Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
A s annoying as the start of the day had been, the rest of it went by with relative ease. As soon as the customers started arriving, they were all Gemma focused on. The only time she would see Kent was when she took an order through to the kitchen and when he rang the bell for her to take it to a customer. At such times, she didn’t need to have any conversation with him at all. That wasn’t the case with the customers, though. One woman, a woman in her early sixties called Margaret, came in almost an hour later than usual. She was typically a very well-dressed lady whose makeup skills were far better than Gemma’s and who never appeared to miss a hair appointment. But, Gemma noticed, there was a solid inch of root growth on her hair, and her nails were bitten down to the quick.
“Is everything okay?” Gemma asked after taking Margaret’s standard order of a black Americano and a cheese scone.
“Yes, sort of, no, not at all really,” Margaret said. “My mother’s in hospital again, and it doesn’t look good.”
“Oh Margaret, I’m so sorry.”
Gemma remembered all too well the stress that Margaret had been under when her mum first fell ill. They had been living together at the time, and Margaret would often come in, pushing her elderly mother’s wheelchair. But the stress and strain of caring for her had become too difficult, and eventually they decided a nursing home was the best option. During those first few weeks that Margaret had come in alone, Gemma made a concerted effort to always sit with her for as long as she could manage, just to make sure the table didn’t feel too big and empty on her own.
“It’s been coming for a long time,” Margaret replied, “but it doesn’t make it any easier, you know. And this back and forth to the hospital is mentally exhausting, you know.”
Gemma nodded sympathetically, though, in truth, she didn’t actually know at all. Her mother had passed away when she was only seven, and she had been raised mainly by her grandparents. But they were still a sprightly pair in their late sixties who she sometimes felt went on more holidays in one year than Gemma had done in her entire life. But she knew that someday, she would likely have to face what Margaret was going through.
“You go sit down. I’ll bring your drink and scone over,” Gemma said. “It’s not too busy if you want to sit and talk about it for a bit.”
Margaret smiled gratefully, but she shook her head.
“No, not today, but thank you for the offer. Today I think I’m just going to read,”
“Well, I’ll get you this, then let me know if you need anything else,” Gemma said. Five minutes later, Margaret had a book open on the table in front of her, although from what Gemma saw over the next half an hour, she didn’t turn the page once.