Last chapter. Big thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited and followed this story.

Chapter 26

The view hadn't changed. The soft orange glow of a summer sunset warmed her back, accompanied by the spitting flames heating up their hands. It wasn't particularly cold, but they had blankets wrapped round them. She remembered the very first time she had been there, back when she was arrogant and naive. She remembered her dad saying his dream was to return back with the whole family, something she had despised at the time. They had come every summer, watched the orange glow turn into a starry night and the peacefulness of the evening send them slowly to sleep.

She looked around at everyone, marshmallows melting on sticks waving teasingly by the fire. John had his arm around Clara exactly the same way he had the first time, both of them talking quietly to each other and their eyes trained on the view beyond the rocky cliff. Her father had streaks of silver in his hair but he still looked as young as he always had, an impish grin and boyish features. Clara was the same, retaining her youth in her large, brown eyes but hair gradually fading too. Hazel was sat on her phone, occasionally laughing at it and eating messily like she always had. Some of John's traits really had passed onto her but she was mostly an adolescent Clara in looks. Tommy and Jordan were fooling around with the stones, throwing them over the edge just as John used to do as a boy, and as they did he kept a running commentary for them. The twins in particular were a lot like her when she was younger, and now still. While Tommy was his father in looks he had Clara's short stature and his brother just towered over him. Jordan was much more like his mother but had inherited the floppy hair look from John. She leaned into Jake, his strong arms round her chest and he had started a conversation with Clara. She stared down at the silver ring on her finger, smiling once again incredulously. They had made the announcement of their engagement and it had gone much better than she had thought. For some reason it had made her nervous to the point of embarrassed. She thought maybe it was her youthful mind telling her she wasn't allowed, like her parents would have stopped it like she had nearly stopped theirs years ago.

But Clara had been the first to embrace her with congratulations, telling her she knew it would happen at some point. And then all her siblings had too, although the twins started asking weird questions. She had broken the news to her real mother too, and she now visited her every month. Jake looked down at her, and she couldn't help the scream inside her whenever he looked at her like that.

Soon enough they had all launched into memories of the past, Katie recounting them all with laughter.

'Can you remember the time we played cards, mum?'

'Yep. Stormed out, didn't you? In the very caravan we're staying in now,' she laughed, 'you were a bit too competitive.'

'Oh jeez, yeah, I remember that first camping trip. Nothing short of a disaster.' John joined in.

'And the time Hazel sprained her leg?'

'Yeah, you really had us worried then, we thought you'd broken it because you...how old was she?'

'Just turned seven.' Clara said.

'Yeah. You've always been clumsy like me, Hazel.'

She smiled like she was proud of the fact. 'It's my greatest asset.'

'Tell us a story we don't know.' Tommy piped up, finally plonking down next to her.

John looked at Clara, trying to think of one to tell.

'All I really can think of was how stressful it was living with Katie at the time.' He said.

'Hey, it wasn't that bad!' She proclaimed.

'You used to really give us the run-around when you were younger.' He replied. Jake laughed at her.

'You've never told me any of this!' He said, already intrigued and looking to Clara and John for more.

'Because those were my awful and shameful days.' She said, burrowing her head in embarrassment.

'Were you with me at the time?'

'Yeah, I just never told you.'

'Right, I want to hear these stories,' he decided, 'how bad was she?'

'Yeah, I want to know too!' Jordan said.

'Oh god. Why is everyone picking on me.'

'Because we really do have some amazing stories about you.' John laughed, 'she actively went out of her way to separate us.'

'What?!' Jake exclaimed, as her head buried even deeper in shame and everyone laughed in incredulity.

'And she did,' Clara carried on, 'four months.'

She could feel everyone's stare on her and she was almost laughing nervously at the situation as she finally raised her head.

'I did get you back together, though, didn't I?' She replied in her defence.

'Yeah, that's true.'

'And when you had that huge house party that drove both of us mad.'

'Oops.' She admitted.

'The house was a wreck.'

'Don't get any ideas.' Clara pointed to the twins. They smiled innocently but she knew the look of a plan of action when she saw one. It always came in useful when Jake was trying to be deceptive.

'Okay, that's enough about me.'

They all laughed. Katie saw the opportunity and went with it to get back at them.

'Can you remember when mum broke your CD's and she had to buy all of them again to stop you noticing?'

John turned toward Clara. 'You didn't!'

Now Clara looked embarrassed. 'Uh, yeah.' She confessed.

He smiled, leaning into her. 'It's alright, I knew all along.'

'What?'

'Clara, you got all the wrong ones. But it's okay, I forgive you.' He laughed.

'So are we apologising for things we did fifteen years ago?'

'I guess so.'

'Dad, remember the time you set yourself on fire?' Hazel giggled.

'Oh my god, that was funny,' Clara laughed, 'but terrifying at the same time.'

'You whacked me so hard with that towel you gave me bruises.'

She listened to everyone's reminiscences, smiling at particular ones she remembered clearly and contributing occasionally. When the conversation had finally dissipated John looked up at Jake.

'Just going to check, you're sure you want to be part of the crazy Smith family? I think we'd understand if you didn't want to.' He chuckled.

'Yeah, I'm sure.' He grinned down at her.

'Hey guys, look, the moon's finally out!' John said, and they all crowded round to watch the sky turn an even inkier black and moonlight cast spidery shadows across everyone's faces.

She saw Clara and John laughing together and a warm feeling flooded her chest. She was so glad that she had seen sense back then and got them back together, that they had gotten married and done everything they wanted to, because she couldn't imagine anyone ever daring to try do that with her and Jake. And she understood now. Clara really was the nicest and most incredible person to be around, and someone she had developed a huge trust for. Which was why she called her mum instead of Clara, because she had always been there. She could only imagine what her younger self would have said to her now. Her dad had been poorly treated by her teenage actions too, and she really did regret saying and doing some things that were unfair and spiteful. But they had forgiven her straight away, which had given her a positive attitude to morals and life. And without that she probably wouldn't even be sitting there with her family.

Clara said something to him, which made him smile and gently lean forward to kiss her.

That was something she wanted, love unconditional even in old age, exactly like John and Clara's.

Jake saw her staring, and caught her attention. She smiled at him and his head touched hers as he slowly kissed her, his hand cupping her cheek. And she realised she'd already found it.