Read Online Happier Than She's Ever Been... by Menna van Praag - Free Book Online Page A

began to realise just how much she’d been losing herself and neglecting her relationship in her single-minded focus on her own personal cause.
    â€˜Don’t forget to forgive yourself,’ Harry said, smiling, ‘or you’ll just end up punishing your boyfriend again. After all, there’s nothing quite so unattractive and depressing as a little self-loathing, is there?’
    May returned his smile. ‘No, I suppose not.’
    As she looked at him, Harry started to pull himself up until he was standing, leaning against the wall for support. ‘And now, my dear,’ he said, ‘I’m afraid I must go.’
    â€˜Oh?’ May said. ‘Why? Where?’
    â€˜I have a long-standing dinner order with the very generous owner of a lovely little patisserie on Height Street,’ Harry said, ‘and the window of opportunity is a small one.’
    â€˜Gosh, well, yes, of course,’ May said. ‘And I suppose I really should go home. I have some apologising to do, some forgiveness to ask for.’
    â€˜Wonderful.’ Harry reached out his hand. ‘And I wish you well.’
    â€˜Thank you,’ May said, trying to postpone the moment, not wanting to see him go. ‘Thank you for everything.’ And then, suddenly quite overwhelmed with gratitude and not having any other way to say it, May jumped up, took his hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek for saving her life. Or, at the very least, her heart. Then she pulled him into a hug. And while she held him May slipped all the money she had into his jacket pocket.

    If she’d been fit enough, May would have run the thirty blocks home. As it was she hurried, scurried and crawled. She pushed open the front door, panting, ran the final few steps through the bookshop, up the spiral staircase and into the kitchen where she found Ben still sitting at the table, staring off into space.
    â€˜I’m so, so, so sorry, sweetheart,’ May said, as he looked up. ‘I didn’t mean, well, I did, because I really lost my way and…’
    Ben smiled and opened his arms and May, wondering for a moment if he had psychically attended Harry’s forgiveness seminar, ran round the table and rushed right into him, almost knocking them both over.
    â€˜I love you, I love you, I love you,’ May gushed, kissing him all over his cheeks, his neck, his hair…
    â€˜I love you too, you crazy girl,’ Ben said, laughing. ‘Welcome back.’

F AME
    May was back and, for the next few weeks, everything was fine. Life resumed as normal and May made concerted efforts to really be with Ben when she was with him, instead of getting distracted by thoughts of her book and the upcoming TV show. Of course, with life always being a learning experience, she didn’t succeed all the time. But whenever Ben saw May getting distracted, lost in fantasies of the future, he gently brought her back by saying something funny or giving her magnificent kisses that left her blinking and wondering what day of the week it was.
    It seemed as though nothing would rock their relationship. But then, as is so often the case, the next challenge came along. If only, May would later think, the TV show had happened later. If only they’d had longer to cement the newfound trust, forgiveness, compassion and empathy between them. If only she’d known better than to make the same mistake twice. But, of course life doesn’t work with ‘if only’, and perhaps that’s just as well or there’d be reason to be lost in regret all the time.
    As the day of the TV show dawned, May and Ben pottered around, practising real love in the face of imperfection, with no idea how hard they were about to be hit. The morning was a beautiful one. Sunlight streamed in through the windows and May, unable to sleep from nerves, had got up early to make fresh coffee and bake blueberry scones, even though it wasn’t Sunday. They ate