22. Rosa
22
ROSA
T he morning had finally come and with it the calm after the storm. Rosa stirred in her cocoon on the sofa as she thought about what had happened. Henry had come to her during the night and insisted she go up to the flat and get warm. She’d been shaking from the cold and her clothes had been wet, but she’d barely noticed, so he’d made her take a warm shower and dress in dry clothes. After that, he’d wrapped her up in blankets on the sofa in the flat and warmed her some milk on the gas hob. The power had still been out, so he’d lit the gas with a match. He’d sat with her while she drank the milk and then he’d told her about Bobby and how he’d found him in an old smugglers’ cave. After reassuring her that Christopher and Bobby were fine, he stayed with her until she felt sleepy then he’d returned to check on Christopher. He’d also said he would do a tour of the village to see if anyone else needed help. He was such a decent man, and Rosa found his presence comforting, his efforts to help Christopher and Bobby too. If he hadn’t been there, Bobby might never have been found, and that would have been absolutely awful.
She roused herself and padded down to the shop to face the damage. The shop was a mess, but Henry was already there tidying things up.
‘Hey there.’ He stopped what he was doing and came to her side, placed a hand on her arm. ‘How’re you feeling?’
‘More to the point, how are you feeling? Did you get any rest at all?’
He gave a shy smile. ‘Not really. Well, half an hour at Christopher’s and then I sat in here for a break about an hour ago, but my adrenaline was pumping hard so I’ve kept going.’
She looked at his pale face, the stubble on his cheeks and the dark shadows under his eyes. ‘That adrenaline wearing off now?’
‘Kind of…’ He winced. ‘I guess I’ll sleep later.’
‘Why don’t we go up to the café and see if Pearl has power up there? She has solar panels in part of the gardens, so she may have some electricity even if the mains isn’t on yet. We can pick something up for Christopher and drop it off on the way back.’
‘That’s a great idea. We can’t do much here until we refuel, anyway.’
‘Exactly. I’ll grab a jacket and some boots, and we can get going.’
When she came back down, she saw Henry had filled a black bag, and he’d got the mop from the cupboard and started the clean-up.
‘There are some books in the black bag,’ he said apologetically. ‘We can have a look at them later and see if we can dry them out.’
She bit the inside of her cheek as emotion swelled like a stormy sea inside her. ‘I tried to protect them.’
‘I know you did, and you saved most of them, but a few got wet and dirty. It must have happened when the glass in the door first smashed.’
‘I should have been better prepared.’
‘I think the ferocity of the storm took most people by surprise. And the forecasters were saying it could go either way. Hedging their bets, I guess.’
‘I need to get the glass in the door fixed.’ She sagged as a sense of hopelessness washed over her. This was her fresh start, and it had already been tarnished.
‘We can do that. I’ve boarded it up for now, though.’ He gestured at the front of the shop and she saw he had fitted a board over the window and secured it in place.
‘Thank you so much. When did you do that?’
‘Earlier. When the rain stopped.’
‘You’re amazing, Henry.’
‘I don’t know about that, but I do what I can.’ He stifled a yawn and rubbed at his eyes. ‘I need coffee.’
‘Me too. Come on, then.’
They went out into the street, and Rosa looked around. The morning was pale and damp, the air cold and clammy. The sky was dove grey with layers of clouds and the water in the harbour looked brown and frothy. Debris littered the streets, a combination of leaves, twigs, mud and other things, including a car wing mirror, a sock, and an assortment of feathers. She hoped no birds had been injured and that they had found sufficient shelter during the storm.
Rosa stopped walking and turned to Henry. She took hold of his shoulders and gazed into his eyes. ‘This could have been so much worse. The outcome, I mean.’
He nodded. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
She pulled him closer and moved her hands so they rested on his cheeks, needing to touch him and to feel his warmth. ‘You were out in that storm most of the night. You could have been hurt.’ Her eyes stung at the thought and she rubbed her thumbs over his jaw, his cheeks and slid them into his hair, then she moved to her tiptoes and leant closer to him. When she kissed him, she sighed against him and felt their bodies mould together as if made to fit. As if he was the missing piece of her jigsaw.
