The Way Back | ✓

10.3

note: I'm getting a little emotional posting this last chapter. It's not the end yet! There's still the epilogue left. Enjoy the update and please feel free to comment your thoughts/feedback. Give the chapter a little vote if you enjoyed it <3 

Get ready for a cheesy, fluffy chapter! Happy reading xx

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Months had passed since London and Andrew had gotten back together. The start of their relationship had been a little rocky, both adjusting to the slight changes over the time they had spent apart, but once they overcame that, nothing could stop them.

"No way can anybody top this," Andrew beamed, his arm around London's shoulder as he looked around the living room at all the people who occupied it.

It was Aurora's ninth birthday and though the little girl wanted to just have a sleepover, this new power couple insisted that she have a sleepover and a grand ninth birthday party. It was London who proposed this idea and Andrew was quick to agree with anything that made his daughter happy. London felt terrible about missing Aurora's last birthday and she wanted to make it up to her this time.

Aurora wanted to invite her three best friends — Mariam, Carl and Sammy. Andrew wasn't pleased to hear that Aurora wanted to invite Carl over for the sleepover but London convinced him that they were just little kids and that there was no problem with girls and boys having sleepovers. For God's sake, they were nine!

Mariam, Carl, Sammy and a few other friends of Aurora's had come to the party. London also invited Gwen and her father. Gwen couldn't make it because she had an appointment with the wedding planner to check out venues, an appointment she absolutely couldn't miss. Gwen had officially entered the wedding craze. Her father managed to make it to Porte Orlands — he even talked about retiring here in this town, which made London extremely happy to hear.

Andrew's parents wouldn't miss their granddaughter's birthday so they were one of the first people she called. Talia and Simon were here, looking slightly worn out from the long commute from Ipswich to Porte Orlands. Aurora was extremely happy to see her mother. Talia barely ever came to visit so Andrew made the effort of picking random weekends to drop Aurora off at her mother's, despite the long travel hours. Making sure that his daughter got to spend time with both of her parents even though Talia refused to put in the effort Andrew had put in, made London love this man all the more. He was so selfless and she found it to be one hell of an attractive quality.

Though there weren't many people invited, the decorations and food were definitely over the top but London truly couldn't help herself.

"Time for the birthday girl to cut the cake," Andrew called out loudly.

After a few minutes, the adults and the children were gathered around the table. Aurora stood in front of her cake — a cake that London had taken quite a number of hours to craft to perfection — with her friends around her. The adults stood in front of the table, phones and cameras out to take pictures.

Hours later, with the party over, London found her father nursing a glass of Sprite in his hands, his forearms on the counter as he looked at the window above the kitchen sink with distant eyes.

"Everything okay, Dad?" she asked, coming up to stand next to him.

He nodded, looking away from the window and back at her, his eyes gaining a little life. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Just about my daughters," he smiled, before taking a sip of his drink. "You look happy, London, and I'm proud of the woman you've become."