Page 39 of The Forever Cottage

‘Look I’m sorry, Mum, I’m going to have to go.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I’ve arranged to meet a friend for coffee, but same place, same time, next week, yeah?’

‘Of course, darling, if you’re sure you’re okay?’

Hannah didn’t answer that. She simply smiled and waved, and Tess suspected as soon as she finished the call that her daughter would probably burst into tears, as she’d noticed the emotion brimming in her eyes. Tess felt helpless, not knowing how to provide support and comfort to Hannah when she was so many miles away. She knew her daughter well enough to know when there was something wrong, but she couldn’t decide what it might be. Hannah hadn’t seemed 100 per cent herself ever since she’d been poorly a few weeks ago, and Tess had sensed the subtle shift in her mood. Perhaps she was run-down, tired from all her adventures and missing home or maybe she’d had a falling-out with Billy, even if she had insisted everything was fine with her boyfriend. Tess quickly fired off a message.

Hello darling!

Lovely talking to you today. You seemed a little blue so wanted to remind you that I love you and am so proud of everything you’ve achieved. You know I’m always here to talk if you want to. Love you loads and counting down the days until we’re together again. Love Mum xx

With a sigh, Tess closed the lid of her laptop and wandered across to the calendar on the wall, counting the weeks until Hannah was due to come home. Another six weeks to go until Hannah would step back inside the front door of Hollyhocks Cottage and before Tess would have a chance to see the whites of her eyes and be able to give her the biggest hug imaginable. She would need to make the most of the time they did have together though because Hannah wouldn’t be staying around for long.

She would only have a couple of weeks in Lower Leaping before she would have to pack up her gear again and head off to the Midlands to start on her teacher training course. She thought she’d got used to Hannah’s comings and goings, but this next move, to start out on a career that had been her dream ever since she was a young girl, seemed like a particularly significant one. Hannah wouldn’t have a lot of time to visit home once she started her training, so Tess vowed to cram in as much as they possibly could in the time they did have together. They would obviously spend some special time with Marjorie, catching up on all the news over a gin and tonic or two. Then there would be a couple of shopping trips to buy the mountains of items Hannah would need to take away with her, and they might fit in a trip to the cinema or theatre, and perhaps an afternoon in the relaxation spa at the nearby Manor House Hotel. Most of all, Tess was looking forward to spending time sitting at the kitchen table, hearing every detail of Hannah’s trip, all the places she’d seen and all the people she’d met, poring over the photos and videos she would invariably have taken. She couldn’t wait to hear her voice and the joyous sound of her laughter. They would eat all their favourite easy meals, like macaroni cheese and Tess’s vegetarian chilli, and she would make some scrumptious rocky roads which were Hannah’s favourites. Finally, the pair of them would retire to the cosy living room and snuggle up and watch a film together. Tess really couldn’t wait.

Now, she sighed as her gaze drifted out of the window. She supposed it was only natural to feel a mix of emotions when she was missing her daughter so much, and when she was experiencing the odd sensation of feeling her whole world was shifting beneath her feet. For so long, she’d known exactly what her role was in life, but now she was struggling to figure out where she fitted in to her new reality. She was a wife in name only to Charles, but hopefully not for much longer. She would always be mum to Hannah, but their relationship was changing and her daughter no longer needed her in the same way as she had when she was growing up. As for her own mum, in some respects, the tables had turned, with Tess taking on the role of parent in the relationship. Not that Tess was complaining; it would simply take some getting used to, that was all.

Tess was almost relieved when the doorbell rang, distracting her from the thoughts turning over in her mind. She rushed to the door to open it.

‘Hello, Dilly.’

‘It’s not a bad moment, is it? I was at a loose end and thought I’d pop round to see how you were doing?’

‘Not at all. It’s the perfect moment. Come in, and I’ll make us a coffee.’

One of her new roles, Tess realised, was as a friend to people she might never have expected to be her friend, like Dilly, and Rob too.

‘Have you had some breakfast? I was just going to make myself a bacon sandwich if you fancy one? I think I deserve something comforting,’ she said with a wry chuckle.

Dilly’s eyes lit up.

‘I’ve already had a healthy bowl of Greek yogurt, blueberries and granola, but do you know, a bacon sarnie would go down a treat right now. We don’t want me wasting away, do we? Thank you!’ said Dilly eagerly, positioning herself on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

‘So tell me, why are you in need of comfort this sunny Sunday morning? Is it something I can help with?’

‘Not really. It’s just that I spoke to Hannah earlier and she seemed a little bit out of sorts and I couldn’t really get to the bottom of it. It’s hard when she’s so far away. I think sometimes, she puts on a brave front for me and I put a brave front on for her, when really the only thing that would make everything better is a big hug.’ Tess fetched orange juice from the fridge and attended to the bacon sizzling in the pan as she spoke. ‘Seeing her face and hearing her voice just reminds me how much I’m missing her. Still,’ she said, rallying herself, ‘it’s only about six weeks and she’ll be home again. It’s probably all the alcohol from last night still in my bloodstream making me sentimental.’

‘Really? That sounds intriguing. What were you up to then?’

‘Oh, did I not tell you? I had a date.’ Tess flashed Dilly a wide-eyed grin.

‘No, you did not! With Rob? Oh my goodness, I saw him this morning as he headed out for his walk, but he didn’t look to be in the mood for chatting. Now I know why. He obviously had more important matters on his mind.’

‘No!’ Tess chided Dilly with a fierce glance. ‘Not Rob, but Nico – he’s an ex-colleague of Charles’s, and he’s the one who put me in touch with my solicitor.’

‘Right! So how did it go?’

‘Fine,’ said Tess, which provoked a doubtful look from Dilly. ‘No, I mean it was more than fine. We went to the new tapas bar in Bramlingham and it was a lovely, relaxed vibe and we chatted away all night long. He was charming and good company…’ Tess paused for breath.

‘I can feel a but coming on?’

‘But… oh, I don’t know. It was weird. Being with another man who’s not my husband in a sort of romantic scenario.’ Tess shrugged. She’d thought about it lots since and still didn’t know what to make of it. ‘At times, I had butterflies in my stomach, wondering what lay ahead, but honestly, I’m not sure if I’m ready for a romantic relationship at this point in my life.’

‘Thanks.’ Dilly gratefully accepted the bacon sandwich and coffee that Tess placed in front of her. ‘So do you think you’ll see him again?’

‘I don’t know. Certainly as a friend, but I’m not sure about anything beyond that. We’ll have to wait and see.’

Dilly smiled. ‘It sounds to me as though that was a pretty successful date. I could tell you some horror stories about some of the ones I’ve been on. Guys who have clearly lied about their age and their height and everything in-between. I remember going to a bar to meet up with one guy, but I couldn’t find him anywhere and I thought he must have stood me up. It turned out he was there all the time, chatting up some other woman. I didn’t recognise him because in his photo he had a full head of hair, but in real life he was completely bald!’

Tess spluttered over her coffee, laughing helplessly.

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