Page 34 of After the Red Carpet
Charlotte furrowed her brow. “You can’t ask people that.”
“They’re not random people. It’s Finn and Ella,” he replied with a shrug. “You had your iconic engagement and perfect wedding, but when can we expect to have some little Forresters scampering about?”
“You have to admit, you two would make the cutest babies ever,” Willow remarked.
“Hey, now. You all know my wife scares easily,” Finn said with a chuckle.
Everyone laughed, including Ella.
“Come on, you both seem like you’d be great parents. Hell, if I can do it, you sure can. Do you want children?” Michael asked.
“We would love to have a family. As for when, that will be up to Ella. She’ll let me know when she’s ready. So, until then, back the fuck off,” Finn said with a laugh.
Michael raised his glass.
Suddenly, Willow started sniffling.
“Are you okay?” Charlotte asked gently, resting a caring hand on Willow’s shoulder.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” Willow replied, wiping her eyes. “I didn’t mean to bring down the table. It’s just that I love it when we all get together. When we were in Sweden, you all became like a family to me in a way. I just really wish Albie were here.”
“We all feel that way,” Charlotte said. “In a way, he is here. After all, we’re here for his big award tomorrow night. So really, he’s brought us together again.”
“I have an idea. Remember in Sweden when we’d play some of my go-around-the-table games?” Ella asked.
“Yeah, baby,” Finn said as the others nodded.
“How about we take turns and each say one thing we remember about Albie? It can be anything, somethingheartfelt or silly. Let’s celebrate what he meant to us all before the whole world is in on it tomorrow night.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll go first,” Willow said. “Albie took me seriously as an actress. He praised my performance and said I had a wonderful career ahead, if I made artistic choices. That was a real turning point for me. His advice and confidence in me changed my life. He also told me not to take shit from anyone, and that’s come in handy too.”
They burst into laughter.
“That reminds me of a time years ago,” Jean said, absentmindedly running his finger along the rim of his glass. “We were on a shoot in Barcelona. Albie was in the dining room, playing a tune on the piano, as he so often did. I started giving him notes about his performance on set that day, telling him about my plans for reshoots the next day. He stopped playing, looked at me, and said, ‘I’m off the clock. Grab a drink or bugger off.’ Then he went right back to playing,” Jean said.
Michael laughed so hard, he spit his drink across the room. “Okay, guess it’s my turn. I remember one night in Sweden, when everyone else had gone up to bed, Albie and I stayed for one last drink. One turned into a few. Let’s just say, that old geezer drank me under the table. It was embarrassing.”
When the group settled down, Charlotte said, “I hate to spoil the fun, but I had so many tender moments with Albie over the years. He was a mentor to me. The first play we did together, God, I was standing in the wings on opening night, shaking like a leaf. He came over, patted my hand, and looked into my eyes with such reassurance. He handed me a penny and said, ‘Lucky penny. I always keep one of these in my pocket. If I get nervous on stage, I rub it. Calms me right down. I know a talented woman like you doesn’t need those tricks, but take it so I won’t feel so alone.’” She stopped to take a breath as her eyes welled up. “To this day, whenever I’m on set, I keep a penny in my pocket.”
Finn nodded knowingly. “He was such a generous actor. He gave you so much to work with and so much encouragement to really push yourself. He knew how honored I felt acting alongside him—it was the highlight of my career. After one of our big scenes, we were walking back to our trailers and he said, ‘I could hardly keep up with you.’ In truth, it had been the other way around, but he was being kind.” He turned to Ella and asked, “What about you, sweetheart? What’s your fondest memory?”
“I have so many, it’s impossible to choose. But I’ll never forget when we all celebrated his last birthday, watching him savor each bite of that blueberry tart and the look on his face when he told us how he fell for Margaret. Such a romantic for a crusty old bird.” They laughed and she continued, “He told me many times that love is all that matters. ‘Love, Ella. Love.’ I’ll never forget those words.”
Finn rubbed her arm, and she smiled at him.
Jean raised his glass. “To Albie, for teaching us all a little something about love.”
“To Albie!”
FINN AND ELLA STROLLED DOWN THElong red carpet at the famed Royal Albert Hall, arm in arm behind the rest of theCelebrationteam.
“Somehow I’ve never been here before,” Finn said.
“Well, you’re in for a treat. It’s extraordinary inside. Concerts here are wonderful.”
“I’ll have to get us tickets sometime.”
“Funny story about how this place came to be. Prince Albert wanted to create a hall to celebrate the arts and sciences, to bring culture to the people. He died before it was completed, and Queen Victoria insisted it should be named after him. They even wove the letterAinto thestairway railings. Then of course she had that obscenely pricey gold memorial statue created outside, across the road from the hall. She spent the rest of her life wearing black, to show her deep mourning.”
