Page 39 of Autumn at the Oak Leaf Café
Madeline had reached for his hand without realising it. Now, seeing her fingers hovering just inches above his, she jerked her hand away.
‘That’s so … sad,’ she said. ‘But nice at the same time.’
‘What about you? Did you have a lot of pets when you were a kid?’
‘I had a rabbit,’ Madeline said with a smile. ‘Her name was Mrs. Bunce. One day my idiot little brother forgot to lock the cage and next door’s cat got her.’
‘Ah, that’s too bad.’
Madeline shrugged. ‘I was heartbroken for about a week, but then my parents got me a hamster, so I got over it.’ She smiled. ‘I’ve always wanted a dog or something too, but I’ve been living abroad for the last eight years, so it’s not been possible. A few of the people I worked for had pets, so that was enough.’
‘What were you doing overseas?’
‘Oh, this and that. I moved about every year or so. I did some teaching, a bit of nannying.’
‘I’d love to hear all about it. I’ve only ever been to France.’
‘Really?’
‘On the ferry from Plymouth.’
‘You’ve never been on an aeroplane?’
Darren shrugged. ‘I went to Scotland once on one of those little local flights. I wasn’t impressed. I got the train back.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, it’s not that I was scared or anything, it’s just there wasn’t any food, and it was so packed you couldn’t see anything. On the train I got a nice first-class seat, enjoyed decent food, and looked out of the window for twelve hours.’
‘Twelve?’
‘Yeah, it took a while, I have to say.’
‘You went first-class?’
Darren gave a sheepish shrug. ‘I’m a vet,’ he said. ‘It pays all right. And I don’t get out much.’
‘The big airlines are totally different to those little hopper things,’ Madeline said. ‘They actually feed you, and they’re relatively comfortable. Some are better than others, though.’
‘Maybe one day. So, I gather you’re not here long. That you’re going to go overseas again at some point?’
Madeline felt a pang of regret. ‘Probably. I’ve never really felt settled here. When I’m travelling, I kind of feel like I’m in the right place, even if that place is changing all the time.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Maybe I’m trying to find my place in the world, something like that. I don’t know. I just never really feel settled anywhere. Although, being back here, working at this café, it’s been different to what I expected. Initially my aim was just to save enough money to go back overseas, but the longer I’m here, the more I like it. The cold air in the mornings, even the fog … it’s weird, but I find it kind of comforting. And when you get regular customers come in, I kind of see them like old friends. There are people that come in at the same time every week, and if they don’t come … I miss them. Is that weird?’
‘Maybe you’re starting to find what you’ve been looking for.’
The coffee got cold. Before Madeline realised, it was nearly six o’clock, and they’d been talking in front of two cold coffees for nearly two hours. The initial nerves had gone, and she found herself talking to Darren like an old friend, telling him her hopes and fears, her dreams, her insecurities, and the whole time he listened intently, eyes never leaving hers, as though there was no place in the world he would rather be.
It was Hazel who broke the spell, meowing at the door to be let out. Darren looked up at the clock on the wall. His eyes widened and he gave Madeline a sheepish grin.
‘Wow, sorry for taking up so much of your time,’ he said.
‘No, no, it’s fine,’ Madeline said, jumping up to open the door and let Hazel outside. She stayed by the door, keeping an eye on the little cat as she wandered across the path to the trees and the leaves fallen around them, where she began to jump and pounce as though each leaf were a mouse needing to be caught.
‘I mean it, I’m really sorry. It’s getting late, and you probably need to get home for dinner.’
