Page 33 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
‘But why would she have been so confident? It’s a big enough mystery to me that she left me the shop in the first place. But to be so certain I’d choose to run the place…’ I lift the sandpaper away from the wood and twiddle it around in my hands while I think. ‘When she was ill in hospital I’d go and visit her, but she never mentioned any of this. I assumed that if anything happened, the shop would go to my mother or one of my aunts – someone who was actually interested in flowers.’
‘She was right, though, wasn’t she?’ Lou says gently. ‘Because here you are, about to open the shop up as your own. And here we are, all helping you out, as she knew we would.’
‘She was always right,’ I laugh. ‘It was very annoying.’
‘Wasn’t she just!’ Lou smiles. ‘Try having a best friend who’s right all the time. It’s very wearing.’ Her expression changes to sadness as she remembers her friend is no longer here.
Never comfortable when it comes to dealing with emotions, I fall back on my usual strategy and change the subject. ‘So you’re Charlie and Bronte’s aunt?’ I ask, wondering if Lou was Jake or Felicity’s sister. She looked a bit old to be either.
‘Great-aunt, actually. I’m Jake’s aunt – his mother’s sister.’
‘Oh… that makes more sense,’ I blurt out.
‘Because I’m an old biddy?’ She grins. ‘I’ll have you know, I’m the reigning over-sixties surfing champion for North Cornwall.’
‘Really?’
‘Yep,’ she says proudly. ‘There may only have been three of us entered, but I still stayed on my board longer than those other pension-drawing wusses!’
I hold out my hand to her to high five, and she responds appropriately by slapping my palm.
‘You should take Charlie for a spin on the waves,’ I say, looking over to where Charlie is now helping Amber sand some already filled cracks flat before they can be painted. ‘I think he’d like it.’
‘Tried,’ Lou says. ‘He won’t have it. He’s a bit too worried what he’ll look like. It’s an awkward age for a boy – seventeen.’
I nod.
‘It’s a shame,’ she continues. ‘They miss out on so much when they’re young because they’re worried what they’ll look like, and then when it’s too late and they can’t —’ she stops hurriedly. ‘Oh my dear, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean… I meant…’ She reaches out her hand and places it gently on my arm, and in one touch does everything I couldn’t do for her a few minutes ago.
‘I know,’ I reply, suddenly needing to examine the knots in the wood very closely. ‘It’s fine, really.’
‘No, it’s not. I know it won’t be easy for you, being here in St Felix again. Rose told me everything.’
I look at Lou. ‘Everything?’
She nods.
‘What are you two up to, hiding under there?’ Jake says, sticking his head under the table. ‘Poppy, I see you’ve met my aunt Lou.’
‘I think Poppy could do with a break,’ Lou says. ‘Is that kettle on at the moment?’
‘Er, I’m not sure, I’ll go and find out,’ Jake says, craning his neck to look in the direction of the back room.
‘Maybe a little walk might be better?’ Lou suggests. ‘Mickey said he’d lay on some lunch for us – perhaps you could go and find out about that?’ She raises her eyebrows at Jake.
‘Sure,’ Jake says. ‘You want to come, Poppy?’
‘I don’t know – it doesn’t seem right to abandon everyone.’ I look at the current team of helpers busying themselves in the shop.
‘They’ll be fine,’ Lou says. ‘A good lunch will be much more important to them in a few minutes than your presence right now.’
‘OK, if you’re sure.’
Jake holds out his hand, I take it, and he pulls me up.
‘Right,’ he says, giving my hand a squeeze. ‘Off in search of chips we go!’
Eleven
