Epilogue

Epilogue

“Fancy another sausage, sweetheart?”

I hold back a laugh as I look over at Dad, standing proudly at the barbeque. I’m messaging Josh about sausages right now. Not the kind you have with onions and ketchup in a roll, though…

“Yes, please, Dad. I’d love one.”

The summer sun beats down as I lie happily on the lounger with Mum beside me, thinking how weird it is to be having barbecued sausages for Christmas lunch. And how weird to be basking in the sun in my bikini, with surfers out on the water. So much better than the chilly London streets.

“Come on, then. Who is he, this new guy?” Mum asks, and I turn my head to her.

“What do you mean?”

She nods towards my phone. “You can’t fool me, Ells. You’re grinning like you did over Connor whenever he used to show up at the door.”

God, that was years ago.

Mum is smiling at me. Happy. Just like I am. We haven’t shut up for days, none of us – but so far, Josh has been kept under the radar. Still, it was only time.

I take a deep breath and soak in some more of the sunshine. It’s bliss being here with my parents, in their gorgeous home, overlooking the sea. I sobbed like a baby, wrapped tight their arms when I charged over to them in the arrivals lounge. I didn’t stop crying all the way back to theirs.

“He works at the same agency as I do,” I tell Mum. “His name is Josh.”

“Josh, right.” Her eyes are probing, I can tell, even through her sunglasses. “And he’s a good guy, is he? Not a sack of shit who’ll ditch you for a groupie?”

I shrug. “Too early to say, but the signs are good.”

“Can’t wait to meet him. Maybe you’ll be bringing him next time.” She gestures over to Dad, who’s making lunch as he whistles. “He’ll get grilled hotter than that barbie by your father, you know. He’ll give you the verdict, thumbs up or down. He gave Connor the thumbs down from the moment he first showed up. But you wouldn’t have listened.”

“I’ll take more notice this time. I’m a bit older and wiser now.”

“Maybe,” she says, leaning over to pull me in for a kiss. “But you’ll always be our little girl.”

I feel like it. A little girl back at home, even though home is now on the other side of the world. Nothing will ever change that. But home is truly where the heart is, and my heart is with my parents, here on Christmas Day.

As if reading my mind, Mum takes hold of the necklace I bought her. World’s best mummy it says, with a cute little bear on the front. Eb said it was cringe, but I knew Mum would love it. Same as the cushion I bought them, with the picture of the three of us dressed up in Santa robes. It has pride of place on their sofa.

Dad is proudly wearing the high tech watch I bought him, too. It was lovely to see his face when he opened it.

“Maybe I’ll ask Josh if he wants to come along for a trip,” I say.

“We might see him in a few months, then.”

“A few months might be a bit premature.” I laugh. “Don’t you think?”

She gives me the side eye.

“We’ll see.”

My next flights here are already booked for May. Another three weeks in the sun with Mum and Dad. Who knows? Maybe Josh will be at my side, too. Our messages have been getting more and more spicy, and intense, and deep, to the core. He’s a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, as well as bares his ass for his clients, so Tiff tells me. She sings his praises all day long, saying she’s already got ideas for bridesmaid dresses for her and Eb. Both of them are rooting for us.

Dad brings over our next round of Christmas hotdogs and takes his place on the lounger next to Mum. He looks at her with utter adoration, like he always has, but it’s more obvious to me now than when I was younger. Not just the love, but the respect. It’s hard to see it in other people, when you’re not getting it for yourself.

But I am now. I respect myself enough to hold the bar high, and Josh is doing the high jump right from the off. He’s already booked the restaurant for our first official date. One of the very finest in Kensington. I suspect he’ll turn up with something a little more tasteful than garage flowers.

“Ells has met someone,” Mum tells Dad, and he sits upright so he can see my expression, chomping down some hotdog before he speaks.

“Is he half decent, or some other punkish prick who thinks he’s a legend?”

Ouch. Dad hasn’t gone easy on Connor since I told them the full story about Carly.

