Epilogue
EPILOGUE
JOEL
One year later
‘Good evening, everyone!’ Cole Crawford called, smiling at the gathering of friends, family and influential locals. ‘It’s wonderful to see so many of you here tonight to celebrate with us. The past fourteen months have been an incredible time for my family. Last March, my amazing daughter Amber married my wonderful son-in-law Barney and in December they welcomed their first child and mine and Jules’s first grandchild, Hayden.’
Everyone looked towards Amber, Barney and Hayden – now five months old – who wriggled in Amber’s arms as though aware that all eyes were on him. I glanced down at Imogen standing beside me. Since the arrival of her twin half-brothers – Caleb and Heath – she’d become infatuated with babies, which was just as well because she was surrounded by them. Imogen had been dying to meet Samantha and Josh’s son Brody and, later, Hayden, but was a little put out that all four babies were boys. Poppy and I had chosen not to find out the gender of our baby and we’d both been extra delighted to announce to Imogen that she’d got her wish with the arrival of Martha Joy Grainger on 6 February.
‘As well as a new addition to their family,’ Cole continued, ‘Amber and Barney have been busy working on a new addition to their business. Tonight might well be a sneak preview before we open to the public tomorrow but the tills are operational and our team are poised to use them, so feel very welcome to spend, spend, spend!’
Cole paused for laughter and raised a pair of shiny scissors. ‘I’m delighted to declare Bumblebee Farm Shop open!’
To applause and cheers, he cut the bright yellow ribbon across the open door and the guests made their way inside. Imogen hung back with me to wait for Poppy.
‘I recorded it for you,’ I said holding up my phone as Poppy wheeled a sleeping Martha towards us in her pram a few minutes later. She’d been due a feed around ribbon-cutting time and we’d been hoping she’d hold out, but no such luck, so Poppy had taken her into the farmhouse.
‘You sweetheart,’ she said, kissing me lightly before turning to Imogen. ‘Isn’t your dad the best?’
Imogen grinned at her, nodding enthusiastically, before peering into the pram and lightly stroking Martha’s cheek. Poppy and I smiled at each other and I felt immense gratitude that, despite my troubled history with Tilly, between us we’d somehow managed to raise a kind girl who was so eager to help with her siblings.
Darcie and Harrison appeared at the doorway, spotted Imogen, and beckoned her to join them. She hugged us both and ran towards the farm shop.
‘Are you ready to go in?’ I asked.
‘Let’s stay out here for a moment and drink it all in.’
Together we turned towards the next barn over and I slipped my arm round her waist as she rested her head against my shoulder.
‘It’s looking great,’ she said.
The building work on Bumblebee Bistro had started a couple of months ago and we were aiming for an early autumn opening. Behind the bistro was an enormous vegetable garden and it gave me such a buzz to know that I’d be preparing meals using produce I’d grown on my best mate’s land. When I’d been scrabbling around last year wondering what the hell to do with my life if I left the factory, I’d never have imagined I’d end up coming full circle and cooking again. Poppy’s genius idea and Tilly’s surprising comment that I had a gift for cooking had led me here and I couldn’t imagine a role more perfect. I got to work outdoors, I got to experiment with food and, when the bistro opened, I’d have most evenings free to spend with Poppy, Imogen and Martha.
In his speech just now, Cole had described fourteen incredible months for his family but it had also been fourteen incredible months for mine. Chez was still in Portugal and thriving. He was fluent in the language, loved his job and for the past eight months had been dating a Portuguese nurse called Calista. He’d been back to the UK a few times, visiting Harry and Deana the first time to apologise to them for giving them a scare last March and for being so hostile towards Deana when she moved in. Their friendship had gradually got back on track and Harry had asked Chez to be his best man next year after proposing to Deana.
Mum and Dad were still living the dream in Portugal. They’d stayed with us in Honey Bee Croft after Poppy and I had settled in and had visited again after Martha was born, although they’d booked themselves into one of the holiday cottages at Hedgehog Hollow, wanting to give us time and space on our own with our newborn. We’d also visited them in Portugal and had even had Tilly’s approval to take Imogen with us. What an amazing moment it had been to see her board her first aeroplane, take off for the first time, and arrive in a foreign country.
My relationship with Tilly was barely recognisable these days and I put that down to a combination of two things – Poppy’s soothing influence and Tilly being run ragged with so many children. It was rare now that Tilly objected to Imogen staying an extra night if she wanted to.
And, of course, I’d been to seven rather than six weddings in the past fourteen months and one of them had been my own – something I’d thought would never happen until Amber got me into thinking positively and manifesting.
Poppy had loved my proposal. The weekend before Fizz and Phoebe’s wedding, we’d been looking into getting a kitten but, when we’d visited a rescue centre just outside Whitsborough Bay, we’d both fallen in love with a beautiful black four-year-old moggy called Moby whose owner had passed away suddenly. He’d been wearing a turquoise collar and we’d been told that he identified more as a dog than a cat as he mewed to be let out the house to do his business and loved going for walks on a lead.
