Beyond the Skyline

by Lise Gold

  “Some do. But only the great cooks in my family know how to cook fantastic food on intuition alone. My mother still follows my grandmother’s recipes to the T and treats them like science. He winked at Eleanor. “So compliments to you.” Eleanor beamed, and Sophie noticed how she was able to look him straight in the eyes.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll take that.’ Sophie started to relax. Despite the fact that she was lying through her teeth, her mother hadn’t said anything to insult Mel or Roberto yet. And maybe she wouldn’t. She tried to divert the subject back to her mother again to keep it that way.

  “So Mum, what did you do today?” Eleanor looked at her suspiciously. It was a question Sophie rarely asked her mother because quite frankly, Eleanor’s life was as predictable as a wasp on speed and she always knew exactly what her mother was up to.

  “Well,” Eleanor started. “It’s Friday, so I went to Partridges get some groceries for the weekend. It’s been ever so busy there lately, so I went early this morning. After that, I met Deborah for lunch at Nola in Fulham. They serve lovely diet friendly dishes there, all fresh and organic. Deborah couldn't believe her luck when she realized the whole menu was gluten free.” She cleared her throat and passed a shifty look from Mel to Sophie and back. “She was very pleased to tell me that Aldo finally brought a young lady home. Her name is Estelle, and apparently, he’s quite smitten with her.” Sophie grinned.

  “Great,” she said. “I’m happy for him.” Mel nodded.

  “Yes. Good for him. He seems like a …” She hesitated. “He seems like a nice guy.” Eleanor rolled her eyes.

  “No need to play polite, girls. I know how you both feel about him.” She made an attempt to fold her lips around a bite of salad but missed and sighed in frustration. “We also talked about the two of you. And about Stewart and Roberto. I told her you were all coming for dinner tonight.” She glanced around the table and settled on her husband, who gave her an encouraging nod to continue. “Deborah said she was very impressed by Mel and that she would love to meet Roberto too, but I told her that tonight was just for us.” Sophie’s jaw dropped, and she turned to Stewart, who looked every bit as surprised. He bent over the table and put a hand on his mother’s.

  “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “For not sticking your head in the sand again. I’ll be honest, I had little hope this day would ever come, but I’m so glad we’re all here now.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m proud of you, Mum.” Eleanor looked down at her plate.

  “Don’t say that,” she sniffed. “I haven’t handled this well. I…”

  “It’s okay, Mum,” Stewart interrupted her. “We know you’re sorry and we know you were just doing what you thought was right. Let’s talk about this another time and enjoy the evening.” Eleanor nodded and straightened her dress, suddenly snapping back into her role.

  “Fine,” She said. “Another time would be better, I suppose.” She turned to Mel. “So tell me, Mel, how is your mother after her operation? Sophie told me she came home a couple of days ago.” Mel held her wine glass up for Sophie’s father to refill it.

  “She’s doing alright, thank you for asking. It will take a while before she’s recovered, but she’s starting her therapy next week, and hopefully, she’ll be able to move back to her apartment or even do her own grocery shopping again in a couple of months’ time.” Eleanor smiled.

  “That’s good to hear, Mel. Please send her our regards.” Sophie squeezed Mel’s knee under the table. Although they were all still on edge, it was going better than expected.

  “And what about your parents, Roberto?” Sophie’s father asked. “Do they live in the U.K.?” Roberto shook his head.

  “No, they are still in Italy. I visit them twice a year, but they’ve never been over here.” He laughed. “But that’s okay. Italian families can be quite full-on, and I’m not sure if I could handle having them in my tiny apartment.” He bent forward and lowered his voice. “I suspect they might not be human. I don’t remember a time I’ve ever seen them go to sleep. They’re still up when I go to bed, drinking and gossiping, and they’re up when I wake up, complaining that I’m the last one to join for breakfast.” He made wild hand gestures while he was talking. “My uncles and aunties and their children all live in the same street, and they gather in my parents’ garden on weekends. I’m always exhausted after my holiday.” They all laughed. Sophie’s father cleared his throat.

  “And your parents, how do they feel about…” He wiggled his finger from Stewart to Roberto and back. “The eh… the situation?” Roberto cocked his head.

  “You mean about the fact that I’m gay?” David Scott blushed.

  “Yes, exactly that,” he stammered. Roberto sighed dramatically.

  “Well, I’m not going to lie, it hasn’t been easy growing up gay in an Italian Catholic family. Especially in a small village. It was always quite obvious with me, so I was teased a lot at school. People aren’t as accepting in my hometown as they are here in London, although it was a long time ago. Things might have changed now with the younger generations. My mother knows, and she chooses to ignore it. She never asks me about my love life, but at least she has stopped trying to set me up with women. We get along well though.” He winked at Eleanor, who winced at the remark. “But my father, he doesn’t really speak to me. I’ve tried to rekindle our relationship after I told him I would never settle down with a woman but he’s still very uncomfortable with it. It’s like he doesn’t know how to behave around me anymore.” He shrugged. “I don’t expect it to change. I’m his only son, and he’s an Italian working class man. What can I say? To him, I’m a disappointment, and I’ve learned to live with that.” Eleanor and David nodded, looking down at their plates. There was an awkward silence and an uncomfortable exchange of glances. Sophie was glad when her father took charge.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Roberto. I haven’t exactly handled this in the best way either, but I promise you that I’ll do my best to make you feel welcome here and I really hope your father comes around eventually.” He pushed his chair back and stood up with his wine glass raised. Stewart and Sophie both stared at him. He looked vulnerable and nervous. The sweat marks under his armpits had spread into two large stains on his white shirt, and his neck was red and blotchy. He cleared his throat.

