Page 97 of Date with Destiny

Myfanwy lets out a big, ‘You go, gurl!’

I beam, thinking how excited I am about this huge new adventure. I’ve done so much and changed how I see myself. I know I can do this.

From out in the hallway, the front door slams with dramatic flourish as Toni bounces into the room. ‘It’s over!’ she shouts happily. ‘It’s OVER!’

‘YES!’ I yell back as she joins us, as pink-cheeked and more full of the joys than I’ve seen her in ages. Since beforeShawn actually. ‘You did it?’ I ask, trying to get out of the beanbag so I can hug her.

‘Yes, and it was awful but it’s OVER!’ She can’t stop smiling. ‘I’m so relieved. He tried to explain to me so many times why I was wrong and how I’m being foolish, but thankfully I stayed strong.’ I pull her in for a hug and I can feel how exhausted she is.

‘Come sit down.’ I lead her across to the sofa, where Sonali shuffles over to make room for Toni’s tiny bum. ‘We’re objectifying weather legend Carol Kirkwood.’

She collapses down, adopting a thousand-yard stare. ‘It’s really over,’ she whispers, mostly to herself now.

I bring my beanbag across to the sofa and lean my head against her arm as we all fall silent, hypnotized by the TV’s low hum.

After a few minutes Toni turns to me, ‘Hey Ginny,’ she says thoughtfully. ‘I actually did see one really nice flat when I was looking at places with Shawn.’

‘Uh oh, you’re not regretting dumping him already?’ Myfanwy leans closer, the horror plain on her face.

Toni giggles. ‘Definitely not! No, I…’ She glances at me hopefully. ‘I wondered if maybe we could rent it together, Gin?’

All eyes turn to me, waiting for me to give that speech from earlier about wanting to be independent and all that guff.

‘YES PLEASE!’ I scream instead and we both stand up jumping up and down and shrieking.

Because sod it.

Yes, of course it’s good to be a strong, powerful, independent woman, but you can still be all that while living with someone you love. It’s OK to need people and to lean on people. I love my sister and we’re simpatico introverted souls. We will make great housemates – we already have for a long time – and it might be some reassurance to Celeste, knowing we’re looking after each other.

‘Check it out,’ Toni says excitedly, showing me photos on her phone of a small but bright two-bed flat on a leafy, tree-lined road. It looks amazing. The windows are large, the ceilings high, and there are two tiny but sweet bedrooms. Obviously, it’s extortionately expensive, like everything in London, but I know between us, we can just about afford it.

‘I love it!’ I breathe, meaning it.

‘Yay!’ she squeaks. We both leap up excitedly, dancing around the room as we show everyone our – hopefully – new home.

This is the start of a new adventure for both of us, and I can’t wait.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

‘OK, OK, hear me out.’ I put up both hands in a surrender position. ‘What if we put the ring…’ I take the most dramatic pause of my life before the reveal ‘…inside anLOL Surprise!?’

He sits up straight, eyes wide. ‘Oh my god, yes. I could get four normalLOLsfor the girls, and one special one for Cynthia. They all open them together and bam, I’m down on one knee!’

‘Yes!’ I squeal. ‘It’s easy enough to get hold of an emptyLOL Surprise!plastic egg, and I have a handy guy who can rewrap it in plastic, so it looks unopened and brand new.’

I have a lot ofhandy guysnow. Helium balloon specialists who can spell out all kinds of sweet messages, a fairy lights hire company that can completely dress a garden gazebo in under ten minutes, tent hire people who do everything from teepees to multi-room marquees, calligraphers who will deliver me a gorgeous, hand-paintedMarry Mesign to hang around any number of dog necks – I have them all on my speed dial these days.

That is, if speed dial were still a thing.

I make some quick notes about our next steps as across the desk from me, my client goes quiet. Glancing up, I realize he is close to tears. Nigel here has been with his lovely partner, Cynthia, for nine years. They have four daughters, all close in age and all obsessed with dolls. He said right from the beginning of the meeting that he wanted them there, with him and Cynthia for the proposal, and after much discussion and brainstorming, we’ve landed on Nigel proposing via their favourite toy:LOL Surprise!

They’re basically a kind of doll, each individually wrapped up in a plastic egg that is perfect for hiding a simple solitaire engagement ring.

‘She’s going to love it,’ I tell him softly and he looks up at me gratefully.

‘I know she will,’ he replies, eyes shining.

It’s been a few weeks since we launched the engagement concierge service and there’s really no point trying to deny it – it’s been an absolute hit. I am so booked up with appointments, it’s a little overwhelming. Not to mention all the interview requests and magazine features we’ve appeared in. The public and media have even, thankfully, completely forgotten about Celeste’s Stones’ brief foray into those terrible accessories.

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