We collected him the Saturday after the wedding and, as neither of us had ever walked a cat, I suggested we take Moby for a walk early that evening. It was warm and sunny as we wandered along the track between Honey Bee Croft and Barney’s farm with Moby trotting alongside us. As we approached a gate into what Barney called Spring Field, I stopped, frowning.
‘I think there’s something snagged on Moby’s lead.’
Poppy picked Moby up to take a look and, as her fingers touched the engagement ring hooked onto his collar, I got down on bended knee and asked her to marry me. The simple approach had been perfect for us.
Poppy
The preview opening of Bumblebee Farm Shop was a wonderful evening. I’d helped Zara create my Honey Bee Hugs display but nothing beat going into the farm shop and seeing people around the stand reading the leaflets, smelling and trying the samples, and adding the products to their baskets – especially people I didn’t know.
‘I’m so proud of you,’ Joel said, squeezing my hand as we watched a couple of customers add the full range to their baskets.
I’d cut back on my clients to the point where I only needed to devote a maximum of two days a week to being an accountant, dividing the rest of my days between the bees and Martha and I couldn’t wait to fulfil my dream of leaving accountancy behind completely.
We’d been invited back to the farmhouse for a barbeque after the shop closed, but there was somewhere I wanted to visit first. Amber took Imogen and Martha with her while Joel and I rode one of the quad bikes up to the apiary in what we’d called Top Bee in keeping with Barney’s field names. Before taking delivery of my new hives, I’d scattered Mum’s and Dad’s ashes across Top Bee so that my parents would always be with me and the bees. I wanted to share the news of my successful Honey Bee Hugs launch with them.
Joel sat on Mum’s bench – which had avoided fire and smoke damage with being at the entrance to the original Honey Bee Croft – and I wandered towards the hives, standing a safe distance away and watching the bees flying in and out for several minutes.
‘The farm shop opened this evening,’ I said. ‘Lots of people were buying my products. It was amazing to see. I re-designed my logo. There’s a queen and a worker bee on it now and guess what I’ve called them? Joy and Stanley. We’re going to get stationery and textiles made with them on. Bet you never thought you’d be immortalised as a couple of honey bees!’
They’d never have imagined it, but they’d have absolutely loved it.
‘That’s it for now. I’ll speak to you again soon.’
I blew a kiss into the air and stood there for a couple more minutes before returning to Joel.
‘Good chat?’ he asked.
‘Always.’
I cuddled up to him on the bench, feeling so relaxed. I’d come here on the morning of our wedding last September and sat on the bench on my own, my hands clasped across my expanding stomach, and I’d felt their presence so strongly, wholeheartedly supporting the man I’d found for my happy ever after.
I’d hesitated over who to ask to give me away on our wedding day but had decided on Phil. The ex-husband might be an unusual choice but he was the one who’d given me the confidence to go for it with Joel, pushing me each time I wobbled. I had so many new friends I could have asked to be my bridesmaid but I decided to just have Imogen. Beautiful and attentive, she couldn’t have been a more ideal choice.
Pinned to the underside of the lace panels on my wedding dress were Mum’s embroidered quote and Dad’s robin, so I could have them both with me in spirit.
We’d returned to Bumblebee Barn after the ceremony for a hog roast and barbeque in a marquee. Our guest list had been nothing like the size of Amber and Barney’s but the small wedding had been absolutely perfect because we were surrounded by all the important people in our lives – my new tribe.
I FaceTimed Sharon and Ian every couple of weeks and we’d visited each other. Bertie and Cheryl’s baby boy was thriving and Phil and Reina were expecting their second baby – another girl – in August. Wilf and Benji were both doing well. They’d been to our wedding and had visited last month to meet Martha, during which time an immediate friendship had formed between Benji and Moby who followed each other everywhere.
‘I suppose we’d better head back and see what the girls are up to,’ I said to Joel. ‘But I’m glad we came and shared it with Mum and Dad.’
He took my hand and we slowly walked towards the quad bike.
‘So, Poppy Grainger,’ Joel said, ‘have you done anything lately that’s scared you?’
I laughed, remembering that the last time he’d posed that question, I’d whipped out my positive pregnancy test.
‘Other than going into labour?’ I teased. ‘Actually, no. Because with you by my side, nothing does anymore. What about you?’
‘Same answer.’
Reaching the quad bike, we fastened our helmets and Joel got on. I took one last look towards Top Bee and imagined Mum and Dad sitting on the bench. No, they’d be dancing by the bench. They were in this place, in my heart and one day I’d be able to tell their granddaughter all about the journalist and the nurse who’d given up their dreams of travelling the world to focus on a new dream of being exceptional parents to a lost and lonely young woman, her baby daughter and, in time, twenty hives of bees. And hopefully I’d be telling that same story to Martha’s brother too. After all, Joel and I had been doing some manifesting and the universe hadn’t let us down so far.
As we set off down the farm, I gazed across the fields at the beautiful white farmhouse in the distance and smiled contentedly. I’d never forget that day over a year ago when Joel and I sat in the lounge and fantasised about a future that seemed unattainable. Now we had it all and so much more – our dream businesses, each other, our perfect little family and our forever home at Honey Bee Croft.