Epilogue
The sun was shining. It was a beautiful afternoon in late August and she could hear the string quartet playing the ‘Flower Duet’, which was one of her favourite pieces of music.
‘Ready?’
‘Yes, darling, I am. Are you?’
‘I am, let’s do this.’
She looked down at this handsome young man she was so very proud to be a mother to as he put his hand in hers and squeezed it three times. She squeezed it back with an extra one as he walked her through the manor-house courtyard towards the outdoor-seating area, decked out in white organza, flowers and fairy lights.
Halfway down the pathway, her father stood up from where he’d been sitting next to Gladys, who was already dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. He was looking particularly dapper in a grey suit and crisp white shirt with a grey floral tie, and he had his trademark twinkle back in his eye as he beamed at his daughter. He took her other arm and between him and Archie, they walked her towards a wooden gazebo where the registrar and the man she was due to marry were waiting for her.
She glanced over to the left-hand side of the audience and saw Vera and Reg, who had flown all the way from Australia for this special day, sitting behind Hannah and her family, next to Belinda and Bill, all of them grinning from ear to ear. Monica and Carlos sat with tears streaming down their cheeks – and that was before the service had even started. ‘You look stunning!’ Monica mouthed across to her friend, blowing her a kiss with both hands.
Grace glanced to the other side of the walkway, where a number of Vinnie’s mates were sitting. And in the row behind them were the crowd from Busy Bodies. Every single person in the group still came to meetings once a week, but not only that, they’d become a wonderful group of forever friends, not just meeting up at the slimming club but also at other social events too. Grace could never have wished to meet such a nice group of people.
‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran started to play.
Vinnie turned and it appeared that the sight of his bride literally took his breath away.
She was stunning, in an exquisite floor-length ivory gown, with a fitted silk bodice sparkling with hand-sewn crystals and a flowing chiffon skirt that sashayed as she walked towards him. A simple chignon hairstyle, with gypsophila braded through tousled curls, complemented her dress beautifully. She had never looked more beautiful. The love shone from within him, as he sighed, grinned and kissed her cheek.
Archie shook Vinnie’s hand and his voice warbled slightly as he said, ‘Look after my mum please, Vinnie!’
‘I promise I will, buddy. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making your mum the happiest lady alive,’ Vinnie replied.
Archie beamed back at him, took his mum’s hand and kissed it.
A loud gurgle came from the front row. Grace, Vinnie and Archie turned round to see little Meredith giggling and being tickled under the chin by her Aunty Hannah. Now six months old, Meredith was a chubby little bundle of joy and Hannah was loving spending time with her niece. She was looking forward to taking Archie and Meredith out to Florida where they would be joined three days later by Grace and Vinnie who were having a long weekend away, the destination of which Vinnie was keeping under wraps, although Grace had heard him and Ruth talking about Italy one day before shutting up when she approached. She hoped it would be that wonderful hotel that he’d talked about.
The sisters had shared a very special moment that morning when they were getting ready in their hotel room. Hannah came out of the bathroom to see Grace gazing into space out of the window, in a world of her own, a sad expression on her face and with tears in her eyes.
‘You know she’ll be here today in spirit, don’t you? She’s around us all the time, babe. You don’t think she’d miss a day like this, do you?’
‘I know, but she’s missed out on so many important days in my life. The day I had Archie, the day I had Meredith and now the day I get married. Although some of that might not have been in the order that she would have approved of!’
The sun came out from behind a cloud and as Hannah looked across at her sister, the sun framing her in the window, she looked like she had a huge pair of wings behind her. She thought at that moment that her sister had never looked more beautiful and knew for sure that their mum was with them in the room.
‘But more than anything, I just wish that she was here to give me some help with the babysitting!’ Grace said, laughing. Hannah knew how much her little sister missed her mum. They both did, but today was a big day for them, Hannah knowing that her sister was not alone any more and was truly loved by Vinnie, both about to start a new chapter in their lives.
Grace adored her baby girl and Archie doted on his baby sister. From the minute his mum and Vinnie told him that they were having a baby, Archie was over the moon. When she was born, he kissed Meredith and said, ‘Hello, beautiful. I’m your big brother and it’s my job to love and protect you forever.’
Her two pregnancies couldn’t have been more different. Vinnie was the perfect partner, practically wrapping her in cotton wool. He wouldn’t let her lift a finger, and single-handedly decorated the nursery to her exact wishes, in stark comparison to her first pregnancy, where she’d felt very alone, devastated that her mum wasn’t around to share this precious time with her. Grace had loved being pregnant with Archie, completely amazed by this little miracle growing inside of her, but she had also carried around a terrible sadness that Mark wasn’t more interested in the baby.
There was no doubt whatsoever that Mark loved Archie, in his own way, but he was such a selfish man that his own happiness had and would always come first. After the episode where he took Archie from school, he and Lorraine had patched up their differences and moved to Spain.
