Page 43 of A Fresh Start at the Cornish Country Hospital

‘The last question remains what role I want you to play…’ She paused and pulled a thoughtful face. ‘Hmmm, let me think about that. How about we start with trial boyfriend, for a probationary period, and see how you go with that before I make any rash decisions about this fresh start of mine?’

‘That sounds pretty good to me and I think I’ll be able to persuade you to keep me in the role.’ He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and she moved forward, pressing her lips against his, allowing her body to react to his touch and not even attempting to push down the feelings that came flooding to the surface; feelings she’d tried to pretend for so long that she didn’t want or need any more. She’d never dreamt she could have it all again, to be with someone who made her feel the way that Felix did, but with Max and his family still remaining a big part ofher world. Happiness washed over her and for a moment or two it was hard to think straight, but she grinned at Felix when she finally pulled away.

‘I think I could get used to this new life, you know?’ Catching hold of his hand, she led him in the direction of her car and the start of a journey that suddenly felt full of endless possibility.

EPILOGUE

Eve’s phone pinged with another notification. It was no surprise to discover it was a message from Annie. Eve had expected her phone to be bombarded with messages from Max’s mother, while she was away on the trip that she and Nigel had taken to visit Lily and Scott in San Francisco. What she hadn’t expected was for the vast majority of the messages to be pictures of the 4D baby scan they’d been to, rather than to constantly check up on Max’s welfare.

Stepping back hadn’t been easy or instant for either Annie or Eve, but they’d both known they had to do it when Max had moved into the bungalow. Yet, somehow, despite it being what Max said he wanted, guilt had still prickled at Eve’s scalp when she went three, sometimes four days without going to see him. She knew Annie still worried if he was eating the right kind of food, getting enough sleep and most of all whether he was happy. Although the latter had become more and more obvious in the months since Max had moved in with Jamie. He’d spent most of the summer either hanging out in the garden at the bungalow with Flora and Jamie, or perfecting his surfingtechnique under the guidance of Nathan and the rest of the team at Waves 4 Everyone.

‘I can’t make Dad’s birthday dinner this year, because I’m going to Newquay with some of the others to watch a surfing competition.’ Max had accompanied the announcement with a nonchalant shrug and when Annie had started to protest, he’d held up his hand. ‘But me and Jamie are going to do a barbecue for him instead, the day afterwards. Bev said she’d give us a hand.’

Eve had been almost certain her mouth had fallen open and Annie’s definitely did. She wasn’t sure either of them had expected Max to deliver on his promise, but he had, and when they’d all sat out in his garden on the afternoon of the barbecue, he’d seemed to relish playing host.

‘Here you go, mate.’ Max had handed Felix a burger in a bun. ‘Better than the baked beans on toast you were always trying to get me to make.’

‘Definitely, especially when people think it’s okay to microwave them.’ Felix had grinned, making Max roll his eyes, but in a far more good-humoured way than he might have done a couple of months before.

‘There’s another burger ready, I think it’s the best one yet,’ Jamie had said to Max, passing it to him.

‘Then it has to be for Evie.’ As Max had handed her the plate, she’d once again found herself blinking back tears, at the sound of the pet name he hadn’t used in two years. This time they weren’t tears of sadness or guilt, just gratitude that her relationship with Max was so much better now that they’d both been freed from the constraints of other people’s expectations. They’d never be Max and Eve again, in the way they’d once been, but they were still a huge part of one another’s lives and there’d always be so much love between them. Moving to the bungalow had been brilliant for Max. It had been so good for all of them;the beginning of a new phase in all their lives that had been so desperately needed.

‘Are you ready to go?’ Felix asked now, slipping an arm around her waist.

‘I am. I was just looking at the latest photos from the scan. I’m so glad the baby’s okay and I think I can already see a family resemblance.’

‘Yes, he’s definitely got Max’s chin.’

‘You’ve already seen the photos?’ Eve widened her eyes as he nodded.

‘Nigel sent them to me.’ The casual way Felix said it made her smile. Annie and Nigel hadn’t just accepted her relationship with Felix, they’d welcomed him with open arms and he’d been every bit as delighted as she was.

‘You two have got a proper bromance going.’

‘I can’t help it if everyone in your family falls in love with me.’ Felix grinned and she turned to kiss him, pressing her lips against his just for an instant.

‘They do, but it’s just a cross you’ll have to bear.’ Slipping one hand into his, she picked up her keys from the hallway table with the other. ‘We’d better hurry up or we’ll be late.’

There were heading to the village hall in Port Kara, where Sophie was throwing a fifth birthday party for her son, Carter, which his grandfather had helped to organise. With her family’s support, Sophie was progressing well and the plan was for Carter to eventually move back in with her, in the annex at her father’s house where she was now living. She’d need to stay on track and meet all the targets she’d been set by her social worker. Even after that, she’d be monitored closely, but it was a story of hope and the power of family. It was also proof that it was never too late for a fresh start and that life could be filled with the kind of joy that was once impossible to imagine.

‘There’s something I need to tell you before we go.’ Felix stopped, looking suddenly serious. ‘I love you, Eve Bellingham.’

‘That’s good, because I love you too.’ Kissing him again, she allowed herself to embrace the beauty of the moment, grateful for all that had gone before; knowing it meant she’d never take her wonderful new life for granted.