Epilogue
Aidan had grown up on the outskirts of London like me, in a non-descript road flanked with slightly tatty semi-detached houses a bit like the one we’d lived in when my mum and dad were still together.
‘I used to ride my bike up and down this street for hours in the summer holidays,’ said Aidan, throwing his arm easily around my shoulders and pulling me close to him so that he could kiss the top of my head.
‘I bet you rode like a maniac,’ I replied, enjoying the crunch of golden leaves beneath the heels of my boots.
I loved this time of year best, the lead-up to Halloween and fireworks night, when the air felt breezy and crisp but a little bit smoky and you felt like sitting in cosy pubs nursing a glass of red (which Aidan and I seemed to do a LOT).
‘I want to say I was very careful …’ said Aidan, laughing to himself, ‘but I think my mum was probably relieved when I got home in one piece.’
I slipped my arm around his waist so that there was no space between us.
‘How are things between you, now?’ I asked him, running my fingertips under the hem of his jumper and stroking the cool skin just above his waistband.
‘Better,’ he said. ‘I’m beginning to understand why they didn’t tell me. We’ve talked it through and I might not agree with it, but I get that they had my best interests at heart.’
I nodded. ‘It wasn’t a decision they took lightly, was it? I bet they’d been agonising over it for years.’
‘Yeah. They said they had.’
‘What about your mum’s vision?’
He shrugged. ‘No worse for now. I think it’s a case of watching and waiting.’
We reached a house that looked sunnier than the others. Brighter and more inviting, with pink curtains and a neat front garden with a bench in it and a bird box and a knackered-looking Ford Fiesta parked in the driveway.
‘This is us,’ said Aidan.
I hesitated.
‘You do realise this is my second meet the parents experience in less than six months?’
Aidan nodded. ‘Nervous?’
‘A little.’
‘You do know my mum’s not anything like Rosamund, right?’
I grimaced. ‘Promise?’
Aidan stopped and took my head in his hands, looking at me. ‘Have I told you how happy I am that you’re in my life again?’ he asked.
‘Um, just a couple of times,’ I teased.
‘And did I mention that I am completely, madly, out-of-control in love with you?’ he asked, stroking my cheekbones with his thumbs.
I pretended to consider his question carefully. ‘You might have mentioned something …’
And then the door flew open and a woman wearing an apron with a map of Majorca on it and pink velour slippers was standing there beaming at us. She threw open her arms. ‘You must be Maddie,’ she said.
I laughed, holding out my arms, too. Her hug was warm and inviting and I immediately felt safe and accepted, which was a lot for a first impression and kind of everything I’d ever wanted.
‘Do I get one of those?’ asked Aidan, jokingly elbowing me out of the way so that he could hug his mum, too.
‘Now, come and meet Ken and then we’ll have some lunch. Aidan said spaghetti carbonara is your favourite, so that’s what I’ve done. I hope he got it right?’ she asked, looking at me anxiously, as though I was going to say no; as though this wasn’t one of the nicest things ever to happen to me.
‘Spaghetti carbonara is perfect,’ I said, following her into the house and smiling at Aidan over my shoulder.