Last night, instead of hiding away and making sure that he was OK, Henry had come to her, gone to Christopher and Bobby. He had checked in with both of them and not even thought about his own safety. He had put them first, and she was overwhelmed with gratitude and more. She kissed him hard, enveloped him in her arms, not wanting to ever let him go. No man had ever done something like this for her before and now, here was Henry, everything she had ever imagined in a future life partner, and he was looking out for her. Selflessly. Without judgement. With kindness and affection. Plus, he was hot as hell and she found him irresistible.
When she finally leant back to look at him again, he was smiling, and there was something in his eyes that made her core flutter.
‘What was that for?’ he asked, not taking his eyes off her.
‘I’m just so happy you’re OK. If you’d been hurt, I...’ A tear trickled down her left cheek, and he gently wiped it away with his thumb.
‘I’m fine. I was careful.’ He kissed her. ‘Very careful. And we got through it, sweetheart. Together. Everything will be OK.’
She sighed as she rested her head on his chest, feeling for the first time in a long time that she could trust someone, could lean on him, could believe that he was who he said he was. Henry had told her that everything would be OK and she would choose to believe that because it felt a lot better than worrying that he was trying to deceive her. It felt a lot better than managing alone.
* * *
T hey walked up to The Garden Café, looking at the damage caused by the storm on the way. The damage consisted primarily of debris and water; fortunately, most buildings and boats remained undamaged. The bookshop was a small, detached building, so it had caught the worst of the wind blowing into the cove and Henry said he suspected the door window must have been loose in its frame to have smashed like that.
At the café, there was some mess in the gardens, but the high hedges and trees that surrounded the gardens had provided a protective barrier, and so the café itself was fine. Inside, they found other villagers who’d come for breakfast after waking to find their power was off.
‘Good morning, lovelies.’ Pearl came from behind the counter and opened her arms. ‘Rosa, I’m so sorry to hear about the damage to the bookshop. If there’s anything we can to do help, just say.’ She hugged Rosa tight and Rosa’s eyes stung.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured against Pearl’s shoulder. ‘That’s very kind. We haven’t finished cleaning up yet so I’m not sure how much damage was done but the window in the door needs replacing.’
‘Well, I know a man who can do that for you!’ Pearl said. ‘Give me a moment.’
Pearl crossed the café and spoke to a group of men wearing overalls, and one of them nodded. When she came back to them, she said, ‘It’s all sorted. Peter will be there later to replace the window and to check the others.’
Rosa swallowed down the question about the cost because it was something she’d have to cover for now, but hoped the insurance would repay it once the claim had processed.
‘And don’t worry, he said it won’t cost a penny.’ Pearl smiled.
‘How come?’ Rosa asked.
‘He does odd jobs around the village and said he has a pane of glass that will fit your door perfectly. Or, if you’d prefer, a replacement door.’
‘It might be an idea to get the door replaced,’ Henry said. That one is quite old, and the wood looks like it’s seen better days.’
‘Worth thinking about,’ Pearl said. ‘But for now, let me get you some breakfast and coffee and you can take a breather. You both look beat.’ She patted Henry’s arm, then returned to the counter.
Within ten minutes, Henry, and Rosa were sitting at a table with mugs of coffee and bacon rolls in front of them. Rosa ate like she was famished and felt the coffee reviving her sip by sip. She’d swallowed her last bite when she sat upright, as if shocked by a lightning bolt. ‘Christopher! We need to take him something. I bet he hasn’t even had a cup of tea this morning.’
‘He’ll be fine,’ Henry said. ‘He has the Aga, and that was heating water and the kitchen last night. And he had the fire lit in the lounge and lots of blankets wrapped around him and Bobby.’
‘Oh … of course. I’d forgotten about those older sources of heat. Thank goodness he has them.’
‘There’s a lot to be said for not relying on mains energy.’ Henry nodded. ‘When the power goes out, we’re stranded.’
‘I think we should see him, though.’ Rosa stood up. ‘I’ll just get him some breakfast.’
