Chapter 48
48
I t was the last day of the weekend in Scotland. Cally and Logan were strolling to the pub for brunch. They’d been around the cottage next to the fire and were going to the pub the long way round. As she walked along, Cally pondered the weekend and how it had done wonders for the state of her head. She hoped it had worked for Logan, too.
It had been a busy year for our Cally with lots going on. A few of the big life things had been in her orbit, including looking for a flat, the accident, and starting a new job. She’d taken it all in her stride, put her head down and got on with it. It wasn’t until she’d got away that she’d realised the magnitude of it all. Pretty much since her grandma had passed away, she’d been running on her tank half-empty. The Scotland trip, however, had given her a little life reset and recharge. Tank filling at its finest.
‘So, what, the rest of them are meeting us in the pub?’ Cally asked as she walked along beside Logan. ‘Angus is going to drop them off, is that right?’
‘Yup.’
‘Funny how no one else wanted to come on the walk with us.’ Cally mused. ‘I thought they would have liked the fresh air. Each to their own.’
‘Mmm.’
‘Eloise said she’s had a lovely time over in the main house.’
‘Yeah, she said. Birdie said the same.’ Logan smiled and squeezed Cally’s hand through her glove. ‘I’m so pleased you love it here as much as the rest of the Henry-Hicks.’
‘How are you feeling about being here and what happened with Alastair?’ Cally had been reluctant to bring up Alastair, but the time felt appropriate so she’d gone in for the kill.
Logan sighed. ‘It’s getting easier, I guess.’
‘It does. It takes time.’
‘I thought it might be too hard with the memories of him all over the place here, but it’s not been too bad. Mum said Cecilia has coped well.’
‘Good. I think the memories change as you go along. At least, that’s what’s happened to me.’ Cally surmised.
‘Yep.’
As they strolled along in silence down a hedge-lined lane in the direction of the town, Cally thought about her own grief when her grandma had passed away. Now, with hindsight and clarity, she realised that her home situation and her stress at the time had more or less meant that she had at the time sort of put her grief on hold. She’d been so desperate to find a roof over her head just about everything else had been numb. Now, things were different.
Gazing across the white-topped scenery, she thought about Christmas and how much she was looking forward to it. She’d planned a few things to make the whole time festive and celebratory; a trip to a Christmas tree farm to buy a small tree, a day out to a local National Trust property with Eloise for a Christmas meal, and a trip to London to see the Regent Street lights. She shuddered at the thought of Christmas in her childhood where, despite what her grandma had attempted to do, it had been sad and grim. A mother with mental health problems did not a happy Christmas make. She, however, had survived, and she resolved that it was never too late to change the trajectory of her life.
Cally frowned as Logan made to turn left. ‘I thought the pub was that way.’
Logan gave a slight nod. ‘It is. That way takes you past the war memorial. I thought we’d go around the back over the cricket field. The view from there is nice.’
‘Oh, okay, right. Is it quicker because I’m ready to eat a horse?’
‘Yeah, it is.’
A few minutes later, with a gloved hand, Logan pushed a layer of snow off a stile. Cally hopped over, and they walked along a path down the side of a field covered with a pristine layer of newly laid snow. She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck and popped a peppermint in her mouth. As they walked along the public footpath and turned a corner, she stopped and pointed at a sight in a neighbouring field: a huge hot air balloon right in the middle looking completely out of place.
Cally raised her eyebrows. ‘Oh, how funny. Remember when we went on that hot air balloon when we were first going out? They must do them here, too. What a coincidence.’
‘Yes, funny that.’
‘Have you been on a balloon ride here? Gosh, I bet the views must be fabulous.’
‘They must.’ Logan gave Cally a look.
Cally narrowed her eyes. ‘Wait, what? What’s that look on your face?’
‘Nothing.’
Cally’s hands flew to her face. She gazed at the balloon’s silk sections in pale blue and white swaying back and forth over the white-topped scenery. ‘Sorry! Are we going on that? I thought we were going to the pub.’
‘We’re not going to the pub, no.’
‘Logan! What about Eloise and everyone?’
Logan raised his eyebrows.
‘Oh, right, they’re in on it. What are they meeting us over there?’ Cally said, nodding in the direction of the balloon.
