Vivi’s requests for my custom-designed dresses continued into her adult life. When Felix was two Vivi started dating a museum curator called John who was fascinated by the 1940s. His obsession with the era resulted in him wearing 1940s double-breasted jackets, wide trousers, waistcoats and white shirts rolled up at the elbows. Vivi fell in love with the era too and everything she ordered had padded shoulders, puffed sleeves, nipped-in high waists and A line skirts.
My mind finds a memory of Rory taking me out for dinner on our fourth date and encouraging me to talk about my business idea for Forever Vintage. It was the first time I felt a man was interested in me as a person.
It’s time to return to normality and back to a marketing job which is confined only to a laptop and strict office hours. It’s time to give Felix the life he deserves. When I get home, I’ll finish any outstanding dress orders in the kitchen, close my online site and bring back Vivi’s violet living room.
Taking Felix’s hand, I give it a squeeze. ‘Completely different.’
He returns the squeeze. ‘It will be nice to have a normal living room. Where will you do your dressmaking?’
‘I’m going to close my business.’
His hazel eyes grow wide, and he gasps. ‘But you love making dresses.’
Stroking his face, I smile. ‘I do but it takes over my life and the house, and stops me caring for you.’
‘Mummy loved your dresses,’ he says, gazing out at the snow-coated world outside the window. ‘She’ll be sad to hear you’re stopping making dresses.’
‘It’s for the best, Felix.’
He shakes his head. ‘If you don’t sew you get grumpy.’ After a pause he grins. ‘If I don’t dance, I get grumpy too.’
‘I can’t believe that’s what all the banging upstairs was – you practising your dancing. I used to think you were throwing things.’
Felix laughs and then his smile disappears. ‘I don’t want you to get sad, Emily. Our house needs to be a happy one.’
Throwing my arms around him I pull him close and nearly squash poor Baxter who yelps. A stray tear begins its solitary journey down my cheek as Baxter crawls up onto the table and shakes himself back into shape. Deciding to shut my business feels like a part of me is dying. ‘I promise it will be a happy house.’
Felix picks up my iPad. ‘I need to send my friends a message to tell them about my plan.’
‘You should invite them over after Christmas,’ I say, remembering how teenage Vivi used to fill our tiny house with all her friends. I would be instructed to make a lot of party food, so I spent most of my time in the kitchen cooking endless pizzas.
Felix turns to me. ‘I would like that, Emily.’
I gently squeeze his arm. ‘We’ll make sure they have somewhere to sit in the living room.’
Hearing him laugh lights me up inside. I watch him tap out a message to Amelie, Ronnie, and Sai.
I lean back in my seat, stroke a sleeping Baxter, and reflect on the last twenty-four hours. This trip to Leeds has changed my relationship with Felix. I will return to Vivi’s house a different person to the one who left yesterday. ‘Felix, even though I was very cross yesterday I’m glad you went through with your plan.’
He nods. ‘Me too. Mummy always said I had good ideas.’
‘I feel like we’re closer now.’
‘The old Emily is back with me.’
He’s said that phrase a few times over the last twenty-four hours. ‘What do you mean by the old Emily?’
‘Before we went to Leeds you were different. Now, you are acting like the old Emily who came over to take me to the park or the arcades.’
The raucous family opposite us have stopped singing. They are silent and engrossed with their phones. The wife and mother notices me staring at her. She raises her phone. ‘Have you seen the news?’
‘No – why?’ Panic floods through me. Whatever she is going to tell me must be connected to the snow.
‘A little kid has gone missing in London. Can you believe he’s still missing on Christmas Eve?’
Felix sits up and fires up my iPad.
‘Where did he go missing?’
