What about you?

Part Thirty - the end

"Are you sure you've got everything?"

Kate heard the voice, but pretended she hadn't. She needed more time, there was so much to do before she could think about leaving this place. It had been a huge part of her life for so long, and even though she'd barely slept there the last three months, it seemed so difficult to finally close the door on the place she'd called home.

As soon as Kate accepted Mason's proposal, he'd tried to get her to move into his luxurious apartment, even more so when the boys disappeared on their travels. It made sense, it was stupid to rent when she had another more sensible option, and part of her wondered if she was rebelling against this defensively, fearing he was trying to control her, her last vestige of independence, but she knew that Mason viewed it as her resisting him and their future together. That was the last thing she wanted to do, drive a wedge between them. 

But this had been her bedroom, her lounge, her kitchen, bathroom for the last six years. All her memories were linked to this building, and now that Mike and Steve were off gallivanting, Tilly was happy, married, this home became her last and only link to the life she'd had.  Kate knew she needed time to close that book before she could concentrate on the future.

She felt Mason in the room behind her before he made a sound, when his arms wrapped around her, she leaned back into the strength of his hard body.

 "Why am I crying at a building?" her words were quiet and greeted with a chuckle.

"Because you're a very sensitive person, that's why. But this is a good thing, you're moving on by choice, so you can remember all this with happiness! Ok?"

She nodded, swiping at a stray tear. Laughing again Mason turned her in his arms, "this is why I love you Kate Michaels, because you don't do anything by half measures. You do everything for everyone,  you have a passion for everything. Even a building!" Dropping her head to his chest she sighed, but he lifted her chin, forced her to look at him. "Memories lives here!" He tapped the side of her head, "and you'll never lose them, or your friends."

She nodded, "I know!"

Mason tilted his head and kissed her gently, "come on, our new home awaits."

Since accepting his offer to become Mrs Fitzgerald, nothing had been static. He'd almost finished everything out in Dubai. There were still a few short trips needed, but now he was free to find new work and set up a home, a life with her. The first thing he'd done was to drag her around eligible properties in London until they found a delightful town house just a few miles from Tilly. It was everything that Kate had wanted in a house, and a blank canvas for her and Mason to build a home. And the bonus was the basement, that Mason had promised to convert into a separate apartment, her mother or Peter had a place to stay...if they needed it.

Once they'd deposited the boxes Kate had retrieved from the apartment, he drove them both out of the City towards the sprawling countryside of Oxfordshire. Pulling into the car park of AMber Technology. Kate was excited, she'd been looking forward to this moment for a long time. Gripping Mason's hand she almost ran into the reception. 

"Are you here for the University Programme Launch?" A uniformed woman smiled from behind a desk, and when Kate nodded, she gestured to a large set of imposing doors at the end of the corridor. Kate almost skipped along the room and Mason had to restrain her slightly. 

The doors opened onto a large auditorium style room, a long table flanked the length of the stage, and the first three rows of the seating were occupied by obvious journalists, note pads and microphones at the ready. Kate slid into a seat and dragged Mason with her. 

"Where is he?" she asked scanning the room, watching as the stage filled with a mixture of academics and directors from the company. Then she sighed in relief as Peter moved onto the stage, sitting himself between two fo the older men.