Page 31 of One More Day
‘Thank you,’ she replies, smiling as she stares at the little tub in wonder.
We stand side by side, perhaps a little bit too close. I step away immediately.
There is no denying she’s very attractive. Her dark hair is soft and wavy, and she has this strange way of looking at me like she can read my mind.
‘Isn’t this blurring the boundaries a little?’ she asks, raising an eyebrow. ‘I thought we were going to communicate by text and only in emergencies?’
She smiles when she says it.
‘You’re right. It is.’
‘That was meant to be a joke.’
‘I know, but we both came here for solitude so let’s make sure we get it,’ I respond, going back to business-like mode. ‘Now, I’ve cleared some space in the bathroom for your stuff, and I was thinking the wardrobe upstairs could be shared, just to keep the living room tidy. I’ll take the left side, you take the right.’
She closes her eyes for a second.
‘Ah Charlie, honestly,’ she says.
‘We only need to discuss this once.’
‘Yes, and then we text the rest,’ she replies. ‘So, on that note, I think I’ll go and make a start on moving in properly if you don’t mind. Thanks for all your efforts. I’m sure we’ll work it out just fine.’
She sounds exhausted.
‘If you’ve anything more to contribute as we both settle in, feel free to—’
‘Send you a text,’ she says, holding up her phone. ‘Even if I’m only in the next room or upstairs, I’ll make sure it’s only emergency contact from now on.’
She goes to walk away, but I call her back quickly.
‘Rose?’
‘Yes?’
‘Are you finished with your coat?’ I ask her. She’s left it on the draining board and I’d really like to make some lunch soon.
‘No, but I’ll try out the bicarbonate of soda later. I think I’ll go and unpack. It’s been a long morning.’
She lifts the coat and glides out of the kitchen, leaving a trail of damp on the floor, perfume in the air and me with my list at the table as both dogs lie on the floor by my feet. George gets up to follow her. Max looks up at me with a tilt of his head.
‘Don’t panic,’ I tell him, leaning down to ruffle his coat just as he likes me to. ‘It’s just teething problems. Wait and see.’
Chapter Nine
Rose
The little village that sits just half a mile away from Seaview Cottage calls out to me in the late afternoon after I’ve unpacked my belongings, and with every step I take in the snow, it feels like I’m walking back in time.
Granny Molly told me the story of how her father built the cottage many years ago with his own hands, every stone placed with tender loving care at a time when money was tight and things were so much simpler.
She’d take us here as children, my sister Sarah and I dressed in matching coats in winter or dresses in summer, and she’d show us off to everyone who so much as glanced our way.
I’m not sure yet if being here is healing or hindering, but for now I’ll push through and hope that whatever is meant to be, will be, during my unexpected return.
Maybe that’s why I was guided here in the first place. I don’t usually believe in fate, but my grief has pushed me in every possible direction as I try and grapple with mynew-found reality, and I’m open to any signs that will help me find my way through.
One day I was being whisked away on a surprise romantic trip here on Christmas Eve, the next I was planning a funeral.
