Epilogue
Three months later
With winter enveloping Magnolia Creek and even hints of frost at the little house on top of the hill, Carrie had established a new routine. She worked longer hours in the city, where she’d rented a basic apartment near the hospital, and when she wasn’t working she was in Magnolia Creek to spend her time at home.
Noah and Carrie had settled into coupledom nicely, with their time together shared between his place and hers, and Hazel even had a basket in the corner of Carrie’s library where she could curl up beside the warmth of the wood burner, although a lot of the time she’d come and rest her head on Carrie’s or Noah’s knees wanting a fuss, making sure she wasn’t missing out when they were together.
The Magnolia Girls were still a force to be reckoned with, although Rosie had her own baby demanding her attention so only made it to the hospital on occasion, but the team had an extra recruit now Molly had returned from the UK with Owen’s brother Ben in tow. She’d been more than happy to don the Magnolia Girls T-shirt and become part of the crew.
Carrie, Rosie, Bella, Gemma and Molly were settled on a table by the window in the Magnolia Tavern.
‘This is so good.’ Rosie approved of her first glass of champagne in a long while.
‘I take it Owen is on babysitting duty tonight,’ said Bella.
‘Not just Owen, but Ben and Noah too. They’re having a boys’ night apparently, Tyler included. All I can say is I’d love to be a fly on the wall if Tyler starts screaming like he’s been doing for the last few nights.’
‘I’ll bet Owen doesn’t waste any time sorting out a time when Ben can get down to the fire station and do his training,’ said Carrie, aware of how much Noah was enjoying the camaraderie. He was yet to fight a real fire but the community spirit behind his involvement had pushed him this far.
‘Fingers crossed,’ said Bella. ‘We can never have too many recruits.’
‘Oh no, do not look at me!’ said Carrie. ‘I’m far too much of a princess to step into a burning building.’
Bella grunted. ‘I might use one of my witchy spells, perhaps.’
‘Don’t you dare!’
‘You sound like you’re very capable,’ said Molly. ‘I still can’t believe you delivered Tyler in such an emergency.’
‘It’s not something I want to repeat any time soon. I usually look after the babies after they’re born.’
‘Talking of which,’ said Molly, ‘I can’t wait to get to the hospital for the baby-cuddling session tomorrow. I’ve got shifts at the hospital coming up, but this is something different.’
‘It’s really special,’ Bella confirmed. ‘They’re such poor little mites, struggling away, and I know we’re doing some good. Aren’t you going to drink that?’ She nodded to Molly’s glass.
Molly shrugged the comment away, her fingers twiddling the stem of the vessel. ‘I need to be introduced to Noah, Carrie. I met him once before, but it was a quick introduction on Main Street by the chocolaterie and that was it, he’d had to race off to a gardening job.’
‘He’s lovely,’ Bella claimed before Carrie could say anything.
‘He’s very cute.’ Gemma whispered this, in case anyone in the pub could overhear these women talking like a group of school girls.
‘We’ll have you over for dinner one night,’ said Carrie. ‘I’d like to meet Ben too. All I know about you both is that you’re this jet-setting couple who share your time between Australia and England.’
Bella’s brow furrowed. ‘What is going to happen long-term? I assume you can’t go on like it forever.’
Molly couldn’t disguise her smile. ‘Well, actually, we have come to a bit of a decision.’
‘Oh, please say you’ve chosen Australia, please…’ Rosie gripped Molly’s arm.
‘Actually, we have.’
Rosie squealed. ‘I know you’re not officially my sister-in-law, but you’re as good as!’
Bella darted around the other side of the table and hugged Molly tight while Gemma stayed put, giving away the fact she must’ve already known.
‘Abby is beside herself,’ said Gemma with a smile that spoke of her excitement too. ‘She can’t wait to see more of Auntie Molly.’
‘I have an idea!’ Bella’s eyes brightened. ‘Noah could move in with Carrie, and he could sell his place to Ben and Molly.’
‘Steady on!’ Carrie giggled. ‘We’ve only been together five minutes!’
Bella waved a hand to dismiss the claim. ‘I know a good match when I see it.’
