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Rather subdued, we waited to be called forward.
‘This is it then,’ I said, ‘we’re off home again. It feels like it’s been ages, doesn’t it? We’ve had quite an adventure.’
‘In more ways than one,’ Diana agreed.
‘You know you’re going to tell me eventually,’ I said.
‘And maybe I won’t,’ she said with a little smirk. ‘I hope Colin will be there to meet us when we get back to Heathrow.’
‘Or Craig,’ I said, and Diana giggled.
The plane was only ten minutes late leaving Athens, and I looked out of the window rather wistfully as we soared into the blue sky. Over buildings, roads and houses filled with Greek people getting on with their lives. And then distant mountains and the vibrant blue of the Mediterranean far below us now, when once it had been so close. It had taken us ten days to get there and would take only four hours to get back.
I wondered how Eddy had got on with the new patio. Had he finished it and was he happy with what he had achieved? Was he even then hastily clearing away piles of beer cans and fast-food containers? Had he missed me as I had missed him?
I felt a little leap of excitement inside at the thought of seeing him again. Somehow it seemed a very long time since I had seen him. And perhaps that was true in every sense of the word. Perhaps he had just become a fixture, someone who was always there without me actually seeing him. That would have to change – after decades of work, both of us deserved more than that.
‘I wonder how Evelyn is getting on,’ Diana said. ‘I hope she finds someone fun to talk to.’
‘I’m sure she will,’ I said, ‘after all, she found us. And perhaps Evelyn makes her own fun. That’s what we should do.’
We landed at Heathrow in the early afternoon and of course it was raining. The cloud cover dense over London, hiding the views until the last minute. And then there were more buildings and houses and people, and then we landed.
We made our way through security, me with the usual feeling that I was going to be stopped and searched, but nothing happened and then we trundled our bags to the exit, both wondering if Colin/Craig would be there, and if he was, would we recognise him.
We needn’t have worried. As we came through the arrivals gate, there was someone holding a huge balloon with Welcome Home written on it, and it wasn’t Colin/Craig at all. It was Eddy.
‘What are you doing here?’ I gasped.
Eddy grinned. ‘Well, I thought it might be fun to give you a surprise. I got in touch with the radio station and told them I’d be collecting you, and not to bother with the driver. They want to interview you both by the way, so get your stories straight. Had a good time?’
‘Yes, I’ve got such a lot to tell you,’ I said, and then I burst into tears.
‘Come here, you daft bat,’ he said, grinning the same smile he always did.
Eddy hugged me, and the helium balloon slipped out of his grasp and floated up to the high ceiling where I expect it stayed for quite a while. I liked the thought of it being there, like a marker for the day when I started my life again.
Standing in his arms felt marvellous. The roughness of his tweed jacket under my hands, the same scent of soap and sandalwood aftershave. And at the moment, I really did feel as though I had come home.
26
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
Well, it’s the afternoon of Christmas Eve, and when I look back at the past year, such a lot has changed for us and for me. For the better, I might add.
Diana and I had a Zoom call from Evelyn late last night. She and her sister were wishing us a Merry Christmas and I think they were indeed a bit merry. She is still in Australia and was sitting at the kitchen table in Wendy’s kitchen. Evelyn was wearing a funny little round hat with an airline logo pinned to the side, and Wendy was sporting a jaunty cap, perched over one eye, much faded and battered with age, but still quite sweet.
‘We’re having such fun,’ Evelyn said. ‘I hope you are too?’
‘Damn right, we are,’ Diana said.
I looked over at my sister and saw it was true. She has a new sparkle to her these days, something between self-belief and not caring what other people think of her. Of the two, I think that’s the more important one.
Sam and Fizz were married at eleven o’clock this morning, against all advice from people who thought there would be snow or gales or whatever, in the Great Hall of the MacLeods’ castle.
There is a massive tree covered in white decorations, and white candles on every surface, and great swags of holly winding up the staircase. It looks magical. There are caterers making a great deal of fuss and clatter in the kitchen.
In the end it was quite a small gathering, with family and a few friends. They are planning a bigger celebration in the summer when I expect there will be a marquee and probably a ceilidh. Tomorrow there will be a big Christmas Day party, and another enormous meal. Perhaps then it will snow, and the mountains and forests around this place will be even more beautiful.
