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Chapter 7 (Epilogue)

"Welcome home, kids!" Uncle Charlie was all smiles and hugs when John and Clara came through the bookshop door. They had arrived in London just an hour earlier, and after dropping their luggage off at their respective houses, had gone to the bookshop to see Charlie, making sure it was just after the store closed so there would be no customers.

            John grinned and hugged his uncle. "Good to see you, Uncle Charlie!"

            "So how was it, then? Tell me everything."

            They went into the back room and Charlie made tea for the three of them. Sitting on boxes of books, John and Clara told Charlie all about their adventures in Norway, Italy, and France.

            "It really was an amazing trip, Charlie," Clara said. "Thanks again for the tickets."

            "Yes, thank you," John added. "It meant a lot to us."

            "It was my pleasure," Charlie replied, smiling. "You two really deserved it."

            "So, you held down the fort okay while we were gone?" John asked, looking around at the boxes scattered about the room. There were more of them than John had ever seen there.

            "Yes, we've been doing brilliantly," Charlie said. "You're good for this place, John. I'm glad you did what you did."

            John smiled and glanced at Clara, then back at his uncle. "Me too. Well, I'm exhausted, and I'm sure Clara is too."

She nodded. "And I have...family stuff to take care of."

            John glanced at her sympathetically and squeezed her hand. He turned back to Charlie. "So, we're going to head out. And I'm taking the day off tomorrow, but come Wednesday I'll be back here and I expect business to be booming!"

            "Yes, sir!" Charlie laughed. "You two take care. Get some good rest. See you on Wednesday."

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One Year Later

            Clara and John walked hand in hand back to the bookshop after their daily lunch at the café. Even after a year, they still went there every day and still sat at the same table every time. They often talked about their trip around Europe; even after all this time, the excitement hadn't worn off.

            They reached the front of the bookshop and John stopped, turning to face Clara. He smiled at her. He loved her even more now, a year later, than he had when they went to Paris. And he knew that this was the right time to do this.

            John let go of Clara's hand and reached into his pocket, feeling for the soft velvet box. He slowly pulled it out of his pocket as he lowered himself to one knee. "Clara Oswald..."

            Clara gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Her heart pounded and she felt her eyes filling with tears.

            John looked up at her and smiled. "My Clara. My Soufflé Girl. We've had the best of times this past year, and if you would, I'd love to spend many more unforgettable moments with you. So, Clara Oswald, will you marry me?"

            It took Clara a few seconds to find her voice. She nodded, tears running down her cheeks. "Yes! Yes, John, of course I will! Oh my stars...I can't believe this!" She laughed, then held out her hand and John slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Clara held up her hand so she could look at it. "John, it's beautiful!"

            John stood up, grinning. "I bought it in Paris. I had it made especially for you."

            Clara looked up at him and smiled, then threw her arms around him and kissed him. She pulled away after a moment and grinned, keeping her arms around him. "I love you, John."

            John smiled back at her. "I love you too, Clara. Here's to a life of unforgettable adventures together."

            With that, they clasped their hands together and entered the bookshop to tell Uncle Charlie the news.

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            John and Clara were married three months later. They kept the service small, only inviting their immediate family, including Uncle Charlie, of course. They spent their honeymoon in Paris, revisiting all the places they'd gone when they had visited the first time.

            When they got back to London, John and Clara bought a flat that was just around the corner from the bookshop. John worked on making some big changes to the shop. The café down the road had closed, so John decided to open a café right in the bookshop itself. He expanded the shop onto the second story, which had previously been an empty storage room. But now there were so many people and so many books coming in, John had no choice but to use the second floor as part of the shop.

            Clara suggested that they change the name of the shop. After going through several cheesy names that just didn't feel right, John and Clara finally decided on a name: The Wednesday Café and Bookshop. It was perfect.

            John and Clara ran the bookshop together, and were able to manage it without much other help, aside from Uncle Charlie, who insisted on staying and working there. His help was even more appreciated when John and Clara decided they needed a break and would travel to some other country, slowly checking off places in their book of 101 Places to See. Little by little, their dream of travelling the world was coming true.

            But no matter how many places they went, and how much they didn't want to leave, John and Clara found themselves unable to stay away for more than a few weeks. Because no matter how far they traveled, the Wednesday Café and Bookshop would always be there to welcome them home.