After she’d bought a bacon roll for Christopher and a sausage for Bobby, she thanked Pearl and gave her number to Peter Harkness, who seemed like a pleasant man. In his fifties, with grey hair and silver framed glasses, he was a portly man with a cheerful demeanour. She’d seen him around the village wearing his navy overalls and knew he worked with his daughter, Hattie, who was currently speaking to Ellie outside the café.
Rosa and Henry made their way down to Christopher’s home and knocked on the door. He answered with Bobby in his arms and smiled.
‘There you both are. What a delight it is to see you after such a terrible night.’
They went inside to the kitchen where Christopher had made a pot of tea and sat at the kitchen table. The large rectangular oak table had some worn and faded patches and when Rosa placed a hand on the wood, she could feel indents that had been made over the years. There were scars on it from cutlery, where she suspected someone had slipped with a knife while cutting vegetables. She traced the grooves with a finger, recognising words forming a list or letter. In several places, someone had placed something hot on the surface without a protective mat. But she liked that the table had a history, that people had used and loved it, and that it had been the centre of a family kitchen for many years. It had character, just like Christopher, and she hoped that one day she would have a similar table in her kitchen that her own family could sit at while they ate, talked and worked. She’d always dreamt of having children who would do their homework while she made dinner, sharing details of their day as she listened attentively, proud of them for being such amazing human beings. It was traditional, yes, this yearning she’d had to have a family, but she was OK with that. And yet when she’d first hoped to create this dream with her ex, she’d had no idea what was going on that would prevent her dream coming true. The thought made her head hurt, and so she pushed the memories away like storm debris. This was not the time or place for feeling sad at what had gone before.
Christopher set Bobby down in his basket, then brought the pot of tea and some mugs to the table and Rosa got his bacon roll and the sausage for Bobby out of the paper bag. She set them on the table and Christopher chuckled.
‘Well, thank you very much. This looks and smells delightful. I’m guessing it’s all organic if it’s come from Pearl and Ellie.’
‘Of course.’ Rosa smiled. ‘Organic, free range and as fresh as could be.’
Christopher sat down and called Bobby over. ‘Your Aunty Rosa has a treat for you.’
While Rosa fed the sausage to Bobby, Christopher ate his bacon roll and Henry filled him in about the storm damage. Most people had only been affected by the power cut, but at the café, he’d been speaking to the former footballer, Thomas Dryden, and his partner, Lena Teller, and they’d told him that the villagers were planning a community cleanup that afternoon. They all needed to help, so they would meet in the square at noon.
Christopher nodded. ‘It’s always been the way. We’ve had some terrible storms over the years, like the one of 1962 when Cornwall took a battering from the elements. Worst affected was Penzance, but a lot of the coast was hit by high winds and heavy rain that caused damage and flooding. And then there were the storms of 2013 and 2014 that caused over 20 million pounds worth of damage to Cornwall. It’s an amazing part of the world to live but it suffers when storms come because of how exposed it is. However, at times like this, seeing the communities come together and rally around one another is uplifting.’
‘Last night was scary,’ Rosa said, cradling her mug of tea. ‘But Henry was incredible.’
‘A real hero,’ Christopher agreed. ‘Saving Bobby like that with no thought for your own safety…’ He shook his head. ‘That was an act of bravery indeed.’
Henry blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck. ‘I only did what anyone would have done.’
‘Don’t believe that, lad.’ Christopher frowned. ‘Not everyone would risk themselves for a dog. To some, they’d see Bobby as just a dog , but he’s all I’ve got. He’s my family, and you saved him. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.’
‘I wasn’t really thinking about anything other than finding him and getting him safe.’ Henry reached down and stroked Bobby, then lifted him and sat him on his lap. ‘He’s a precious little man and there was no way I could leave him out there alone in that weather.’
Bobby turned and placed his paws on Henry’s chest then gave his cheek a lick. Henry stroked his small head, then wrapped his arms around him and Bobby settled down for a nap.
‘Thank you for my breakfast.’ Christopher picked up his mug of tea. ‘Best bacon roll I’ve ever had.’
