EPILOGUE
CALLA
FOUR YEARS LATER
I takein every feature of every face. Not one person has changed in the past ten years since most of these people left school. My eyes insist on tricking my brain into thinking everyone looks the same as they did when we were sixteen.
The parquet flooring has been re-polished once or twice, and the windows are now double glazed. Still, I’m convinced the blue velvet curtain—which doesn’t exactly glide across the stage—is original. Our school hasn’t changed too much in all this time. The only real difference being the echo of emptiness inside the gymnasium as it now fills with warmth and humour. Some of us may have had our differences in the past, but how quickly water flows under the bridge. Well, for most of us.
One of my committee colleagues, Gemma, is passing by, carrying a tray of sausage rolls and knocking me out of my daydream. “Everything okay, Cals?”
“Great,” I reply, taking in the room. “It looks pretty bloody good, even if I say so myself.”
Spinning on my silver diamanté encrusted flats, I glance around me, taking in every beautifully decorated dining table. The turquoise blue and silver streamers, with matching balloons, wait in a net above the makeshift dance floor. I put together the matching centrepieces myself, and along with the committee’s handy work, it’s looking pretty spectacular in here.
“Hey, here you are. Where have you been hiding?” I hear Scott behind me.
“You’ve done an amazing job,” I tell him, sliding my hand into the crook of his arm. “You should be proud of yourself.”
“I put the balloons up in a net, and a few decorations, that’s all. It’s hardly rocket science.” Scott laughs. “You’re the one who’s done all the hard work, sorting out the tables, flowers—in fact, what haven’t you done?”
“A lot,” I tell him, a grin on my face. “There’s a committee for everything.”
“On this occasion, I happen to know you did more than your fair share and you shouldn’t take so much on, especially now.”
“Typical you. You’re always giving out praise and never accept any yourself,” I say, giving his arm a squeeze.
Who would have thought Scott and I would ever be friends, never mind brother and sister? The thing is, we laugh about it now, but no one regrets their actions more than Scott himself. It’s a part of our school days he’d rather forget, but he’s more than made up for it. He’s been there for me when I needed him most. I don’t know what I’d have done without him. Finding myself pregnant at twenty-two wasn’t exactly something I planned, but I thank God every day for him. He supported every decision I made while I was there for him as he tried to win over my best friend.
Angie practically glides towards us in the long black Valentino evening dress she borrowed from me in a panic earlier today. I kiss her on the cheek, before Scott scoops her up and nuzzles his nose into her neck, then lands a kiss against her skin there.
“Ugh, save it for later you two, please.”
“Sorry, Cal. But you’ve got to admit, my wife looks hot tonight. I don’t recognise the dress, though.”
While looking to me, Angie giggles. “I borrowed it from the queen of the auction sites here.”
“Looks expensive, but I’m guessing it’s not?”
Scott knows me so well by now, and Angie fills him in before I have a chance to. “I happen to know she got this particular item for less than two hundred quid and knowing you Cal, you’ll flog it next week then catch yourself another bargain.”
“Rotating your wardrobe is key, and I rely on people doing exactly that for my business.”
“And handy for us that my sister has an online store, otherwise, my wife would cost me a fortune.”
Angie slaps Scott on the chest. “Watch it, Knoxie.”
I giggle. “Scott might have a point there, Ange.” I bite my lip, raising my brows.
“Ugh, who’s side are you on?” she asks, almost immediately following with, “Don’t answer that. You two always gang up on me.” She pouts her lip then smiles at her inner thoughts. “Thank God I have little Zoe on my side. Talking of which, what have you done with my gorgeous goddaughter tonight?”
“She’s with her great Nanna and Gramps. They fly back to Greece next week, so they’re spending as much time together as possible.” I tell her, feeling a little sad.
My baby is growing up all too quickly. It only seems likeyesterday I found out I was pregnant. Zoe arrived quicker than I could get my head around. I only just got to take my finals before she arrived a week before her due date in May. Thank God Ash was there to sing Elvis songs in the labour room, and we’ve had Angie, Scott and Liz with us every step of the way for support. That’s when we’re not travelling the globe with the band, of course. I’m only here tonight because I promised to help with the organisation, and of course, I wanted to catch up with old friends. It meant I had to miss the last leg of the band’s tour and I’m missing Ash like mad. We’re rarely apart these days.
Angie smiles. “What a wise child you have, choosing to stay at home instead of hanging out at this bloody reunion. I don’t blame her.”
“It’s a little late for a three-year-old Angie, but she was here earlier to supervise Uncle Scott with the balloons.”
