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Mum gave a decisive nod.
‘Right, on it,’ Jen said with a little clap before bounding off. The bar queues were massive; she was a good egg offering her services.
‘You excited?’ Mum shouted over the music. She scooted her chair closer to Holly’s, making talking easier.
‘A bit, yeah. Would be pretty surreal if we won.’
‘Well, either way, we’re proud of you,’ Dad said, clasping her hand and giving it a jiggle.
‘I didn’t do much. You asked me to be part of the competition, so I just got on with it.’
Mum’s eyes turned solemn. ‘Not just this. We’re proud of everything you’ve achieved.’
‘Achieved maybe isn’t the right word,’ Holly said, keeping her tone as light as she could.
Mum shook her head. ‘You’ve been through a lot in the last few years. Look how strong you are now. It’s been a dream come true, having you back.’
Dad looked to Mum, snagging her gaze. ‘In all senses of the word.’
‘What does that mean?’ Holly asked, perplexed.
Her parents were quiet for a moment, as if both were waiting for the other to answer. Dad watched the dancing crowd, anchoring himself. It was strange seeing him so emotional and transparent, especially in public. He took a deep breath before speaking. ‘We know you give yourself a hard time, and yes, you’ve had some of your less-than-finer moments in recent years, but your mum and I,’ he paused, getting his thoughts in order. ‘We don’t believe that was the real you. Shona had a lot to do with that. What matters now is looking forward, getting back on track. This is a fresh start for us all.’
‘We just want you to be happy, love,’ her mum said with a slight wobble of her lip. ‘And I’d like to think you are now, yes?’
Holly took a long draw of breath. She couldn’t cry. Why had they chosen this precise moment to be so candid? Lovefest really did make people act in peculiar ways.
She looked to Chloe and Ryan again, using them as a distraction while the threat of tears lessened.
This festival had felt like a total farce when she’d been flung into it, hot and stuffy from the train, in a bad mood from Jen’s watery assault and feeling like the biggest failure to grace the earth.
But now, sitting here, it felt like everything had happened at the just right time. Lovefest wasn’t just about getting a date: it was about loving family, friends, herself. She cringed. Thank God no one could read her mind. It was true, though. It might have the most ridiculous, embarrassing, godawful name, but Lovefest was the real deal. A force to be reckoned with.
Tears not going anywhere soon, Holly nodded gently, forcing a half-smile. Mum and Dad knew what she was trying to convey; words weren’t needed just now. She gave their hands a squeeze and mustered another nod.
With incomparable timing, Jen appeared from the crowd, drinks in hand, a showstopping smile breaking across her face as she locked eyes with her girlfriend. For the first time in forever, Holly felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
