Page 117 of Broken Beyond Repair

Rhona sidled up beside her daughter and hooked a loose strand of her long hair behind her ear. “You look so beautiful. He would have been so proud of everything you’ve achieved.”

“This book would never have been written if he hadn’t have left us.”

“It’s also part of the future that we’re looking to now.”

“I know.” Sydney sniffed away any emotion trying to surface and was grateful for the distraction of Beatrice and Alison approaching.

“Rhona, this is my dear friend and agent, Alison,” Beatrice said. “Alison, this is Rhona, Sydney’s mother.”

They shook hands.

“Ah, I see Anthony has arrived. Excuse us.” Beatrice held her hand out to Sydney as Alex skidded past them.

“Freddie!” Alex’s face lit up at the arrival of his friend. He grabbed his arm and immediately whisked him away to the stairs. “Just going to show him my room, Mum.”

“Don’t be long. Anthony, Diane, so good to see you.” Beatrice hugged them both. “Those two seem close.”

“All we hear these days is ‘Alex this, Alex that’.” Diane smiled. “Our eldest sends her love and congratulations, Sydney. She’s sorry she couldn’t join us. A group of friends decided to go travelling for the summer.”

“Tell her I’m sorry she couldn’t be here and that I hope she’s behaving herself.”

Diane laughed. “I think she’s learnt most of her lessons.”

“Several times over,” Anthony added.

Sydney left Beatrice to discuss Alex’s burgeoning skills as a chef as Rosie and Greg made their way through the front door, followed by James and Sam.

“Syd! Congratulations!” Rosie said, pulling her into a hug.

It took a minute before any of the others greeted her. All eyes were on Highwood and jaws on the floor.

“Hello,” Sydney said, waving her hands at them.

“I’m so happy for you,” James said, finally noticing her and picking her up in a bear hug.

“Really?”

“Really?” He placed her back down. “I’m gutted of course to lose you, but our Syd has gone up in the world, and I can’t be sad about that. Will sends his love and was still moping that he couldn’t make it as I left.”

“I’m sorry he couldn’t be here too,” Sydney said, stepping towards Sam for a hug. “Sam, so glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Sydy. Especially now that we’re co-parenting.”

“You do know Gertie is way older than both of you,” James said, pointing his fingers at the two of them.

Sydney and Sam turned to him and said at the same time, “Shush, James.”

Beatrice slipped a hand into Sydney’s and whispered softly in her ear, “It’s time, my love.”

“Bea, you’ve met Sam and Rosie, of course, and this is Greg, Rosie’s husband.”

Greg stepped forward and shook the hand that was offered to him. “Er… hi… nice to meet you.”

“Lucky man,” Beatrice said. “Rosie works wonders with her hands.”

“Don’t I know it,” Greg replied with a lift of his eyebrows and a wink at his wife that made her blush.

“And this is James.”