Page 68 of An Island Promise

Laurie was curled up in the armchair in the reading nook in the living room of her and Ade’s flat in Manchester. Gem was sitting up at the breakfast bar in her kitchen with her back to the patio doors that looked out on to a dark garden, while Belle was in the beanbag lounger in Cara’s courtyard garden with her laptop resting on her knee, the sweltering early August evening making her uncomfortably hot even in shorts and a sleeveless top.

‘The kids are in bed?’ Laurie asked.

‘Only just.’ Gem sighed, picked up a bottle of wine, waggled it in front of the screen then poured herself a large glass. ‘I’m not sure how I managed late nights in Ibiza; I’ve been shattered since I got back.’

‘Have you talked to Diego yet?’ Belle stretched her legs out and picked up her glass of water.

A smile crossed Gem’s lips. ‘We’ve messaged each other a couple of times. Let’s just say we’re taking tentative steps. He’s not told his family about Jack yet, but he will do once the test results come back. He’s not talked to you?’

‘I’ve not seen him.’ At the fluttering in her chest, Belle took a big breath. ‘I’ve barely seen Caleb either till last night…’

‘What happened last night?’ Gem frowned.

‘What didn’t happen.’

Gem popped her glass on the breakfast bar with a thud and leaned closer to the screen. ‘Shut the front door. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’

‘You slept with him?’ Laurie’s delicate voice had gone unnaturally high.

‘That’s exactly what I’m saying.’ All the feelings from the night before and of waking up with Caleb tumbled back.

Acutely aware of her friends’ exclamations, Belle scrambled from the beanbag and retreated inside to sit cross-legged on the sofa while she told them all about the last week, fromCaleb avoiding her to their road trip to La Retirada that had culminated in the best night of her life.

‘Oh Belle, I’m so pleased for you,’ Laurie said with a sigh, the happiness on her face genuine.

‘Me too.’ Gem raised her glass and tipped it towards the screen. ‘You absolutely deserve something this good in your life. And Caleb’ – she whistled long and low – ‘he’s quite a catch. So what happens now? And when the job comes to an end in October?’

Belle held her hand up. ‘I’m not thinking about that. We’re going to take it slowly. There’s a lot to navigate, particularly for him. We have no plans to see each other tonight.’

‘But it’ll happen again, right?’ Gem looked at her aghast. ‘Please tell me last night wasn’t a one-time thing?’

‘Oh, it’s definitely going to happen again.’ Belle smiled. ‘It’s strange though. I’ve been thinking about our first holiday and I realised that without me and Diego happening, I probably would never have met Caleb. Honestly, the reason I wanted to come back to Ibiza wasn’t because of the pact we made but because I was chasing an impossible dream of what I thought my life should have been like.’

‘Well, duh. I could have told you that.’

‘Gem,’ Laurie warned. ‘I think it’s wonderfully romantic that Belle’s found her happy ever after. All these connections and experiences are intertwined in a weird way but they’ve brought the three of us closer together and, even better, brought good things into both of your lives.’

‘It’s true.’ Gem nodded. ‘I never believed I’d ever see Diego again and although I have to be careful how I go about moving forward, life feels hopeful. I honestly haven’t felt this positive in years.’

‘It’s the same for me too. Plus I’ve got some news,’ Laurie said with a smile. ‘It’s not what you think because a miracle has not happened and I’m not pregnant naturally?—’

‘Bet you’re having fun trying though,’ Gem cut in.

‘Actually, yes we are.’ Laurie’s cheeks flushed. ‘I’ve taken your advice about relaxing and not fixating on doing everything by the book. There’s fun in our lives again and we’re both happier. So we’ve decided to delay a third round of IVF until next year so we can just be a normal couple for a while. It’s taken a toll on both of us emotionally, on me physically, not to mention financially, and honestly it’s put a strain on our marriage that I didn’t think was possible. To be so desperate for something while completely overlooking how happy we are together, it just wasn’t healthy or sustainable. So we’re taking a break and we’re going to go away over Christmas. Just the two of us. No parents asking us unhelpful questions. No one to give us well-meaning but misplaced advice on how we can up our chances of getting pregnant – or worse, telling us how they managed it. Nope, we’re not doing any of that. We’re having Christmas on our own in a cosy cabin in the Lake District.’

‘That sounds bloody perfect,’ Gem said.

‘I’m so happy for you both.’ Belle curled her feet beneath her. ‘You have each other and hope. That’s kind of a perfect combo.’

‘Yes,’ Laurie said softly. ‘Hope and positivity are hugely important. And Gem, it sounds like you have that in bucket loads again. You have your spark back.’

‘I’m not the only one.’ Gem jabbed a manicured nail at the screen. ‘Your spark is firing on all cylinders, Belle. Hope for the future, and a man deserving of you, and your happiness.’

43

JANUARY 2019, FOUR YEARS AGO

Solace had only been finished a few months before Paloma had died and at that point she had already been ill. In her last few weeks she’d wanted to stay with her parents in her childhood home to allow her mama to look after her, and so Caleb wouldn’t only have sad memories at Solace. She’d desperately wanted it to be a happy place for him, a home filled with laughter, love and people, but it had felt so empty when she’d left, he’d spent all his time with her at Maria and Juan’s.

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