‘I wonder how he is doing,’Cécilesays, looking towards the counter where Alfie has returned from reading to the children. ‘If Shakespeare and Company ever closed, I’d be broken. It’s my home, in a way. This must be hard for him.’
Alfie looks up then. He meets Tilly’s eye and they share a soft smile. She wants to cross the shop and reach for his hand. John approaches the counter, falling into conversation with Blue and Prudence. They stay like that for some time.
Tilly busies herself with passing around mince pies and helping customers, trying her best to soak up the last precious moments in the bookshop, holding on to every detail for when it’s all over.
The customers of Book Lane buy every last book on the shelves. By the end of the day the shop is completely empty, only dust and fairy lights left behind. The Paris Grief Gang are the last to leave.
‘I have no idea how I’m going to get all these back in my suitcase,’ says Lola, lifting her heavy bag of books, ‘but that’s a future me problem.’
As John pays for his books he reaches a hand across the counter to shake Alfie’s. To Tilly’s surprise, Alfie is smiling. She admires his strength – she is pretty sure there are mascara trails running down her cheeks. Prudence and Blue have been in tears throughout the day too, Prudence tucking tissues upher sleeves to the point that she’s starting to resemble an overstuffed scarecrow.
‘Well, we should be getting back to the Airbnb,’ declares John. ‘But first, perhaps the moment calls for a toast?’
He fishes a bottle of champagne out of his messenger bag.
‘I’ve been saving the bottle for tomorrow but I think we can probably all do with some now. Alfie, dear, do you happen to have any glasses?’
Alfie nods and returns with a stack of paper cups. When he passes Tilly hers, she tries to catch his eye but he has already moved on, handing a cup toCécileand one to Bertrice. Once the champagne has been poured, John looks pointedly towards Alfie, the others turning to look at him too.
Alfie coughs, running a hand through his hair.
‘Thank you, everyone, for today. I can’t tell you how much this has all meant to me. I’ve always thought this bookshop was special, but mostly because it was my dad’s. I had no idea it meant so much to so many people. Thank you, all of you, for helping me feel so proud.’
He looks at Tilly then, and her heart dips and dives.
‘So I’d like to propose a toast to Book Lane,’ Alfie continues, raising his glass.
Tilly swallows hard, trying to stop the tears as they all raise their glasses too.
A smile spreads across Alfie’s face. ‘And to our next chapter.’
Blue spits out her champagne. ‘What?!’
‘Alfie, what’s going on?’ asks Tilly.
She is pretty certain she’s stopped breathing.
Alfie and John share a look.
‘Do you want to tell them, or shall I?’ says John.
‘Go ahead,’ Alfie says, glancing briefly at Tilly before looking back at John.
He adjusts his bow tie and addresses the group.
‘I’ve decided to sell the apartment in Paris and move to London. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, given I’ve been spending more and more time here. I got talking to Alfie earlier, and he told me about the apartment above this shop and the fact it is up for sale, along with the rest of the building. I find this area quite charming, and I couldn’t think of anything better than living above a bookshop. So I’ve decided to buy the building.’
Tilly draws in a sharp breath. Prudence and Blue have both leapt on Alfie, throwing their arms around him.
‘John has kindly offered to let me keep renting the shop, at an affordable rate,’ Alfie says, once he’s managed to peel himself away from them.
‘On the basis that I can come down and use the shop as my own personal library on occasion,’ John says with a twinkly smile. ‘Since I’m not sure my entire book collection will quite fit into the flat …’
‘Of course,’ Alfie replies warmly. ‘And I’m going to use the money from the crowdfunder to do some renovations to the shop. It’s about time I put my own stamp on the place.’
Tilly feels as if she’s dreaming. The shop is saved. Alfie is smiling.The shop is saved!
‘You’re really leaving Paris?’ Lola asks John when some of the excitement has died down a little.
