Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
T he second annual floating flower festival was a huge success, with more businesses involved and more people helped by the fund Rosie had set up.
Houseboats had been repaired, and shops in the flower market and local businesses on the Singel canal had been saved.
The area was looking better than ever and, even better than that, there was a real community feel.
The flower market vendors often helped each other out and it made working there the best job Rosie had ever had.
Her life in London– the grey, wet weather, the crowded morning commute, the carbon-copy office blocks– were a distant memory.
Thanks to Finn’s business plan, Rosie’s floristry business was growing.
She’d been able to pay back the money she’d used from the fund and had even added a little extra as her own personal thank you.
Finn was acting as something of a mentor to her and with his business acumen and Noah’s social media know-how, she was now the proud owner of a slightly bigger stall at the Bloemenmarkt and Linny’s Garden had officially opened on her houseboat.
She even had a part-time assistant she was teaching the basics to, making sure to show them all the things her mum had taught her.
The repairs to the Forget-Me-Knot had taken almost three months to complete, but once work was underway, the council had been willing to let her continue.
Max had helped where he could, which had kept costs down, and where he couldn’t, the community around her had offered suggestions as to people she could use.
Now, the hull had been repaired and cleaned, the deck had been repainted, the pipes checked and all leaks stopped, and the wiring was now up to code and good for at least another ten years.
The safety equipment had been replaced by Piet so that she was now less likely to drown if anything went wrong.
The sale with Piet had just been completed and she couldn’t believe she could finally call the place hers.
There was still some decorating to do inside, but nothing gave her more pleasure than coming home from days at the Bloemenmarkt to her tiny houseboat with its mass of plants, flowers, colourful ornaments and soft furnishings, or to spend the day there working from it, chatting to her regular customers.
As she stood on the pavement opposite the Forget-Me-Knot after the final day of the flower festival, her feet ached, and her body throbbed.
She hadn’t stopped since six-thirty that morning and she was ready for a relaxing evening with her feet up.
Max wrapped his arm around her shoulder and together they admired the large mural he’d painted on the side of the boat.
The business name was exactly as he’d sketched, and the giant forget-me-not made her smile every time she saw it.
She’d never forget her mum, and here she was with her as not just her business but her whole life flourished.
She’d never felt more content or more fulfilled.
‘Looks good!’ her dad said and Melody agreed.
‘It looks amazing. I’m so proud of you, sis.’
They were visiting more and more frequently, often staying on Max’s houseboat as he slept in hers.
‘What do you think?’ Max asked Rosie.
‘It’s perfect.’ She placed her hands either side of his face, the soft hairs of his beard tickling her skin, and kissed him, lingering in the kiss for as long as possible until they were interrupted by a screech.
‘Max?’ The voice came from an older lady standing on the deck of his boat, in front of an easel. ‘Max! Help me! It’s all going wrong!’
‘It’s all right, Anna. I’m coming.’
He pecked Rosie’s lips and moved to the small class he was teaching to paint.
Rosie had never seen him so happy. Between his tutoring commitments and the work he was now regularly exhibiting at galleries all over Europe, he was making a decent living.
Not that Rosie wanted him for his money; she was making more than enough of her own.
But she loved seeing him so fulfilled and knew that being financially stable made him feel better about himself.
He loved sharing his gifts with other people and Rosie knew for a fact that Anna, in his seniors class, was one of his favourite pupils.
He also spent time creating new work and as a fellow creative, that spoke to a part of her too.
Rosie’s business had extended beyond the flower market to creating pieces for galleries and events, thanks to Jeroen and the two ladies who’d hired her that night at the gallery opening, giving her good reviews and spreading the word.
She also still held talks and workshops, which people loved to attend.
Just as Max walked away, Rosie’s phone pinged to let her know she had an email. She pulled it from her back pocket and read it through, her hand shooting to her mouth. ‘Max! Max, come here.’
‘What is it?’ her dad asked, eating yet another stroopwafel .
‘Dad, you can’t have too many of those!’
‘But they’re delicious.’
