The Following Summer
The warm, salty air was breezy and delicious in the heat as I sat on a grey stone wall, looking out over the turquoise waters of the Amalfi Coast. I’d taken Penelope out of her pushchair to see too – not that she cared in the slightest at eight months old. I tried to turn her around but she grabbed at my face, my hair, anything she could get her cute, chubby little hands on, basically. I kissed her perfect little nose and giggled at her disregard for natural beauty.
‘Looks like Pen has found something more beautiful than the views of Amalfi to look at.’ Andrew approached us, juggling three ice creams.
‘Ahh, you’re too kind!’ I smiled before twisting my face into a mock-serious expression. ‘Too kind . . .’ I pointed at the third ice cream. ‘She’s a baby.’
‘She’s on her holidays!’ He kissed Penelope on the forehead. ‘Aren’t you, darling?’ I shook my head as he put the ice creams on the wall and shoved a spoonful into her mouth. She wasn’t complaining. ‘See, she loves it.’
‘She doesn’t need ice cream.’
‘Nobody does.’
It was pointless arguing, and deep down I loved how he doted on her. He’d been around almost every day since we’d got together properly, and he’d helped me so much. Without him, I wasn’t sure I’d have kept my sanity. She loved him and I loved him.
When we’d eaten our ice creams and Andrew took our pots over to the bin. I’d stayed seated, laughing at him trying to negotiate past a cute old couple taking up the entire pavement. I turned back to the sea, leaning on the wall with Penelope propped in front of me. I pointed out some fishing boats to her and eventually, she started taking in the beautiful colour of the sea.
Andrew came up behind us and snaked his arms around Penelope and me, nuzzling into my neck as my hair blew gently around us all. ‘So, I’ve been meaning to ask you both something,’ he said, as I took a deep breath of the salty air and kissed Penelope’s cheek.
‘Yes, you can have an ice cream tomorrow as well.’ I sighed, looking him in the eye with a teasing grin.
‘Well that’s good to know, and I will take you up on it . . . But I was wondering about this.’ He lifted his hand, and in it sat a black velvet box.
I turned my head to the side to catch his eye.
‘There is something for you and Pen in there,’ he said casually.
I glanced once again at the box, and with all the restraint of a chimpanzee in a banana plantation, tried to open it, which wasn’t easy as Penelope was flapping her arms about. Probably because she wanted to turn around and see Andrew.
When the lid was fully open, I looked inside the box and gasped. ‘Andrew!’ I clasped a hand over my mouth as he turned us to the side and came around to face us so we could all see each other against the beautiful backdrop.
‘Charlotte Thomas, I fell in love with your personality, even before I saw your beautiful face. Your generosity is rare and precious. Penelope Emsworth, you’re a cute little button, and even though you throw spaghetti at me and can manage trumps to rival those of a builder, you are perfect and not a day goes by when you don’t make me smile.’ He lifted his eyes to mine. ‘Both of you.’ He let out a small, nervous laugh, and I did too, but my pulse had started to race and the entire team GB Olympic gymnastics squad were backflipping in my stomach.
‘I’m not doing very well here.’ He took a deep, steady breath. ‘Charlotte Thomas, will you marry me? And Penelope Emsworth, can I be your step-daddy?’
‘Oh my God!’ I gasped, before my entire body started to shake. From nowhere, my eyes sprung a leak and tears rolled down my face uncontrollably as I convulsed with emotion. Andrew’s eyes started to glisten too as he stood there looking smaller and more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him before.
‘Yes! Oh my God, yes, double yes, we both say yes,’ I squealed excitedly.
The dawdling elderly couple were wandering back towards us with a shopping bag and the old man yelled ‘Meraviglioso!’ and tipped his straw hat before kissing his wife on her cheek.
Andrew pulled us both into a hug. Penelope wriggled and squirmed to break free but it felt too nice, the three of us all in a bubble of love and elation. Eventually, I remembered the ring and looked back in the box.
‘It’s not much, nothing compared to your old one, but I’m on a teacher’s salary,’ he said apologetically.
‘Don’t be silly, it’s perfect and beautiful,’ I said, sliding the gold band onto my engagement finger and admiring the small but clear diamond. It was simply stunning. In the same box, a silver christening bangle sat on the plump velvet cushion. I took it out and slid it on Penelope’s podgy arm.
The sun had started to set, and the three of us stayed by the wall to watch the orange glow spread its last ounce of warmth across the sea. And just before it vanished completely, I pulled my new selfie stick out of my bag. ‘No, no, no!’ Andrew protested.
‘Yes, yes, yes! We are capturing this moment!’ I laughed.
‘God, what have I done?’ he said in despair before I snapped a picture of the three of us: the first memory of our new journey together.
I have love, family, and friendship. I have a wonderful life.