Without having to worry about joint custody and being near to Mark, Vinnie and Grace bought their dream holiday home on the Cornish coast. The stone cottage mixed traditional and modern styles and boasted a first-floor living room, which opened through tri-fold doors onto a spectacular decking area with panoramic beach views. Through a gate at the bottom of the garden they just had to saunter through the sand dunes and they were on the beach. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she’d ever be lucky enough to have a place like this, but Ruth and Vinnie had inherited some money from a distant relative and the couple ploughed money and hard work into their place by the sea.
Grace would never tire of this stunning view from their second home and walks on the gorgeous sandy beach with Becks frolicking in the sea. Vinnie dipping Meredith’s toes in the cold water and her squealing with laughter as Archie jumped over the waves made Grace’s heart swell with joy.
It was their special place of peace, tranquillity and happiness, and she and Vinnie hoped one day to retire there and grow old together.
After they’d both come clean about the reasons that they’d been keeping secrets from each other, things had never been better. The day after Mark had taken Archie, Vinnie had gone round to Grace’s and she’d asked about the text and asked who Ellie was.
Vinnie explained that Ellie was a horticultural student who he was mentoring via the local agricultural college. She was also a friend of Meredith’s, and she had developed a huge crush on Vinnie. Because she was quite vulnerable, and she’d always looked up to Vinnie, he didn’t want to do anything to upset her, so didn’t really discourage her either.
Since she had found out that he’d been seeing Grace, Ellie had transferred her affections to a young man on the same course who totally idolised her and for the first time in ages, she was really happy.
When Vinnie had asked about why Grace hadn’t told him about taking Mark to the awards evening, Grace explained that it just wasn’t important to her, and that she had also been trying to block it out. She knew in her heart that the only real reason that she’d ever considered getting back with Mark was because of Archie and she realised that within months, they’d have been back to the way they were before they split up.
Grace and Vinnie laughed through their tears and vowed that if they had any chance of a future together, there would be no secrets at all, however big or small, and that they would discuss everything.
However, there was one more secret that both Archie and Vinnie had been keeping and that was the incredible pre-wedding present that Vinnie had bought for her.
Her mind drifted back to that very special evening when Vinnie and Archie had very clearly been up to something. They loved their surprises and were as thick as thieves.
‘Mummy, we have a surprise for you, so you have to do as we say, OK?’
She nodded at Archie.
‘OK, so you have to walk with us into town,’ he continued, ‘and just keep doing as we say. Would you take these keys, please.’
Puzzled, Grace didn’t really think she had a choice in the matter. She took the keys that Archie handed to her, and his face broke into a grin as they drew towards the high street.
They walked down the street, past Elizabeth’s bar, before they suddenly stopped. Grace wondered what on earth was going on. At this point, Vinnie took over giving out the instructions.
‘Put the key in the lock, Grace.’ She looked up and saw that they were standing outside the empty shop on the main street, the one she’d always dreamed of owning.
‘Don’t be silly, Vinnie!’ she laughed. ‘It’s hardly going to fit, is it?’
‘Put the key in the lock, Grace,’ he repeated calmly.
She looked at the big black heavy door with the brass handles and searched for the lock. She slotted in the big iron key and looked up at Vinnie, puzzled as it clicked into place.
‘Now turn the handle,’ Vinnie told her.
She looked at him, totally bewildered, her heart pounding with apprehension and confusion. She had no idea what the hell was going on.
As she turned the handle, Vinnie placed his hand on her back and gently guided her into the shop. There on the floor making a path to a huge wooden fireplace in the centre of the first room were what seemed like a million tea lights twinkling away in glass jars.
She glanced around at the vastness of the room. It felt like she’d known this place for years. It felt like home. Again, she looked towards Vinnie, bewildered.
‘But I don’t understand. What are we doing here?’
‘It’s yours, my darling! You told me your dreams and I just want to make them all come true. This is your chance, Grace. This can be the bookshop you want it to be. You just have to follow your dreams. You always find a way, and I admire that quality in you so much. If you think something is right, you’ll do everything in your power to make it work. And now this is something you can make work.
‘I’ve done the easy part. I’ve signed the lease on the building, now you need to tell me how we can move to the next step and make it the bookshop that you’ve always wanted.’
‘Vinnie, what have you done?’ Grace put her hands to her mouth. ‘I just cannot believe my eyes and ears right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’
She turned and hugged him so tight he could hardly breathe.
‘Vinnie, before Archie came into my life, I just existed. When he was born, he completed my life but I was only truly happy when it was just him and me. And when Mark and I split up, I thought that my life was just going to stay the way it was. But then I worked out that even though I was alone, it was actually OK and I found that I didn’t need anyone to complete me. That I was enough. That it was up to me to make myself happy, no one else.
‘Since the day I opened up my front door and found you standing there, my life has changed so much. You make me so very happy. I love you so much. It’s almost like a guardian angel has been watching over me and sent you to me!’
She glanced skywards and smiled. Once she’d started to trust in her own judgement, trust in herself and realise that she had a right to be happy as well as making others happy, she’d found true love. She’d had to love herself before she could truly and fully love someone new.
‘Mum, that’s not all! You have to follow the lights.’ Archie was jumping about excitedly.