‘No, we’re going alone.’
‘Oh, okay. Yikes, that’s a bit mean. You should have asked them.’
Again, Logan said nothing and raised his eyebrows.
‘What a surprise! I thought you were up to something when you first started talking about coming to Scotland. I knew I was right! Now I know. I hope they don’t mind us going off without them.’
‘They’re fine. I thought it would be nice just you and me.’
‘Rightio. Exciting! I loved it last time. Thank you.’
A s Cally and Logan approached the hot air balloon, Cally felt a sense of déjà vu. The enormous balloon, with its silk sections in pale blue juxtaposed against the white of the surrounding field, brought back memories of when she’d first been going out with Logan. This time, instead of rolling green fields and all the colours of a nice day, they were surrounded by a winter wonderland of snow-covered Scottish landscape. It did not disappoint.
'I can't believe we're doing this again. It feels like yesterday we were in that pink balloon over Lovely Bay. Time flies. Ooh, I loved that trip so much. It was such a nice day.'
Logan squeezed her hand. ‘I thought it might be nice to see how it compares. Plus, the view is going to be spectacular. You only live once, right?'
As they neared the balloon, a woman bundled up in a branded puffer coat, beanie and scarf gave them a cheerful little wave. 'Afternoon, folks! Ready for a wee adventure? Cold enough for you?'
Logan’s breath was visible in the air. ‘We are.’
'Excellent. Despite the temperature, we've got perfect conditions today. The visibility is outstanding, so you're in for a real treat. It’s a beautiful clear day up there. Float away my friends, float away…'
As the woman went through the safety briefing, the burner occasionally roared to life, sending a blast of heat into the air. Cally thought about the first time she’d been in a hot air balloon and how it had been so breathtaking that she’d been overwhelmed by it all.
'Right, let's get you two up in the air, shall we?'
As Cally climbed into the basket, she was a bit dumbstruck and didn’t really say much at all. Logan had completely taken her by surprise. Gripping the edge of the basket with a whoosh of the burner, they began to rise slowly from the ground. As the snow-covered landscape began to shrink beneath them, Cally felt as if her eyes were going to pop out of her head at the beauty surrounding her. A pristine blanket of white stretched as far as the eye could see, low winter sun cast long shadows across the snow, and little patches of ice glistened here and there on the landscape.
'Oh my goodness. And I thought the last one was good. We’re actually floating through a Christmas card,' Cally giggled.
The pilot laughed. ‘It is a bit like that today. I have the best job in the world.’
‘I think you do.’ Logan agreed with a chuckle.
'I can't get over how quiet it is. I said that last time but you can’t quite believe the sound or lack thereof. I love it,' Cally whispered. 'Everything looks so small and perfect and clean. Gosh, I love snow.'
As they floated over a small village, smoke curled from chimneys, slush-covered roads looked like grey trails through the white, and little pops of green from the pine trees punctuated the scene here and there.
Cally pointed to what appeared to be a group of dog walkers looking up as they stood beside a loch. 'I wonder what they think when they look up and see us.’
Logan grinned. 'Probably wondering why on earth anyone would want to be up in a balloon on such a cold day.'
‘Ha. I don’t think so. I reckon they’re wishing they were up here, too. It’s like we're in a different world up here.'
The burner roared to life, sending a blast of heat into the balloon above them as they continued to drift over the sparkly snow-covered landscape. Cally felt as if she was in a trance, her mind whirling with how much her life had changed since that first balloon ride over Lovely Bay. Back then, she'd been a struggling chatbot operator, her days filled with mundane conversations and her nights plagued with worries about her future. Now, she felt like a completely different person. Gone was the uncertainty that had clouded her every decision. She now felt as if she was actually somebody, something. She mattered. She wasn’t just a faceless carer always helping out with someone else’s life. A real person with a real sense of purpose and direction she'd never experienced before. All at the same time as no longer having to hold up that big old sky. And being in love, too. Strange but true.
She'd gone from desperately trying to make ends meet to having a full-time job with Birdie that did oh-so much more than pay the bills. The constant anxiety about where she was going to live had dissipated when she'd moved into the flat above the deli and she very much now called it home. And now, here she was, spending weekends away in a Scottish estate with Logan, doing all the things. She’d gone from scraping by on her chatbot wage to floating around in a hot air balloon over a snow-covered Scottish estate. It all seemed like a dream. One she didn’t want to end.
