Epilogue
MONDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER, 2025 – GLASGOW
Moira
The flashes from the photographers’ cameras were clicking like strobe lights, as Moira walked onto the red carpet at the opening ceremony for the Moira Chiles Academy of Music and Drama. No, she hadn’t been able to persuade Ollie to change the name, and yes, it was mortifying to think that people might accuse her of getting too big for her… she glanced down at her feet… sparkly, red cowboy boots, but at least he hadn’t carried out his threat to project her face onto the front of the building. She had, however, forgiven him because he’d gone with her suggestion to rename the music school in the building. The coaches in ‘The Lisa Dixon Studio of Song’ would nurture the kids of this area and help them become the stars they dreamt of being.
‘I preferred it when I was the star around here,’ said the gentleman next to her. Her son’s cheek made her smile. In partnership with his friend and her former agent, Calvin Fraser, this was Ollie’s project, his investment and his way of giving back to the working-class community that they came from. She could not have been prouder or loved him more. However, the smile for the cameras never left her face, as she responded to his cheeky comment with a murmured, ‘Son, I was in labour with you for thirty-two hours. You can give me ten minutes to enjoy this.’
Ollie stepped up onto the podium at the front door of the old converted church, and joined his co-founder, Calvin, where they happily waited for the live music to end. Over to his right, an old friend of his mum’s was playing piano and singing Christine McVie’s vocals on Fleetwood Mac’s track ‘Dreams’. The girl who was belting out Stevie Nicks’ part, bore a starting resemblance to the original American songbird, although she’d confessed to the audience at the start of the song that it was only her second live performance. It was also her first gig since she’d dropped one day out of her working week at Glasgow Central Hospital, so that she could devote time to volunteering and practising her own vocals in the studio that was named after her mother. Stevie Dixon had no illusions of seeing her name in lights, but her late mother’s oldest friends had a sneaking suspicion that it would happen. They’d once known someone else who could sing like that, and back in the nineties, she’d packed out bars every night of the week.
Happy to let her moment in the spotlight go, Moira stood at the back of the stage where she was joined by her lifelong pal, former soap actress and wearer of chiffon kaftans, Jacinta McIntyre. Her daughters – Drea and Kara – were Ollie’s best mates, brought up as a family that they chose themselves, and she could see them now in the back of the crowd, beaming with pride. Jacinta, however, had her mind on other things. ‘I think the documentary team just caught me on a hot mic moment. I was asking the plumber to flush out my pipes. I think it could have been taken the wrong way.’
Moira struggled to keep a straight face. Jacinta had never reached the heights of her lofty aspirations as an actress, but there was no doubt in Moira’s mind that she was going to become a reality star of legend as soon as the documentary was released. Moira just hoped that her pipes were flushed and ready.
Over to the left of the podium, Carina and Stevie brought the song into land and the crowd gave them a riotous round of applause. Although, it was Glasgow, so half of the crowd continued to sing for another two verses and a chorus, until Calvin stepped forward and thanked them for their enthusiastic support.
He then invited the guest of honour, a local MP who’d helped them drum up a few grants, to step forward, and address the crowd.
‘If he goes on for any longer than five minutes, I’m going to distract him by pretending to faint,’ Moira whispered to Jacinta. ‘I heard him talking at the switch on of the Christmas lights in George Square last year and it was January by the time he finished.’
The only bonus was that the MP’s loquacious address to his non-adoring public gave time for Carina and Stevie to make their way from the stage to her side.
She immediately wrapped the younger woman in the tightest hug. What a blessing that this girl had found her way into their lives, and not just because she’d turned her son’s world upside down in all the best ways. He’d been married before, and then had a wonderful short-term romance afterwards, but neither of those relationships had worked, because both were with actresses whose crazy schedules had made it impossible to spend quality time together. Well, that and the fact that his ex-wife had been caught with her tongue down the throat of her co-star. But watching the way Ollie smiled at Stevie now, and the way Stevie blew a kiss back in his direction, gave her hope that this might just be the one that would go the distance. And if it didn’t, Stevie would always be a part of her family. They were bonded over old friendships, new love for each other, and the fact that Stevie was a radiographer and that would come in handy for Moira’s dodgy knees in the not-too-distant future.
Moira turned her attention to the other half of the Fleetwood duo. ‘The voice was sounding pretty fine up there, Posh Pal. If, hypothetically, some bloke who’d been in love with you for years was watching that, I think he’d be blown away by you.’