“How about a punkish legend?” I laugh. “A hybrid? Will that do?”

Dad rolls his eyes, but Mum taps his leg playfully.

“Don’t get judgy until you meet him, Ted!”

“I’ll get judgy as soon as he steps off the plane. If he’s as much of a jackass as Connor, he can turn straight back round again. I’ll kick his butt right through departures.”

“That’s enough, Ted,” Mum says.

“No, it isn’t. Not where our daughter is concerned. Connor’s a bloody snake, and a fool. I’ll not have Ella walked all over. End bloody of!”

The heartrate monitor on his new watch bleeps at the increase and Mum tells him to calm down. I laugh out loud. I love how protective he is of me. I type out a message to Josh between mouthfuls of hotdog.

My parents are asking when they’ll get to meet you. I’ve been busted messaging.

I see the typing icon.

Well, ditto. Mine have been asking me since I helped chop the veg this morning.

You told them about me??

I grin my head off at the thought.

Sure did. They said they’ll welcome you with open arms, as long as you aren’t a bitch like Amy.

Amy – Magpie.

Turns out she treated Josh pretty bad. We’re in the same boat on that score.

That’s another ditto, then, I type. Dad says he’ll send you straight back to the departure lounge if you’re anything like Connor.

I’m still grinning to myself as I wait for his reply.

Maybe I should take the purple out of my hair, forget about my piercings, and wear a suit on the plane. He sends a laughing emoji.

Don’t even think about it!

“He’s from the same agency as Ella,” Mum tells Dad. “Josh.”

“Josh… right. And what does he do at the agency?”

“Same job as me,” I say. “PR.”

“Good.”

“Yeah,” I say. “It is.”

One day it would be very, very good to work directly with him… I’d love to see Weston in full-on action mode.

It’s been so hard navigating the work questions from my parents – Mum especially. I’ve told her I meet clients to discuss their requirements for corporate socials, and I can blag it all I like, but she knows something more’s going on. Maybe one day I’ll tell her the truth, but for now it’ll be hotdogs by the pool and hugs at bedtime.

She might not be all that happy I’m an entertainer if she knew what it entails, but she’d definitely be happy with how I’ve handled the opportunity I got from Santa. I’ve got just a few thousand left after his Christmas gift – the rest I’ve donated to charity. Something I’ve only shared with Eb, on a strictly ‘secrets for ever’ basis. She couldn’t believe it when I told her. She said she felt like Scrooge for dismissing the desperate proposal so easily, but we all live and learn. Every day is a chance to learn something, and I’m learning a lot right now. It seems every single day has a new lesson for me. Some more philosophical than others…

Dad says again how he’s doing to teach me a bomb dive in the pool this afternoon. No excuses. We’re going in, just as soon as we’re done with our hotdogs!

“Fine. I’ll do a bomb dive, no problem,” I say.

I think he means a cannonball… but they never allowed them at our local pool. It’ll be a new experience for me.

I take my place at the poolside next to him when it’s time, and wave over at Mum, who has her phone in her hand, camera at the ready. But before we take the jump, I put an arm around Dad’s waist and lean my head against his shoulder.

“Thanks,” I say to him, and he chuckles.

“For what? Hotdogs and bomb dives?”

“Nah,” I reply. “For being you, and helping Mum be Mum. Oh, and for Dad’s cab at the airport. This is the best Christmas ever.”

“The first of a load more to come now you’re a PR pro,” he says, and squeezes me tight. “Now, let’s get on with the bloody bomb dive. We’ve got Christmas pudding coming up.”

He launches himself from the poolside like he’s trying out for the Olympics, his arms wrapped tight around his knees as he plunges. Yeah, it’s a cannonball. My dad’s doing a cannonball.

“COME ON, ELLA!!!” he yells, but I can’t jump in straight after him. I’m laughing way too hard, and so is Mum at the other side of the pool. My dad’s a champion, an absolute superstar, just like Mum is.

I can’t wait for Josh to get to meet them…

THE END