She stepped through the room, her heels tapping on the wooden floorboards, and followed the two lines of candle jars, which led to the fireplace, where on the wooden mantelpiece lay an old, worn book.
‘Open the book, Mum!’ he instructed her. He went to stand next to Vinnie and put his little hand into his. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Archie look up into Vinnie’s eyes, his eyes shining with love.
Grace looked down and her hands were shaking as she opened the cover of the book. Hidden inside it was a delicately wrapped black velvet box and she gasped as she opened the box with trembling fingers. Inside was the most exquisite white gold ring, its centrepiece a beautiful aqua aura crystal, in a stunning setting of what looked like a million sparkling diamonds.
Look up, darling!she heard her mum’s voice say. She lifted her gaze from the ring and glanced up at the mirror above the fireplace.
MARRY ME!it said in bright-red lipstick.
Another gasp escaped her mouth as she turned to look at Vinnie. Archie and he looked first at each other, nerves getting the better of both of them, then looked back at her. It felt as if time had stood still.
Vinnie stepped towards her and took both of her hands in his.
‘Well, how about it?’ he asked nervously after what seemed like minutes but was only a second or two.
‘How about what?’ she replied, laughing as he grimaced then grinned as he got down on one knee.
‘Grace, I’ve adored you since the minute you opened your front door to me. I want to be with you every morning when I wake up, and every evening I want you to be the last person I see. Please, Grace, will you do me the honour of being my wife?’
Grace flung herself at him and dropped to the floor, wrapping her arms tightly around him. ‘Yes, yes, of course I will!’
She looked over at Archie who was beaming from ear to ear, then opened her arms and was nearly knocked over as he flung himself at them both.
That was the moment that she not only became a fiancée, but also the proud owner of the Amazing Grace Bookshop.
* * *
Breaking out of the memory, Grace turned to the registrar as he said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining together in matrimony of Grace Christine Carnegie and Vincent Walter O’Loughlin…’
* * *
Grace’s heart caught in her mouth as she stood outside the bookshop that had lived inside her imagination for so long. She took a deep breath, made her wish and pushed open the heavy glass door. A Tibetan windchime bell tinkled quietly as she gently closed the door behind her and entered the room. It was everything she had dreamed and hoped it would be and more.
Brown leather winged-back armchairs were strategically positioned around the warmly lit room, the smell of cinnamon and spice-scented candles making it so inviting and cosy.
Grace smiled as she noticed him sitting on a squashy, fawn-coloured leather bean bag near the fireplace, a book open on his lap, reading. His glasses were perched on the end of his nose, and he was totally mesmerised by the book and oblivious to everything else going on around him. For a few moments, she just stood and stared at him while her heart melted a little bit more.
A bookworm, just like his mum,she thought as she tiptoed across the distressed wooden floor and bent down to kiss Archie. He looked up at her and his broad grin lit up his face.
‘Oh, hi, Mum. I was just reading this awesome book.’ He got up and hugged Grace and gave her that special smile, the one he saved just for her.
‘I just wanted to see what it looked like from outside,’ she said.
‘Again though, Mum? That must be the tenth time today. And what did you think this time?’ he asked, far more grown up than the twelve years he’d been on earth.
‘I just love it! I think it’s pretty much perfect!’ she replied.
‘It is pretty cool,’ he said with a big grin. ‘I can’t wait till it opens tomorrow morning.’
‘Me too,’ said Grace. ‘Come on, dude, time to get you home. Big day tomorrow.’ She ruffled his hair and looked around her at the shop one last time before tomorrow’s grand opening.
The bookshop was the talk of the town. The three-bedroomed flat above the shop had been featured in a national paper the week before, which described the luxury accommodation as ‘the perfect backdrop for those looking to explore their creative side’ and since then the phone had been ringing non-stop with potential writers and authors, interested in booking it as a writer’s retreat. The French doors from the flat’s lounge opened up onto a huge terrace above the shop, which was decorated with rattan sunbeds, chairs and tables with a breathtaking view of the rolling green countryside. ‘Authors,’ said the piece, ‘could not fail to be inspired to write in such a stunning location.’
She couldn’t believe that her childhood dream of owning a bookshop had finally come true after all this time, and that the following day would be the start of a whole new adventure for the O’Loughlin family.
* * *
My darling big, brave girl. You have travelled such a journey, and I am so incredibly proud of you.
You learned through heartache and tears that you had to believe in yourself and love yourself and all your flaws enough to stand up for yourself and let go of those who don’t treat you right. Loving yourself is not selfish; it’s essential to growing, achieving your dreams and to developing wonderful relationships with others.
Yes, you are a mother, but that is not the be-all and the end-all of your life. You deserve happiness and to have dreams and goals of your own too.
When you realised all that, you let love into your life and I can see how much you and Vinnie adore each other. And you have a beautiful family. When your children go off into the big wide world, and have their own adventures, that’s when your next adventure can start too.
I love you, Grace. You are amazing.
Until we meet again.
Mum
Xxx