Page 61 of All Wrapped Up

With Mum and Dad unexpectedly in residence at Rowan Cottage a full twenty-four hours earlier than planned, Ash and I had limited opportunity for further alone time that day.

I did, however, manage to make a trip down to the barn in the evening on the pretext of finalising plans for the festival’s grand finale which was unbelievably happening the next day.

We didn’t do all that much planning, but along with the kissing, we did have a good giggle about Mum and Dad’s impromptu arrival and the subsequent farce that had ensued!

‘I was supposed to be on call tomorrow,’ Ash told me, as I got ready to leave, ‘but Will has switched things to be available himself.’

‘That’s brilliant,’ I smiled. ‘So we can have the whole day together.’

I was pleased about that. As excited as I was about the festival’s big finish, I was feeling rather emotional about it, too.

So much in my life had changed since I had taken it on and along with acknowledging that, I wanted to enjoy every last second and not get too teary.

With Ash by my side, I knew I would be able to achieve both.

‘We can,’ he confirmed. ‘Though not the night, of course. I think it would be a bit of a squeeze at the cottage with all four of us staying there, plus Pixie.’

‘You’re right,’ I agreed. ‘But perhaps I could sneak back here again for a while at some point,’ I suggested, replicating my father’s wriggling eyebrows.

‘As tempting as that sounds,’ Ash laughed, ‘your parents will be gone again before you know it, so I think you should make the most of having them with you.’

‘I know that really,’ I said, as I pulled him close, ‘but I want to make the most of having you, too.’

‘Well,’ he said, lowering his lips to mine and igniting another spark of desire. ‘You’ve got me forever, so there’s plenty of time for us, Clemmie. I’m going nowhere.’

The spark was sadly snuffed as a lump formed in my throat and the memory of hearing words similar to those whispered to me before forced its way in. I tried to swallow the recollection away and smile, but I knew the result was rather wobbly.

‘Sorry,’ I said, still trying to shake the emotion off.

Ash took my hand and led me back to the sofa where he sat me down. He then looked at me seriously and I wondered what was coming.

‘I need to ask you to do something for me, Clemmie,’ he began softly. ‘Is that okay?’

‘Of course.’

With my hand still in his, he looked deep into my eyes.

‘I know,’ he said, after a beat had passed, ‘that you must be feeling scared and all kinds of vulnerable and that memories of conversations you had with Callum and the loving words you spoke to one another must be springing up all over the place now we’re together.’

Tears filled my eyes and there was nothing I could do to halt their progress as they streamed slowly down my face.

‘And I don’t want you to suppress any of that, okay?’ Ash continued. ‘Trying to pretend that those words were never said or even that you don’t think about Callum anymore, would be exhausting, so please, don’t do that.’

I nodded as more tears came.

‘I want you to know that I am fully aware that Callum will always have a place in your heart, that a part of you will always be attached to him and that you’ll always love him. I would never ask you to switch him out for me. There’s room for both of us, okay?’

‘Okay,’ I whispered.

‘And I also want you to, but only if you want to, tell me when the tough days will be, birthdays, anniversaries, all of it. What you’ve experienced has shaped you, Clemmie, and I would be a pretty crap partner if I didn’t acknowledge that.’

I looked into his eyes and wondered what I’d done to deserve such a magnificent man entering my life.

‘My god, Ash,’ I sobbed. ‘How did you get to be so amazing?’

‘I’m not amazing,’ he said, drawing me to him. ‘I just want to have the best possible life with you and be the very best person for you, that I can be.’

‘Well,’ I sniffed, ‘in my book, that does make you amazing.’

I knew my eyes were still red and puffy when I arrived home and seeing the look that passed between Mum and Dad when I walked in, I also knew I needed to explain why I had been crying. Mum shed a tear when I told her and Dad was misty-eyed, too.

‘He’s a keeper, Clem,’ Dad said, squeezing my hand.

‘He certainly is,’ I agreed, while Mum blew her nose.

‘That was a truly genuine heart to heart,’ Mum sniffed.

‘It was,’ I agreed.

‘And you know,’ Dad then smiled wryly, ‘we knew you hadn’t really gone to see him to talk about tomorrow.’

‘How did you work that out?’ I gasped.

‘You left your clipboard and notebook here,’ Dad said, with a nod to the table.

‘I’m an idiot,’ I laughed. ‘Now, shall I put the kettle on?’

Mum and Dad shared another look and Dad nodded.

‘What is it?’ I asked.

‘Well,’ said Mum, as she reached down the side of the chair for her handbag, ‘as we’re traversing emotional territory, it feels like the ideal time to give you this.’

