My Grape Escape (27 page)

That evening, once my parents had gone to bed, Franck and I snuck outside for one last moment to savor the warmth of the evening. The stone steps cooled the back of my thighs. Franck settled beside me and his arm stole around my shoulder. A wave of joy swept over me, so powerful that I had to wrap my fingers around the freshly painted lavender banister to steady myself.

“It’s funny,” I said to Franck in a low voice so as not to waken my exhausted parents. “Since I can remember
,
I’ve always felt as though I needed to know where I was headed. I don’t feel that way anymore.”

“What’s changed?”

“This house. Us.” I nestled my head in the crook of his neck. “All these months, I didn’t know where I was going. Most of the time I felt completely lost, but it turned out that didn’t matter in the end. We still ended up here. We still ended up in this moment, right now.”

Franck twirled my ponytail around his finger. “How would you describe this moment?”

I soaked in the orange evening sky and the smell of the fresh leaves on the grapevine growing beside me on the railing and the solid stone of our house underneath me.

“Perfect.”

Even though life was never perfect, certain moments were.

The clock on the church tower began to ring out the
Angelus
. I kissed Franck. The powerful notes made the metal vibrate under my fingertips. If life hadn’t been so complicated and messy I would never
have stumbled my way here.

“I think I’m ready to have a baby,” I blurted out.

Franck laughed. “Since when?”

I kissed him again, more soundly this time. “Since right this instant.”

Merci

My Grape Escape
is the result of the help and support from so many wonderful people. First of all,
un énorme merci
to my wonderful husband who puts up with me writing about him. He has never sought the spotlight but loves me enough to allow me to shine it on him regardless. He swept me off my feet twenty-two years ago and continues to do so every day.

Thanks to my girls for never doubting for a second that I would publish my book in the end and for always asking me how it was coming along, even on days when it felt like a distant pipe dream. Charlotte, Camille, and Clémentine are, without a doubt, my finest and most miraculous creations.

An enormous
bisous
to Pam and Lisa, the best editors and cheerleaders a writer could ever wish for and to Daisy for all her savvy design expertise.
Merci
to all my beloved girlfriends and family members for always having my back.

Thank you so much to
mon amie
Marjorie Taylor of The Cook’s Atelier in Beaune for allowing me to use a photo of her vintage Citroën (named ‘Madeleine’) for my cover.  If you ever want a sublime cooking course or market tour in Beaune, look up Marjorie at
www.thecooksatelier.com
or visit her Epicurean center at 42, rue de Lorraine.

I truly owe a debt to Nicolas for telling me I just needed to finish one – any one - of my
putains de livres
so I could learn how to let go. Also, to Sukumar who got me unstuck by suggesting that I start at the end, and to all the writers who participate in the Surrey International Writer’s Conference for being such an inspiring, crazy, and supportive tribe.

“Cheers” to my Oxford tutor who told me that my writing was lovely, even though my legal reasoning was utter rubbish.

A huge thanks to all my friends at the PSC Partners Facebook forum. You have made the path of being diagnosed with a rare and unpredictable disease so much more bearable. To Philip Burke and Sandi Pearlman – I feel so fortunate that I was able to benefit from your caring, warmth, and knowledge before you passed over. Rest in Peace
mes amis
– you made a difference in some of the darkest days of my life that will never be forgotten. Ten per cent of the royalties from this and any of my future books will be donated back to PSC Partners Seeking A Cure and earmarked for research. Everybody, please sign up to be an organ donor and campaign to have “opt-out” organ donation policies adopted throughout the world. Too many precious lives like Philip’s and Sandi’s are being lost every day due to inertia.

Lastly,
merci, merci, merci
to all our guests who have stayed at
La Maison des Deux Clochers
over the past fourteen years. Your enthusiasm for Burgundy, your love for the authentic, and your appreciation for the simple pleasures of life in France are the reason why Franck and I love what we do and the inspiration for us to continue to grow our vacation rental network in Burgundy (
www.graperentals.com
). You inspired me to write this book and you are and always will be an integral part of our story.