Epilogue
TEN YEARS LATER.
Lola
“And don’t forget, to grow a garden is to dream of a new day. Until next time, goodbye everybody and happy gardening.”
“And…cut! That was great, Lola. I think we got it.” The producer waved at me and I felt the sigh from the crew that the day was finally over. It had been a long one but worth it.
I stood in the middle of the completed garden, inspired by Japanese planting and architecture having just finished my final walk-through. In this episode, we were creating a garden for a local hospice, it had been a singularly moving experience.
I stepped off the set for the assistants to come in and begin the clean up.
Sid was there, iPad in hand, running through all of his final checks though I was sure we’d ticked every box twice over.
We’d come a long way over the last ten years, from our first episode about sculpture construction filmed with bad lighting and unflattering angles, to today, filming garden designs for a new BBC show.
He had risen from my assistant to my business partner.
I wouldn’t have managed the last ten years without him.
“You really can’t come for that drink? The whole crew's going to celebrate.”
“I really can’t. I have to get back.” I’d have loved to go, it was bad form to miss it but the timing just sucked. At least everyone seemed to understand I wasn’t just being anti-social.
“Right. Big day. Can’t miss it.”
We said our goodbyes and I climbed into my van, and set off for home.
I drove the familiar roads of my home town and as always, I smiled as I passed the point where I’d once crashed into a certain Rolls Royce.
The guard opened the gates and I wound down the drive way to Harrington.
After ten years, living here didn’t feel strange anymore.
A few times a year we opened it for visitors, the public could come and enjoy the grounds, the new sculptures I’d built, and see parts of the ground floor that had been kept true to the time period that Harrington had originally been built.
The rest was just for us. Despite what others might think, it never felt intrusive. I was proud to share what we’d created.
As I climbed out of the car, I spotted my dad on the front step. “Hey, how did it go?”
“Good,” I told him. “All wrapped up.”
“Think you might get another spot at the Chelsea Flower Show out of it?”
“I’d better. They know I always deliver.” We’d created four award winning gardens for the show over the last decade. Sid and I never missed. “So, are we all set up?”
“Your sister is in the kitchen with Ada helping her cook. I’ve been kicked out.”
“So…right on track then? Where are the others?”
“In the garden. Hey,” he pulled me in before I could walk away and laid a kiss on my head like I was still a little girl, “I’m proud of you sweetheart.”
“Thanks, dad.”
Leaving the house behind, I kicked off my shoes and walked the same path I’d walked thousands of times. I descended the grass steps, the flower wheels still covered with honeysuckle and jasmine. I left the world behind, entering the haven I’d created for us.
My gaze landed on him and there was my heart beating as fast as it had the first time I saw him. He sat, leaning against the plinth, in a pool of bleeding hearts where we’d married a decade ago. His head was buried in his hands, covering his face.
Before I could wonder what was wrong, a giggle caught my attention. I looked to my left and saw two pairs of tiny feet hiding behind a collection of rose bushes.
“Ready or not, here I come!” Alfie leapt up. He looked around, his handsome face breaking into a smile when he spotted me. I put my fingers to my lips and pointed at the tiny feet.
“Hmmm…I wonder where those girls could be?” He started hunting the garden for them. I stood back watching them enjoy their favourite game. As he neared the bush, the girls jumped out, screaming loudly so he fell to the ground in a mock faint.
“We got you, daddy!”
“You did, you tricked me!” he laughed as they tickled him. “Look, mummy’s here!”
“Mummy!” My girls ran at me, tackling me to the ground.
“You were at work a really long time,” my eldest said.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m home now. Can’t miss the big day.” With harmonised squeals about the ‘big day’, they ran off to the house. They’d been excited about this for weeks.
Alfie raised his scarred brow at me. “Don't suppose we have time for a roll in the grass, do we?”
“Nope. Come on, birthday boy. It’s time for us to celebrate you.” He groaned as I pulled him up but I knew he didn’t mean it.
We made it up to the house just in time to hear Ada having a fit. “Flora and Eden O’Connell! Look at the state of your clothes!” Our daughters were indeed filthy but I never minded it. Ada insisted that we be tidy for dinner though and she rushed them off to change them into fresh things.
My best friend was perched on a stool by the kitchen island, nursing what looked like a rum and coke. She wore a crushed velvet corseted dress in deep red. Her brown hair was set in pinned curls. She looked gorgeous as always.
