Page 51 of The Gingerbread Cafe
‘Time for Eve’s big shop announcement?’ asked Amber.
Phoebe held up a hand to silence them. ‘Yes, but wait. Ooh, there’s such good energy in here.’ She narrowed her eyes at Gretel in that odd way she sometimes did.
‘What?’ Gretel asked, brushing her face with her hands. ‘Have I got crumbs?’
‘No,’ said Phoebe, stepping inside. ‘I’m just noticing a change in the colours of your aura lately,’ she replied. ‘In a good way.’
‘And there was me thinking you were homing in on the biscuits,’ said Amber, grabbing the tin of broken bits and wavingthem at her. ‘Since when do you read auras, anyway? You’re as kooky as Eve and her chats with the afterlife.’
‘Eve doesn’t have psychic abilities,’ said Phoebe, as though it was obvious. ‘I’ve never seen indigo or violet in her aura.’
‘Riiiiiight,’ said Amber. ‘That purple hair had me fooled.’ She was clearly jesting, but Phoebe just smiled. ‘So what’s going down with Gretel’s aura? What’s the change?’
‘It’s been getting a tinge redder,’ said Phoebe, grabbing a handful of broken gingerbread. ‘In a good way. She’s definitely more grounded and in control of life than she used to be, and she’s becoming more courageous too.’
‘I’m not sure if I feel any of those things today,’ whispered Gretel, her eyes flitting to the broken light in Phoebe’s gingerbread shop, hoping she’d keep her special X-ray eyes away from it.
‘But you are,’ said Phoebe, with a gentle shrug. ‘I didn’t even bring you a crystal today. The universe told me you’ve got this.’
Amber jumped up and high-fived Phoebe. ‘You talk a lot of sense for a gem nerd. I’ll let you read my aura one of these days if you like. One-off treat. Now let’s get out of here.’
Amber pulled on the baseball cap she’d taken to wearing when she thought Lukas was likely to pop up, and Gretel noticed that her make-up was looking less pale again. The warmer make-up suited her, even if the cap wasn’t quite her look. She wondered absent-mindedly if it would show in a person’s aura if they were hiding something – because Amber definitely was.
Chapter 42
After being cooped up all morning in the café’s kitchen, Gretel was surprised at what a crisp, bright February afternoon it was outside. To her huge relief, Green Tree Lane looked as pretty as a picture. Amber and Phoebe had linked arms with her and they made their way towards Eve’s end of the road.
‘The tree,’ Gretel gushed, when she caught sight of it, rushing over to take a closer look. It was laden with the decorations they’d been making at their café craft evenings, which had become far more regular and had expanded to include all sorts of their favourite crafts. She spotted knitted winter roses and stained-glass hearts, with dried flower garlands looping around the tree and giving off a gentle perfume. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said to Phoebe and Amber, who’d eagerly followed her over. As Gretel looked around, everything was. The street was well and truly wearing its winter fair coat, and was a world away from the unloved-looking ghost town she remembered of recent years.
Bea stopped to give her a wave from next to one of the lavender pots she’d dotted around the street. She’d told them English lavender was the only one of her dad’s varieties hardy enough to be out in the February chill. Gretel could imagine that if they held a summer fair one day, Bea would be in her element.
‘What do you think of the street so far?’ Bea called over. ‘I know some of it’s impractical for the weather.’ She pulled her woolly coat around her. ‘But we couldn’t resist!’
‘I love it,’ Gretel called back, her voice catching as she said the words. She couldn’t see glass angel Brigitte at the top of the Christmas tree from where she was standing, but she knew she would be up there, whatever the season; unless there was call for another foray in a cherry picker, at least.
‘Well, that’s a relief,’ said Zekia as she sashayed over, strings of bunting made out of wintery tree material draped around her neck. ‘Because there’s no time to change it before this fair of yours. I’ve still got to make my winning sweet potato, rum and raisin cake for the baking competition.’
‘It’s not just my fair,’ Gretel said kindly, although she could feel the pressure beginning to rise again. ‘It’s everybody’s fair.’
‘We’re in it together,’ Amber reminded the others.
‘Too true.’ Zekia nodded. ‘In which case, who’s seen that stepladder to hang up my bunting? I’m too top-heavy to be getting up that high. I need one of you spritely types,’ she chuckled.
‘I’ll go up the ladder for you,’ said Jane, who was coming over to join them, a collection of framed sketches under one arm. ‘When Eve’s done with the stepladder.’ She pointed to Eve’s shop, where Gretel had already spotted the tall stepladder, probably ready for someone to climb up and pull down the dust sheets when it was time for the shopfront reveal. ‘But someone will need to help Jayne lay out the pictures for the art trail. Amber? You drew some of them.’
Jane held up the sketch on the top of the pile, which was an intricate mish-mash of wintery things, from speckled starlings to snow-capped hills. Gretel knew Amber had offered to help with the artwork but she hadn’t realised just how good she was. Although when she thought of it, some of the birds were likethe black Biro drawings she used to see on Amber’s arms, which had begun to disappear over the months. Perhaps they’d all been slowly changing.
‘Yep, I’ll help.’ Amber nodded from beneath her baseball cap, taking the stack of pictures from Jane. Was she blushing under there?
‘Your drawings are incredible, Amber,’ said Gretel, aware that her comment would probably add to Amber’s embarrassment, but not willing to let her talents go unnoticed. ‘Did you do art at school?’
Amber waved a hand. ‘School was ages ago. Whatevs.’
‘Whaaaaat?’ cried Zekia in disbelief, putting her hands on her hips.
‘Showtime!’ Amber shouted, pointing towards Eve’s shop as the florist came through its front door straightening her purple bob, Gordon the Grocer following behind her. Amber gave a loud wolf-whistle which Gretel guessed was another distraction technique.
Gretel had never seen Eve looking so radiant, in her winter pansy patterned dress which bobbed happily on top of its netted underskirt, a thick shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Even her purple bob looked shinier, and was finished off with an oversized fresh flower tucked behind her ear. Eve gave everyone a little wave as they gathered around.