After setting Anna back on the right path with her brush, Max came back to her. ‘What is it? Is everything all right?’
‘Yes. No. I mean– look!’ She held her phone out to them all and Max’s eyes grew wider.
‘Rosie, this is amazing! I’m so proud of you.’
He took her in a hug and the painting class ambled over, Anna speaking first. ‘What’s happening? Tell us! You can’t do this and keep it a secret.’
Rosie spoke while staring at her phone, reading again and checking everything was real. ‘Linny’s Garden has been selected for a feature in a travel magazine—’
‘A prestigious travel magazine,’ Max added.
‘It’s apparently a unique spot in Amsterdam– a secret delight, it says here. I can’t believe it. Mum’s name will be in a magazine.’
Her dad’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m so proud of you, Rosie!’
He hugged her and Rosie buried her face in his shoulder. ‘I’m proud of you too!’
Max smiled. ‘People will come from all over to visit once they read this.’ Rosie wiped a tear from her eye and Max pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head.
Melody slipped her hand into Ed the consultant’s (former work crush and now boyfriend). ‘Well done, sis. Good job.’
She’d finally had the courage to ask him out and things were going very well indeed.
With her family’s constant messaging and video chats it didn’t ever feel like she was that far away from them.
Her dad visited when he could, though now he was in a cover band his evenings were a little busier than before.
They’d also stayed at Christmas and Max had enjoyed taking them all on a canal cruise of the city during the win ter Light Festival.
The city had looked so different, the trees lit with magical fairy lights, the bridges decorated with spectacular displays and the water of the canals brightened by special installations.
Amsterdam in the summer was pretty special but Amsterdam in the winter, the streets dusted with snow, was even more so.
The more time she spent in this special city with its sense of love and respect and its buzzing, exciting energy, the more she felt at home.
‘The boat looks wonderful,’ Rosie said, slipping her hand into Max’s. ‘I can’t believe this is my life. This place– this city– has been life-changing.’
‘Obviously, because of me,’ Max said.
Rosie batted his arm. ‘Because of me. I’ve done all this. You’re just better with a brush than me, that’s all.’
‘You have,’ he said proudly. ‘But I did help a little.’
‘Yeah, I suppose you did. You fixed a few leaks and showed me a few unknown tourist spots.’
‘Is that a euphemism?’
‘Not this time. Oh, Max, I can’t wait to tell Emma and Noah. And Finn. He’ll be so happy for me.’
‘And proud.’
Finn had become more than just a business mentor and was acting more like a second father to her.
She and Max often had dinner with him and his new partner, and it was wonderful to see him so happy.
Noah and Emma’s relationship was going from strength to strength too, and Rosie was sure it wouldn’t be long until they moved in together.
She and Max both had their own boats still, though Max spent most of his nights at the Forget-Me-Knot and he’d grown used to her colour and chaos.
Actually, she was pretty sure he secretly enjoyed it.
‘This calls for a celebration,’ Max declared. ‘And I know just the thing.’
‘Do I get to know what it is?’
‘Of course not. Just be ready in an hour.’
Rosie rolled her eyes, but she loved the little surprises Max planned for her. He still took her to secret spots in the city and further afield in the Netherlands, and would sometimes surprise her with little things, like a sketch or a cream-filled treat from a new bakery he’d discovered.
Still buzzing from her email, Rosie returned to work and a short while later, Max’s painting class finished, and the old ladies and gents left, patting Rosie on the cheek and congratulating her once more. Rosie changed out of her work clothes and into something ‘nice’ as instructed by Max.
‘So where are we going? It must be fancy if Zoon and Dad and Mels can’t come.’
The dog had been walked and fed, and was now curled up in Rosie’s boat, on her bed, in his favourite spot to sleep.
‘It is. But not too fancy. You’ll like it.’
She followed him through the now familiar streets and down to a place she recognised. Her heart began to thump in her chest as they approached the canal restaurant they’d had dinner at on the night of their first kiss.
‘Here!’ Rosie exclaimed, smiling widely as she stepped down into the boat.
‘I thought it was fitting after your good news today.’