Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
Carlo’s Cafe was closed for business. At least, to the outside world.
However, inside, there was a private party, and the glasses were being refilled, ready to toast the dawn of another year.
Yvie and Emmy were circulating with two bottles of champagne, but as Emmy passed Cormac, he pulled her down on to his knee and kissed her. ‘Hey, wife…’
He’d been doing that a lot since they’d tied the knot right here the week before. They’d chosen Christmas Eve to say, ‘I do,’ because, well, they both knew Hogmanay was just too unpredictable.
‘Would you mind putting my daughter down, only my glass is empty,’ came a man’s amused voice from the next table.
Cormac immediately put his hands up, doing as he was asked. ‘Apologies, Eric.’
Emmy feigned outrage. ‘Father, your drink will be topped up when you grab a tray of those sausage rolls and whip them around to everyone too.’
Happy to oblige, Eric leaned over and kissed the woman beside him. ‘She gets that bossiness from her mother,’ he quipped to his new girlfriend, Colette. He’d met her when he’d joined a gym at the start of the year and so far, so good. Although, his knees were starting to ache because she could outrun him every day of the week on the treadmill. But at least she was in the same age bracket as him so she could remember the eighties.
‘Erm, Eric Ryan, I heard that!’ Ailish shouted from the corner table, where she was delivering Slippery Nipples to Rhonda and Matty, who’d surprised everyone by lasting longer than the tiramisu at last year’s party. Rhonda was well aware that people raised an eyebrow about the age difference, but she couldn’t care less because, as she always said, thanks to a few cosmetic nips, tucks, and enhancements, there were definitely parts of her that were only twenty-nine.
‘I’ll have two of those sausage rolls over here, please, waiter,’ Sonya chirped, then cleared a space in front of her to make room for them. She’d just been telling Nicky and Scott that she was starting her diet tomorrow. Or maybe next weekend. Her Ollie hadn’t come home from university because he’d fallen madly in love with an astrophysics student and was being taken home to meet his boyfriend’s family for the first time. Sonya was going to join them tomorrow. She’d already batch-cooked a full week’s worth of dinners for Gino and Minnie, but she knew they’d probably go to waste because those two were never home. Taking care of them as their live-in housekeeper was the best job ever though, so she didn’t mind in the least.
‘Five minutes to go!’ Carlo bellowed, then got thoroughly distracted because Yvie was now dancing with her tray, and he knew it could all go wrong at any second. She was a wonderful nurse, but a terrible waitress. She was also the most laid-back girlfriend in the world and didn’t mind that he’d been working longer hours than ever this year, opening two new cafés with Matty and Dario. There was a fourth on the way, and the first event at that one would be their wedding. She’d already told him she wanted four kids, and they’d all be allowed to go into the family business.
He’d need new partners by then anyway, because Dario was already semi-retired. He only worked a couple of days a week, because he spent the rest of the time making up for the fact that he’d worked far too many hours in his lifetime already. Besides, there was so much life out there to enjoy, and Dario felt truly lucky to be experiencing it all with Gwen. Her scan results last January had been clear, and all the tests she’d had since then had continued to show she was cancer-free, so they were planning a three-month tour around Europe in the summer. Gwen had already invited Minnie and Gino on the Italian leg of the trip, and they were excited to help Gino finally revisit his homeland and the village of his youth.
Dario switched on the large TV on the wall and turned it to the countdown that was shown live from Edinburgh Castle every year.
They all saw that it would shortly begin, so Gino stood up, banjo in hand, and raised a silver flask, the one inscribed with a message from an absent friend.
‘I would like to propose a toast,’ he told them, to a raucous cheer. ‘To the people who are no longer with us… We miss you…’
Another cheer.
Minnie raised her eyes heavenwards and murmured, ‘That’s you, Henry, love.’ She would always be grateful for his love both before and after he died. Sharing the house with Gino had been the wonderful chapter that she hadn’t expected, and she was in no hurry for their story to come to an end.
‘Minnie, are you listening?’ Gino teased, much to the amusement of the others.
‘Just waiting for you to get to the point, my friend,’ she replied sassily, earning a round of whoops and applause.
Gino took the hint. ‘And to the people who are still here by our sides. Let us love and laugh from this year to the next. Because, as a very special man once told me, friendships last long after midnight. To friendship!’
‘To friendship!’ came the response, everyone on their feet now to bring in the bells.
On the television, the countdown began, and the whole room joined in.
‘Ten… Nine…’
In the middle of the throng, Ailish’s boyfriend stood behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered into her ear. Brodie had asked her to dance with him after all the drama at Gino’s had calmed down last year. They’d taken it slow, because Ailish was in no hurry to rush into love again. Although, lately her heart had been telling her something different.
‘Eight… Seven… Six…’
‘I know there’s so much history here…’ Brodie whispered.
‘Five… Four… Three…’
‘So can I just check when would be a good time to tell you I’m in love with you?’
‘Three… Two… One…’
In the first second of the brand new year, as the bells rang out across the city, Ailish turned around and kissed him.
‘Happy New Year, Brodie. You can tell me right now. Because this feels like a good time to tell you that I love you too.’