Epilogue
Sofia
I was far more nervous now than I had been introducing Andrew to my mom the first time, or when we told her we were engaged.
Maybe because we’d left it so long before seeing them all together.
Of course I’d met Tristan, and we’d had dinner with Beck and Stella, but we’d been busy figuring out the wedding and where to live.
The time had flown since our return from New York.
“They’ll love you,” Andrew whispered as we got to the top of the stone steps.
“They love you,” I reminded him. “Your friends don’t have to like me.”
“Trust me,” he said, ringing the bell.
I did trust him, so I took a deep breath and plastered on a smile.
The large black door that looked like it would withstand bullets opened and a girl with long dark hair grinned at me.
“Americans only,” she said, pulling me inside and hugging me.
“I’m so excited we have another one in our gang.
Let me see the ring on.” She gasped at the rock on my left hand as I held it up.
I didn’t need to be asked twice. “Dexter said it was a stunner and he was right.”
Right then a man with dark curly hair came around the corner. “You did good, honey,” she said, pulling him into a kiss. This must be Dexter and Hollie, the owners of this incredible house.
“Oh, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Hollie.
” She took my hand and led me through the hallway.
I glanced back at Andrew and he just shrugged as if he were entirely powerless.
“Dexter’s my soon-to-be husband and this—” We entered a huge space at the back of the house which was full of people.
Another woman pulled me into a hug. “This is my sister, Autumn. She’s engaged to Gabriel,” she said when Autumn released me.
“Three Americans,” Autumn said. “Thank God. We can talk about Twinkies without getting dirty looks.”
“I can honestly say I never wanted a Twinkie before I came to London,” I replied.
“I know, right?” Autumn said. “I crave so many things about Oregon, even though I love being here.”
I’m glad it wasn’t just me. “Yeah, I miss New York sometimes. And my mom.”
“We should go!” Hollie said. “I’d never been to New York before I met Dexter. He always has to go for work and I tag along as often as I can. We could charter a plane next time and make it a girl’s trip.”
“Charter a plane?”
“The money is a lot to get used to,” Autumn said. “But you will. Hollie got there quicker than most.”
I honestly doubted I’d ever get entirely comfortable with Andrew’s wealth, but he was so generous, and completely transparent about what he had, which made it a little easier.
Agreeing to let him foot the bill for my mom’s surgery was a no-brainer.
It was all booked in to take place next month.
She was coming to London to have the procedure and staying with us while she recuperated.
I hoped she would fall in love with the city and I could persuade her to stay.
Hollie laughed. “Life’s to enjoy, right?”
“No argument from me on that score. So . . . which ones are Joshua and Hartford?”
Hollie and Autumn wasted no time pointing them out and giving me the rundown on how everyone had met. The fact that Joshua and Hartford had known each other since they were kids but only just fallen in love was the best story ever.
“Tristan’s not here yet,” Autumn said. “He’s the only single one in their friendship coven.”
“I wonder if we can get him to fall in love with another American,” Hollie said.
“He’s determined not to fall in love with anyone,” Autumn said, laughing. “But we’ll soon see about that. Do you have any friends who might like an outrageously flirtatious British guy who . . . What does he do, Hollie?”
She shrugged. “No one knows exactly. Whenever I ask Dexter, he tells me it’s something with computers.”
“My best friend is single. But she lives in New Jersey.”
“We need to find someone in London for him. Though Tristan is a bit of an enigma. When you first meet him—”
“Oh, I met him already. He was in New York when Andrew and I went the first time.” He’d had a laptop with him and hadn’t come across as particularly flirtatious. “He seemed nice.”
“The thing about Tristan is, there’s a lot of . . .” Hollie turned to her sister. “How would you describe him?”
“There are two sides to him. One where he’s willingly the butt of everyone’s jokes, and a deeper side he keeps hidden away.”
Gabriel approached and introduced himself, kissing me on both cheeks. “What are you lot talking about?”
“Tristan. We’re trying to find an American girlfriend for him.”
“Good luck with that,” Gabriel said. “He’s never shown any interest in settling down.”
Autumn slid her arms around Gabriel’s waist. “You were sworn off women, remember? And I would have bet the farm Andrew was going to be a bachelor until the end of time.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But you are exceptional. And no doubt, so is Sofia.”
“Hey, brother-in-law to be, what about me?” Hollie asked.
Gabriel laughed. “It doesn’t even need to be said how exceptional you are.”
She laughed like she and Gabriel were already related.
That was the atmosphere tonight—a family of people who had chosen each other.
These were bonds I was familiar with and could relate to.
It was like the Ferrara family and my grandma and grandad’s neighbors, who treated my mom and me like we were their own.
All my nerves dissolved and I was filled with warmth as I was welcomed with open arms into this carefully constructed group of pseudo-siblings.
Maybe I was going to settle in more easily than I expected.
Andrew came up behind me and snaked one arm around my waist, his palm resting over my stomach. “You okay?”
I shifted so I could meet his eye. “I am. And so is she.”
“Wait, what?” Holly screeched. “Have you got something to tell us?”
Andrew groaned and I couldn’t do anything but laugh. Apparently, we’d been way too obvious.
“A girl I think,” I said. I’d just had my six-week scan, and although they couldn’t tell me anything about the sex of the baby, when I saw her, I just knew.
Gabriel gave Andrew a look like he was a proud big brother, and tears welled in my eyes. Andrew was going to be the best dad.
