“About that,” I said, ready to explain there was never going to be any wedding for a second time.
“I’ve asked Holly…” Fin looked at me nervously, “…to come with me.”
Mum and Dad stared at him aghast. “But you leave in a week,” they both said.
“I do,” he replied.
“And are you going with him?” Dad asked me.
Fin shifted to the edge of his seat, evidently wanting to know the answer to that question too.
I looked at Fin direct. “Yes.”
“You are?” Fin asked, appearing both surprised and relieved.
“You are?” Mum and Dad said.
I smiled at Fin. “I am.”
“Fantastic.” Fin couldn’t seem to stop grinning, his gaze not leaving mine.
“That is good news,” Dad said.
“It certainly is,” Mum said.
“Excuse me?” Frowning in confusion, I immediately turned my attention to my parents. “Are you for real?” I thought about my Caribbean holiday and the response it had received. While Dad might have understood the reasons behind it, Mum hadn’t at all. The guilt trip I’d been put through every time I spoke to her had been unbearable. After the way she’d gone on, I’d expected at least some dissent on her part.
“Like you keep saying,” Mum said. “You need some excitement and adventure in your life.”
“Not too much adventure, mind,” Dad said, looking at Fin. “We all know what some of these TV people are like.”
“Don’t worry, Holly’s safe with me,” Fin said.
“So is that where you’ll be getting married?” Mum asked. “In America.” She turned to Dad, giving him a quick tap on the knee. “We’ve never been to America, have we?”
I yet again opened my mouth to tell my parents the truth about that to find myself yet again prevented.
“We haven’t decided yet,” Fin said.
“We haven’t?” I asked, wondering what the man was talking about.
“To be honest, Holly hasn’t really agreed to marry me yet.”
“But I thought…” Mum turned her attention to me. “Why not?” she asked.
Fin had a glint in his eye as he also looked my way. “As marriage proposals go, apparently mine was sorely lacking.”
I almost laughed as I remembered our conversation that morning. Fin had either taken my words out of context or I’d been one hundred per cent right.
I swallowed hard as I watched Fin get up from his seat and walk towards me. He transfixed me with his gaze as he got down on one knee. “What is he doing?” I thought to myself. Fin’s behaviour was not in the script I’d mentally prepared.
“Holly Noelle,” Fin said. “I fell in love with you the moment I saw you.” He smiled. “Even with all that mascara smudged down your face.”
I heard Mum gasp. “Joe, look. He’s proposing. Again.”
“And while you probably won’t believe me,” Fin continued. “I knew there and then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.” He took my hands. “Which is why, Holly Noelle, I’m asking you to marry me?”
Tears welled in my eyes and my heart raced as I let out a nervous giggle. Feeling like all my Christmases had come at once, I wondered if I was dreaming.
Fin willed me to say something.
“Yes,” I said, by then in danger of snivelling. “I will marry you.”
I heard Mum squeal in delight as Fin stood up to pull me out of the chair and onto my feet. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
“I’m sure,” I said, whispering back.
He leaned down to give me a long lingering kiss and forgetting all about my parents for a moment I melted in his arms.
“This calls for another drink,” Dad said, interrupting the moment.
I giggled again as Fin and I, at last, separated.
“I love you, Holly Noelle,” Fin said.
“I love you too, Finlay McCormack.”
“Care to join me, Fin?” Dad asked.
“Thank you, Joseph,” he replied. “I think I will.”
“Oh, come here, you two,” Mum said. Jumping up from her seat, she threw her arms around us in a wonderful trio hug. “This really is the best Christmas ever.”
Accepting Mum’s embrace, I couldn’t agree more.
39
New Year’s Eve
It had been a busy few days getting ready for our departure to the US. I’d packed and re-packed my suitcase over and over again, feeling sure I’d left something important out on each occasion. I’d had to hand my notice in at work, not that I’d been able to give any. Ruth, my manager, had been great about that. She’d said, “I don’t suppose you’ll need it, Holly, but if you ever do, there’ll always be a job for you at the bookshop.”
The worst part of leaving had been saying goodbye to Annie. As expected, we both cried buckets and while she threatened Fin with bodily harm if he failed to look after me, I sought assurances from Emma and Josh that they would look after Annie in return. Me and my friend agreed to video call at least once a month to update each other on wedding plans and grandchild news. To say I was going to miss that woman was an understatement.
Sitting with Fin in the airport café, I couldn’t believe how quickly the time to leave had come around. I was about to start a whole new chapter in life, a step that felt both exciting and challenging at the same time.
“Are you okay?” Fin asked. Reaching over to take my hand, he obviously saw I was nervous.
I looked at my watch. “I’m just wondering where they’ve all got to,” I said, checking the doors for the gazillionth time.
“They’ll be here,” Fin said, demonstrating a tad more confidence than me.
“It would be just like them to miss a turning and end up at the wrong terminal,” I said, wondering why Mum, Dad, Vee and Mitch hadn’t arrived yet. The thought of boarding the plane without seeing them was enough to bring a lump to my throat. “I knew we should have said our goodbyes last night.”
Fin gazed at me, concerned. “I know you’re going to miss them. You have a wonderful family and if I were in your shoes I’d feel the same.” He chuckled. “In fact, strike that. I do feel the same. I might have only met them a week ago, but they’ve certainly made an impression.”
I let out a laugh, thinking about how eccentric we all were. “We Noelles have a habit of doing that.”
“But you are looking forward to this, aren’t you? You don’t have any regrets about coming with me?”
I looked back at Fin, mortified that he might think such a thing. “Of course I don’t have any regrets. The fact that you wanted me to come might have been a shock to the system, but now… I love you, Fin. It’s as simple as that. And where you go, I go.”
Fin smiled at me, his eyes full of the intensity I’d grown used to. He squeezed my fingers. “I love you too.”
“There they are!” I heard Dad’s voice say. “I hope we haven’t cut it too fine.”