‘I just wanted to, well, I wanted to show you how much—’ He breaks off. I can hear the emotion in his voice.
I wait quietly.
‘How much …’ His voice is stronger now. ‘I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me and what a wonderful person you are. Not just because I’m grateful for what you’ve done to get me through this lockdown, which I am, but quite simply you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever nearly-but-not-actually-met … and I love you, Soph. I know you probably don’t feel that way about me, because you’ve got an ex who you’re still in love with and you probably want to marry and in any case we haven’t even met, so you might hate me or find me annoying or …’
‘Jack!’ I interrupt.
‘Sorry, I’m blithering aren’t I?’
‘No,’ I say, ‘I just wanted to put you out of your misery. I wanted to say me too. I mean; I love you too.’ I stop for a moment, memories of our lockdown together rushing over me. ‘You’re thanking me for looking after you, but you’re the one who rescued me. I was a complete mess, feeling lonely in the crowd even before that and now, thanks to you, I’ve realised it’s okay. I can accept what’s going on. I can just be me. You’ve helped with so many things and I don’t need to know what you look like; I feel as if I’ve known you forever so it just doesn’t matter.’ I stop for a moment, as I can’t believe all this has come out, but it’s true. ‘And in any case, I can’t imagine life without you now.’
‘Me neither,’ Jack says, sounding ecstatic.
‘Looks like we’re stuck with each other then.’ I laugh.
‘Definitely,’ he agrees. ‘Fancy a glass of bubbly to celebrate?’ Without waiting for my answer, he lowers down a glass of icy champagne and next to it are two heart chocolates. ‘Incoming,’ he says.
‘One’s for you.’ I place one of the chocolates back in for him and he pulls it up. ‘Not that you were sure of yourself or anything,’ I quip.
‘Not at all.’ He laughs. ‘But I thought if you said no I could just drink all the champagne myself.’
‘Rude!’ I chuckle.
‘Cheers! Here’s to us!’ he says.
‘To us.’ I take a sip of the cold sparkling liquid.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ says Greg and as a round of applause breaks out around the balconies. Greg starts up the sultry tones of ‘Invisible Love’ on the saxophone and I look out and see all the balconies have people and families gathered on them, raising their glasses to us, the little ones with squash in their cups I’m guessing. They’re smiling, clapping, happy in spite of everything we’ve all been going through.
I look down into the courtyard where Bertie is perched on the corner of the raised beds, Tilly sitting on his lap and Mavis a short distance away. ‘Cheers!’ he says raising his glass. ‘To Sophia and Jack, the perfect couple!’
I can see Erica down below in the courtyard holding up a lantern. She smiles and waves and gives a big thumbs up.
‘Hear hear!’ says Mavis, raising her glass too. Even Marge is smiling and clapping from the corner of the courtyard and everywhere I look, I am surrounded by love and community and most importantly of all Jack, who I would never have nearly met if it hadn’t been for lockdown.
Epilogue
The courtyard is ostensibly unchanged: the flowers continue to bloom vibrantly, the earth is a little dry as it has been ridiculously hot and rain-free for a British summer. The balconies are the same. The pots of vegetables now sport tiny tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers are poking their heads from the yellow flowers. Yet there is a difference; something has changed. It is no longer quiet and still. Outside in suburbia, beyond the rooftops, beyond the flats, signs of the usual hustle and bustle, the background noise has begun its familiar hum. It’s not quite back to normal – it’s quieter than before – but tentatively, steadily, life is returning to the streets.
The builders were the first back, the noise of construction, concrete lorries, the cranes and diggers manoeuvring in the distance. Then bit by bit, more cars on the road, only a few at first, but gradually there is the steady stream and rumble, the noises that no one noticed before this lockdown, but after the silence we welcome back like old