Page 44 of The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea
Scarlett was born in the early hours of Christmas Eve, with hardly any fuss at all.
As I held her in my arms, I could barely see her beautiful features as tears of happiness glazed my eyes. This was the best thing I’d ever done in my entire life and I was going to dedicate every living moment to making sure she was the happiest little girl who ever lived.
Piers had been with me the labour and was now enveloping us both in his strong arms as if he never wanted to let go. I watched as he kissed her little fists, his eyes finally swinging to mine.
‘What a little miracle,’ he whispered as he took my mouth with his. ‘Are you feeling okay? That would’ve absolutely destroyed me. Where do women get the strength?’
‘I think we’re born with it,’ I giggled softly, not wanting to wake Scarlett.
Just like in the Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’, all was calm, the festive din of the ward having wound down to a cosy, Christmas hush, and the faintest of Christmas carols whispered from the nurses’ radio station in the distance.
The overhead lights had been turned off in favour of the Christmas fairy lights above each door.
It was a blissful, exhausted moment for many new mothers down the corridor.
Tomorrow morning I would go and congratulate them and welcome their little miracles into the world, too.
A faint knock on the door made us look up. There, in an excited but hushed bundle were Emmie, Faith, Nat, Nina and Rosie, bearing flowers and balloons and all manner of gifts.
‘Hi,’ Nina whispered. ‘Congratulations!’
‘Thank you,’ Piers and I said in unison and glanced at each other with an ear-to-ear grin which was not lost on my Coastal Girls.
‘Come in, come in,’ I beckoned them.
‘We’re not crowding you?’ Nat asked, but pushed forward anyway.
‘Oh, please. Scarlett, meet your beautiful, kind, crazy Coastal Aunts.’
One by one, they tiptoed in, delivering me gentle kisses on my cheeks and forehead, as hushed exclamations of joy filled the room.
‘Oh my God, she is perfect,’ said Rosie as she swiped at her red cheeks, pretty much followed by the rest of them.
I looked at the faces of my friends. ‘Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I couldn’t have done any of this without you guys. I wouldn’t even be here if it hadn’t been for your friendship. I owe you all more than I can say.’
‘Nah,’ Faith said. ‘You’d have managed just the same. You’re a fighter, you are.’
I smiled at her. Then took a closer look. I don’t know what it was, but something about her. A new light in her eyes. A light that I knew very well. ‘Faith?’ I whispered.
‘What?’ she said, looking all innocent, but I knew her by now. And she knew me, too. She grinned and nodded.
‘You’re pregnant, you sneak!’ Nina hissed. ‘Now I see it. I thought you were acting differently!’
‘I didn’t want to steal Kate’s moment,’ she whispered, beaming now that the cat was out of the bag.
‘Steal?’ I repeated. ‘Come here, you, and give me a hug.’
She complied and the girls piled on top of her. ‘How far along are you?’ Nina asked.
‘Only two months,’ she breathed, bursting with joy.
‘They’ll grow up together and be the best of friends,’ I promised her. ‘And all you ladies are not going to be getting rid of me any time soon.’
‘You promise?’ Emmie asked in a squeak of a voice.
‘I promise. It will always be all of us together, no matter what.’
‘Okay, now I’m going to cry,’ Nina said. ‘Rosie, pass me one of your tissues, will you?’
‘No more crying,’ I said. ‘From now on, just pure joy. For all of us.’
Piers watched in silence, a huge grin splitting his beautiful mouth. ‘Amen to all that,’ he said.
‘You guys get some rest,’ Nat said. ‘Tomorrow night, we’ll be back.’
‘I won’t be here tomorrow night,’ I said. ‘I’m going home.’
‘With me,’ Piers informed them and they clapped him on the back.
‘What the hell took you so long?’ Nina said. ‘Good lad!’
*
The next day, Piers brought me back to Rosestones. To my surprise, it was festooned with Welcome Baby Scarlett and Kate! signs everywhere, alongside Christmas decorations galore.
‘I know how much you were looking forward to Christmas,’ he said as we settled down on one of the sofas in the drawing room. ‘I didn’t want you to miss out.’
‘Oh, Piers, thank you so, so much for everything you have done for me. And Scarlett.’
‘This is only the beginning, I hope. Kate,’ he breathed, ‘will you marry me?’
I gasped. ‘What?’
‘Will you marry me?’ he repeated.
I gawped at him, unable to speak.
He ran a hand through his hair. ‘ Bollocks . I knew I’d screw this up. I have a ring but I left it in the car. I wanted to do it in a romantic way, during a romantic dinner with romantic candles and romantic—’
‘Piers,’ I whispered. ‘This is very romantic,’ I assured him.
‘It is?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Oh, Kate, I don’t want to live another day away from you. I was a real arse and if you can ever forgive me, I’m asking you to give me the chance to make you happy.’
‘I’m already happy,’ I assured him.
‘So it’s a yes?’ His eyes searched my face.
‘Yes, of course, yes!’ He picked me up in his arms and spun me round, kissing me hard on the mouth as he lowered me back to the ground. And then I yawned in pure exhaustion. ‘I’m sorry…’
‘It’s okay, honey. Go to sleep now. I’ll watch over you both.’
I nodded, my eyes heavy. ‘Okay, Piers,’ I whispered.
‘We’ll make loads and loads of plans. And when the baby is old enough, we’ll travel the world.’
‘But I thought you said you were sick and tired of travelling…’
‘Not with you, I won’t be! We’ll teach Scarlett all about the different cultures and all sorts of things. It’ll be an enchanted life for her. For us. I love you guys more than I can ever explain,’ he whispered hoarsely and I caressed his wet cheek.
‘No more tears, remember?’ I whispered back, my eyes closing.
He kissed me. ‘Yes. From now on, it will be only joy.’
Absolute bliss. With Scarlett in my arms and Piers’s arms around us, it already was. In Starry Cove, I had finally found everything I had always wanted. Friends who were like family, a man who loved me, a home. And I had given life to a little Cornish girl. What more could one ask for?