“You smell like dirt,” she said as she pulled me in for a hug.
“You smell like old money. What have you been doing?”
“Fucking old money.” She winked, glancing at Damien who sat opposite. “Happy birthday, Moneybags!” she called, raising a glass at my husband.
“You know that starts being hypocritical when you are wealthy too.” Alfie poured a whiskey and handed it to Damien.
I hadn’t seen them since their tie-the-knot celebration at their burlesque/fetish club in London a few months ago.
Needless to say, it had been adult only.
They had gotten married in secret after years of dating but threw a party to celebrate it, one that had Natalie blushing and Alfie reminiscing on his Never Tell days.
The Never Tell Club was but a relic of a memory now. Damien had decided to let it go and build a new place with Keira. Together, they lived a life of decadence and passion, with my best friend still showing off her designs on the many West End and Broadway shows that begged for her time.
“Have you heard Natalie is going to give us food poisoning?” Keira said. My sister spun around, wooden spoon in hand.
“I am not. I simply brought leftovers. Hi Lola,” Natalie waved at me, looking thoroughly exhausted but happy. I looked out the kitchen window to see Riley crawling around on his hands and knees playing ‘horsey’ with Polly, Niamh and Aisling.
“They’re growing up fast,” I said. Wondering how many more times Polly would want to play horsey. She was ten already.
“I know, don’t tell Riley or he’ll want another one. I’ve told him I’m officially out of business. You’d think three daughters would be enough for a man!”
Ada returned then with Flora and Eden and they ran outside to join the fun. Being only six and three, we still had a few years of them wanting to play with us. My dad followed them outside to supervise, volunteering to be horsey number two.
I ran upstairs to wash and change and by the time I returned downstairs, Ethan and Grace had arrived with their twin boys. They carried cards and balloons and ran into the kitchen to see everybody.
Eli and Maia were hot on their heels and I threw my arms around my friend, she held me tight before heading into the kitchen where I heard Keira exclaim, “Thank god! We were about to be outnumbered by children.”
“Good to see you, Lola.” Eli kissed me on the cheek. “Shame about Cas and Kal, I wish they could make it.”
“Cas will swing by when he feels like it and I’m not about to interrupt Kal's honeymoon.” It had taken him long enough to find the right woman, I wasn’t going to do anything to rock that boat.
I led him into the kitchen where he embraced Alfie and I set about fetching everyone drinks. We were going to have a full house this weekend which was exactly how I liked it.
“Dinner’s ready!” Ada called and in a flurry of activity, we helped carry plates and dishes through to the dining room. Not the gold ballroom where we hosted events for my company or Alfie’s foundation, but the private room off the kitchen just for family.
Just as we sat down to eat the roar of a motorbike rattled down the driveway, tires crunching over the gravel. I looked at my sister but she was already running for the door.
I followed her and as I stepped outside, the engine had already stopped. Ryan pulled off his helmet and bent down to hug his mother and accept a slap on the back from Riley.
“Auntie Lo!” He grinned when he saw me. I had to go on tiptoe for a hug, my twenty two year old nephew towered over me now. His skin was tanned, hair cut in a clumsy mohawk. “Uncle Alfie, happy birthday!”
“How was Australia?” Alfie asked him, giving him a one-armed hug.
“Hot. Lots of sharks. I broke my collarbone cliff diving and I got bitten by a spider! I don’t know which one but the fucker was big.”
“Language!” Ada admonished. “The girls will hear you!”
The girls, all five of them, surrounded him in a litany of squeals and giggles as they each took their turn to be picked up.
We headed inside to dinner where Ryan regaled us with tales of his travels, I wondered which one would inspire his next novel. His first had made him one of the youngest people to get a publishing deal.
As always, Alfie ate mostly one-handed, his other hand holding my thigh. After ten years, it never failed to make me melt.
Nobody brought gifts for Alfie, he didn’t want them, instead he took donations, that’s what mattered more to him these days.
He would accept a cake though, about that he had no choice. Ada insisted and took great pride in baking one for every occasion. Elliot helped her carry it out and there was the usual flurry of trying to control children around cake and candles.
Alfie blew out his candles to a raucous applause. He pulled me in for a hug, burying his face in my hair the way he always did when he was overwhelmed.
Together, we’d filled this place with noise and laughter and love.