Eight Months Later
It was a crisp winter’s day when the community of Hartglove gathered in the hall on Apple Blossom Lane to hear the results of The Love Awards.
Just one year before, they’d been voted Most Loveless Town of the Year.
Since then, the residents had been on a mission to turn their fate around.
They’d used ’Appy Together and the love tasks to bring about more budding relationships, and the promotion from Alyssa and Devan’s own love tasks had gone down a storm.
Alyssa had been building up her love coaching business in the area, rather than living online – and when clients were tricky, Mrs Halfpenny let her use the purple wingback truth chairs outside her allotment shed.
They worked. Mrs Halfpenny herself had been the poster girl for Devan’s new self-love app, complete with as many printed slogan T-shirts as she could possibly wish for.
They’d had more community events and dances, and everyone had been working on the shared gardens as a place to sit or for love to grow.
Following the abundance of spring blossom, the town’s apple trees had had a bumper autumn harvest. Some said that the extra romance that had been blooming had brought the trees good fortune. Alyssa was just thrilled there would be plenty of apple-inspired baking for another year to come.
She gave Devan a nudge as Teijo stood on the stage in front of them, fiddling with the projector screen.
They didn’t see him as often now their official tasks were over, though he’d brought along his new love interest, Cerys, tonight.
They’d been matched by ’Appy Together and were well into their series of love tasks.
Alyssa was confident the app had matched them well, and she hoped they’d get their very own one sleeping bag moment.
Devan nudged her back and slipped his arm around her waist. She didn’t think the butterflies would ever stop fluttering when he did that. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
‘Do you think everyone’s hard work will have paid off?’ she asked.
He turned and kissed her forehead gently. ‘I think it already has. Whatever happens, there will be a massive celebration in this room tonight. There’s one hundred per cent more love in Hartglove, whatever a tongue-in-cheek award decides.’
The official award ceremony was in London, and they knew Hartglove had been shortlisted for something, as they’d been asked to send two representatives to collect any potential award.
Alyssa had been enjoying life in her quiet bubble of love lately and was doing far less in the public eye, so they’d put it to a vote, and her parents had been chosen to go.
Her mum loved the limelight and was growing an Instagram following of her own.
Her dad was just happy to go wherever his wife was, and no doubt he’d be over the moon with the free hot curry buffet.
Alyssa employed Princess Trudy to do most of her social media tasks these days, and as for her celeb-hungry ex-agent, she’d heard he’d got a new job unblocking lavatories while the police looked into what a terrible shit he’d been.
It pleased her that he no longer ran his agency and nobody would touch him with a toilet plunger.
‘I’m glad we only have to watch this on a screen,’ Devan whispered. ‘Because I’d like to get you home early tonight.’
‘Oh yes?’ she replied innocently. ‘Your place or mine?’
His lips twitched into a smile. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’
It wasn’t long before Teijo got the projector working and the winner of the Most Loveless Town award grumpily accepted their trophy. The whole room cheered that it wasn’t Hartglove. So what had their little Cotswold town been shortlisted for?
As the compere on the screen began to announce the places shortlisted for Lovey-Dovey Town of the Year, the camera swept to Alyssa’s parents. Their faces lit up, and the room gave a collective whoop.
‘Do you think we’ll win?’ asked Emmalina, bounding over with her usual puppy-like energy.
Her mum and Jess followed behind, arm in arm and smiling.
‘I mean, I’d never seen my dad being lovey with anyone until you came along,’ she said to Alyssa.
‘No offence, Mum.’ Her eyes moved to Sylvie who simply shrugged.
‘None taken. You wouldn’t have seen me giving him heart eyes either,’ she said gently, ruffling Emmalina’s hair.
Of course, Emmalina knew why Sylvie and Devan had never been that way with each other. Now she was thrilled to have three mum figures to choose from, and that Devan would always be her real dad, even if she didn’t have his unruly waves or his bad taste in romcoms.
‘And the winner is …’
‘Wait for the world’s longest drumroll.’ Emmalina rolled her eyes. ‘Shall I make a cuppa?’
‘Hartglove! Congratulations to the town for pulling together and showing us all a thing or two about love blossoming,’ said the compere, all cheesy smiles and sparkly formal wear.
The whole room erupted with applause and delighted yells as Pearl Bagnor made her way to the stage to collect their award, even though she couldn’t hear them through the screen. And as she accepted it, Emmalina pulled something out from behind her back and gave it to Devan.
‘Are you going to ask Alyssa if she’s willing to accept her award?’ Emmalina asked.
Devan nodded sagely and turned Alyssa to face him, holding the wooden sign out towards her. ‘Alyssa Heart, would you do me the honour of hanging this by my front door, this evening?’
Her forehead creased as she read the familiar sign, that usually lived by her own front door. ‘The Cow Shed?’
Devan turned the sign over to show the alternative wording that had been burned into the back of the wood by Emmalina’s own hand. Alyssa had almost forgotten about it.
‘Home is Where Miss Heart is,’ she read, the implication slowly dawning. ‘You’re asking me to move in with you?’ She looked up at him slowly, praying she hadn’t got that embarrassingly wrong.
‘Only if you want to.’
She could see the hope in his eyes and sensed he was holding his breath.
‘Is that why you were smiling when I mentioned your place or mine?’ Checking Emmalina couldn’t see, she winked at him.
‘Get a room, you guys,’ said Emmalina, holding out her arms to shoo the crowds away. ‘And you lot can stop being so nosy.’
But Alyssa didn’t care who heard her answer. ‘Unequivocally yes!’ She flung her arms around him, and he wrapped his around her.
She was already imagining their first Christmas together, surrounded by friends and family.
They’d probably be scoffing caramel apple tiramisu and chocolate quinoa cake after a belly-busting roast dinner, a potted apple tree decorated with baubles and fairy lights glittering in the corner.
It would be a far cry from her last festive season, which had been all about boring parties, fake smiley photos and a boyfriend she’d chosen for his swanky bathroom rather than for her sheer, soul-stirring love for him.
And she already knew that this time, she’d be starting the new year with a happy heart and a genuine smile, rather than dragging her well-worn fake Lulu Guinness suitcase to a dodgy flat in Hackney. Or anywhere. She couldn’t wait.
~ The End ~