  “For now,” he looked around the table, “I would like to thank you all for being here tonight, to celebrate Sophie’s new job.” He turned to Sophie. “Sophie, I know I don’t show it very often, but I’m very proud of you.” Sophie swallowed and tried to hold back her tears. Her father shook his head. “I must admit, I wasn’t supportive of your career choice initially. I always hoped at least one of my children would study medicine and take over my practice.” He paused and looked from Stewart to Sophie and back. “But you both chose to work in fields where your passion lies. I respect that, and I’m glad you have fun in what you do.” He laughed. “I wish I could say the same thing for myself, but I’m afraid I did exactly what I always expected the two of you to do. I followed in my father’s footsteps.” He grinned. “Even though I really wanted to be a jazz musician.” Mel laughed, lightening the mood.

  “You can still do that, David. It’s never too late.” David smiled at her, clearly amused.

  “Thank you, Mel. I’ve been thinking about it, but unfortunately, my wife won’t let me retire.” Eleanor shot him a fierce look, but she raised her glass too, along with the rest of them. They all clinked glasses.

  “To Sophie’s new job.” Sophie smiled and tried not to get emotional. Words of praise were rare, coming from her father.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You have no idea what it means to me that we can all sit here around this table and be civilized.” She paused. “I have some more good news.” She took a letter out of her back pocket and folded it out. “This arrived today.” She turned to Mel and showed her the letter. Mel took it, glanced over it and gasped.

  “Oh my God, you did it!” She gave Sophie a kiss on her
cheek. “I can’t believe you did it. He’s going to be so happy!” She handed the letter to Eleanor, who looked slightly concerned with the upheaval.

  “I adopted a dog from Hong Kong,” Sophie explained. Do you remember Buba, the dog I wouldn’t stop talking about two years ago?” Stewart nodded and rolled his eyes, laughing.

  “How could I forget? You were like a new mother pestering me about her baby.” Sophie grinned.

  “Shut up Stewart. He’s mine now, so you haven’t heard the end of it yet. The letter confirming his adoption arrived this morning. He’s a very sweet seven-year-old boy in case you forgot. He’ll be here in six weeks so you’d better get ready for dog-sitting during my business trips.” She winked at Roberto, who seemed genuinely excited about the prospect.

  “I love dogs!” He shouted. “If Stewart’s not up for it, I am.” Eleanor’s eye twitched. She handed the letter to her husband.

  “Are you sure it’s safe to adopt a dog from a country like that? I mean, he might have a disease or fleas, or he might be aggressive or...” David nudged her.

  “Stop worrying, Eleanor. I’m sure Sophie knows what she’s doing.” He put the letter down. “Congratulations Sophie. I suppose that makes me some kind of Grandfather.” Then he laughed and turned to his wife. “And you know what that makes you, right Eleanor?”

  “Do you want to come home with me?” Mel asked after they left had said their goodbyes.

  “I just need to get my mother a takeaway on the way home.” She laughed. “I’ll understand if you need some time for yourself.” Sophie shook her head.

  “Absolutely not. In fact, I think I prefer your place to my own. I mean, there’s you, of course. I love waking up next to you. But it’s also really nice to have a coffee on your patio in the morning. And I like the sound of the market from your bedroom window.” She laughed. “And your cuter-than-cute fairy light ceiling.” Mel smiled and took her hand as they walked towards the tube station.

  “Well, I happen to like you place too.” Sophie raised an eyebrow.

  “What do you like about it?”

  “I like your fancy coffee machine.” Mel giggled. “And your Jacuzzi bath and your view. Not to mention that it’s only twenty minutes from work and it gives me an extra hour in bed in the morning. I guess together we’ve got the best of both worlds.” She tightened her grip on Sophie’s hand and sighed. “That went really well, didn’t it?” Sophie nodded.

  “It did. My parents surprised me.” She planted a fleeting kiss on Mel’s cheek. “You know, I feel like it’s all going to be all right.”

  “Me too. I had a good time.” Mel’s face turned more serious. “I don’t want to freak you out, but I need you to know that I love you, Sophie.” She looked down and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I just had to say it. I hope it…”

  “I love you too,” Sophie whispered. Mel’s words had not surprised her, but they had left a warm glow and a feeling of peace and happiness on her mind that was entirely new to her. She pulled Mel closer and smiled, trying to capture the moment. The warm summer breeze felt soothing on her skin, and it carried the scent of freshly cut grass, chip shops and stale ale from the pubs. The sun was setting over Sloan Square, highlighting the Venus Fountain and the War Memorial. There was laughter coming from the sidewalk restaurants where people were enjoying a late dinner with generous amounts of wine. And then there was Mel, beside her. And she wasn’t going anywhere.

