Chapter 39 #2
‘Here’s the rest of the set.’ Sue passed me a few colour photos and I gasped as I took in the images.
The first photo showed a young Nick blowing out candles on a cake in the shape of a number six.
The next showed him sat on a garden bench eating a piece of birthday cake with a four-year-old me next to him, cake smeared across my face.
We were looking at each other, rather than the camera, and laughing.
The next one was an inside scene of pass the parcel.
There were several children in the photo spread out in a circle but young Nick and I were sat really close together.
He was passing the parcel to me and our hands were touching, our eyes locked. The final picture was the framed one.
‘I’ve got goose bumps,’ I whispered holding out my arm to show him. ‘I can’t believe we met… what… twenty-six years ago and we look like we’re together.’ I passed the photos to Elise.
‘Matching goose bumps,’ Nick said. ‘Crikey, Mum, where did you find these? I bet there aren’t many men who meet the girl of their dreams when they’re six then get reunited when they’re thirty-two.’
‘You were so right,’ Elise said, looking through the photos. ‘He’s Steven.’
I nodded. ‘It certainly looks that way.’
‘Steven?’ Callie said. ‘Who’s Steven?’
‘Long story.’
‘I’m in no rush.’
I cringed, but I already knew Callie well enough to know she wouldn’t let this go. ‘This is really embarrassing so I’m only going to give you the short version…’
I blushed once I’d finished.
‘She got the name right,’ Sue said.
‘What do you mean, Mum?’ Nick took hold of my hand and squeezed it.
Sue looked very pale. ‘When you were born, we named you Steven.’
‘Then how come we all call him Nick?’ It was Callie who actually said it but I’m sure it echoed what we were all thinking.
‘Because that’s the name on his birth certificate.
Well, Nicholas is. Don’t you remember me telling you this?
’ Sue looked at Nick but he slowly shook his head.
She continued. ‘When I went into hospital to have Nick, my best friend and neighbour, Jen, was seven months pregnant. Unbeknown to me, she was rushed to hospital the same day and had a premature boy. We were in different hospitals with no way of contacting each other. Coincidentally we both named our babies Steven. Jen and Keith weren’t sure if their Steven would live so they registered his birth quickly, unaware we’d named our baby Steven too.
When we found out, we hoped and prayed her Steven would survive and, assuming he did, John and I decided it would be too confusing being in the same class at school, having the same date of birth, living on the same road, and having the same name so we went for our second choice instead. ’
‘Are you sure you told me this?’ Nick said. ‘It doesn’t ring a bell at all.’
Sue nodded. ‘You went through a phase of asking everyone to call you Steven when you were about five or six. Then you decided you wanted to be a girl and asked everyone to call you Keeley Fawcett instead.’
Callie gave a snort of laughter from across the room. ‘Sorry, everyone. Inappropriate moment as usual.’
‘Can I just check I’ve understood this,’ Elise said. Thank you, Elise! I was too shocked to speak myself. ‘Are you really saying that his birth certificate says “Nicholas” but he was actually born Steven?’
‘Yes. Frustratingly, Jen emigrated to South Africa when the boys were two and we lost touch so I could have stuck with Steven after all. Nick, are you sure you don’t remember me telling you this?’
He shook his head. ‘No. Although, scarily, Keeley Fawcett rings a bell.’ He turned to me, frowning. ‘Are you okay?’
‘A bit stunned. Madame Louisa was right all along.’
‘Looks like it.’
‘And I was right. You really are the Steven.’
He smiled and looked at me so tenderly, I felt like I could melt.
A slight cough from across the room interrupted the moment. ‘I think it’s time we made our exit, don’t you Mum?’ Callie stood up and reached for her bag. ‘I think these two could do with a bit of alone time.’
‘Of course.’ Sue stood up too. ‘Congratulations to you both again. Nick, I’ll give you a call next week. Maybe I could have you both over for dinner when you’re settled?’
‘And I’ll give you a call, Sarah, because I need to know the full Steven story from start to end.’ Callie gave me a hug. ‘The more embarrassing the better. I think it’s important that I know everything about my future sister-in-law.’
