I remembered Simon asking us to post on our socials, but I hadn’t wanted to stop working to do it.
Someone else had clearly taken the ones with him in them, maybe a lot of someone else’s, and maybe he’d pooled everyone’s iPhone footage. Clever man.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I messed up so badly. And I’ve realized that your suggestion of a—” he suddenly looked aware of the cameras “—local place is a much better solution.”
I knew what he meant. Finally, he’d realized that the local residential home was going to be better, which meant he no longer needed the prize money.
“I love you, Tabs, and I’m going to work so hard to be the man who is worthy of you. Do I have even the slightest chance of winning you back?”
“I’m not sure…” I needed time to breathe and talk without people watching.
“I’ll do anything, including sell my business, if that’s what you need from me to prove I’m all in.”
“What?” What on earth was he talking about?
The timer ticked down the ten minutes left of the show, and Tim and I sat silent, tense, without reacting to what was playing out in front of us. I was desperate to talk to Tim alone. But…
I love you, Tabs, and I’m going to work so hard to be the man who is worthy of you.How long had I wanted to hear words like those directed at me? Ones that made me feel treasured.
I barely noticed Simon or the images playing in front of us, because my mind was filled with Tim and his plea.
How does his future align with mine?Could it?
55
Tim
As soon asthe red light on the cameras flicked off, I took Tabitha’s hand and raced us down a hallway, out the back door, to a scruffy street where the rubbish bins were kept.
I swung her around. She looked confused and exhilarated, but still apprehensive.
“I’m coming down to live in London,” I said. “We can be together,andyou’ll be able to take that promotion you’ve been offered.”
She didn’t even ask how I knew she’d been offered a promotion.
Instead, she did a double take. “How? What about your business, your mother, your rugby team?”
“I have it all set up. For work, while I love what I’ve built, you’re more important to me. Remember that call I got fromthat guy who wanted to buy my business?” She nodded and I went on. “I didn’t want to sell to him, but it got me thinking. I made a ton of calls. One of my local competitors is interested in buying my business. There would be a couple years of earn-out, but I’d rather sell to him than anyone national. And I can work construction in London through my connections. I’ll still need to head to the Cotswolds every second weekend to see Mum. Amy and I are going to switch off. And rugby?” I shrugged. “There are other teams down in London.”
“No,” she said. Her body language was confident, her expression firm, and it drove a stake through my heart.
“No?”
“Tim, I appreciate all this, but you’ve done it again. If you’d talked to me, I would have told you things have changed for me too.”
My stomach clenched. “What do you mean?” Oh God, had she already found someone else?
“Coming back home, I’ve realized I missed it. Not Mum and Dad’s chaos, but the quiet, the beauty, nature. I’ve loved London, but I’ve gotten to the end of it. I don’t want the promotion because it’s very managerial. It’ll be even more hours than I’m now working, and I want to dofewerhours. I’ve actually accepted a writer/presenter job on a new, less-ambitious TV show about country homes, from tiny sheds to big estates, which they’re hoping will spin out into coffee table books.”
I drew back, genuinely shocked. “Another TV show?”
She smiled. “I know. I thought I’d never go near television again, but they’ve assured me it’s going to be a nice, gentle show and, ironically, quite boring for a lot of people.” She shrugged with a smile. “I know. It’s a thing. Nice and boring is the new cool. So, sue me.”
I threw back my head and laughed with abandoned relief and surprise. I was so proud of her. She’d sorted this new role out for herself, and her taking on this job was even better because it meant we had a future. The skies over the grumpy old city were gray and cloudy, but my heart was relieved, knowing everything I’d ever wanted and needed was right here beside me.
I nudged her in the ribs. “Tabs, you do know that’s not how you use that expression, right?”
She poked out her tongue at me, and I laughed again.
