Walking with Sam

"Does she... know?" I asked, heart aching in the most perfect way.

"Yes," Sam answered after a brief pause, her voice all strange and choked up. "She asked me directly whether you were my girlfriend when I went to fetch her. I told her that you were and that I loved you. And she's been like this ever since."

And I put Beth down and took Sam in my arms and hugged her as tightly as I could as her daughter looked on, beaming.

Beth brought me tissues and helped me dry my eyes.

Then my girls took my hands and led me through to their carefully-prepared dinner table in front of the gently-smoking hearth fire and its aged and well-loved screen.

"Welcome home, Willa," said Beth, grinning toothily up at me.

"Welcome home, my love" whispered my beautiful, wonderful Sam, her eyes glinting with tears that were only just shy of falling.

And then it was just a simple rustic supper with the two most precious people in my life.

And later, very much later, I lay tangled in my sleeping lover's arms, watching the gentle motions of her slow, soft breathing in the silver moonlight; too tired to sleep just yet and heart too full of joy to ever want to wake.

-:- Epilogue -:-

"Beth!" I called. "We need to leave. Mum's waiting in the car. Come on, sweetie, it's time to go, you only turn eighteen once and we don't want to miss our ferry to Calais!"

"Just grabbing my last few things" Bethany called from upstairs.

I peered out through the doorway and caught Sam's eye; she was drumming her fingers theatrically on the steering wheel. She gesticulated - an amused what-the-fuck; I gave her a thumbs up.

"She's on her way!" I called.

"Tell her to move her arse or I'm leaving without both of you!" Sam called back. "Our ferry leaves at two and if we're not there on time I'm going to kick both of you into the sea and you can swim to France under your own power!"

"You'd never!"

"I totally would!" she shouted, grinning.

"Beth!" I called. "Come on, your mum's getting grumpy at us!"

Footsteps clattered down the aged oak stairs and Beth appeared, so tall and and graceful now but still with that same special little grin that she reserved just for me.

"Come on, mum," she said, smiling down at me. "Lock the door and lets get moving."

I was still not used to the title, and she knew it and used it to great effect, the little miss.

Not so little any more, part of me thought.

And oh how very bittersweet that thought was.

I fumbled with the keys, pulled the door closed and locked it. Then I gently touched the outside of Highwood's door. "See you soon," I whispered to our house - a silly habit that my girls always teased me about.

Sam started to toy with Bertha's hooter; Beth grabbed my arm and yanked me after her.

"Dibs on the back seat" she yelled.

"How does that work?" I laughed. "Dibs is for the front, usually..."

"Means I get to stretch my legs," she said. "And hide from you two lecherous old women."

She clambered into the rear of Bertha, and I took the passenger seat.

Sam raised her Ray-bans and gave me a significant look. "Are you sure you two haven't forgotten anything? Once we're there I'm not interested in hearing any complaints. This is my first sunny holiday in years and I will skin you both if you gripe about missing toothbrushes or lack of clean underwear."

"All correct and accounted for, mum," Beth chipped in from the back seat.

"Wouldn't dream of complaining," I added innocently.

"Right," Sam said. "Normandy awaits us, then. Let's go. Beth - seatbelt, please. Willa? Hand, please."

Beth cackled as Sam took my hand and placed it high on her thigh like she always did.

"I love you," I told her.

"I love you right back," Sam said.

"Oh will you get a room, you two," our daughter scolded us. I could hear the smile in her voice without needing to turn to look at her.

And I sighed in perfect contentment as Sam laughed and eased us into motion.

I was looking forward to our holiday.

I was glad I would have my two favourite people with me.

Behind us, Bethany began to sing "Scarborough Fair" quietly to herself.

And all was right with the world.