One Winter Weekend

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

“ W ell, he won’t need to lose you for too long.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you won’t have to come to London from now on to see your ‘special someone’,” she smiled.

Patrick looked completely lost, and it was a look that amused her tremendously.

They stepped up to the counter.

“I’m still waiting for you to explain,” he stated as he handed over his ticket and hers.

Emily turned to him. “I made a decision.”

“OK …”

“I’m going to live my life, the life I want,” she said, touching her palm to his face. “That life is with you. I’m moving to be with you - in Paris.”

One moment she was standing at the desk, the next she was being spun round and lifted up in Patrick’s arms, as confused passengers looked on.

“You won’t regret this. I promise. I swear, you’ll never regret this,” he was saying as he peppered her face with kisses. “Emily, I have loved you all my life and - ”

“ Excusez-moi ?” the clerk droned, in an attempt to get their attention.

A flush filled Emily’s face as Patrick apologised and set her down, returning to the counter. He collected their boarding passes and apologised to the passengers waiting impatiently, albeit good-humouredly, behind them.

She wouldn’t let go of his hand as they moved towards the departures hall.

“So how are we going to do this?” he babbled as they walked. “What should we do first?”

“Well, first you come to London with me for Christmas. I’ll have to speak to my boss when I get back after the holidays, give notice and all that. Then I’ll have to see about giving up the lease on my place and finding somewhere in Paris.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Patrick replied. “I know a great place you can stay,” he assured her, a bright smile on his face.

She smiled, delighted. “I thought you might.”

Taking a seat in front of the large circular window that framed the sky and the runway below, Emily and Patrick continued to talk excitedly about what would happen next.

All of a sudden, anything seemed possible. Everything. There was nothing they couldn’t do together.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “Patrick?”

“Yes, Emily.”

“Say it now,” she asked, a smile tickling her lips.

“Say what?”

“That thing you started to say back at the check-in desk.”

He pulled her closer. “Emily Richardson, I have loved you all my life and will love you for the rest of it. We belong together you and I; always have.”

She squeezed his arm and closed her eyes, savouring the sound of his words.

“So I guess we did find our happy ending after all,” she said softly. “Right here in the City of Love.”

Patrick smiled. “ Absolument .”