EPILOGUE – Audrey
Sirens of the city blared below our apartment complex, where we lived on the fourth storey. Sure, it wasn’t my favourite part of living in the city, but we had an office here on the floor below us, and I used the city sounds as a fun reminder that my dreams had come true. I was here, for good. And oddly enough, it felt great to not follow my initial plan of leaving everything behind. Lucy would come over on semi-regular train trips with Will and the girls, and while George still managed the London branch, he made sure to check in every now and then. That’s right—Lucy had gotten her happily ever after, just like I did. We exchanged texts daily, still comfortably a part of each other’s lives despite the distance. She would tell me how her days were, working alongside Mary Mitchell at Mary’s Kitchen. After the business gala, Lucy even had a few journalists tracking her down to follow her story, as well as a regular recipe column in newspapers across London. It was a hit, and she deserved every moment of success she got.
And speaking of changes in our lives, I’d even started writing to my parents again, thanks to Theo’s support. It was as if they were both my Australian pen-pals; I had so much to share about French culture, and it gave me a chance to learn about them, too. Theo even bought me a gold-plated letter opener, and he encouraged me in every way to keep in touch and not lose contact again.
That was the best part, though… the fact that Theo waswith me. My one true love, waking up beside me every morning, kissing my neck, tangling together under the sheets before our busy days started. I stood in my white bathrobe, the weather finally warm enough to peer over the balcony at the streets below, watching the sun find its way above the tall apartments and city structure. Then, I felt hands on my hips and was overcome by the scent of Theo’s subtle, earthy cologne; something he must’ve spritzed on after his shower.
“I still can’t believe this is our life,” he whispered into my ear, trailing his hands down to meet mine, fiddling with the engagement ring that sat boastfully on my left hand. “I can’t believe you’re mine forever.”
But when I turned around to him, I shook my head. “I can,” I whispered. “I knew we’d make it, one way or another. And it might’ve ended up better than expected, where we’re comfortable and our business is soaring… but I would’ve been happy here, with you, even without all of that.”
His eyes filled with an emotion I knew well—love. And we kissed again, and again, knowing there was no pressure or deadline on us anymore. We could live freely, take ourselves on walks through French markets, hold hands, have picnics by the Eiffel tower, and just enjoy being ‘us’ for as long as we wanted. This was true love—this was what I’d dreamed of all my life, even when I thought my heart was broken beyond repair. But Theo came back into my life and fixed it—fixed us—and together, we were better than ever.
“You make me swoon, Audrey Clarke.” And I knew he was telling the truth. Theo had become so brave with me, unafraid to tell me even his most vulnerable thoughts, and surprisingly, I’d followed his lead. My walls were finally down, and I didn’t intend to bring them back up anytime soon.
“Don’t get too used to the name.” I smirked. “I’ll be Audrey Atkins soon enough.” And just like that, he swept me up, took me back to our bedroom, and kissed me passionately until we were late for work.
The End