EPILOGUE

It was 8.15 on a Sunday morning and I was sitting on a large boulder at the top of Arthur’s Seat with the whole of Edinburgh set out below me. Although the view was slightly murky, due to the low cloud that threatened snow at any moment, it was still spectacular and the hike to the top had been worth it. I had lived in the city my whole life and yet had never been to the top of the extinct volcano which dominated the city’s skyline. The best I had managed was about halfway up on that fateful bonfire night with Lindsay. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. I breathed in the earthy scent of grass and turf and enjoyed the rest.

It was 29 February and although the air was cold I was warm. This could be partly explained by the recent exertion required to climb the steep slope, but I think the main reason was that beautiful Molly Jenkins, whose crazy idea it was to come up here at this ungodly hour on a Sunday, was cuddled into my side. Her delicate perfume mixed with and accentuated the earthy scents.

Her cheeks were red with the climb and the smile on her face lit up the gloom.

‘What are you so happy about?’ I laughed. Her happiness was infectious.

‘Aren’t you going to ask me why we’re up here on this mountain?’

‘I don’t think Arthur’s Seat qualifies for a mountain, I think you need to be a thousand feet up for that.’

‘Eh?’

‘I think mountains need to be a thousand feet high.’

‘Andy, you need to spend less time on Google and more time in the real world’, she laughed.

‘Actually, I didn’t get that from Google. It was that film with Hugh Grant where—’

Molly put her fingers on my lips. ‘Shhh. I’m trying to tell you something.’

I shut up.

‘Right, where was I? Andy you know I love you, don’t you?’

‘Of course, sweetie, and I love you too.’

‘I know we’ve only been together a short time, but it feels like I’ve loved you forever. Maybe I have. Maybe I loved you even when you were married to Lindsay, but I just didn’t know, or more likely I didn’t let myself know.’

I hadn’t realized any of this. All I knew was that Molly was the one, well, the second one. Lindsay would always have a place in my heart, but I now figured it was OK to let someone else in. Well, if I was honest, Molly had moved into my heart some time ago, spring cleaned it, rearranged the furniture and redecorated the place – to take the analogy to a silly level, which is what I was good at.

‘Andy? You’ve drifted off into your own little universe again and I’m trying to talk to you.’

‘Sorry, Mol, I was just thinking about how happy you’ve made me.’

‘Well, hopefully I’m about to make you happier.’ Molly moved away and turned to face me. She crouched down on one knee and looked into my eyes. I returned the gaze, getting lost in her gorgeous dark eyes.

‘Andy Hunter, will you marry me?’

‘Eh?’

‘You heard me.’

I was conscious that my mouth was opening and closing like a demented goldfish again.

‘Am I not supposed to ask you?’

‘Andy, it’s the twenty-first century and women can do things now you know. We’ve had equal rights and the ability to vote for some time. Also, it’s the twenty-ninth of February so traditionally I’m allowed to do it. Are you going to answer me or not? My knee is getting wet.’

I wondered what Men Like Women and Women Like Shoes would have to say about all of this? I’d need to look it up later.

I laughed. ‘OK, Mol. I don’t want you to catch a chill, so of course I’ll marry you.’ I knelt down beside her and took her hands in mine. I put my forehead against hers and our lips met. We kissed. It was a nuzzling kind of kiss. In between kisses I said, ‘I can’t imagine ever being without you. I want to always go to sleep beside you at night, and the first thing I want to see in the morning is your beautiful face.’

Molly broke away and jumped up. ‘Fab, well we’ll need to get organized but that can wait.’

I reached for her, but she skipped out of range. ‘OK Andy, that’s what I wanted to ask you. Now I’ve got something to tell you.’

I sat back down on the boulder.

‘First of all, now that I’m going to be your wife I have to tell you that considering what you’ve put me through during the last few months, you are so very lucky to have me here. But, I suppose nothing worth having comes easy.’

Molly moved back and sat down beside me. She smiled and turned her face up to me and I kissed her on the lips. She then leaned into my chest. She took a deep breath and said, ‘The main worry I’ve got about the wedding is getting a dress to fit me properly.’

Molly was a size ten. ‘How come?’

‘Well I’m probably going to put on a lot of weight over the next few months, Andy, because you’re going to be a daddy again.’

I jumped up and Molly fell over, landing on her bottom on the cold ground. ‘Hey, that’s no way to treat a pregnant woman.’

I rushed over and picked her up. ‘Sorry, Mol! When? How?’

Molly laughed. ‘Well the “how” you should have worked out by now, the “when” . . . well sometime in December, I reckon. I’m not showing yet, but it’s only a matter of time.’

I laughed. ‘God, that’s brilliant. I wonder if it’ll be a boy or a girl.’

‘Probably,’ joked Molly.

I laughed again, I was feeling dizzy. ‘It would be nice for Amy to have a little sister.’

‘Well it’s down to you really,’ Molly stated.

‘How come?’

‘It’s the male that determines the sex of the baby.’

‘How’d you know that?’

‘I Googled it.’

We both burst out laughing and laughed until the tears rolled down our faces.

As our laughter subsided it began to snow. A few flakes fell gently at first then more and more appeared in flurries blown about by the easterly wind. We gathered our thick winter coats around us and began our descent, taking care not to slip on the increasingly snowy path. I didn’t want my perfect Sunday morning to end with a visit to A&E.

Initially we tried to walk together holding hands, but the path was too narrow and steep so we walked down single file, with Molly in front. Halfway down my mobile pinged.

I reached into my pocket and opened the text. I was shocked to see it was from Lindsay. I was so distracted I almost lost my footing and fell on my face. I regained my balance and read the text. Her timing was almost supernatural. Maybe it was.

As the hill levelled out I caught up with Molly and took her gloved hand in mine. I was lost in thought.

Molly kept her eyes on the path to make sure she didn’t slip. She asked, smiling. ‘I hope that text wasn’t from one of your other women. You’ll need to tell them all you’re taken now.’

I smiled sadly, thankful that the heavy snow meant she couldn’t see the tears in my eyes. ‘No, it was just an old friend wishing me well.’ Silently I promised Lindsay that I would take her advice and would never let Molly go.

We walked more quickly as the snow got heavier. In the distance I could see the warm glow of an old traditional tea-room that would be very welcoming after the cold hillside and headed towards it.

I cuddled into Molly. I was happy now and I think I always would be.

I don’t know if I believe in a happy ending, or even if there should be a happy ending, but I firmly believe that it is the possibility of one that keeps us all going.