‘Callie! They’re not engaged.’
‘Not yet, Mum, but look at them. It won’t be long. I bet he’s already picked out the ring and been planning the perfect proposal, haven’t you, Nick?’
Nick’s flushed cheeks made my heart race. Oh my God! He has!
‘What was that you were saying about leaving, Callie?’ Nick put his hands on her shoulders and marched her towards the door. ‘I think you’d better do that right now before you say another word.’
‘Sorry, Nick. You know what I’m like.’
‘I don’t know about you,’ Nick said once their car had pulled out of sight, ‘but my head is spinning after what Mum said. If I’d remembered about being born Steven… I don’t know what to say, Sarah.’
‘I know. My head’s a mess too.’
‘Mine three,’ Elise said. ‘And I think I’m going to leave you in peace so you can stare at that gorgeous picture and get your heads around everything that’s happened this afternoon.’
‘What about pizza?’ I said.
‘Maybe another time. I really think you should have some alone time.’
‘Seriously, Elise, you don’t have to go.’
‘Thanks, Nick, but I think I may buy a bottle of wine and have my own romantic night in with Gary instead. I can’t remember the last time we did that which must mean it’s way, way overdue.’
We waved Elise off and made our way back to the lounge. I looked at the piles of crates and bags. ‘I’ve trashed the place. But I don’t know if I can face moving it all. I feel drained.’
‘The bags can wait,’ Nick said. ‘There’s something more important we have to do first.’
‘What?’
‘This.’ He put his arms round me and kissed me. ‘Welcome to your new home, Sarah Peterson.’
‘Thank you, Steven Derbyshire. Or should that be Keeley Fawcett?’
He laughed. ‘I genuinely don’t remember the Steven thing. You know that I’d have told you if I’d remembered, don’t you?’
I nodded. ‘You do know that I wasn’t lying when I said my search for Steven was over months ago, don’t you?
And that I’d chosen you despite the CD, not because of it.
Even if your mum hadn’t found the photos or told us about your name, I still knew you were The One.
All that stuff today was just the icing on the cake; it’s all very nice but the cake is the best part and I already have the cake. ’
‘Are you saying I’m a cake?’
I laughed. ‘I think the analogy worked better in my head. You know what I mean, though, don’t you?’
Nick kissed me again. ‘I do. There’s one more thing.
Come and sit down a minute.’ He led me to the sofa.
‘You’ve met her enough times now to know that my sister has serious foot-in-mouth disease.
She did another classic this afternoon. I know you’ll be thinking about what she said about us getting married… ’
‘I wasn’t. I didn’t—’
‘Sarah! You know you’re a terrible fibber.’
‘Okay. I was thinking about it. But only cos you looked so guilty. Sorry.’
‘You’ve nothing to be sorry about. I know some people would call it early days but we both know it’s forever.
I do want to marry you, but I want to do it properly.
I know how much this all means to you and I want to give you the proposal of your dreams. Doing that takes a bit of planning so it’s not going to happen just yet but it’ll happen soon. I promise. Are you okay with that?’
A tear slipped down my cheek. ‘I’m more than okay with that.’
As Nick wrapped his arms around me and kissed me again, I realised that the perfect proposal actually didn’t matter that much to me anymore; it was just packaging. The person who gave it was the important part. I loved him all the more for wanting to please me, though.
There’d been a few dead ends in the journey thanks to Andy and Jason.
There’d been plenty of frustrating detours during my search for Steven.
But now I’d finally found him and, whatever twists and turns the road ahead held, I knew I’d found my soulmate to navigate them with – just like my parents and just like Auntie Kay and Charlie.
Auntie Kay had been right; when true love comes along, you have to hang onto it with all your strength because it’s worth it.
I nearly hadn’t had the strength to fight for Nick and now look at us.
It had taken six years longer than I’d expected when I was ‘almost fourteen’ but my Life Plan was now finally being fulfilled and it had definitely been worth the wait.
And I knew that I’d never be alone.