Page 89 of Forgotten
“Ashley?” I want to pull away, see what shade Ash’s eyes are on the blue-grey spectrum.
But he keeps me in place. “Yeah yeah, I’ll get you a ring,” Ash says eventually. Then he bites on the bare skinof my shoulder and I feel the grin against my skin. “Hopefully you’ll lose this memory,” he adds cheekily.
“Excuse your fucking mouth!” I wiggle to free myself. I slap Ash’s arm, close a fist and try to punch him.
But Ash’s hold is too strong. I fail. I don’t mind. “Toosoon?”
Epilogue
2025 - Ashford
When I open the door, Lily Hale rushes in. With bleached blonde hair and an impressive tan, she’s just back from somewhere in the Pacific. I’ve stopped asking, never caring.
“Where is my grandchild, the best grandchild in the world? Where is she?” My mother greets me with a kiss on the cheek and pushes a bottle of wine in my hands. “Enjoy, honey.”
“I don’t drink, Mom.”
She doesn’t miss a beat and takes the wine back. “Forgot. Sorry, love. I’ll be drinking this.”
I follow her into the living-room, where everyone else is already gathering. Winnie is standing in the centre of the room, surrounded by family and presents, a huge ‘happy birthday’ banner hanging in the background. Colourful balloons on the floor.
When they see each other, my mother and Winnie start to yelp in excitement and run towards each other. “Gamma!”
Lily Hale barely has time to drop the presents before Winnie is launching herself into her arms.
“I’ve missed you so much, lovely. How have you been? You’re so much taller and so much older, what the fuck has happened to you?”
From one side of the orange couch, Martin Bergman sighs. “I thought we were not supposed to swear in front of the children.” Beside him, Pippa’s mom runs a shaky hand through her short hair.
“d’fuck!” Winnie repeats dutifully and Lily laughs, twirling Winnie in her arms.
“They’d have to learn it sooner or later.”
“That’s what I s-”
Pippa’s mom slaps the back of Martin’s head and he closes his eyes, hurt but not surprised. I nod my head in a silent ‘thank you’ but I know it’s too late, anyway. We’re a British family, after all. Swearing runs in our veins, just like tea does and all those stereotypes.
My dad appears beside me then, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder and greeting Mom. “Hi, Lily. What have you been up to?”
“Oh, nothing, dear, nothing at all. Just faffing around here and there. Alaska, Lithuania, Nepal, Brasilia. Flight was delayed but I’m so happy I made it for the biggest girl in the world.” Putting Winnie down on the carpet, Lily stares at my dad, then at me. “I’m glad I was invited.”
“It was Ash’s idea.”
And in that precise moment, Ash enters the room with a frosted cake in his hands. “We don’t have to say everything, now, do we, Ford?”
Ash walks up to my mom and she offers her cheek to him. “Hello, dearest.”
He kisses it gently. “Glad you could make it, Lily. Take a seat, please, you’re just in time for the cake. You’ve met everybody, haven’t you?”
Winnie yells, “Everybody!” and bounces on the orange couch, making space for Lily to sit down beside her. A couple of black pillows fall down, but I’m not bothered.
I watch as my mom scans the room, recognising old and new friends. Sydney and Darshi, sitting on an armchair, sharing a glass of white wine. Pippa’s mom and Martin, on the other end of the couch, bickering about anything and everything. Preston and Morgan, sitting on the floor with sweet Pippa and two devils that are an exact copy of Sydney.
Finally, Lily Hale’s gaze lands on Kirsty, standing in the corner of the room, busy entertaining two identical babies. And that’s exactly who she hasn’t met, yet.
Without hesitation, Mom picks Winnie up and announces, “Let’s go meet everybody, Win.”
When my mother and Kirsty shake hands, my ears are ringing and I’m holding my breath. The two women make some amicable conversation and between them, Winnie claps her small hands happily.