Carina giggled – yep, giggled. She’d been doing that a lot lately. Ever since her brother-in-law had declared that he did, in fact, adore her and had taken to hanging out with her now that she was spending most of her time back in Hong Kong. Their relationship had yet to go further than friendship, and they’d agreed to keep it that way until her divorce had gone through. Although, her husband had been spotted last weekend in Dubai with the infamous Arabella, who was still almost half his age, so… ‘Still keeping it platonic, then?’ she checked. Carina nodded to the affirmative. ‘We are. But you know… I’m in my Eff You Era, so that’s subject to change. Especially now that my girls are on my side.’ Carina’s daughters, Imogen and Erin, were both out in the crowd somewhere – they’d travelled to Glasgow to support their mum today and spend time with her. ‘You know,’ Carina went on, ‘none of this would have happened if you hadn’t decided to go back to Hong Kong. I’m so glad you did.’
‘Me too, ma darlin’.’ Moira smiled, knowing she would never stop being grateful for the trip that brought Carina back into her life. Or for the twist of fate that helped Stevie find them there. And she’d never stop wishing that some things could have been different. There were so many ‘If Onlys’ in her life, and the one that truly took a chunk out of her heart was that Lisa hadn’t made it back to them. Moira wished she’d sent the letter sooner. Wished Lisa hadn’t kept so many secrets. Wished she were here now. But life didn’t work out that way and every time Moira wanted to feel her close by, she just had to close her eyes and press play on a recently acquired 1990 recording of her friend.
A restrained round of applause and a few sighs of relief signalled that the MP had finished speaking. Ollie stepped forward to the microphone.
You could hear a pin drop as the much-loved Glaswegian TV star thanked his agent, Calvin, for inviting him to be a partner in this academy. He then thanked the entire squad of music, film and television talent that had committed to volunteering, donating and fundraising for the centre.
He went on to explain the purpose of the academy and the role it would play, providing free acting and singing classes to the kids from low-income areas of the city. ‘When I was a kid, I’d have loved to come to a place like this. However, I was lucky. We didn’t have much money, or access to theatre schools, but I had a single mother who worked day and night, to give me all the coaching and resources I could ever need. But in doing so, she put her dreams to one side, so that I could chase mine. So my final thanks go to my mother, the incredible singer this centre is named after. Because without her, I wouldn’t be standing here. Ladies and Gentlemen, I now declare that the Moira Chiles Academy of Music and Drama is open. Mum, would you cut the ribbon?’
Moira was standing at the doorway, holding a three-foot pair of scissors that the prop department had whipped up last week, and she could barely move because she was so utterly mesmerised and grateful for the words he’d just shared. Thirty years ago, she’d given up the opportunity to develop her rapidly rising reputation in the theatre world, because she didn’t want to tour and leave her son. She wanted to be able to come home to him at night. To be present. To take care of him no matter what. And she’d never doubted it was worth it.
‘If you don’t hurry up and cut that ribbon, I’ll bloody do it,’ Jacinta whispered in her ear. ‘I’ve got a date with a yoga instructor in an hour and I have to warm up. He’s very bendy.’
There was a sudden snigger from a cameraman lurking over to her left, and Moira realised Jacinta had been caught on a hot mic for the second time today. Yep, she was going to be the stuff of reality TV legend.
Containing her amusement, Moira smiled, cut the ribbon, and then waved as the spectators cheered.
At that moment, the doors opened as planned, and Moira stood to the side to allow the hordes of spectators to enter for their first peek at the magnificent facility they’d created.
As they swarmed past her, Moira took in the sight of Ollie and Stevie, hugging in the corner. Of Carina beaming as the MP told her how magnificent she was. Of the photographers who were taking her picture, to be used in the media announcements that would run all day. Of Jacinta, who was now heading for her car, while doing side bends. Of… of…
Moira froze as another face in the crowd, one that she’d first clapped eyes on decades ago, stepped out of the line of people waiting to enter the building and began walking towards her.
Fireworks exploded in her mind as she held her breath, while her whole world rewound to 1990, when she’d walked away from him, breaking his heart and hers.
Now she was standing with two sparkly red cowboy boots rooted to the spot. This time she wasn’t walking away.
‘I know you,’ she said, when he reached her, her smile making it oh so clear that he was welcome.
‘I know you, too, Moira Chiles.’
Nate Wilde reached down and kissed her softly on the lips.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, as soon as her racing heart allowed some air back into her lungs.
He pulled back far enough for her to see that he was looking at her the way that only a young guy she’d once met in Hong Kong had ever done.
‘You said you wanted to find someone who loved you enough to change their whole life for you. So I was wondering how you felt about that person being me?’
Moira stretched up on to her tiptoes and gave her answer by touching her lips to his for a long, long time.
Thirty-four years ago, she’d left the first love of her life.
Now, she knew the last love of her life was standing right in front of her.
* * *