Page 101 of Any Kind of Life

“What about it?” Hannah sat forward in her seat, twisting her wine glass on the table. “Have you booked it?”

“Kind of. We’ve registered our intention to marry.”

“Oh, that’s great. Don’t you have to get married within a certain time when you do that? Like twelve months or something?”

“We do. We’re planning to get married in five months. The date we met two years ago.” Juliet took Paige’s hand and shifted closer. “It’ll be small. No big do. Just us…and you two. And Edie, of course.”

Hannah’s brows rose. “O-oh. We expected something grand.”

“We…have other plans, and the cost of a huge fancy wedding would certainly be better spent on those other plans.” Paige squeezed Juliet’s hand, giving her the okay to reveal everything.

“Paige and I want to start a family.” Juliet beamed a smile as she revealed what they planned to do. It only had Paige falling in love with her all over again. As she spoke those words to their friends, Paige’s heart soared. “Within the next year or two, providing everything goes well once we book a consultation.”

Hannah and Caz stared back at them. Hannah with a look of disbelief, and Caz with those ever-present tears rolling down her cheeks.

“We will also be selling the apartment,” Juliet said. “I’d like my wife and children to have a bigger home. Something with a gorgeous garden and plenty of space.”

Caz cocked her head, offering Juliet an adorable smile. “That may be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“I want the best for them. For all of us.” Juliet relaxed back against the couch, pulling Paige’s hand into her lap as she did so. “Life has been crazy recently. Whether that was because Paige was away on tour and I was dealing with this place, or the whole Cara wants you dead situation, life has been manic. If I’ve realised anything since that day in here with Cara, it’s that we never know when the end will be here. We never know when that last opportunity to see someone or to tell them how we feel is staring us in the face.”

“Babe.”

“That moment actually came for me. As I stood in this bar, knowing what was coming, I thought about the people I loved. The people who mean the world to me. I thought about everything we’ve achieved in the last year or so and how happy we all were.” Juliet faced Hannah. “I thought about how much your life had changed since you met Caz. I thought about the times I’ve enjoyed being in your home with your gorgeous family and how I’d miss those evenings.”

“Juliet,” Hannah said, lowering her eyes.

“And then you flitted into my mind, Caz.” Juliet smiled in Caz’s direction. “I’ve never seen a woman look at someone the way you look at Hannah. When we first met, I know it was…difficult to let me in. Understandably so. But now? I couldn’t imagine not having you in my life as a very good friend. You’ve pulled me through some rough moments, and I’ll never be able to thank you for that.”

Juliet turned to Paige this time, but Paige already had emotion lodged in her throat. She wasn’t sure she’d make it through whatever Juliet was about to verbalise.

“And you.” Juliet beamed the most beautiful smile. “I have no words for how you make me feel, Paige. All I know is that I’m honoured to be the woman you want to have this future with. That you see me as the person to stand by your side and support you through everything we’re going to face.”

“Babe, I wouldn’t do this with anyone else.”

“You saved my life in more ways than one.” Juliet lifted Paige’s hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I want you to have anything you could ever need.”

Whether they had more to come or not was irrelevant to Paige. Juliet was more than she ever could have hoped for in life. “I already do.”

“This right here.” Juliet cast her gaze around the table. “This is what matters to me. True friendship and people I would trust with my life. Now that I have those things, I want more. I want everything I always dreamed about. It almost wasn’t possible, and now that it is, I’m grabbing it with both hands. This life is…perfect.”

Caz lifted her glass of wine and nodded. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Paige looked over towards the bar. Henry was back, and it was perfect timing. “H. When you’re ready.”

Henry took the bottle of champagne that had been chilling and carried it through the bar to them. He rushed back for glasses, smiling at Paige when she held up her hand. He was included in this, too. She wanted five glasses, not four.

Paige quickly shared the champagne around and stood at the end of the table. “I think Juliet said everything that needed saying. She always has been better with words than me.” Paige winked in Juliet’s direction and lifted her glass. “So, to friendships, love, and found family.”

Henry squeezed Paige’s shoulder, giving her a smile when she briefly looked his way. “Nice one, Paige. That was lovely.”

“I mean it, H. You are a part of this family now. Never forget that.”

Henry wrapped an arm around Paige’s shoulders and nodded. “I appreciate that, and I won’t forget it.”

Juliet knocked on the office door lightly, opening it when Paige called for her to come inside. She sat at the desk, writing something down, her shoulders relaxed. “Sorry, babe. I’ll be out in a sec.”

“Is everything okay?”

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