Chapter 35
Elizabeth
The week passes slowly with anticipation for Theo’s return. All I want is to feel him next to me, to fall into his embrace. To finally start living in the light, rather than waiting for the moon to arrive just high enough that Theo can knock.
When Theo lands on the runway at Heathrow Airport, his first message is to me.
Theo: I’m home, Sunshine. I will be at yours in the next couple of hours. See you soon.
My body buzzes. This past year has been filled with heartache, from me trying to build the life I so desperately wanted with Theo. Finally, it feels like we are so close. Like happiness is just there, just within my reach. I can almost touch it.
James has been checking in on me all week, but no longer stays like he used to.
I can feel him stepping back, making way for Theo.
I won’t let him drift away. He is one of my best friends.
I know he loves me. I feel it every time he holds my hand, every time he makes me dinner or stays with me through the night.
One day, I will be there to stand by him.
I will pay him back for the love and kindness he has shown me.
The sky shifts, filling my cottage with the deep red of the sun setting. I have been busying myself ever since Theo’s text arrived. The kitchen countertop has never looked so clean, the cushions on the sofa have never been so perfectly fluffed, but I can’t get rid of this nervous energy.
Then it comes. The sound of his SUV outside.
I hear steps on the path outside and my heart beats in sync with every tap of his shoes on the concrete.
The knock I have been waiting for makes me jump.
The excitement is too much. I rise from the sofa and pad over to the front door, a slight tremble to my hands.
As the door opens, the energy in the cottage changes as if it takes a breath.
Theo stands like a powerhouse in front of me.
His strong, confident demeanour has returned, steady and familiar.
Standing in front of me is the man I fell in love with all those months ago.
His hair has that just-travelled look, and his eyes are tired.
In fact, he looks exhausted but still so impossibly handsome.
He gently moves a strand of my hair behind my ear and lets his fingers linger on my cheek.
“I’m home, Sunshine.” His blue eyes bore into mine, his gaze moving between my eyes and my mouth.
Neither of us speaks. I close my eyes, holding the tears back.
I raise my hand to meet his and rest my head against his palm.
He moves his face closer to mine. I can smell his familiar fragrance, sandalwood and citrus filling the air.
It feels like a cloud is floating around me as he rests his nose against mine.
Slowly, our lips meet, and I can’t help but cling to his overcoat.
For the first time in months, he kisses me. He is slow and deliberate, savouring the moment and taking his time.
“I’m here to stay, I promise.” My smile grows, aching my cheeks. My eyes sparkle open. Finally, he is here, saying everything I have ever needed.
“Would you like to come in?” I ask. He nods, and we head inside. He sits on the sofa watching me now as I pour him a coffee, barefoot and pregnant with his baby, in leggings and my favourite forest green jumper.
I place the coffee down on the table and sit myself next to him. There’s a quiet that has settled around us. The fear and secrecy gone, leaving room for honesty and love.
“How was LA?” I ask, hungry for the details. He picks the mug up and quietly sips his drink, keeping eye contact the whole time.
“It was… successful.” His voice is full of excitement, and the smile on his lips hasn’t left since I opened the door.
“If everything goes to plan, Olivia and I will be divorced by the end of the month. If I’m honest, I don’t know how Olivia is going to act from here, and I am worried about her.
I still have Oscar to think about too, so I will go between here and there, but I’m all yours, baby, if you’ll still have me,” he holds my hand. “No more hiding, I promise.”
“That’s all I have ever wanted, Theo. It doesn’t matter what comes our way, as long as we stick together.
” He leans into me and kisses my cheek just as Nellie kicks me in the ribs.
I flinch, unable to hide the sharp little jab she gives me.
Fear flashes through Theo’s eyes, and I instantly feel guilty.
“Are you ok, Elizabeth? Do I need to call an ambulance?” I can’t help the chuckle that leaves my throat.
I take his hand and gently rest it on my stomach just as Nellie rolls her little foot across it.
Pure wonder replaces the fear in Theo’s eyes.
His other hand comes up to meet the other side of my stomach as he sits there for a moment, letting our baby greet him.
“Shall we go for a walk?” he asks. He doesn’t want to wait.
He wants the world to know. My heart races.
I know that once we step out of my front door, I am opening that door for the world to know.
My silence stretches, and then I gently nod my head.
“Just a short one. You still need to be careful,” he adds.
Theo stands first, confident and unwavering, and holds his hand out for me to take. He helps me from the sofa and clips Bear’s lead on. Theo steps outside like a man on a mission. I start up the pathway ahead of him and stop with Theo’s call.
“Hey, not so fast.” When I turn around, he is holding his hand out for me to take. For the first time in our relationship, I am about to walk hand-in-hand with him.
We don’t go far as Theo keeps reminding me I have to rest, so we walk the block, not letting go of each other. Just up ahead, I notice a group of teenage girls hanging by the corner of the road. I hear their not-so-hushed whispers.
“OMG, is that Theodore Masters?”
“Kelly, look.” Another exclaims. One girl is nudged forward by her friends, and she reluctantly comes over as another pushes her closer to us.
“Excuse me. Are you Theodore Masters?” Theo squeezes my hand and then slips it from mine, extending it towards the girl.
“I am, yes. Pleasure to meet you.” I see the girls hand visibly shake as it connects with his, and I can’t help smiling.
I stand watching him with the girls, noticing the brief glances towards me.
He is watching me, making sure I’m ok. It feels so weird being seen with him, standing with him, holding his hand for everyone to see, but it doesn’t scare me.
It feels like the most natural thing in the world.
The girls ask for a selfie, which he graciously takes, and then he places his hand back in mine as we walk back to the cottage. Bear trots ahead of us while my hand rests lightly on my stomach.
Our family.
The one I have waited so long for.
That evening we sit, my legs over his, wrapped in each other with the warmth and crackle of the fireplace filling the cottage. Theo doesn’t move his hands from my stomach. I sense he is trying to make up for lost time. All the moments he has missed.
“I’ve missed us,” he breathes into my neck. I trace small circles on his thigh, my head resting on his chest.
For the first time in forever, it feels like my new life is finally beginning.