Epilogue
“Ican’t believe she’s three.” Gulliver Holland was wearing a pink party hat and a tutu. His hands were covered in transfers and three of his nails had been painted purple.
“Neither can I.” I looked at the other thing I couldn’t believe. My second son, Luca being the first, was sound asleep in my arms. Rhys could sleep through a rock concert, a fact we’d discovered when we’d inadvertently taken him to one. He could also sleep though his big sister’s tantrums and the bleating of goats even when they were next to him. We’d worried at first that he might not be hearing well, but that was unfounded.
Matilda was born ten months after that bonfire night because we hadn’t waited and Grayson had very potent sperm, which we forgot about fifteen months ago when we’d gone on holiday and I’d forgotten my Pill.
We’ll chance it.
We won’t get caught that quickly.
No, it’ll be fine.
A month later and I was looking at two blue lines. Grayson was looking at a new grey hair.
“Did she like the present?”
I nodded, answering this question for the third time. “She loved it. You should’ve come for breakfast this morning and watched her opening it. She was asking where Gully was.” Which was true. My daughter adored Gully.
“I didn’t get back from London until midday else I would’ve.” He looked at the swing in the garden where Luca was sitting with Mia. He was ten now, lanky with shoulders that were getting broader. He swam most days and ran everywhere, never stopping until he slept, which he did like a log. Mia was his best friend in the world, although he wouldn’t always admit it. She still lived with Romy and Cassian, who had two more babies now, two boys just eighteen months apart.
“How was London? Any updates?”
Another one of his novels had been made into a Netflix series, with an actor in the lead role who was a guaranteed winner for audiences.
“Premieres in March. I saw a friend while I was there too.”
“Iris?”
“Iris.”
I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t, leaving me instead with Rhys and running after Matilda who wasn’t wearing a tutu but mechanics overalls instead.
“Is he okay?” Grayson held out his arms so I could have a break from holding Rhys.
“As okay as Gully always is.”
Gray hugged me with his free arms. “Which is very. There are some interesting events ahead for him though.”
“What do you know?” I snapped round to give him the evil eye.
Grayson grinned. “Patient confidentiality, wife. You know all about that.”
“I’ll go and ask Mavis then.”
My husband laughed. Moonshine wrapped around his legs and looked up at him. I saw the murderous intent in his eyes and shook my head.
“Not today, Moony. Not today.”
Grayson frowned at me. “Is he plotting to kill me again?”
“Always. But it’s okay. I’ll keep you alive a little longer.” I kissed his cheek. Heard a sick noise coming from our eldest.
“It was never me who was the serial killer, was it?”
I just smiled. I’d done a lot of that since Grayson’s car had mysteriously broken down on the bridge.
And we planned to do a lot more.