Leaving something behind isn’t just about having a child who will roam the earth after you’ve gone. A legacy is made up of everything you’ve ever done. It’s everything you leave behind. It’s every choice you make. It’s every person you meet. It’s every feeling you’ve passed on. It’s every story you tell.

Epilogue

2025

Marcus and I have moved further into the city. Further in. Not out. First, I moved out of my flat and in with him, but this was always going to be our natural next step: a place of our own. Ours. He sold his house and his girls were upset at first, understandably. But they were OK with it in the end, and I feel their genuine happiness for us, which is more than I could ever have asked for. It’s not easy to sell a house with so many deeply engraved memories embedded in its walls. Instead of feeling like we needed to ‘upgrade’, or buy somewhere with lots of space, we decided to downgrade – a cosy flat for just the two of us above a family-run Swedish furniture shop in Soho. What responsibility do we have? None, really. We wanted to take advantage of this and live freely, in the heart of the city we love. We are next to one of our favourite French restaurants, and we can walk to the Curzon Soho cinema to watch films, or go to the theatre whenever we want. I work from home most days now and sometimes sit on our little veranda with my laptop, overlooking the London cityscape. I feel so happy and contained in the rhythm of our daily life together. We have a small spare room for Caitlin and Sally, of course, but they are busy living their own independent lives now. Caitlin has moved in with her boyfriend, a lovely tall boy called Callum, who was also a family friend (so Marcus approves, which makes things a tad easier). Her health is back on track – has been for years now – and her relationship with food has been reframed through an entirely different lens with the help of a therapist and Callum’s ongoing support. She is healthy and happy, but we still check in often. Sally is studying History of Art in Bristol. She lives with a big group of girlfriends, who work hard and play hard. It feels like Marcus can relax now, knowing that his babies are settled. Of course he will always worry a bit, but everything feels … in place.

Marcus is out with his friends tonight, and I am excited to be hanging out with mine. It’s the first time they’ve seen the flat, and I’ve tidied and cleaned extra hard for their arrival.

‘Congratulations Olive! Home-owner!’ Cecily says, popping open a big bottle of champagne in my new kitchen. Isla ducks as the cork goes towards her head. It spills onto the wooden floor, but I don’t care. Bea finds a tea towel and mops it up.