The Curious Swan
Page 27
“I think the whole town will be just as enchanted when your bakery finally opens this spring,” Cordelia replies sincerely.
Eddie smiles, looking at his mum. It has been her dream to open a bakery, and finally, she has decided to do it.
Klara moves back and forth on her feet, shifting her weight. She’s been waiting patiently for Edward to cut in with the news, but he hasn’t! She nudges him in the side, nodding her head at them.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got some news to share,” Eddie says. All eyes move to him, and he swallows hard as he reaches for the letter from his jacket pocket. “I’ve just received word that I’ve been accepted to Cambridge for fall term next year.”
“Eddie!” Rose gasps, covering her mouth. Her hands fly out, and she embraces her son, squeezing against him. She pinches his cheek as her heart swells.
“Mum,” Eddie says with a laugh, but he hugs her back. His chest feels so full, and he’s proud of himself. He’s been working hard all fall to get his marks up while balancing football, seeing his friends, and spending time with his family and Klara. He pulls back from his mum, and his father grabs on to him, a small tear running down from the corner of his eye. Eddie wasn’t expecting such emotion from his father, and it makes his stomach twist. He has to blink back his own tears as he pulls away from his father.
“Congratulations, Edward,” Charles says with a beaming smile, shaking Eddie’s hand.
Eddie has always loved Charles’s handshake. It’s firm and authoritative. It shows his power and confidence, but his smile puts you at ease. Charles pulls Eddie into an embrace but quickly ends it, placing a few hard pats on his back for good measure.
Cordelia looks upon them and loses her composure. Everything seems to be falling into place. For her, for Edward and Klara. Rose and Doyle have an exciting new business to look forward to in the coming year. She and Klara finished her memoirs at the end of the month, and she sent them to editors to be published. Edward and Charles look as comfortable with one another as ever, and it feels, to Cordelia, as though Charles has taken on Eddie as his own son. The way they get along goes deeper than Charles just being polite and accepting of Klara’s boyfriend. He has grown to love Edward. Looking at Klara, you would never doubt that she is crazy about Edward. Her eyes sparkle when she looks at him, and Cordelia still approves of them as a match. Edward allows Klara to be a free spirit. She will always be playful and whimsical, but Edward grounds her. And you can tell from watching Edward admire Klara that he is utterly in love with her. He has never met someone who believes so wholeheartedly that anything and everything is possible, and tonight, it seems as though it really is. All of their dreams are coming true, and a new chapter is in store for them all.
BOOKS BY KENZIE HART
Young adult travel romance.
Girl off the Grid
Beautiful and heartbreaking love story told in verse.
I Fall Apart
Young adult romance set in the English countryside.
The Curious Swan
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kenzie Hart graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: History and International Studies from the University of South Florida and is currently working on a Masters Degree in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Her hobbies include reading, cooking, and lots and lots of traveling.
Follow her latest adventure on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Website: www.kenziehart.net