look after Lavender a little longer. I couldn’t leave so soon.
Not when I’d finally been reunited with the two people I loved most in the world.
Chapter Thirty-three
Friday 27th December 2019
Jo – Snow
The day after Boxing Day we woke to a thick covering of snow – enough to make the entire island grind to a halt. It was perfect timing, really, since no doubt most people had got to where they were going, either to the island or away (aside from Jack, who looked ecstatic to have his trip delayed and enjoy a little longer with Astrid), and I was certain everyone would have over-stocked their fridges for the festive period. I certainly had.
‘Just look at that,’ Jack said, as he stood at the kitchen window with a cup of coffee. ‘Isn’t it just perfect before anyone’s stepped on it or driven over it?’
‘Pristine,’ I agreed. ‘But I’m guessing it’s not going to stay that way for long,’ I smiled, nodding towards Percy, who was busy putting his Wellies on – eager for some fun in the snow.
‘Percy, you’ve still got your pyjamas on!’ Astrid laughed.
‘Oh, just put a coat on him,’ I suggested. ‘Look how keen he is.’
‘The girls will want to join him,’ Belle said. ‘They’re just getting ready. Let me give them a shout.’
A moment later the twins arrived in the kitchen gabbling away with excitement, followed by Mikkel, who was ordering them to keep their hats and gloves on. Soon all the adults aside from Magnus and I were busy piling on coats and hats and scarves. We continued to sit at the kitchen table and watched them through the window as they made a snowman and then started a competitive-looking snowball fight.
‘Not so pristine anymore,’ Magnus remarked.
‘Perfectly imperfect,’ I replied, as I watched our family larking about in the snow. ‘Just like us.’
‘The perfectly imperfect family?’
‘Is there any other sort?’
Magnus smiled. ‘Still no sign of Susan. I wonder if Robin made it back to the bed and breakfast? It was gone midnight when I left them chatting by the fire.’
‘We’ll soon find out. How are you feeling about it all?’ I asked him.
‘Wonderful. I can’t believe you managed to organise this! I mean, the first part of the surprise was incredible enough but then to meet my father as well…’
‘He’s so like you! Your mannerisms and everything. It’s uncanny. And I’m so pleased it’s been a success. That second secret was killing me, especially when I realised Susan thought Robin had died! And I nearly had kittens when Freja said snow was forecast and Susan decided to return home a day early.’
‘Thank goodness Robin got here in time. It must have taken so much planning.’
‘Only at the last minute. I started out just trying to track your birth parents down so that you could make contact with them both. My original gift was going to be to give you their details – two surprises in one. But then everything sort of snowballed. And to see the pair of them together… talk about chemistry.’
‘I’m so happy for them. After everything they’ve been through. I know it’s early days but I hope this will be their second chance.’
‘They deserve it.’
‘They really do.’
Magnus clinked his coffee cup against mine.
‘To second chances,’ we said, together.
Epilogue
July 2020
Susan
Oh, the irony of it! After fifty years apart, Magnus and I had suddenly been separated for a further six months by the worldwide pandemic – aside from a brief, and wonderful, visit he made to us in February.
In fact, Robin and I both caught the wretched virus in April, although fortunately we weren’t too unwell with it. Antibody testing proved positive, which made us confident enough to book a flight to see Magnus and his family in Jersey once air travel had started up again.
After being welcomed into the farmhouse and shown to our room by Magnus and Jo, I left Robin catching up with them both while I washed my hands and then knocked tentatively on Freja’s door, itching to see her and the new arrival, who, Jo told me, was still to be named. (Sunny had apparently insisted the choice of name was up to Freja, but she couldn’t decide).
‘Come in,’ she said.
‘Oh, you’re feeding!’ I said. ‘I can come back later.’
‘No, it’s fine, I’ve got a feeling I’m going to be spending a lot of my time feeding from now on… Come in. Oh look, he’s gone to sleep,’ Freja said, gazing at the little boy in her arms, all swaddled