"I couldn't have dreamed you into existence because I didn't even know I needed you. You must have been sent to me." Kamand Kojouri

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XXII. You're Still the One

Before leaving on that Sunday, Noah had asked Sophie to be his girlfriend, and Sophie had accepted without hesitation. It was perhaps one of the only decisions she had made in that last decade without hesitation.

She didn't know what it was with Noah, but it was something. It was special, and comfortable, and it felt real and genuine.

Sophie and Noah dated happily for the entirety of November. They fell into a sort of routine, in which Noah would spend every spare moment he had that he was not working on his score with Sophie, either at the bar, or at her flat. When they could, they went out, and Sophie took him on cliché tourist expeditions, taking photos of Noah posing in telephone boxes and riding atop a double decker bus.

Sophie enjoyed every minute that she spent with Noah. She loved his company, and his intelligence, and the way he spoke about his passions was so bloody attractive. He was caring and compassionate, and he never made her feel inferior despite the huge differences in their situations.

Maddie continued to take lessons from Noah, but they really became writing sessions. They worked on Noah's score together, and come the twenty-fifth of November, he was certain that he had finished it, and it was ready for recording.

Maddie had made massive changes over that month. She had not refused school once.She was now a top reader and speller and had joined the school band on piano. The latter had taken some convincing as Maddie had no interest in playing with children her own age, but Noah had been the one to convince her.

Noah had played piano in his school band, and Maddie simply had to do the same. Maddie had stars in her eyes when it came to Noah, and Sophie was quickly realising it was like mother like daughter.

Maddie had continued to see her psychologist weekly in an effort to build her social skills, the expense of which stretched Sophie to her last ten pounds every payday. While Maddie hadn't made any friends, the fact that she was interacting with others was a huge step forward.

She had even asked Sophie how she was feeling the other day, something that she had neverdone before. As expensive as it was, Sophie would keep paying for it.

Everything had really been wonderful. But when one's life had as many roller coaster loops as Sophie's did, she was only waiting for the dip. A whole month of sweet company, with no Beck stalking her at work, and Maddie thriving. She was bound for a fall.

And she knew what it would be.

Noah would need to return to America soon. Sophie knew that his score was due by Christmas, and that it needed to be his completed score, recorded with an orchestra. Sophie had yet to record her song, or even hear what it would be, but she assumed that would happen before he flew home.

It had been so easy to feel as though he lived in London. She saw him every day. But this wasn't his home. His home and his lovely, large, nosy but good intentioned family lived thousands of miles away, and that was where he belonged.

No new relationship could survive that distance, could it? Noah hadn't told Sophie that he loved her, and Sophie hadn't told him either. It seemed inevitable, really, as December rapidly approached.

But Sophie tried to push it out of her mind on this special Thursday. In America, it was Thanksgiving, and Noah wasn't with his family. Sophie hadn't found a proper turkey as Christmas was a month away, not that she could really afford it anyway, so she had bought some turkey breast from the delicatessen and prepared some Thanksgiving inspired rolls.

She had even taken the night off work. Her first shift off ... well, probably since she had given birth to Maddie. As much as she needed the money, she really didn't want to let an important day in Noah's life pass by without acknowledging it.

***

Noah smiled at a pregnant woman as he stood up on the tube, allowing her to have his seat as he listened to the dial tone. He held onto the pole and waited for his mom to pick up the phone.

It would be one o'clock at home, and he knew his mom would be cooking up a storm, shouting at his dad to turn the game down, and complaining that no one was helping her.

No one could help her. Apparently, there was a right and wrong way to peel a potato and if you aren't going to do it right then Joy might as well do it herself, be off with you.

"For God's sake, John, turn that game down, I'm on the phone!" shouted Joy as the call connected. "Noah?" she said excitedly.

"Hi, Mom," Noah greeted. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart!" she cried excitedly. In the background Noah could hear the sound of the exhaust fan going, and the noise of spoon hitting the sides of a stainless-steel mixing bowl.

"How are you? Are you good?" Noah asked.

"I'd be better if someone around here would bother to give me a hand cooking," Joy uttered bitterly.

Noah smirked, enjoying the familiarity of how predictable his mother was. "Darn selfish of them," he teased. "I'm sorry I'm not there," he apologised, his voice turning sincere. As overbearing as she was, he really did miss his family today.

The sound of the mixing stopped, and Joy sighed. "I'm sorry, too, honey," she said softly. "I miss you and your squishy face."

Noah needed to blink his eyes tightly. "Jesus, Mom, I'm nearly thirty."

"You're the youngest and you're my baby," Joy replied unabashedly. "I'm allowed to think you're squishy if I want to. What're you doing today? I hope you don't have to work."

