Page 52 of The Library of Second Chances
She didn’t even know her friend had come to the library before the event. Reassuring Mrs Cook that she had Hannah’s private number, she sent her a text message.
Hannah soon responded with an apology, saying she must have forgotten.
Could you come and pick up the book at my house this weekend? And I’ll pay you the fee. If that’s okay? We could have a cheeky cup of tea as well?
Chloe didn’t mind and said as much back. She hadn’t visited Hannah’s home yet, and it would be nice to see where she was living now.
I’ll see you on Saturday.
‘It’s sorted, Mrs Cook. I’ll get the book back on Saturday,’ she reported to the librarian. Chloe went out to post the other late notice letters, briefly wondering if the books they had borrowed had started glowing. She amused herself for a moment by imagining a character escaping from a book while someone was reading it, ready to cause havoc around their home.
The thought was funny at first, but then she was alarmed. That would never really happen, would it?
She brought it up with Mrs Cook, who tapped her chin in thought. ‘I shouldn’t think so, Chloe. I think the library’s magic is confined to these walls, and it seems only certain people are allowed to see it at work.’
‘The superhero came out at the café,’ Chloe argued.
‘That’s true, but the comic book only started glowing when it was inside the library, right?’ Mrs Cook glanced at the beams above their heads. Clementine was on one of them, sitting with his tail hanging off the side, regarding them with a haughty look. ‘Hey, library? Books are not magic when they’re outside these walls, right?’
The building creaked its response, and Mrs Cook gave a satisfied nod. ‘Nothing to worry about, love.’
That Saturday, Chloe entered the address she had saved from the library account’s information into herGPS.Hannah’s house wasn’t too far from here, and anticipating a cup of tea and a good hour of gossip, she drove to the Hazel Lane neighbourhood. Today was sunny and cold, and Chloe couldn’t help admiring the picturesque landscape as her car trundled over the country road. The hills, traditional cottages, and fields dotted with sheep were cute and cosy, more comforting than a city skyline.
Feeling cheerful, she pulled up to number seventeen, parking her car next to the black Saab in front of the house. It was a terraced home, maybe two-bedroom, with stuffed animals on the windowsill that made Chloe smile. They had to be Lily’s.
The fee for the late library book wasn’t too bad, but Chloe still made up her mind to buy a few cakes at the café this week to soften the blow. Hannah was a busy mother, and no doubt the library book was tucked away on a shelf somewhere, an honest mistake. She knocked on her friend’s door and it opened a minute later.
Lily stood in the doorway, her long brown hair a mess like Hannah had been trying to put it up for her while Lily was wriggling around. The little girl rubbed her eyes.
‘Hi, Lily.’ Chloe crouched, recalling that children prefer for adults to be at their eye level. ‘I’m here to pick up a book for the library. Is your mum coming to the door?’
‘My mum?’ Lily looked confused. ‘No, this is my dad’s house.’
‘Sorry?’ Confusion swept through Chloe as heavy footsteps approached the door.
‘Who’s there, Lily?’ said a man’s voice and the door opened fully.
Before her, balder and with a beer gut, stood Chloe’s ex-fiancé, Liam.
For a moment they stared at each other, Chloe’s eyebrows rising in shock. The blue eyes were the same, though his brown hair had thinned. There were food stains on his old shirt.
‘Wow. Chloe, is that you?’ Liam’s face lit up. ‘You look good.’
‘Uh,’ said Chloe, thoroughly confused. ‘Y-you’re Lily’s dad?’
Liam and Hannah. Liam, Lily’s dad. The idiot who only saw her on weekends.
‘This is your house,’ she said finally, her brain slowly catching up.
‘Chloe, want to see my Hot Wheels?’ Lily asked, taking her hand.
‘I heard you were back in town, Chloe. How’ve you been?’ Liam asked, like the last time they saw each other hadn’t been her yelling at him for kissing her sister. In a daze, Chloe let Lily pull her to the living room, where toys and books were scattered across the floorboards and a cartoon was playing on theTV.
‘I’ll make you a brew,’ said Liam, halfway out the door. ‘Milky with no sugar, right?’
It sickened her that he remembered, but she gave a weak nod. ‘Uh, yeah. I’m just going to run to the toilet . . . Lily, I’ll have a look at your cars in a sec, okay?’
‘Okay.’ Lily was already eating some crisps, entranced with her show.
