Page 21 of New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe
‘Hey, how was it?’ she asked.
‘Not as bad as I thought,’ said Joyce, rolling her sleeve down. ‘I’ve just got to book in for another blood test in two weeks’ time and then we can go and get my prescription.’
‘Why don’t we pop in at the Cosy Cup first? I think you deserve a sugar fix after your jab.’
Joyce laughed. ‘Sounds like a plan. I’ve missed the place. Plus, I want to say thank you to Rose for holding the fort. I hope she’s been okay.’
‘Rose is used to wrangling a class of thirty kids; I reckon running the tearoom for an hour is a breeze compared to that!’
When Tori and Joyce arrived at the Cosy Cup, Rose had two large slices of chocolate fudge cake and a couple of lattes waiting to greet them.
‘Rose, love, were you expecting us?’ asked Joyce, taking a seat at the table nearest to her.
‘Oh, you know me, I’ve got an incredible sense of intuition,’ said Rose, tapping her nose.
‘Or you’re just really good at reading your WhatsApp messages,’ laughed Tori, waving her phone in the air.
‘Busted!’ giggled Rose, holding her hands up. ‘The cake is from Jean, in case we needed extra supplies, but Tori’s got it covered – she’s doing a great job with the baking.’
‘I can see that,’ said Joyce, smiling as she looked around the packed tearoom. ‘So, what’s on this new menu of yours, then, love?’ she asked, looking up at the specials board. ‘Green tea, smashed avocado and eggs, cheese and Marmite toasties, strawberry and banana smoothies…’
‘Those have been going down a storm, haven’t they, Tori?’ said Rose encouragingly.
‘And the green tea has been really popular with the yoga club, when they come in early morning after class. I was thinking… we could add a few more smoothies and even some shots like ginger or spinach,’ added Tori.
‘Spinach! Blimey. Well, it may not be my cup of tea, butthey certainly sound interesting,’ said Joyce, taking a sip of her latte.
‘I hope you don’t mind me making a few changes, but I thought if—’
‘You go for it. I’m excited to try some new flavours and see what you discovered on your travels,’ said Joyce, with an encouraging smile.
‘How did everything go with Dr Marshall?’ asked Rose.
‘Good, thank you, love. I’ve got an underactive thyroid apparently, but I’ve got some meds and I’m having vitamin injections. I’ll be back on my feet in no time, don’t you worry.’
‘Well, thatisa relief,’ said Rose. ‘I’ll leave you both to it. I’ve managed not to burn the place down, so I’m taking that as a win.’
‘As if I’d let you near the kitchen,’ said Tori, laughing. ‘You’re a disaster zone when it comes to actual cooking.’
‘Hey!’ cried Rose, ‘I’ll have you know that Jake is a big fan of my Eton mess and I make it from scratch!’
‘Let me guess – your idea of “from scratch” means meringues out of a packet, double cream, some strawberries and… voila,’ said Tori.
‘Exactly – from scratch!’
Rose and Tori paused for a moment, looked at each other and burst out laughing. ‘Hey, life’s too short for cooking, okay?’ said Rose.
‘Oh, Rose, love, you do know how to put a smile on my face. I needed that today,’ said Joyce. ‘I hope you realize howmuch I appreciate you standing in for me this week; I don’t think Tori could have coped without you.’
‘Of course I do,’ replied Rose. ‘Honestly, Joyce, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Tori and I have had a real blast together this week, haven’t we?’
‘We really have, Mum. It’s been like old times.’
‘You pitched in when Aunt Jean was poorly and when Scout went missing,’ said Rose. ‘You were there for me, Joyce, and the least I can do is repay the favour.’
‘Well, that’s just what we do in Blossom Heath, isn’t it? We look out for each other,’ said Joyce.
‘We certainly do,’ Rose agreed.
