WHAT!!!! Hang on a sec. I just got back to my room and there’s like a million messages from you two. Let me catch up.
Ava, Sophie’s right. When you know, you know. If you’re sure he’s the right one, then I’m happy for you. I can’t make the wedding, given that you two are in such a huge rush, but I was thinking I could stop over in Greece on my way to Vegas?! Let me know if that works for you.
Meanwhile, what the hell do you mean, ‘Cristiano is coming back’? Isn’t that sort of a disaster?
10 August, 06.28 am
From: Ava
To: Sophie, Olivia
I don’t see why it needs to be.
10 August, 06.29 am
From: Olivia
To: Sophie, Ava
Um, maybe because of a rather adorable two year old with enormous brown eyes and olive skin? A little girl who is the spitting image of her father?
If Olivia could have known the effect her words had on Ava, she would have couched her point a little more carefully. For faraway, on the western edge of the Australian continent, surrounded by pristine grapevines and the sound of the rolling ocean in the distance, Ava was panicking. She had been panicking for months. The bridal party had booked to stay at her accommodation, the sweet little row of cottages nestled in amongst the grapes. And Ava had taken the booking before she’d realised that Cris would be one of their group. Her past, the past she’d spent every day facing up to because of their secret daughter, was about to come right back into her present.
10 August, 06.29 am
From: Ava
To: Sophie, Olivia
I’ll work it out.
10 August, 06.30 am
From: Sophie
To: Ava, Olivia
You have to tell him, Aves. He’s her dad. And he’s going to take one look at her and know that.
10 August, 06.31 am
From: Ava
To: Sophie, Olivia
We weren’t talking about me. Don’t worry about Cristiano. I’ll handle him.
Do you think either of you will make it for Christmas? I know you said you weren’t sure … but we’d love to see you.
It brought a nostalgic smile to Sophie’s face. She hadn’t even thought about Christmas. She had been planning to fly back for a whirlwind week. But that was before meeting Alessandro. Her heart clenched in her chest as she thought of her fiancé .
10 August, 06.32 am
From: Sophie
To: Ava, Olivia
I really don’t know, I’m so sorry. If not this year, definitely next.