She pulled out a letter and held it out for me to take.

‘It’s from Jill and Colin,’ Dad said unnecessarily because I recognised Jill’s handwriting. ‘I saw Colin a couple of days ago and told him your lovely news, and that evening, this was posted through the door.’

I turned it over and started to open it.

‘You don’t have to read it now,’ Mum rushed to say.

‘I want to,’ I told her. ‘Like you said, we’re navigating emotional territory, so…’

‘As long as you’re sure?’ Dad asked.

‘I am,’ I told him.

I pulled out the single sheet of notepaper and took a deep breath.

‘?“Our dearest, Clemmie,”?’ I slowly and steadily read aloud. ‘?“This is without doubt one of the happiest letters I have written in a very long time.”?’

I felt Dad move closer to where Mum was sitting and kept my eyes on the paper.

‘?“Your wonderful news has given us so much joy and we want you to know that we’re absolutely delighted for you. We have always hoped that you would find love again and now that you finally have, we couldn’t be any happier.

You were such a wonderful wife to Callum.

”?’ At this point my voice started to wobble and I had to take another breath.

‘?“And we know that you would have his heartfelt blessing. We’re sending you and Ash all the love in the world with these words and hope that you’ll keep in touch. With love, Jill and Colin.”?’

‘They’re right,’ Mum said, her words catching as I handed her the note. ‘You were a wonderful wife to Callum.’

‘And you do deserve so much happiness,’ swallowed Dad.

‘I definitely will keep in touch,’ I responded, ‘and perhaps one day, we’ll all meet again.’

‘I’m sure they’d love that,’ said Dad, as Mum passed him the letter. ‘Now, how about you put this somewhere safe, my love?’

‘I have just the place,’ I said, thinking of the box in the wardrobe.

‘And I’ll go and put the kettle on,’ Dad offered.

‘My goodness,’ Mum smiled. ‘Wonders will never cease!’

We all laughed and the mood, even though it hadn’t felt particularly sombre, lifted back to what it had happily been when they arrived.

The next day, the last day of the first Wynbridge Autumn Festival, dawned sunny and cold.

It was perfect weather for spending the day outside and celebrating the season.

Especially when there were such wonderful shops and the pub and café to warm up in.

Every spot on the market was filled and I made a point of introducing Mum to Bella because I knew she’d love her fairies as much as I did.

Dad found a friend in Jason and while Ash and I showed Mum further around the town, they went off to the pub for a lunchtime pint.

‘You’re looking rosy,’ I laughed, when Dad came to find us just ahead of the time when Lizzie and I would be making our ‘farewell to the festival’ speech.

I had been terrified by the prospect of public speaking the day we launched, but looking around the town that day, seeing it so beautifully dressed thanks to the efforts of the whole community and recognising so many friendly and familiar faces, I wasn’t fazed at all.

‘I only had one pint,’ Dad grinned. ‘But it was some guest ale, and I think it was a little on the strong side.’

‘In that case,’ said Mum, ‘I’ll definitely be driving us back.’

Ash, Pixie and I had come to town in the Land Rover, but Mum said it was too high for her to climb in and out of so she and Dad had followed on behind in their car.

‘So,’ said Lizzie, as she came over to join us. ‘Are you ready, Clemmie?’

‘I am,’ I told her, still carrying the air of confidence I wouldn’t have thought possible just a few weeks ago. ‘But first, can I introduce you to my mum and dad?’

‘You certainly can,’ she smiled.

‘So, we’ve you to thank for getting Clemmie involved with all this, have we?’ Dad asked, his voice carrying further than usual because of the lunchtime tipple, once I’d said her name.

‘Not really,’ Lizzie laughed. ‘It’s me and everyone else in town who has to thank Clemmie for taking it on. Had she not put herself forward,’ I gasped at that, ‘after some mild encouragement,’ she then added sheepishly, ‘the festival would never have happened.’

‘And that would have been a tragedy,’ said Ash. ‘I honestly don’t know how you’ve managed to pull it all off in such a short amount of time, Clem.’

I felt myself turning warm under his and Lizzie’s praise and loosened my scarf.

‘I’ve pulled it off because everyone was so willing to pitch in,’ I pointed out. ‘Everyone who could offer to do something has and of course, I’ve had the best deputy in the business to help me every step of the way.’

Ash wouldn’t accept that.

‘I haven’t been able to do as much as I would have liked,’ he shrugged.

‘You’ve done loads,’ I reassured him. ‘But don’t worry, if you’re feeling like there’s more you could have done, you’ll get your chance next year.’

He laughed at that and Dad nudged him, but I wasn’t joking and Ash knew it.