"No, I actually finished my score yesterday." At two in the morning, actually, as he watched the movie for about the hundred and fourth time, putting every single note that he and Maddie had written to it perfectly. God, it was going to be good. He knew when something was good, and he was itching to take control of that orchestra and make it as beautiful as it sounded in his head.

"Oh!" cried Joy. "That's wonderful! I can't wait to hear it. Does that mean you're coming home sooner than you thought?"

That was a complicated question, and it was also part of the reason as to why he'd called his mom. He hadn't told her about Sophie. He had only told Tally, and by some miracle she had managed to not open her big mouth.

Noah knew his return date was fast approaching. He had to go home. There was no way around it. But he had no intention of that being the last that he saw of Sophie.

He had felt more at home with her, more himself with her than he had ever felt before. It was natural, as easy as breathing with Sophie, and there was no way he was letting her go because of something as trivial as geography.

He wanted to bring Sophie and Maddie out to LA to record his original song. He wanted Sophie to have the experience of being a professional singer, and he wanted Maddie to play with the orchestra.

His plan was to bring them over on Maddie's school Christmas break. It would be a narrow window, but he could make it work. But that would mean Christmas at his parents' house.

It was highly possibly that the holidays with Joy Bentley might push Sophie over the edge. The woman needed a good month to calm her crazy for Sophie and Maddie got there.

"I'll be home for Christmas, I promised you that," Noah reiterated. Taking a breath, he added, "And I might be bringing someone." Noah shut his eyes and winced as he heard a clatter of dishes and the absolute scream of joy erupting from his phone's speaker.

Even the people around him on the train could hear the noise and were looking at him like he was insane. He wanted to let them know that it was his mother who was the crazy one.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Joy?" cried John. "Oh my God, you dropped the yams!"

Oh God, not Dad's yams.

"Oh, Noah, this is so exciting!" Joy squealed. "Is it Sophie? I just know it's her. I could tell from the minute I spoke with her that she was a good girl," Joy gushed, before gasping. "DOES THIS MEAN MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS COMING, TOO?" she screamed with delight.

"I've changed my mind. I'm not asking them," Noah decided, shielding his face from the embarrassment.

"What?" cried Joy. "No, no!" she protested. "They have to come. How do I spell Maddie's name? I need to start knitting. You make them come or I'm only baking Tally a birthday cake!" she threatened, before there was a staticky noise. "John, talk to your son. I need to find my knitting needles!"

"Noah," grumbled John.

"Dad," replied Noah.

"She dropped my yams," he moaned.

"She's holding my birthday cake for ransom," Noah shot back.

"But you finally got a nice girlfriend?"

Noah smiled. "Yeah," he said, nodding.

"She worth holding onto?"

"Absolutely."

"Worth setting Mom on her?"

"Regretfully, yes."

John chuckled. "She'd better be. She's the reason my Thanksgiving yams are soaking into the damn hardwood."

The train stopped at Gunnersbury station, and Noah stepped off onto the platform. "Dad, she really is important. Can you ...?"

"I'll take care of it," John assured him. "Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss you."

Noah sucked in a breath, and just paused for a second, remembering that it wasn't long ago that he and his dad really didn't have a lot to say to each other. John Bentley was not the type of man who could easily express how he felt. It took nearly seventeen years for him to find the words to connect with Noah. But the small things meant a lot coming from him, and Noah knew he meant them.

"I miss you, too, Dad," he murmured sincerely.

"You do what you need to, and I'll see you when I'm looking at you." Noah could hear how John's voice had thickened softly, and he thought that his father was thinking the same thoughts.

They said goodbye and Noah hung up the phone, shooting off a quick text to Tally as he walked out of the station.

Mom knows. She's knitting. Happy Thanksgiving x

He then texted Haley and Casey, before receiving Tally's reply.

It was a video file.

He smirked, opening it up as he walked.

It was Tally and Vanessa in frame teasingly singing. "You're still the one I run to. The one that I belong to. You're still the one I want for life.You're still the one that I love. The only one I dream of. You're still the one I kiss goodnight!"

"Happy Thanksgiving!" they cheered in unison, before Tally pointed the camera at Vanessa. She did a cute little twirl in her hand knitted sweater that Joy had made for her all those years ago.

Noah rolled his eyes. Leave the singing to the professionals, Tally, he texted back, but he knew exactly where they were going, and God knew he was heading there, too.

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Bonus chapter for you to finish off your weekend xx 

Thanks so much for all your excitement for my new series! I'm very excited to write them ... but first, I think we're headed off on a plane .... ;) 

Enjoy your week! 

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