Page 55 of A Wedding at The Cornish Garden Café
‘Do you think I can work this all out?’ Wyatt gently slid his hand from Edith’s and brushed his palms over his damp cheeks. ‘I’ve lived with it for so long that I can’t imagine not feeling the heaviness in here.’ He patted his chest.
‘I think you can work through it and understand yourself and your parents better, yes. And I’ll be here for you if you need me.’
He scanned her face, a tiny spark of hope igniting within the depths of his being.
‘As a friend, Wyatt,’ she said softly. ‘For now, you need space to process and to heal. I don’t want to confuse that.’
His heart sank, but he knew she was right. A relationship would only blur the lines right now, and he needed to get some help to work through everything. Of course, he’d thought about it before, but it had always come back to the same thing: his mother telling him it was his fault. Having that drummed into him daily had been brainwashing. And perhaps, he thought now, it had been easier to believe her version of events and to carry the guilt because anything else seemed far too difficult. Not allowing himself to be happy had been his way of saying sorry to Parker for letting him down.
‘Look…’ Edith smiled and took his face in her hands, holding his gaze. ‘I’m not saying never, OK? Just that you have some work to do, and I need to let all this settle in my mind too. But, Wyatt, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you because I do. I always have.’
And then she kissed him. Gently. Cautiously. But it was the reassurance he needed. When she pulled him into a hug, he finally let go and cried in her arms, feeling safe and understood for the first time. Edith was special. He’d always known that, but he’d never been able to get past the fact that she might judge him for what had happened.
He should have known she wouldn’t judge him at all. He should have trusted her, and from now on he would do because she was the kindest person he had ever met.
‘Thank you, Edith,’ he said when he sat back and wiped his eyes with the tissue Edith had given him. ‘I’m sorry for not being honest with you from the start.’
‘We can take it from here,’ she said. ‘No more feeling guilty.’
Wyatt managed a small smile, the weight on his shoulders a little lighter. For the first time since he was six years old, he allowedhimself to hope that he could be free from the burdens he had carried for so long.
‘And now… if you feel up to it,’ Edith said. ‘I think we should join the wedding celebrations because I’ve heard that dancing is good for the soul.’ She winked, and Wyatt laughed.
‘I’ve heard that too.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘As long as you have a capable dancing partner.’
‘Well, come on then.’ She stood up and held out a hand. ‘As long as you let me lead.’
‘Oh, I have no problem with that.’ He stood up. ‘I’m happy to follow you.’
For the rest of my days, he added silently.
They linked arms and walked back down to the café, and Wyatt sent out a silent thank you to the universe for bringing Edith back into his life. He wished he’d been honest sooner, but things had a way of working out, and perhaps this was how things were meant to be.
When his mother had phoned him the morning after he’d spent the night with Edith, he’d had his first real moment of doubt about her behaviour. A moment of clarity when he’d thought she might be in the wrong for how she was still using his brother’s death to control him. He’d not only supported her emotionally but also financially over the years and he knew that his money had funded her cosmetic surgery and lavish lifestyle — both things she had prioritised after her stints in rehab where she vowed to get clean only to relapse time after time. Wyatt had pitied her losing a child, but she had never once admitted that it could have been her fault. Surely that wasn’t normal either, but she’d told him he owed her. It had been easier to roll with it thanto try to stand up for himself. Did that make him a wimp? Maybe some would believe so, but for him, he had felt so terribly guilty that he’d believed he had to do everything in his power to try to assuage the guilt. Kind of like punishing himself in as many ways as he could for what had happened. Pushing Edith away had been part of that too.
Nonetheless, from this day forward, he would strive to relinquish the guilt and accept that his mother was entitled to live her life — just as he was entitled to live his.
After all, as Edith had so clearly stated, if he had a family of his own, then putting his mother before them would be ludicrous. To finally have a personal life, he needed to release the past and welcome a future he had never dared envision.
Could that future be with Edith? He sincerely hoped so. Because maybe, at last, forgiveness could begin with himself.
EPILOGUE - EDITH
Three and a half months after Titus and Finn’s wedding, autumn had arrived in Porthpenny, bringing with it vibrant colours, delightful scents, and a changing landscape. Today, the last Saturday of October, the village was holding its harvest festival, which would be followed by an evening lantern walk.
It had been a cold and crisp day, and locals had set up stalls in the village to sell the fruits of their harvest. There were plenty of rosy apples, fat pears, pumpkins and squashes, along with a variety of nuts, jams, and chutneys. Some stalls had sold apple cider, perry and warm spiced cider.
Edith had been free to wander around and enjoy the day but Wyatt had got actively involved, helping to construct the stalls, pressing apples with village children and carrying goods from cars and vans. He wanted to show his commitment to the village and its community. Edith watched and admired him all day, her heart swelling with pride and joy at how far he’d come.
Wyatt had started therapy before the summer was out, and he’d been fully invested in his healing journey. He had even asked Edith to attend some sessions with him so he could betterexplain why he’d acted as he had in the past. They had both found it useful and highly emotional. It had been, she thought now, like he was healing through his own personal harvesting of his emotions and today was a celebration of all that work for him.
He had also held several community sessions at the village hall where he’d given talks about business and entrepreneurship, and he’d agreed to mentor several of the village’s young people who were about to head off to university. As a successful entrepreneur, he had plenty of advice to offer and experience to draw upon, and he was happy to share that. He had also, to her surprise, agreed to a merger of his business with a respected colleague, and he was to step back and remain a silent partner while his colleague took the leading role.
It was time, he’d said, for him to focus on life and healing and to stop burying himself in work. Edith wasn’t sure how he would find the quieter life, but so far he’d been keeping himself busy around the village and also helping her to expand her business. He had even asked if he could invest in her business to help her develop it, and she’d happily agreed.
Personally, they were taking things slowly between them this time around. The passion still burnt hot between them, but they were waiting, getting to know each other again as the adults they were now and not the youngsters they’d once been.
Now, dusk had fallen, and they were walking hand in hand through the village. They’d been back to Edith’s to collect their warmer coats, hats and gloves, and were on their way to join the lantern procession.