As they passed over a snow-covered cluster of forest trees, a sudden gust of wind caught the balloon. It swayed and wobbled slightly. Cally gripped the edge of the basket and widened her eyes.
'Don't worry. Just a bit of turbulence. Perfectly normal.' The pilot smiled.
Cally puffed out and joked. ‘We don’t need any crashes this weekend.’
As the balloon drifted lazily over the Scottish countryside, she realised that she could see the Henry-Hicks estate sprawling out like a miniature wonderland in the distance. As they drifted over the estate's vast grounds, she leaned over and looked at the long line of stable buildings underneath the basket. The area was quiet, the horses no doubt tucked away in their stalls. A lone stable hand trudged through the snow with a laden wheelbarrow as the balloon carried them onwards and closer to the main house. Logan moved beside her and slipped his arm around Cally’s waist.
'It all looks so small as if we're giants looking down on a doll's house.'
Logan nodded.
Cally squinted at the house where it sat slightly raised and not as imposing from above. Its roof blanketed in white, icicles glinting here and there and sunlight reflecting off the lake to the right. Floating closer, Cally began to pick out little details here and there: the patterns of the cottage gardens, the fountain area frozen in a few places, and the driveway with tyre marks in a fresh dusting of snow. As they were going over the greenhouses, the main house came fully into view. Cally squinted as something odd on the lawn in front of the house caught her eye. 'What's that?' she asked, squinting down at the snow.
Logan's arm tightened slightly around her waist. 'What's what?'
Cally leant forward for a better look. 'There's something on the lawn. It looks like writing or something? What’s that then?'
As the balloon drifted closer, the marks in the snow began to form clear letters. Cally frowned as she made out the words in capital letters in the snow. She closed her eyes and shook her head a few times. When she opened them, the words were still there.
MARRY ME, BLACKCURRANT?
Cally whirled around to face Logan, her eyes wide with shock. 'Sorry, what?’
Logan smiled.
‘Logan, is that...? Sorry, umm…'
Logan whipped a small velvet box out of his pocket. ‘It is.’
‘Am I seeing things?’
‘Negative. You’re not seeing things.’
‘What in the name? Oh my God! I did not see this coming! I thought the weekend was about Alastair.’
‘From the moment you chucked a chicken breast at me, you had me in one. I can't imagine spending a day without you. Will you marry me?’
For a moment, Cally was too overwhelmed to speak. She closed her eyes tightly together and shook her head. She felt tingles of tears all over her face, pricks at the sides of her eyes, fizzing in her nose…
'I... Logan, I...' she stammered, her voice choked with emotion.
‘A simple "yes" would do.’
'Yes, of course, yes!' Cally threw her arms around Logan, nearly overbalancing them both.
Logan held her back and gave her the little box and the ring. She took it and slipped it on her finger. ‘Oh my! I’m so shocked. I don’t know what to say!’
Logan laughed. ‘I was determined you’d have no idea whatsoever .’
'How on earth did you manage it?' Cally gestured to the message in the snow.
Logan grinned. 'I had some help from the groundskeepers. They've been out carefully creating the letters. Reg has been in charge of it. He’s been dedicated to it as if it’s a military manoeuvre.'
'It's perfect . I can't believe you managed to keep this a secret.'
Logan chuckled. 'I think Eloise was about ready to burst these past few days. Everyone was sworn to secrecy from day one.'
As they continued to float over the estate, everything seemed to sparkle even brighter for Cally. The frozen loch, the snow-laden trees, and even the old ruins in the distance all seemed magical. ‘When we had our first balloon ride, I never imagined we'd end up here.'
‘I’m here to tell you that you are here floating over Scotland.’ Logan laughed.
‘Thank you.’
‘Happy?’
‘Am I happy? More than.’
As Cally held her left hand out in front of her, the diamond beat any sparkle from a snowflake ever could. She smiled at Logan and hugged her own special little heart. The one that in the old days had helped to hold up the sky.
Henry-Hicks had played his best card and won hands down.
Our Cally was complete.
She didn’t quite know what to do with herself.
It had been already been one perfect day.