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“He doesn’t know I’ve been trying to find you,” I confess sheepishly. “I want it to be a surprise. He’s been in love with you all these years, Milly. He’s never forgotten you, and my own life has been impacted so much by your story. It would mean the world to me if you would agree.” I scold myself for resorting to begging and tugging on her heartstrings, which is basically what I’m doing. What if she’s happily married and doesn’t want to see—
“Okay,” she says simply, shocking me.
I shoot up from my chair. “Really?”
She laughs lightly. “I’m too old to live with regrets.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. When? I’ll pick you up. I’ll take you home. You don’t need to worry about transport.”
“That’s good, because I’m not as mobile as I was in 1946.”
I look to the office door, thinking of Lo upstairs sleeping. About the funeral. I don’t know when it’ll be just yet, and I’d much rather do this after Lo lays Billy to rest. “Can I call you in the next few days? You see, my friend just lost her husband and I need to help with the funeral arrangements. Be here for her.”
“Oh, that is a pity. Yes, of course. You just call me when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.”
I smile brightly for the first time in days. “Speak soon, Milly.”
“Goodbye, Luke, dear.”
I hang up and stand over my desk, somewhere between excitement and apprehension. I’ve found her.
“You okay?” Lo’s voice creeps into my office, and I pivot to find her looking sleepy in the doorway. My excitement would be totally inappropriate right now, so I dampen it down. I have to tell her, though.
“I found Milly Rose.”
Her sleepy eyes squint. “Who’s Milly Rose?”
For a second, I stall. Who’s Milly Rose? Then my shoulders drop. I’ve heard the story so many times, have been thinking about it so much recently, that I forgot Lo doesn’t know. “Sit down,” I order gently, taking her hand and leading her to the couch. A bit bewildered, she waits for me to explain. “Something happened to Pops years ago and he’s got this bee in his bonnet about it.” I pause a beat. “And us.”
“Us?”
“I mean how we came to be friends.”
“Right . . .” she says slowly, encouraging me to go on.
“In 1946 Pops nearly ran a woman over.”
“Wow.” Lo bites her lip, thinking for a second. “Milly Rose?” she questions, and I nod. “Your pops mentioned her. I thought it might be your grandmother.”
I shake my head. “Milly was the love of his life,” I explain. “But he couldn’t be with her.” I feel my cheeks heat slightly with embarrassment when Lo’s eyes widen.
“Why couldn’t they be together?”
“Well, Pops had been sewing his seed.” I give her a cheeky smirk. “He’d been to war and got back with a set of blues balls.”
She chuckles. “Sounds painful.”
“Trust me, it is.” I laugh, but immediately stop when Lo recoils. Shit. I didn’t mean to say that. Onwards, Luke. “So he was sewing his seed, in particular with my grandmother, but they soon realized there wasn’t much spark and that ended,” I go on. “Then he nearly ran down Milly on his pushbike. They spent the summer together, fell in love. Then my grandmother showed up pregnant.”
“Oh . . .”
“Back then, you definitely married a woman who you got pregnant. Pops had no choice but to walk away from Milly Rose and marry my grandmother.”
I see realization dawn on her tired face. “That’s why Pops told you not to marry Tia’s mother,” she says, and I nod. “Did he ever see Milly again?”
“No, but he says there’s not a day goes by when he doesn’t think about her. My grandmother was a wonderful woman and Pops was a devoted husband and father, but he never forgot Milly. He said she was his soul mate.”
“That’s so sad, but a happy story too.”
“Sad because he lost Milly, but happy because he lived a long, rich life with my grandmother?”
“Hmmm,” she hums, briefly looking past me. Happy and sad. Can you be both? “And you’ve found her?”
I nod, elated to see a glimmer of happiness in her expression. It sure is a sight for sore eyes. The best. “She’s agreed to see Pops. He doesn’t know. I’m going to surprise him.”
Lo’s shining expression fills me with hope. “I think he’ll love that.”
“Me too.” I try to imagine his face when he sees her. I can’t. He’ll think he’s died and gone to heaven. “I’m going to pick her up. She lives in Brighton.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to be too hasty, what with . . .”
“What with Billy’s funeral. You can say it, Luke.”
My lips press together, showing my discomfort. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay.” She shrugs and looks at her phone, rejecting the call immediately.
