Charlotte Ledger for all her support and hard work in getting The Girl Who Lied out there – you’re a star!
My thanks also to my agent Kate Nash for all her advice and support.
Thanks also to Margaret James and the London School of Journalism where this story first took root, and although it has gone through many transformations since then, the essence has remained.
Much love and gratitude to my husband, Ged, and my children who never stop believing in me – love you all very much.
And, finally, a heartfelt thank you to all my readers who make writing a pleasure.
About the Author
I am a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, having come through their New Writers’ Scheme, and a part of the on-line writing group The Romaniacs who all met through the NWS. I am also a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.
Lover of cake, Dragonflies and France. Hater of calories, maths and snakes. I was born in Hertfordshire but had a nomadic childhood, moving often with my family, before eventually settling in West Sussex.
I am married with four children, all of whom patiently give me time to write but, when not behind the keyboard, I like to spend time with them, enjoying both the coast and the South Downs between which we are nestled.
www.suefortin.co.uk
@suefortin1
Also by Sue Fortin
Closing In
The Half Truth
About HarperImpulse
HarperImpulse is an exciting new range of romance fiction brought to you from the women’s fiction team at HarperCollins. Our aim is to break new talent from debut authors and import the hottest trends from the US, bringing you the very best in romance. Whether that is through short reads for your mobile phone or epic sagas that span the generations we want to proudly publish romance fiction that gets everybody talking.
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