Chapter Forty-Seven
A few days later, Iris sat at the kitchen table feeling very cross.
She took off her glasses, placed them next to her and sighed in exasperation.
It was no use, she couldn’t get this morning’s Wordle.
‘Och, this is doing my head in,’ she said to Scrumpy and Sidney, perched on the chair next to her.
‘I’m sure somebody fixes this on purpose to annoy me. It’s emotionally exhausting.’
‘I love you.’ Sidney began preening his feathers.
She narrowed her eyes. ‘Is that supposed to be a hint? Do you know something that I don’t?
’ She clutched her mug of tea and took a sip.
‘I’m not sure why I bother.’ As she said the words, she wondered if she was actually referring to the stupid quiz or really talking about her life at the moment and the search for her sister on which there was no news.
She’d stopped asking Flora, not wanting to pressurise her any more than she had done already by asking her to help.
She slipped her glasses back on, shook her head and looked at the screen afresh as she started to massage the knots at the back of her neck.
Maybe she should book in to have another session with that lovely girl, Alice, at the new salon.
She had the hands of a magician. Iris wanted to scream in frustration.
She hated giving up on her morning Wordle.
But she was either losing her touch or having a senior moment.
She had O and E but couldn’t work out what the other two letters would be.
She looked at Sidney and thought why not.
She typed in a V and it turned green. She typed in an L and the letters all turned green.
‘Sidney, you are a superstar!’ she declared triumphantly reaching over to gently scratch his head.
She hadn’t seen Flora yet this morning but she could hear her upstairs talking to someone on the phone.
It warmed her heart to see Flora looking so happy these past couple of weeks and she knew a lot of that was down to Brodie.
She glanced towards the garden where Brodie and his friend, Ross, were hard at work replacing the sitooterie, the final part of the garden project.
It really didn’t seem that long since he had started the overhaul.
Yet here they were, several weeks later and into July, and Brodie was almost finished — ahead of schedule.
He insisted that it was down to luck, due to the good weather, but Iris knew that he’d been putting in extra hours and she was sure that was down to Flora being around.
Flora’s interview in Aberdeen was later this week and she hadn’t mentioned it again since telling her that day in the café.
Summer wouldn’t last forever but she did wonder whether Flora was having second thoughts about it.
Then she heard Flora running down the stairs and looked up to see her excited face as she came into the kitchen.
‘Gran!’ She clapped her hands, her eyes shining. ‘I’ve just spoken to Charlotte — that’s Brodie’s sister, by the way. She has been such a star. She’s been helping me with trying to trace your sister.’
Iris felt her heart flutter and her hands clasped her mug tightly. Was this it? Had Flora found her?
‘Charlotte used to work for the National Register of Scotland so knows the process and has told me what to do,’ explained Flora.
‘She’s put me in touch with the charity that can help with access to adoption records and the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland.
I’ve emailed them all your information and explained the background.
Now we just need to wait.’ She practically bounced on the spot as she spoke. ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this.’
Iris felt her stomach plummet slightly. She was grateful to Flora but was impatient for news now. Then a voice reminded her that she had left this alone for decades. What difference does another wait make, Iris? She managed a bright smile. ‘Thanks, dearie. What would I do without you?’
Flora hugged her. ‘I know it’s hard but we just need to be patient and wait. And think positively. At least we’ve got things going.’
Iris nodded gratefully. ‘You’re right. I just need to be patient.’