Page 147 of The Other Side

Osian grabbed his violin case while Drum wrestled with a bottle of champagne, and together they headed toward the house. Fi’s explicit instructions had been no presents, but alcohol was a mandatory exception.

“We could always pretend this is a birthday party for you, too,” Osian suggested with a playful nudge.

Drum chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t you dare tell anyone it’s my birthday. Tonight is their celebration, not mine. Anyway, it’s a bit greedy having a birthday in May and another one now in September.”

“But I wasn’t with you in May.”

“True.”

“From now on, your birthday will be in September. It’s your real birthday after all. And I have something special planned for later.”

“I should hope so.” Drum grinned.

Following the route which had been lined by lanterns, they slipped around the back of the house toward the patio. Overhead, string lights cut a glowing crisscross pattern against the evening sky. The patio had been clearly divided: tables and chairs clustered on one side, the band setting up on the other, leaving a wide open gap in the middle for dancing. There were a lot of people, including teenagers and smaller children.

Osian stole a quick kiss, then melted away toward the band. Drum, left to his own devices, went in search of the hosts. He spotted Fi standing with Noel and an older couple.

Stepping into the circle, Drum held out the champagne.

“Drum! Thank you so much.” Fi pulled him into a warm hug before turning to the couple. “Mum, Dad, this is Drum. He’s a wonderful friend. Drum, these are my parents, May and Stephen.”

“Pleased to meet you both,” Drum said, offering a warm smile and a handshake.

Fi and Noel wandered off to greet more guests.

“Aren’t they lucky with the weather,” May said. “Not even windy.”

“Fi had planned to use the barn, if necessary,” Stephen added. “She always has a plan.”

“She’s very resourceful,” Drum agreed.

“Do you live around here?” May asked.

She had a lovely smile, Drum thought. It seemed to brighten her whole face.

“Not far away. I used to live in London.”

“Bit of a change,” Stephen said.

“Huge. There aren’t nearly as many sheep in London.”

They laughed.

“Do you have a partner here?” May asked.

“Osian. The one with dirty blond hair playing the violin.” Drum automatically turned to look at him. Osian lifted his head and looked back.

“Oh, we met him last year. Do you know Kit, Will’s young man?”

“I do.”

“He’s lovely.” She let out a small, shaky sigh. “Will’s life has changed so much over the last month. He struggled for so long that I can hardly believe the difference in him now. He’s so happy. We’re planning a holiday in France next year—a proper family holiday. We’ve rented a gîte with a pool, and Fi and Noel are coming too. I hope Kit will come as well. It’s exactly the sort of thing we used to dream about.”

“That sounds lovely,” Drum said. It really did.

“It’s a miracle,” she whispered. “Will tells me not to dwell on it. Not to keep talking about cerebral palsy. Just accept that it never was.” She gave a rueful laugh. “But after watching your child struggle for years, seeing him unable to do the things other children could do so easily, knowing how hard he worked just to keep up…” Her voice caught.

Stephen slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We’re just so proud of him,” he said.