Page 60 of A Kiss under the Stars
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The scene as we walk onto the ward is a calm one – a big contrastto the last time we saw Fen, when she was being carted off in a wheelchair andyelling for pain relief!
‘Hi, you two!’ smiles Fen, looking tired but happy andholding one sleeping twin in a blue babygro.
‘Oh! A boy and a girl!’ I gasp, as Rob – carrying the other sleepingtwin, in pink – gets up from the bedside chair and comes over to us.
‘Yup,’ he says, proudly. ‘One of each. Which is just what weboth secretly wanted.’ He smiles fondly at Fen and she nods.
‘We’re so grateful to you both for getting me to the hospital,’she says. ‘Goodness knows what would have happened to me at that roadside ifyou hadn’t been passing.’
Rob shudders. ‘Don’t remind me.’
I smile. ‘Well, anyway, they’re gorgeous.’
Liam nods. ‘I don’t know an awful lot about babies but theyseem like a couple of little corkers to me.’ He grins. ‘Do they have namesyet?’
Fen chuckles and looks at Rob, and a mysterious signal seemsto pass between them.
‘Go ahead,’ Rob says with a grin.
‘Okay. Liam and Lottie.’ Fen clears her throat. ‘It is withthe greatest pleasure that I present to you... Lottie andLiam!’
I’m totally speechless for a moment and when I glance inhappy surprise at Liam, it appears he is, too. Then everyone starts to laugh atonce.
This awakens the two sleeping babies, which turns out to bea good thing because it means Liam and I can meet our tiny namesakes properlyfor the very first time. And as we coo over miniature Lottie and Liam, big Liamslips his hand around my waist and I smile at him, thinking to myself that thisis one of those perfect moments.
And with Liam in my life – and my family finally reunited – Ihave a feeling the future is going to be filled with lots more perfect moments,just like this one...
EPILOGUE
It’s dusk on a Saturday evening in early October, andwe’re sitting in the wildlife hide, huddled together the three of us, Mum inthe middle.
A little earlier, we watched a magpie swooping onto thebird-table and frightening off a robin and a couple of song thrushes. Themagpie eventually flew off and after a cautious few seconds, the robinreappeared, followed by the two song thrushes.
Mum turned and smiled at me and then at Dylan.
She looked radiant with happiness.
We’re growing closer and closer every day, she and I, andI’m amazed how quickly my emotional wounds are healing now that she’s back inour lives.
‘Your dad would have loved this,’ she murmurs.
I nod, a lump in my throat. ‘I miss him so much.’
‘He was the best,’ says Dylan.
‘He was,’ I agree. ‘I used to think he was weak because hedrank but he was just human. He tried so hard to battle his demons.’
‘He did,’ says Mum, barely above a whisper. ‘I should havehelped him more instead of getting angry at him.’
‘No, Mum. You did your best,’ says Dylan. ‘We’re all justdoing our best to get by.’
Mum makes a sound in her throat, her face breaking into abig smile. ‘Well, I’m just glad that I’m here with you both. I never thoughtI’d get this lucky. And all of us starting on new adventures. New job for you,Lottie.’ She nudges Dylan happily. ‘And you... setting upyour own accountancy business in Sunnybrook! It’s all so exciting.’
‘For you, too. You’ll be great at making the guestswelcome,’ says Dylan. ‘Although I think if you and Roy are going to be offeringbed and breakfast at Sycamore House, you’d better start practising your fry-ups!’
‘That’s true.’ I smile at Mum. ‘A full English breakfast iswhat everyone expects these days, so it had better be special.’
