Epilogue
ROSE
Six months later
“It’s a lovely home.” Laurie looked round the open plan kitchen and nodded. “I like the dining table arrangement.”
“Thank you. It was fun getting it up here.” I’d bought a penthouse, the sale completing a couple of weeks ago.
Since then, I’d been getting it straight, moving in furniture and decorating, although there were still a few things that needed doing.
It was the perfect location, a five-minute walk from Carter’s and just a couple of minutes from Fallon and my parents.
It had been cathartic, choosing a new home and then packing, sorting through things that I’d hoarded for years, finding old photographs and journals, clothes I’d worn when I was in my early twenties that were just hilarious and resulted in a fashion show with Harriet and Fallon – Erin was back in Paris for some reason.
It had been fun and reminded me of when we were younger and couldn’t afford to have big nights out, preferring to stay in with cheap wine and face masks.
Life had changed, even in a few months it had altered beyond all imagination.
This was my housewarming, a few people gathered so they could have a nosy round the place and mark the occasion, creating more memories, celebrating another milestone.
“When do you complete on the house?” I asked Laurie. She’d found a four bedroomed town house near mine and Carter’s old school and put an offer in before I’d found the penthouse.
“Next week with any luck. Once I’ve moved in, I’ll let the flat above the shop out to the manager, and then that’s one less thing to have to look after. The shop in St Paul’s opens at the start of September, and I’ll have Charlotte with me then too, so life will be busy.”
“When’s it not?” I looked over at Harriet who was rearranging the books on my bookcase. “Was it not to your standard?” I asked across the room.
“You had a couple of series in the wrong order, which isn’t acceptable.” She stood up, having been crouched down while inspecting the bottom shelves. “I think you need to put that vase over here, it needs more structure in this corner.”
“Who made you an interior decorator?”
She waved her hand in an obnoxious manner. “Us home owners have to develop some taste.”
“Does that include men?” I pushed for information, knowing there was more going on than she’d been telling us.
“You won’t get anything out of her, I’ve tried.” Fallon walked over, a cup of tea in her hand because it was only eleven o’clock on a Sunday morning and she was still recuperating.
We’d thought we’d lost her. For a moment, after we heard that she was past the worst, she’d crashed.
But our stubborn, beautiful friend fought hard and the doctors and nurses brought her round, saving her life.
The weeks after had been rough, on Fallon and the rest of us, but she was here now, thinner, still tired but her vibrancy was returning and she was starting to smile again. Mainly about Harriet.
“She can only keep a secret for so long.” Erin sat down at the table, stretching out her long legs. She’d spent more time than anyone in Stratford, and I was pretty sure that she did know what Harriet was up to and who it involved.
Harriet took another seat at the table and picked up a strawberry, dipping it in chocolate before almost swallowing it whole, like a snake with a mouse. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Which tells us there is.” I joined her with a strawberry but nibbled on mine.
Harriet shook her head. “There might be a story one day, but it will definitely have The End sooner than you’d hope. But for now, nada.”
“You’re no fun.” Fallon sat down. “What do you think, Carter?”
Carter sidled over to me. “I thought we were having bacon sandwiches?”
“We are, if you cook the bacon.”
He shook his head at me. “I thought you were the host.”
“You’re the host’s boyfriend and therefore man servant.”
He leaned closer, whispering into me ear. “I thought I did that earlier.”
“Bacon. My parents and the rest of the rabble will be here soon.” I gave him a little push, which just made him laugh and go to the fridge for the bacon and the Bucks Fizz that I had no doubt Eliza would make a dent into.
We’d been a couple for six months, six months of getting to know each other in a different way, six months of learning things about each other differently.
It was working, time split between each other’s houses, but with no rush to live together yet.
We spent four or five nights a week together depending on shifts and what we were doing.
Harriet had come back for several weekends, enthusiastic but with a level of mysterious that I hadn’t worked out yet, but I knew she was seeing someone and I knew she was taken by him.
I’d spent time in Stratford-Upon-Avon too, either at her house, or in a hotel with Carter, and I’d finally managed to get him to kind of enjoy Shakespeare.
The intercom button rang, and Eliza arrived with Orla and Quinn, two of her younger sisters who both looked half dead with a hangover.
Eliza rushed to Carter first, giving him a huge hug, then proceeded to attack Fallon in the same manner.
Orla and Quinn headed straight to the sofa and sank into it, eyes half closed.
“Big night?”
Quinn fully opened one eye. “Blame your brothers.”
I rolled my eyes and didn’t ask any more questions. Marie had once said that Luke and Maxwell – named after our uncle – were just like Seph and our uncle Callum at the same age, which didn’t bode well for the women of London or anywhere else they could visit.
Erin headed onto door duty, more of the Callaghans turning up, as well as a few friends from the hospital, and my not so little apartment started to feel packed, although everyone took their shoes off, apart from Luke who now had vacuuming duty after everyone had gone.
Yellow sun pooled through the floor to ceiling window, the Thames just about visible.
I loved the view; it was one of the main reasons I’d chosen this one, although I knew in my heart of hearts, I wouldn’t be living here more than a couple of years.
Carter came over to me, putting his arm around my waist.
“You’re ignoring your guests.”
“I’m sure they’re fine.” Max – the uncle – and my dad were continually talking to the hungover crew, which was making them suffer and it was rather entertaining.
“What are you thinking?” It had become parr of the course for Carter to ask me that, which meant he was struggling to read me because I was possibly masking.
“It’s nice having everyone here. But it’ll be nice when they go.” I was already looking forward to having the place tidy and spending the afternoon reading.
“I think that’s always the case.” He wrapped his arms around me, his chin resting on my shoulder. “Happy?”
“Very. Harriet’s back for a bit, Fallon’s healthy, Laurie’s doing well and Erin’s killing it at work. And you’re okay too.” I added as an afterthought. “Who’d have thought we’d be here this time last year?”
“A lot’s changed.” He paused for a moment, so much so that I could practically hear him thinking. “I didn’t imagine we’d be here.”
“Neither did I. It’s all working out though, isn’t it?”
“It is. Come on, we’d better socialise before Fallon starts heckling us.”
It was later that evening and everyone, including Harriet, had gone home, when we were curled up on the sofa, Carter watching the highlights from yesterday’s football, and me buried in a book, when I thought of something.
“You still have my book.”
“Which one? There are plenty of yours at my house.”
“The verse novel. I would’ve thought you’d have brought it over.”
He laughed quietly. “Not yet. It’s waiting for you at my house.”
“Really. That’s blackmail.”
“It’s a bargaining chip. It can join the rest of your books when we live together. It’s up to you when that is.”
I looked over at him, his strong jaw grazed with stubble, brown eyes that swirled like fresh coffee, kind and often serious.
It hadn’t eased off, what I felt for him.
He’d been a rock for all of us when Fallon was poorly, especially me.
There had been times when I felt like the whole world was about to fall apart, only Carter had held it together.
“We’ll know when the time’s right.”
He nodded. “We will. It’s all about the timing.” He gave me a soft kiss, one that promised to grow into something more when we got into my bedroom, still exploring each other, still learning ourselves.
Like the river, we’d keep flowing. Like time, we’d continue to move, second by second, hour by hour. Living it together.
The End
Thank you for choosing to read The Unbreaking of a Heart, it means a lot to me that you chose to spend time with my characters. If you want to discover more of my books, read on for a few samples.