When Liv had glanced through the door at the back of Essie’s bobbed hair, she thought the author was being a diva. Now she understood how she felt.
When emails dropped in her inbox they felt like an intrusion. Liv unplugged the author’s desk phone and kept her own mobile on silent. If Jake rang, she let her voicemail kick in and listened to his messages on the way home.
She opened an envelope addressed to Essie to find someone had made coasters out of cat hair. Liv yelped and dropped them, using two pencils like chopsticks to deliver them to the bin.
She and Jake drifted in and out of their house at different times, barely seeing each other or speaking.
At night, before bedtime, Liv lay in the bath readingSuch a Fun Ageby Kiley Reid. It featured a bright, sparky toddler who reminded her of Mack and Johnny when they were little. Her sons were carving out their own lives and futures, whereas she felt like the opposite. She no longer had kids at home, no employer and, very soon, no Georgia Rory either. She wondered if she could only exist through other people. Liv hankered after the days when she arrived at Essie’s flat with fresh lemons in her handbag, and she missed finding the notes and books the author left for her.
Liv battled with writing the last chapters until she had just one left, the very end to Georgia’s story.
Georgia and Frank kissed as the sun glowed gold and then scarlet before finally dropping down behind the ocean.Swathes of twinkling water stretched out in front of them. She took his hand in hers and held it tightly. It had been a perfect day and now it had ended. But Georgia knew it was only the beginning of their life together. And she couldn’t wait to see where their story took them.
‘And they all lived happily ever after,’ Liv said aloud and punched the air. She’d completed her draft, ninety-five thousand words. Even though she’d left herself three weeks to polish them all up before Essie’s deadline it still felt like a momentous occasion, one she should celebrate.
If Jake knew about her secret task, he might buy wine and cake. If Essie were still here she might order afternoon tea. Liv imagined a cherub appearing to herald her achievement with a trumpet. But everything in the flat was just the same as always. Silent and still.
She stood and looked out the window across the city, holding out her arms like Kate Winslet on the bow of theTitanic. But there was no wind in her hair, or anyone to entwine their fingers with hers. Feeling rather silly, she lowered her limbs. Success didn’t feel very big when you had no one to share it with.
She found Anthony had left her a voice message suggesting he call at the flat the next day, to share Essie’s will with her. He was attending a wedding and would be passing by. Liv wondered if the contents of the will would provide her with the proper celebration she was looking for.
For now, she listlessly tidied the writing desk and picked up a few emails. She saw Chloe had got back in contact at last.
Hey, Liv,
Thanks for Hank’s quotes, so great. Sorry for my slow reply. I wanted to finish my article to show you. I’ve written about Georgia Rory, not Essie. I guess I don’t want to be the person you think I am. I’ve been busy talking to fans and discovering their stories. They’re so great! My editor loves the piece and I hope you do, too. Here’s a link to the Sheen website. And, yes, I’ll wait until after 1 Nov to share it more widely. Photos attached, too.
Let’s grab a latte soon.
Take care, hon.
Chloe xxx
Liv reread the message. It sounded like the journalist had experienced some kind of epiphany and was following a new direction. She opened the three photographs before reading the article.
The first one showed Chloe wearing a floral dress, blazer and tie. Grinning and posing with a copy ofThe Moon on the Water, her face shone. In another she stood with a small group of men and women holding a handmade banner that said,GEORGIA FOREVER. The third was an aerial shot of hundreds of fans, taken outside an event. From above, all their faces and dresses looked like a wildflower meadow. A banner on the building said,GEORGIA FANS UNITED. Chloe had added her own text to the bottom,Having the time of my life, hon. More fun than hanging around Essie’s foyer.
Liv read the article and all the readers’ stories within it. People of all ages shared how Georgia Rory had helped them with jobs and relationships, confidence and mental health issues, inspiring them to be brave and to take chances.
Chloe’s article was ultimately about the power of books and stories. And it was beautiful.
A lump of emotion swelled in Liv’s throat. She ran a hand through her hair and looked at all the people in the photo again. When she imagined them rushing to the shops to buy Essie’s twentieth novel, or ordering it online, her palms grew sticky.
A feeling of expectation crept up on her like wolves upon an injured lamb, nipping at it first before going in for the kill. She was pleased with her writing quality, and the story might work for an earlier novel. But was it truly a fitting goodbye for Georgia? Was Frank really her ideal hero?
Deep down, Liv knew she hadn’t crafted the perfect end to the series.
But what could she do? The ending was the only one she had. She’d put her marriage and sanity at risk to finish the story and honour Essie’s last wish. It would be Essie’s name on the cover, not hers. No one would ever know. She could slip away, back into the side streets. Anything she received from Essie’s will might help to repair her finances, if not her relationship with Jake. Even so, Liv felt she was going to let down Georgia Rory fans everywhere, including herself.
One of Chloe’s sentences stuck in her head.I guess I don’t want to be the person you think I am.
Liv asked herself ifshewas really being the personshewanted to be.
If her dad were here, he’d congratulate her anyway. He’d encourage her to think positively and not to fret. He’d be proud of her, and she wished he was here to talk to.
Suddenly needing to see his face again, Liv took the box of photos her mum gave her off the shelf. She leafed through them, and her worries settled down a little. Whatever issues her parents had, they looked so strong together.
She looked at the unused theatre tickets again and pictured an alternative scenario, where her dad hadn’t kept her mum waiting. Grant and Carol walked to the theatre together arm in arm and watchedWest Side Story. They enjoyed a happy-ever-after, and Liv smiled.
