‘What? I don’t understand.’
Rory nods. ‘It was all lies. There were no memories. She thought if she lied to me about her fictional friendship with Lawrence, I would fall in love with her.’
My mouth falls open in shock. ‘She lied?’
‘Lawrence and Anna were not best friends at university. It was all a trick. Emily, I want you to know that the night Vivi died I was with Anna.’ He hangs his head. ‘She wrongly assumed I wanted to be in a relationship with her and got upset when I told her I was in love with you. I should have been with you and Vivi. The guilt over that will stay with me for the rest of my life.’
I touch his face and can see the guilt written all over it. ‘It’s okay, Rory.’
He holds my gaze with his summer-blue eyes. ‘I’m sorry for not telling you about Lawrence. It wasn’t a great plan of mine.’
‘Oh, Rory,’ I say, my eyes filling with tears again.
He nods and reaches into the pocket of his shirt. ‘I also came to give you this.’
CHAPTER46
RORY
Emily’s smile upon seeing the gold locket is unforgettable, and will now be etched onto my mind forever. Her honey-coloured eyes are shining as light glistens off the twirling locket, hung from my fingers. ‘This is a belated birthday present from Vivi,’ I whisper.
She casts me a puzzled look. ‘Vivi?’
‘Before Vivi died she asked me to buy you a birthday present. I knew you wanted this locket. So, she sent me the money and told me to buy it for you.’ I stop and take a breath. ‘This was the locket we always looked at in the jewellers in Brighton.’
‘You remembered,’ she says, softly.
‘But your birthday was two days after she passed away.’ I swallow back a wave of hot emotion.
Emily gasps. ‘I told you I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday.’
I hand it to her. ‘Look inside.’
With shaking hands, she carefully opens the little locket and bursts into tears. I take her into my arms and rock back and forth. ‘I hope you like what’s inside. Your wonderful sister bought it for you and even though she left it blank I wanted you to remember her.’
For a few seconds she sits back and gazes at the locket. ‘It’s so beautiful.’ Felix gasps when Emily shows him the photos inside. ‘Mummy,’ he whispers.
Emily is staring at me. ‘You had these photos put in it?’
I nod. ‘I knew how special Vivi was to you, Emily. Happy birthday.’
She cups my face with warm hands and peppers my cheeks with tiny kisses.
When she’s composed herself, she sits up and gazes at Vivi’s face inside the locket. ‘My beautiful sister and your fabulous Mummy, Felix.’
He nods and rests his head against her shoulder.
It’s time to put things right. I take both their hands again. ‘Why don’t we all makethiswork.’
‘This?’ Felix and Emily say in unison.
I shake their hands. ‘This. Us. Our little family.’
Emily gasps and Felix flings himself at me.
‘What, be a… family?’ Emily croaks.
Nodding I take them both into my arms, plus a sleeping Baxter. ‘Let’s be a family. I love you both and I want us to be a family.’