‘You’re very welcome.’ Rosa smiled.
After they’d drunk two pots of tea, Rosa stood and stretched. ‘I should get back to the shop and assess the damage for the insurance company. Peter Harkness is coming to fit a new window or even a new door and I need to air the shop and dry what I can.’
‘Of course.’ Christopher nodded. ‘Why don’t you two let me cook you dinner this evening as a thank you?’
Rosa looked at Henry, and he nodded. ‘That would be awesome. Do you need me to pick anything up?’
Christopher shook his head. ‘I have everything I need here. Come over around six and I’ll have everything ready.’
Rosa and Henry hugged Christopher, and Bobby, then walked back to the bookshop. When they got there, she was surprised to see that Peter and Hattie were already waiting for her. Meanwhile, along the street, people worked with brushes and hose pipes, cleaning the road and pavements and windows of houses and shops. She unlocked the door and let Peter and Hattie inside while she went to the counter and leant against it, then looked around.
‘It’s a bit messy, but nothing we can’t fix,’ Henry said as he stood next to her.
‘You already did some of it earlier or it would look a lot worse.’ Rosa hugged herself as she gazed at the shop that had seemed so full of promise and dreams just two months ago. How quickly dreams could sour and how quickly life could change.
And then she looked at the man standing at her side, at his solid form and the way he was rolling up his sleeves ready to get stuck in, and she knew that whatever life threw at her, she would be OK. She’d been through a lot already, not as much as some but more than others, but she was still here. She was starting over and this was just a blip, a test of her resilience, and goodness only knew she had plenty of that to keep her going.
Rosa Resilience Lake, her aunt had often called her, and now the thought made her laugh.
‘Oh!’ Henry said as he patted his jacket pocket. ‘I almost forgot about this.’
He pulled a small velvet bag from his pocket and held it out. ‘I found this in the cave when I was looking for Bobby and I thought you might like it.’
‘What is it?’ She eyed the bag.
‘Take a look.’ He handed the bag to her, and she loosened the drawstring and peered inside.
She pulled out a small carved wooden rose the size of her palm. ‘This is beautiful.’
‘I thought you could put it up in here. A rose for Rosa.’ His cheeks coloured, and he lowered his gaze to the floor. ‘Only if you like it, that is.’
‘Is it OK for me to keep it, though? If you found it in the cave, I mean.’
‘I guess so. It could have been dropped there or washed up from the sea at some point, just like anything we find on the beach. It’s not necessarily an antique of any financial value.’ He gave a small shrug, and she smiled.
‘It is of value to me because you found it and now you’ve gifted it to me. I will treasure it.’ She held it against her heart and reached out her free hand and touched his cheek. ‘Are you always this sweet and kind?’
He blinked, and the blush in his cheeks deepened. ‘I uhm … I don’t know.’ He looked down, then back up again and held her gaze. ‘Perhaps you bring it out in me.’
‘Well, I think you’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met.’ She looked over at the doorway where Peter and Hattie were measuring the opening. ‘But I also feel scared because … I wonder if this could end up going wrong. I’m so scared of being hurt.’
She clutched the rose tighter, the confession hard to share, but she felt that now was the right time.
‘I won’t hurt you,’ he said. ‘You have my word.’
She exhaled the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding and stepped closer to him, rested her head on his chest. Trusting others wasn’t easy, and she didn’t know if she could fully commit to trusting Henry, but she knew she owed it to him to try. He was a good man, and he’d done nothing to suggest otherwise, but then she also knew that sometimes people weren’t what they seemed to be.
He stroked her hair, then whispered, ‘Come on. Let’s get this shop spick and span so we can enjoy dinner with Christopher.’
She nodded, then stepped back and placed the rose on a shelf behind the counter where she could see it every day. Where, when she looked at it, she would be reminded of the first Cornish storm she’d experienced and how she’d overcome it with Henry’s help and support. He was proving himself to be a supportive friend to her, and she hoped she was reading the signs correctly that there could, perhaps, be something more growing between them.
How wonderful that would be…