  Epilogue

  Sophie waited by the harbor, leaning over the railing facing the Hong Kong skyline. In front of her, hundreds of colored laser lights were dancing to the rhythm of classical music. They parted in different directions, lighting up the sky in an array of dreamy rainbow shades. It was eight o’clock in the evening, and the Symphony of Lights had just started.

  “Sweets! Here!” The voice still made Sophie go weak in the knees. She turned around, searching for Mel in the crowd. Her heart jumped when she spotted her, wading through the sea of people watching the light show. Mel approached her with the biggest grin on her face. Sophie closed her eyes at the touch of Mel’s arms around her waist and smiled.

  “Finally.” She hugged Mel back and sighed, savoring the contact. “Two weeks is so long without you.” She took a step back and studied Mel’s face, running her hand through the thick, curly hair. It felt surreal. “I can’t believe we’re both here again.”

  “I’ve missed you,” Mel said, kissing her lightly on the lips. “I was going mad at home without you. It’s so quiet.”

  “I’ve missed you more,” Sophie laughed, surprised at her own soppy reaction. “And Buba of course. How is my good boy doing?”

  “Not too pleased with the fact that we’re both gone, but he’ll be okay. He slept in front of the door for the first two days waiting for you, but he eventually decided that the bed was more comfortable.” She held out her phone. “I just spoke to the dog sitter, and he said Buba’s been a total diva so far, refusing to eat anything other than cooked chicken.” They both laughed and turned to the harbor. The sky lit up each time the music went staccato, drawing gasps from the audience around them. Mel giggled and put an arm around Sophie.

  “So, here we are again. How’s your trip been so far?” Sophie shook her head.

  “Nothing like last time we were here together, but it’s been okay. What about you? How’s the new designer? Did you guys bond on the flight?” Mel shrugged.

  “Just like the last one. He’s lovely, but I don’t think he’ll be able to handle the workload.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m trying to help him out as much as I can though. I think it’s become apparent to everyone that you were quite the trooper.” She laughed. “I’m thinking of hiring a part-time designer to help him out, so he won’t take off too. But the good thing is, he’s got a love interest here so at least I won’t have to entertain him. We’ve got three full nights all to ourselves.”

  “Sounds like a dream,” Sophie said. “I’ll take you out for dinner tonight. How’s your hotel? It’s not too far from here, right?” Mel shook her head and pointed at a building a couple of blocks from the harbor. “I did some research,” Sophie continued. “I believe my hotel has the biggest pool and yours has the biggest roof garden. They both have endless opportunities for making out in all the wrong places.” She laughed. “And I still owe you dance movie night. So where do you want to go?” Mel had a mischievous look on her face as she searched for something in her pocket.

  “How about neither?” she said. “I happen to have a fabulous penthouse suite for the coming two nights because we might have something to celebrate.” Sophie frowned at the enticing offer.

  “Silly, you didn’t have to do that.” She glanced at Mel who was now holding a box in her hand. It was too dark in the crowd to work out what it was, but when she opened it, everything around her came to a halt at the sight of something glistening. A ring. Mel went down on her knees, and as the people around them started to realize what was going on, they moved over, giving her space. Sophie’s legs turned to jelly, and she stared at Mel in disbelief. Mel sighed.

  “I’m so nervous,” she giggled, looking up at Sophie. “Sorry for laughing but I can’t help it. It’s too nerve wracking.” She held up the box. “Sophie. I love you so much, and I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. I think it’s only right to do it in the place where it all began and I don’t care if the whole world is watching. I’m so proud to be your girlfriend. I’ve never felt a connection like I have with you.” She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I want to be with you forever, and I can only hope that you want that too. Please don’t feel pressured. If it’s too soon, I’ll understand, and we can carry on having a great time together… But you’d make me so happy if you say yes to being my wife. Will you please marry me?”

  Sophie was shaking all over, but a big smile spread across her face. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do so she went down on her knees too, facing Mel. They were surrounded by people, but the noise had subsided. The music
was building up to an epic finale, raising the volume with each violin solo. Sophie looked up at the strangers around them, holding their breath for her to answer. Tears rolled over her cheeks when she looked into Mel’s eyes.

  “Yes,” she said, reaching out her hand. “Of course I’ll marry you.” The excitement on Mel's face was just as explosive as the music. She took Sophie's hand and kissed it, before sliding the ring on her finger. She was laughing, her eyes filled with tears. The crowd burst into joyous cries, clapping and cheering. When they kissed, the cheering became louder, along with the trombones in the last bars. Sophie broke the kiss and smiled, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

  “I'm all yours.” She barely managed to speak, but it was enough.

  “I’m all yours.”

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I’d like to say a very special thank you to my wife, for helping me out in the early stages of this book and for being patient with me when I’m so engrossed in a project that I forget everything else around me. You’ve been supportive and helpful and I don’t like to admit it, but you always outsmart me :) Also, a huge thank you to Daisy Ferris, my editor, for being so honest and flexible. You’re the best!

  Also by Lise Gold

  Lily’s Fire (2017)