‘Wow. You’re soanal. You have colours and everything.’
‘Yeah, I do like a spreadsheet. But that isn’t thepoint. At the risk of mansplaining Excel, the spreadsheet shows that I’ve switched everything around workwise so that I’m going to be in London most of the time and only away when you’re working shifts.’
‘Oh. Sorry. I was fixating on the colours. Are yousure?’
‘Yes, I’m sure. I’d do anything to be able to spend more time with you.’ He put his phone back in his pocket and took both her hands in his. ‘I love you, Lily.’
She pressed her lips together and sniffed.
‘Are you crying?’ Matt’s smile had faltered.
‘Happy tears.’ They were falling onto her cheeks now. ‘I love you too.’
‘Thank God for that.’ He pulled her closer. ‘So could we… try again? Now that we’re going to be able to spend time together?’
Lily nodded, unable to speak.
Matt leaned down and kissed her, and then, surrounded by hordes of commuters and early evening theatre-goers and tourists, with a backdrop of the best view in the world, they kissed and kissed like there was no tomorrow.
Epilogue
Lily
A year later
‘Over here, Norm,’ Carole panted. ‘Oh myGod, life was easier when I treated you like a slave.’
Norm put his end of the table they were carrying down and walked round and gave Carole a big smacker on the lips. ‘I love you, Carole,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you go and do what you’re best at and I’ll get some of the boys to help with this? And then we’ll all sit and have a beer and a rest while you do your thing? And then we’ll get the barbecue fired up before I get changed.’
‘Norm, you’re on.’ Carole put her end of the table down and then stopped. ‘If you’re sure?’
‘Totally sure.’ He gave her another kiss.
‘Thank you, my darling.’ Carole gave him a big squeeze and then marched over to the stage they had set up at one end of the garden and picked up her megaphone. ‘Listen, everyone,’ she hollered. ‘Only two hours to go until the ceremony starts and a lot of work still to do. You need tofocus.’
Lily smiled at Matt and he put his arm round her and kissed her.
‘Better get on,’ he told her. ‘I need to go and pick the priest up. Those vows won’t renew themselves.’
‘Too right they won’t. I haven’t had such a stressful pre-event experience since Tess and Tom’s wedding day.’
Matt lowered his voice. ‘Imagine how Carole must have been on heractualwedding day?’
Lily nodded. ‘Thank goodness we have a full day off tomorrow between this and Meg’s wedding. I think she’s getting a teensy bit uptight now too.’
‘I just got a message from Cynthia.’ Matt tapped his pocket where his phone was. ‘The dogs are doing well.’ Lily smiled at him. They were the very proud parents of two poochon puppies – a cross between a toy poodle and a bichon frise – and they could both talk for hoursabout them. ‘You okay?’
‘Just a bit worried about my dad. I got another message from my mum. He’s back in hospital.’
Matt hugged her into him. ‘We can fly home early if we need to.’
‘Thank you.’ He’d been amazing over the past year through her dad’s illness. ‘It sounds like he’s stable at the moment.’
‘Matt,’ yelled Carole. ‘Where’s the priest? Only one hour and fifty-six minutes until the ceremony starts.’
‘On my way.’ Matt raised the car keys in Carole’s direction, kissed Lily again and said, ‘Back soon. I love you,’ and began a jog towards the corner of the garden while Lily admired his legs and bum.
Three hours later, Carole and Norm were standing under a flower-decorated arch kissing – sweet – while everyone clapped.
