Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
‘How about George?’ Quinn said, stroking Alex’s tiny belly.
It was Christmas Day night and after a long tiring day at Violet’s Big Christmas Day Lunch they’d come back to their new little cottage overlooking the sea.
Alex was a little bit in love with it. They’d only moved in a few months before and had spent a lot of time decorating and making it their own.
Quinn had painted a beautiful mural on Zara’s bedroom wall.
She’d wanted dragons, her new obsession so Quinn had painted them flying above the sea.
But now it seemed they would need to convert one of the rooms to a nursery too.
After selling their house, Immy had moved into the flat above her shop, but Alex still saw her sister every day. They’d chatted a lot over lunch and Immy was ridiculously happy. Alex couldn’t help smiling about that.
She focussed her attention back on Quinn.
‘Too traditional,’ Alex said. ‘How about Blaze?’ They’d been coming up with ideas for baby boy names for the last half hour and they couldn’t agree on anything. So she’d started coming up with more ridiculous ones just to wind him up.
‘Oh, I like that.’
‘Really?’
‘No, I was kidding.’
Alex smiled with relief. ‘So was I.’ She wanted something unique and special but Blaze was a little too out there.
She yawned and as she was sitting on his lap she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.
He grabbed a blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it round her, placing a kiss on her forehead, before returning his hand to her belly.
She was only just over twelve weeks pregnant.
They’d had a scan a few days before and everything seemed normal and healthy but her belly was only just starting to show.
Well, in fact you had to look pretty damn close to see it and anyone looking that close might assume she’d just eaten a few too many mince pies over Christmas, but that didn’t stop Quinn from stroking it whenever they were alone together.
They hadn’t told anyone yet, apart from Immy, but they planned to tell Zara tomorrow – so there was no chance she’d be able to announce it to everyone at the Christmas Day lunch.
‘How about Clarence?’ Quinn asked.
‘No. Wasn’t that the name of our registrar who married us on the beach?’
‘Yes, the happiest day of my life.’
She smiled with love for him. It had been a small affair in the end.
Quinn was adamant about not having anyone there who might be judgemental about their relationship.
So it was just Zara, Immy, Violet, Quinn’s six cousins and a handful of friends but it had been a beautiful ceremony on a secluded part of the beach just as the sun was setting.
Clarence, their registrar, had been full of exuberance which had made the ceremony funny as well as joyful.
‘I love you so much.’ Alex kissed him. ‘But we’re not naming the baby Clarence.’
‘OK, OK, I’ve got one, and it’s not one you could possibly say no to.’
‘Go on.’
‘Barnaby.’
She smiled in surprise. ‘Barnaby. I love it.’
‘Thought you might. As we fell in love watching Midsomer Murders over the years, it seemed appropriate.’
‘It’s perfect.’
‘OK, now we need a name if it’s a girl,’ Quinn said.
‘Oh, I was thinking about Violet.’
His face lit up. ‘I love it and Mum will be over the moon.’
‘She has been such an important part of mine and Zara’s lives for the last five years, it feels right we name the baby after her.’
‘She will be so touched by that. And so am I.’
‘Well, now that’s decided, shall we go to bed?’
‘Nothing would make me happier,’ Quinn said, quirking an eyebrow mischievously.
She was almost too tired for that. Almost.
He stood and scooped her into his arms which made her giggle against his lips. They were already in their Christmas-themed pyjamas and were ready for bed, they’d just gone downstairs for hot chocolates with whipped cream and marshmallows and then started talking about baby names.
Quinn walked into their room with those huge windows overlooking the sea; Alex loved nothing more than waking up every morning to that view. He pulled back the duvet, placed her gently down on the bed and then climbed in next to her, wrapping her in his arms.
After a while, she looked up at him. ‘Are we not going to make love?’
‘I think you’re probably a bit too tired for that, besides you know I love cuddling you almost as much as I love making love to you.’
She smiled and put her head back on his chest. She was so blissfully happy right now.
Outside the stars sparkled over the sea.
When she was a child her mum would say that if she wanted something badly enough, she was to find the brightest star in the sky and wish on it and maybe it would come true.
And while, as an adult, Alex knew wishing didn’t make things come true, it was something she still found herself doing from time to time.
She found the brightest star in the sky and thought about what she could wish for.
She could wish for everything to stay the same, to live in this perfect bubble of happiness but next year, with a baby on the way, everything would change.
She wondered whether to wish to stay this happy forever but, as she looked up at the man she loved with all her heart, she knew that wish had already come true. He was her happy ever after.
If you enjoyed The Cottage on Christmas Gardens, you’ll love my next gorgeously romantic story, The Chocolate Shop on Cherry Lane.