Ten Little Words
Page 23
‘This is amazing!’ Angus appeared at my side, and I turned towards him.
‘Hey.’ I slid an arm around his waist and pulled him close, happy he was here. I hadn’t seen him for a bit – he’d met me in London a few weeks ago, and we’d had a wonderful weekend together – but we spoke on the phone every day. He’d listened to me natter on endlessly about the exhibition, and I was so excited to show it to him. And now that I’d finished work on it, I’d have time to investigate other opportunities . . . opportunities that might be closer to Edinburgh, if not in the city itself. In a way, I was grateful for the distance of the past few months. It had enabled us to move slowly; to get to know each other at a pace we were both comfortable with. But now, after absorbing all I’d learned about my family and adjusting to the huge changes in my life, I was ready to make a move – both professionally and personally. The past was a part of me I could embrace, and I was excited about what the future might hold.
‘I’m so proud of you, Ella.’ Carolyn and Rob came up behind Angus, and I drew them both in for a hug. ‘I’m going to have to organise a school trip for the kids to come here! I know they’d love it.’
I grinned, knowing that, for Carolyn, organising a school trip was the highest endorsement she could give. She was back at work after making a complete recovery from her heart surgery, still driving Rob crazy with her inability to sit still for longer than a second. She’d even recruited me for a nightly power walk on the promenade, and as a result I was in better shape than ever before. She’d become a regular part of my life and I loved our jaunts along the waterfront, whatever the weather. Sometimes we didn’t even talk – it was enough to be doing something together, striding in tandem as the sea stretched out before us.
‘Have you seen Mum?’ I asked, craning my head to try to catch a glimpse of her. ‘Or Bertie?’ Even though I knew he was my father, it still felt odd to call him that. We’d agreed to stick with Bertie for now, but whatever label I used, he did feel like a father figure. We’d had a connection since the day we’d first met.
Mum and Bertie had made the journey down from Edinburgh, where they were now living together in Bertie’s house. Mum had said she didn’t want to waste any more time, and watching them together on one of my recent visits, it seemed like she’d never left. Bertie had his bad days – and we all knew they’d come more frequently as his condition progressed – but right now, they were savouring every moment. They were even talking about getting married in the coming weeks.
Carolyn shook her head. ‘They came in with us, but we lost them somewhere in the crowd. Shall we have a look around for them?’
‘That’s okay,’ I said. ‘I have an idea where they might be. Let me go find them.’ I cut through the crowd, nodding and smiling as people told me how much they were enjoying the exhibition; what a wonderful job we’d done. By the time I spotted Mum and Bertie, just where I suspected they might be, I was bursting with happiness and pride.
I paused for a second, watching them huddle together as they shared a pair of headphones. Their arms were around each other’s waists and their eyes were fixed on a large photo in front of them. I knew without even looking that it was a picture of my mother busking on the promenade, with the pier stretching out in the background. Her cheeks were red, her hair was tousled and her mouth was wide open in song – perhaps the very song they were listening to now, years later, together again at last.
Perhaps the same song that had brought me back to her.
My mother glanced over, as if she sensed me standing there. ‘Ella!’ she said, reaching out towards me. ‘Sorry, we were trying to find you, but then we spotted this.’ She nodded towards the photo, then touched the headphone on her ear. ‘This music . . .’ She shook her head and put a hand to her mouth, unable to continue as tears streaked down her cheeks.
Bertie drew her closer and I laid a hand on her arm. She didn’t need to speak. She didn’t need to say any more. I held her gaze, and I could see into her heart. No barriers and no secrecy existed between us – not any more.
And I knew that, no matter what, she would always be with me.
I knew she would always be here.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank you to everyone who helped bring this book to life: Glynis Smy and Mel Sherratt, the very first people to read it; Sophie Wilson for her invaluable editorial feedback; and the whole team at Amazon for their amazing support over the past few years. Victoria, Bekah, Sana, Sammia and Nicole: thanks! And, as always, thank you to my agent, Madeleine Milburn, for providing such solid guidance and advice.
Finally, thanks to my husband and son for reminding me there’s a world that exists away from my desk!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a master’s in journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing . . . fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.