Molly nudged Carrie. ‘Relax, Gemma and Andrew have kindly offered to redecorate the annexe for Ben and me while we look for our own place. You don’t have to live with a boy just yet.’
‘Thank goodness for that,’ Carrie laughed.
‘Oh, I almost forgot.’ Gemma reached into her bag. ‘I got these.’ She passed a set of paint swatches to Molly.
‘I only told you last night!’
Gemma shrugged. ‘Abby and I went to the paint shop this morning – we couldn’t wait.’
‘I bet Andrew is thrilled.’ Bella turned to Gemma.
‘He is.’ She put a hand on Molly’s. ‘But he’s conscious of how Molly’s parents will feel. He called them last night to talk as soon as she told us the news, and they’re actually really positive.’
‘Saying goodbye was hard,’ said Molly, ‘but I think they’ll either do a lot more travelling or they’ll move over here themselves at some point. My brother is in America,’ she explained to Carrie, ‘and they have no real ties to keep them in the UK.’
‘I guess the deciding factor could be if one of you gives them a grandchild.’ Bella lifted her champagne glass to her mouth but it didn’t make it all the way. ‘You still haven’t touched your drink, Molly.’
Slowly, one by one, their faces turned – even Gemma’s, though she clearly knew this already and was having trouble keeping a lid on it.
Molly beamed. ‘We’re having a baby!’
Excitement erupted and it didn’t take long to filter round the entire pub, with glasses being raised from all directions both by those who recognised Molly and those who’d never met her, and Carrie felt goose pimples travel up her arms at this town and home she’d discovered quite by accident.
When the door to the pub creaked open, in came Noah and Ben, closely followed by Tyler all bundled up in a furry jacket with his face squished against Owen’s chest as he hung in the BabyBjörn.
‘What’s going on?’ Carrie stood and kissed Noah, the warmth of his lips never failing to feel good.
Ben grimaced and told the girls about the last nappy they’d watched Owen change. Apparently it had contained something that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror film.
‘He was really unsettled,’ Owen added wearily. ‘Bringing him out in this thing was the only way I could get him to sleep.’ He looked strung out as he patted Tyler’s bottom beneath the material of the BabyBjörn and Carrie found it as amusing as the rest of the girls did.
‘Three men and a baby!’ Gemma announced, gleeful at her summation.
Bella cupped her hand beside her mouth and whispered to Carrie, ‘I think she’s had Molly’s share of the champagne. Don’t let her have any more.’
Ben must’ve told the boys his and Molly’s news because Noah smiled at Molly and offered his congratulations, and Owen made some joke about how his little brother was going to know what it was like 24/7 sooner rather than later.
‘I can’t believe Owen’s a parent and soon to be an uncle all over again,’ said Noah as he and Carrie went to the bar and ordered a round of drinks.
‘Things certainly have changed for him. I remember him as being the man least likely to ever settle down.’ She smiled at Noah. ‘People used to say that about me.’
‘That you were the man least likely to settle down? Must’ve been the moustache that gave it away.’
‘Hey, enough of your cheek or you can sleep in Hazel’s bed tonight.’
Noah handed over the money for the drinks as Stephanie put together their order, her German boyfriend working with her like love’s young dream. He planted a kiss on Carrie’s lips, hooked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
Carrie wondered how he’d felt when Ben had announced that he was having a baby too, because when Molly had told the girls, Carrie, for once, hadn’t thought thank goodness it’s not me. She hadn’t necessarily thought I wish it was me, but who knew what the future held?
As Noah took the tray of drinks over to the group, Carrie followed behind. All of the friends were laughing and chatting. Owen was jigging up and down as Tyler woke and expressed his disapproval at being stuck in a baby carrier in the pub, Rosie had her bag over her arm and was clambering over the multitude of stools, which had been squeezed in to make room for everyone, in a bid to escape and become mum again, Molly and Gemma were deep in conversation, most likely about babies, and Bella was sharing a joke with Noah as he approached the table.
Magnolia Creek had become a part of Carrie in a way she’d never foreseen and no matter what direction they took after this, the Magnolia Girls would forever be a big part of her life.
And she had a feeling that Noah always would be too.
THE END