Page 67 of The Mended Hearts Bookshop

THE PHONE RANG as she was getting out of the shower, the number on the screen long and foreign looking, and Ash had to hurriedly wipe her hands dry before she picked it up.

“Mum?”

“Thank God,” her mother said. “They actually have decent phone lines in Ecuador. Who would have thought? They eat guinea pigs, you know.”

“Guinea pigs?” Ash asked.

“Guinea pigs,” confirmed her mother. “But they know how to make a good phone line, and that’s what counts.” There was a slight crackle on the line. “It’s a blessing to be off the ship, if you can believe it. Ted won’t eat a thing that’s not steak, and there’s only so many shows and casinos you can go to before they all start to look the same. I’m beginning to think that half way around the world would have been enough.”

“Mother,” said Ash. “I’m sure it’s lovely.”

“Well, the state room is nice. And I suppose it’s nice to have someone do all the washing and cleaning. By the time we get back I’ll have forgotten how.” She paused for another crackling second. “And what about you, my dear? How are you?”

“Fine,” Ash said automatically even though she didn’t feel fine. She felt untethered and unsure in an unfamiliar way.

“No news?”

Ash sighed. It was a long story and she really didn’t want to get into it now. Besides, her mother would only run out of phone credit or have to run to catch the ship half way through. “Nothing big,” she said eventually.

“Wasn’t it funny, you asking me about auntie Mary like that,” said her mother, as if her phone call from Chile had been just yesterday. “I haven’t thought about her in years.”

“Yes,” said Ash. “About that, she wasn’t really my aunt, was she?” Only a guess, but a pretty good one.

“Oh, of course she wasn’t,” laughed her mother. “She lived next door but one and gave you sweets every time you walked past her garden, so you called her auntie.”

Ash sighed. “I don’t suppose she’s still around, is she?”

“She’d be ancient if she were,” said her mother. “She was well into her eighties when you were tiny.”

Which tied up all the loose ends, really, Ash thought.

She bid her mother goodbye, making her promise not to jump ship and leave her latest husband no matter how bored of shows and casinos she got, filled the washing machine with clothes, made herself some scrambled eggs, and then, by seven o’clock, had run out of things to do.

Just what had she done before, she wondered. How had she filled her days and nights? Without George to distract her or Pen to feed her or Lucy to bother her or Fabio to trip her up, the flat seemed terribly empty.

It was just the time for a walk on the beach. Except there was no beach, obviously. She sighed and picked up her mobile, texting Pen.Miss you xxx

Within a second, the phone was vibrating in her hand.

“Already?” Pen said when she picked up. “You’ve only been gone a few hours.”

“I can stop missing you if you prefer?”

“No,” Pen said, laughing. “I like that you miss me. It makes me feel better.”

“Glad that you’re wallowing in my misery then,” said Ash.

“You know what I meant. How’s London?”

“Big,” Ash said, looking out of the window toward the river. “Empty.”

“Jesus, has there been some kind of zombie apocalypse I haven’t heard about?”

“Not that kind of empty. There’s plenty of people here. Just… lonely, I suppose.”

“Ah, I see,” Pen said. She was quiet for a moment. “Still, it’s only three weeks, right?”

“Two weeks and six days tomorrow,” said Ash. She could picture Pen now, sitting on her couch with too many cushions.

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