Page 90 of Merrily Ever After
‘Here you are.’ Delilah perched a tray on the edge of my table and lifted off a tall glass of frothy coffee with a foil-wrapped mint chocolate. ‘For while you’re waiting.’
‘That’s very kind, thank you.’
As I tipped a packet of sugar into my latte, the bell over the door chimed softly and in walked Emily. Her eyes were bright, the tip of her nose red from the cold. She was wearing an emerald-green velvet coat and a thick teal scarf wound several times around her neck.
Emotion welled in my chest at the sight of her and I got to my feet, tears already filling my eyes.
‘Hey. You came.’ Emily did a self-conscious jazz-hands greeting, which was exactly the sort of thing I’d do.
‘I came.’ My smile was so big, I worried I might look manic instead of just happy to see her. ‘How could I not? Your letter is probably the most exciting letter I’ve received in my entire life.’
‘Probably the weirdest too.’ She gave a nervous laugh.
‘Well …’ Outwardly, I’m sure it looked as if I was considering her words; inside, my heart was banging, every nerve ending sparking, my pulse blazing. ‘Weird in an amazing way.’
‘Phew.’ Emily puffed out her cheeks. ‘I was really hoping you’d feel that way.’
‘So,’ I said, slowly just to be sure that this was really happening. ‘Your dad thinks I’m his daughter too?’
I was on the edge of my nerves, elated but scared. I didn’t want to get my hopes up only for them to come crashing down. Emily’s dad had dementia. What if this was just his memory playing tricks with him? What if this led to nothing?
‘Yep.’ A flush rose to her face. ‘But he never mentioned it before he got dementia, so he might not be telling the truth!’
‘But if it is true, we—’ I felt my voice wobble, realising how much I wanted it to be true. ‘We are sisters.’
We stood facing one another. Both wearing cautious smiles, both unsure what to do next. But as I stood there, I felt an overwhelming bond with this woman, as if at cellular level, my DNA was recognising hers.Yes!my cells were saying.We have a match. Bingo!I didn’t know her, not really, but somewhere deep within meI did. It had only been two days since I’d seen her at Springwood House, but on another level, I’d been waiting a lifetime for this.
And then I opened my arms, and she flew into them, and we hugged each other tightly, like we never wanted to let go, and we laughed until tears streamed down our faces. The other people in the café watched us, bemused smiles on their faces as if they too knew something special was happening and they were glad they’d been witnesses to it.
‘Thank you,’ I said, through my tears. ‘Thank you for getting in touch and sending that photograph.’
I pulled back from her so I could see her face.
‘Thankyou,’ she replied. ‘You know, it’s funny, but I liked you instantly when we met. I mean, I liked Nell too. But it was your words that I kept thinking about afterwards. And at that point I had no clue about Dad’s secrets.’
‘That’s strange, because I feel the same.’ I led her back to my table and she slipped into the chair opposite mine, her eyes never leaving my face. ‘Like I said on Saturday, your words really stuck with me about my hen do. If the universe sends you an opportunity to celebrate, take it. That’s what you said.’
‘You remembered it word for word!’ Emily looked delighted. ‘Little did I know then that the universe was going to deliver us both such a curveball.’
‘And then some!’ I said. ‘It felt like you understood me. I loved watching your relationship with your mum too. I lost my mum when I was eleven, but, just recently, organising my wedding has highlighted the gap she left in my life more than ever.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Emily reached for my hand across the table and squeezed it and we just sat there smiling until I got a packet of tissues out and we both mopped our eyes and checked each other’s faces for mascara streaks.
Delilah chose that moment to come over, a hand pressed to her chest. ‘You guys! I don’t know what you’recelebrating, but you’ve got me tearing up behind the counter.’
‘Oh, you know,’ said Emily casually. ‘Just family stuff.’
‘Yeah,’ I joined in. ‘You know what sisters are like when they get going.’
‘Sisters,’ remarked Delilah, shaking her head. ‘I thought you looked alike. What can I get you, lovely?’
‘You think we look alike?’ I asked, pleased she noticed a similarity.
‘Er, yeah?’ Delilah looked at me as if I was bonkers.
Nell had spotted it too, but it had completely passed me by. Emily was fresh-faced and pretty, she had a blunt fringe cut into her blonde hair, whereas mine was all one length – a low-maintenance look, which suited my last-minute approach to hair and make-up.
Emily shrugged off her scarf and coat as she ordered. ‘Gingerbread latte, please, with extra sugar.’