“We’re going to be aunts! Stella, get over here,” Autumn called. “Hartford, come and meet your niece.”
I turned to Andrew. “For the record, if I wasn’t Italian American, this would be overwhelming.”
He rolled his eyes. “I know.”
My move to London was supposed to be temporary, but now I couldn’t see myself anywhere else. My future was here, with Andrew. Soon our daughter would join this family, and I hoped my mother would, too. I’d miss New York, but London felt more and more like home.
Andrew
Sofia didn’t make it over to the Blake Enterprises offices very often, so when I heard her talking to Trudy, I sprang to my feet and pulled open the door.
“What are you doing here?”
She shook her head. “What a welcome! It’s eleven fifty-five. I’m waiting patiently for the clock to strike twelve.”
I pulled her inside the office and closed the door, then gently pushed her against the door and pressed my lips to hers. She sighed and her body sank against mine as our tongues met. We explored each other like it had been weeks, not hours, since we’d last seen each other.
“That’s a better welcome,” Sofia said as she slipped under my arm and headed to my desk. “I have documents you need to see.”
“Documents?”
“Yes, we need to go through some things before my mom arrives tomorrow. First, this is my resignation.” She slid a cream envelope onto my desk and sat in one of the guest chairs.
“I made up my mind this morning after all our conversations. It’s just easier.
I’ll stay until we find someone else. I’ve done all the rebranding and the launch, and now it’s just about growing the circulation. It’s time to move on.”
I sat across from her and took the envelope, shoving it in my top drawer.
“Careful, Miss Rossi, you’re starting to sound like me.
” We’d talked a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of Sofia continuing to head up Verity.
I’d told her it was her decision and I would stand behind whatever she’d prefer.
“Never! But I do like the idea of working for myself. That way, I never have to worry about people thinking I only got the job because I’m married to the boss.”
“No one who met you would think that.”
“You’re biased. Anyway, my mind is made up. I’m resigning. Leave date to be decided. I’m going to talk to HR about hiring a search firm to find a replacement.”
“Okay,” I said. “Next?”
“This is the list of wedding venues you sent me. I crossed out the ones I don’t like.” She tossed a sheet of paper. “But honestly, when my mom comes over, we should have a small registry office wedding with just a few friends and family.”
I nodded, happy to go along with anything she wanted. As long as she married me, I didn’t care how we did it.
“Then after the baby’s born, let’s have a proper wedding with a big party.
We can have a blessing in a church. That’s easier than a full-blown wedding too, because you’re not Catholic.
It works out for everyone: you’ll stop hassling me to marry you, and my mom will be happy because we’ll be married before the baby’s born. ”
Sofia seemed to have forgotten the most important person in all this. “Would that make you happy?”
She sighed. “Honestly, I want to get married in New York, but you have so many friends—”
“Then New York it is. My friends can travel.”
She smiled a half smile. “Thank you. London is fine.”
“No. New York. We can hire anywhere you like—the Plaza? The Ritz?” I could tell by her expression that she had a place in mind.
“Well, if you’re sure . . . What about the library?” she asked. “It’s really pretty there. I snuck in to a ceremony once when I should have been studying.”
“Done.”
“Really?”
I shook my head. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
She grinned and her shoulders lowered as if I’d just taken some of the burden from her. It was the best feeling in the world.
“That’s done,” I said. “What’s next?”
“This,” she said, holding up an envelope. “From my father. He’s set up a trust fund for me. He says each of his daughters has one.”
I’d met Sofia’s father a couple of times. Despite his wealth, he was a humble man, well aware of his failings where Sofia was concerned. As far as I could see, he did nothing but try to make up for them. Not just with money, but with the way he made time and space for her in his life.
“That’s nice,” I said, cautiously. Sofia’s emotions around her father were ever-changing. It was my job to just support her, however she felt.
“It is nice. It’s also weird. I didn’t exactly grow up as a trust fund kid.”
“I get that it’s weird. And we don’t need it. Maybe you could transfer it into our daughter’s name?”
Sofia rounded her hand over her gradually expanding stomach.
“Oh she gets one too.” She shook her head like it was the most ridiculous thing.
“I told my mom.” She winced. Sofia had come clean about the reason she’d come to London—and the fact she’d met her father, his wife, and their two kids—when we visited her mother to tell her about our engagement.
There had been tears and fights and more tears and hugs and eventually, everything had settled down.
Sofia’s mom was sorry she’d cut Des out of their lives.
Sofia was sorry for lying about why she’d come to England.
Now mother and daughter were as close as ever.
“It was fine. I think it would be less fine if I hadn’t met you.
I guess because his money will make less of a difference. ”
“That makes sense. Has she agreed to move to London?”
“Not permanently. Not yet. But she knows that wherever we move, there will be a place for her. Speaking of which, that brings me to the next thing.” She pulled out her phone and brought up a picture of a house.
“It’s thirty minutes to the center of town.
And it’s got a garden and a pool and even an annex where my mom could stay. ”
“Okay. Looks nice.”
“Great.” She jumped to her feet. “Let’s go see it. We can time the journey. It’s in Kenwood.”
“Now?” I asked.
“Yes, I’ve cleared your diary and we’re due in forty minutes.”
My soon-to-be wife was always a step ahead of me. Long may it continue.
Read on for Tristan’s story in Mr. Notting Hill.