Epilogue
EPILOGUE
GRETA
Three weeks later
‘I’m nervous. Why am I nervous? I’m a grown-arse man.’
I lace my fingers with Ewan’s and lean closer. ‘They will love you.’
‘Yeah, relax,’ says Tiggy. ‘They’re lovely people. Plus, you brought wine and flowers and a dog. Something for everyone. You’re golden.’
Ewan huffs out a short, sharp breath.
‘Ready?’ I ask.
‘Nope, not even cl?—’
He doesn’t get to finish the word because the door swings open and Mum’s frowning at us. ‘Why do you always stand out here instead of knocking? Come, come.’
She herds us inside but with four of us and Remy, it’s crowded in the entry.
‘ Hallo ,’ says Mum to Ewan, ‘you must be Harrison.’
‘Mum!’
How can she have made such an egregious error? The day after Ewan and I sorted things out, I told her and Dad – and Ru – everything that had happened, including my ‘fibs’. She knows this isn’t Harrison.
A beat later, Mum bursts out laughing. ‘I am joking. Just joking, Greta. Always so serious,’ she says to Ewan. ‘Doesn’t take after me. Germans are very funny people.’
‘Oh god,’ I mutter.
‘She’s in fine form,’ says Tiggy low in my ear.
‘Ewan,’ she says deliberately. ‘So nice to meet you. I’m Margie.’
‘Hello, Margie. And this is Remy.’
Remy, who has been perfectly behaved so far, looks up at the sound of his name.
‘Oh, Liebling … What a good boy you are.’ She reaches down to scratch under his chin, while I try not to be insulted that Mum’s just given him the endearment she uses for me.
‘And we brought you these,’ says Ewan. He holds out the flowers and Mum pretends to have only just noticed them.
‘Oh, how lovely.’ She gives me a loaded look over the enormous bouquet.
‘Hello, everyone,’ says Dad, coming downstairs. ‘We’ve got quite the gathering this afternoon.’
‘Hi, Dad.’
‘Hello, lass.’ He gives me a hug.
And now I’m about to introduce the two most important men in my life – deep breath, Greta.
‘Dad, this is Ewan.’
‘Lovely to meet you, Ewan.’
Dad gives Ewan a warm smile, his eyes creased at the corners, and they shake hands. Witnessing this exchange sends a ripple of joyful tingles through me, like a goose walked over my grave, only far more pleasant.
Ewan is meeting my family.
‘Ooh, looks like you brought a good one there, Tiggy,’ says Dad, eyeing the red wine she’s carrying.
‘I can’t take credit,’ she says, handing it to him.
‘Er, I chose that for us – it’s a favourite of mine,’ says Ewan modestly. ‘From Piedmont – in Italy.’
‘Ewan knows a lot about wine, Dad,’ I say. I can tell Ewan’s still nervous, but I’m hoping this will help set him at ease.
Dad looks up from the bottle. ‘Do you now? Well, you’ll fit in brilliantly here,’ he says, clapping a hand on Ewan’s shoulder.
My heart might explode with how much I love my dad right now.
‘Now, you two go on through,’ he says to me and Ewan. ‘Tiggy, you give me a hand with the wine.’
‘Sure thing, Mr D.’
‘And your brother’s on his way,’ he says to me. ‘He was at a friend’s house this morning.’
‘Thanks, Dad.’
Tiggy follows Dad into the kitchen, carrying a bottle of rosé for Mum, and I take Ewan and Remy into the front room. Remy finds a corner and flops down, resting his chin on his paws – adorbs.
As Ewan looks around, I see the room through fresh eyes.
It probably looks like millions of other front rooms around England, only it’s steeped in our family history – including the photos of me and my family sitting on the fireplace mantle. Of course, Ewan spies them immediately and beelines to the other side of the room. I follow. He’s quiet as he inspects the family gallery, leaning in to look closer at some of the photos and smiling, especially at the ones of me on my own.
‘You were a sweet little girl.’
‘Hah!’ I laugh. ‘I was a little terror at times. Mostly when Dad was in charge. With Mum… Let’s just say she was way scarier than Dad. I’m sorry she called you Harrison, by the way.’
He turns back to me.
‘It’s fine. Just her sense of humour. And he is one of my closest friends – it’s not an insult or anything.’
‘I forget that sometimes.’
‘You know, we will have to see him eventually,’ he says.
I suck air in through my teeth and he laughs.
‘It can’t possibly induce the same degree of squidgy bum that coming here did.’
I step closer. ‘They already adore you,’ I say.
‘Still early, yet.’
We exchange smiles and I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him.
‘Eww, gross!’
Ewan and I spring apart. What is it with the people in my life catching us kissing?
‘Hello, Ru,’ I say to my brother as Ewan clears his throat. ‘This is Ewan.’
‘Hi,’ says Ru from the doorway.
‘Well, come in and say hi properly.’
Ru comes into the front room but it’s clear he’s not sure what to do. Ewan takes the lead and holds out his hand. ‘Hi, Ru, pleased to meet you.’
Ru steps up and shakes Ewan’s hand and I couldn’t have scripted this moment better myself. Ru may still be a child, but by shaking hands, Ewan has treated him like a young man.
He’s scoring points all around!
‘Greta said you have a dog,’ says Ru.
‘Yep. Remy,’ Ewan calls and Remy leaps up and trots over.
‘Heya, Remy.’ Like Mum, Ru is a dog lover. ‘Can I take him out the back?’ he asks Ewan. ‘I’ve got a tennis ball I can throw for him.’
‘Only if you want him to love you forever,’ Ewan answers, feigning seriousness.
Ru’s face erupts into a wide smile. ‘Wicked! Come on, Remy.’
He and Remy bound out of the room, and it would be hard to pick which one has more energy.
‘And that’s all of them,’ I say. ‘Not bad, Wilder. You’ve properly managed to charm my entire family in’ – I check the clock on the mantle – ‘eight minutes.’
‘And how long did it take me to charm you ?’ he asks, capturing me around the waist.
‘Oh, you had me at, “Excuse me, I think this is your coffee”.’
‘Oh yes, famously romantic words.’ He regards me thoughtfully. ‘I like your family.’
I grin, and he steps closer, slipping his hands around my waist where they nestle on the small of my back. As happens every time he holds me like this, my whole body thrums with electricity.
Ewan looks deep into my eyes, his face drawing nearer. ‘But I love you,’ he says, his voice low and raspy.
My mouth falls open but no words come and, with a soft chuckle, he kisses me. Blissful beyond anything I could ever have imagined, I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him back.