5. Lena
5
LENA
T hree days after encountering the strange man at the café, Lena had walked into the village and bought some groceries then some pastries and a coffee from the small bakery. She wandered down to the harbour and sat on a bench then ate an almond croissant while gazing at the scenery. The tide was in, and the boats bobbed on the water like they were involved in a silent disco and all dancing to the same tune. The croissant was gluten free, so she ate it without guilt, then washed it down with the frothy latte. Simple pleasures were the best, she thought, as she relaxed in the morning sunshine. The pace of life here was very different to the life she’d lived in London, and she suspected that was why she appreciated it so much. When you’d lived one type of life, it was easier to be aware of the differences when you got to try another way. She had to make this novel writing work financially though, or she’d be forced to return to journalism or to find another job, and at thirty-six, she had no idea what she would do instead.
The stone cottage she was renting was beautiful. It had two bedrooms, a small cosy lounge with a log burner, a kitchen-diner, and a bathroom with a clawfoot tub with walk in shower. After spending the past decade in a flat share in London where she shared a bathroom with three other women, it was a treat to have a bathroom all to herself. She was way past the age where she’d thought she’d be sharing a flat with others. Growing up in London, she’d thought she’d be married with children by the time she reached her thirties, but it hadn’t happened that way. Instead, she’d scraped by with just enough money to pay the rent, bills and to buy food, and so she’d been trapped in the cycle of living but not being able to afford to change anything. She did have the money her dad had left her when he passed away four years ago, but she’d been trying to keep it in her savings for a rainy day. She was using some of it to pay for the rental of the cottage in Cornwall and to bankroll her writing venture, but she didn’t want to blow it all over the summer. The thought she might be able to hold a book she’d written in her hands and to tell her dad that she’d used the money he’d left her to do it was helping to inspire her. Especially if it led her to be in a position where she could leave her current job and be free to choose how she spent her days.
Thinking of her dad made her heart ache. He’d been eighty-nine and seemed quite sprightly for his age but then he’d suffered a massive stroke and died in his sleep. Lena knew she hadn’t always made enough time to see him with her job, but she’d spoken to him almost every day. Her mum had passed away when Lena was sixteen and so she’d spent the past twenty years getting used to not having a mum around. She remembered a kind and caring woman who’d loved her husband and her child. There had been an age gap of twenty-two years between her parents, her dad being older than her mum, but she remembered them as a devoted couple. Her dad had never found anyone else and told her he’d loved enough for one lifetime and would never forget his wife or be able to replace her.
A seagull landed on the railing in front of her and turned around. Its beady eyes stared at her and it fluttered its wings. Looking down, she realised she had a small piece of croissant left so she dropped it on the ground and watched as the bird hopped down and gobbled it up. She wasn’t sure if it was frowned upon to feed the seagulls, but she liked to share and thought the bird looked grateful as it waddled away along the pavement.
She sipped her coffee, watched the boats, and breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers in the stone pots in front of the railings. It was a beautiful spot, and she could easily sit there all day.
‘Lovely here, isn’t it?’
She turned to find a woman standing next to the bench.
‘It really is.’
‘Mind if I sit down?’
‘Of course not. Please do.’ Lena shifted across and the woman sat next to her.
‘You on holiday?’ The woman turned to look at her.
‘I’m staying in the village for the summer. It’s kind of a working holiday, I guess.’
‘Lovely.’ The woman held out her hand. ‘I’m Ellie. Ellie Cordwell.’
‘Lena Teller.’ They shook hands. ‘You live here then?’
Ellie nodded her dark head. She was very pretty with shiny black hair in a high ponytail, bright green eyes and a warm smile. ‘I grew up here and moved away for years but then I came back a few months ago to stay with my gran. Since then, I haven’t wanted to leave again.’
‘I don’t blame you. Where were you before that?’
‘London. I was acting. Well…’ Ellie frowned. ‘I was trying to secure an acting job but not doing too well. I lost my agent and my boyfriend and thought I’d just as well come home and lick my wounds while I decided what to do next.’
‘And what does that look like for you?’ Lena asked.
‘I’m working at my gran’s café, and I’ve fallen in love.’
‘Your gran has a café?’
‘The Garden Café.’ Ellie waved a hand in the general direction of the café. ‘You might have seen it or even been there?’
‘I have, actually. It’s a nice walk there and the gardens are beautiful. I think it must have been your gran who served me, and she was lovely. The café is in such a fabulous location.’
‘I know right?’ Ellie nodded.
‘So you’re enjoying working there?’
‘I am. I’ve rediscovered my passion for baking and experimenting with flavours and seasonal produce. It’s very different to the life I was living in London, and I love it.’
Lena nodded slowly. ‘That’s what I’m hoping for,’ she said softly.
‘A change?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have you burnt out?’ Ellie asked, her eyes filled with compassion.
‘I think so. I just got sick of being so busy and… see, I’m a journalist and…’ She paused to check if Ellie was judging her now, but the other woman simply waited for her to continue. ‘And I don’t want to do the job anymore.’
There was more to it, of course, but Lena wasn’t about to dump all that on someone she’d just met.
Ellie nodded. ‘I understand that. It’s fine to reinvent ourselves. We can do it as many times as we like. Why stay trapped in a job and a life you hate when you could reflect and move on to find the life you want?’
‘Exactly that.’ Lena swallowed the last of her coffee. ‘So, you said you fell in love here when you returned?’
Ellie’s smile broadened. ‘Love was the last thing I was looking for but then I met Jasper and well… The heart wants what it wants.’
‘Jasper is a local man?’
‘Yes. He has two young children and so we’ve been taking things at a pace that works for them too.’ Ellie sighed. ‘Jasper lost his wife a few years back and he’s been busy raising the children. It took a lot for him to trust me and for me to trust him, but we’ve come a long way and we’re really happy together. I never thought I’d love someone like this but it’s incredible.’
‘That’s wonderful to hear. And the children have accepted you?’
‘They’re very young and happy to accept anyone into their lives I think.’ Ellie laughed. ‘They’re absolutely adorable. It’s an adjustment for me dating someone with children but they are all worth the adjustment.’
Ellie was positively glowing with happiness and Lena couldn’t help but smile at seeing it.
‘So what’s good to do around here?’ Lena asked.
‘Well, at the café we hold yoga sessions, a book club, games evenings, cookery classes and more. There’s also lots going on in the village with it being summer. Seeing as how you’re here for a while, why don’t we swap numbers? You can give me a shout if you want to know anything or need any help at all?’
‘That would be awesome, thanks.’
The exchanged numbers then Ellie said, ‘We have sunrise yoga tomorrow morning if you fancy it.’
‘Oooh… that sounds interesting. I do like yoga but haven’t done a class in years. Time and money prevented me doing it,’ she said.
‘The classes at the café are free as Gran usually runs them. It’s part of her community effort to help with well-being and mental health. Why don’t you come tomorrow?’
‘I’ll be there. Sunrise, you say?’
‘Sunrise.’ Ellie smiled then stood up. ‘Right, I’d better get back to work. Have a wonderful day.’
‘You too.’ Lena watched as Ellie walked away then she returned her attention to the harbour. A yoga class would do her good, loosen some of the tension from her shoulders that she’d been lumping around and hopefully she’d meet some more locals there. It could provide inspiration for characters for her novel and it would be nice to get to know more people. Ellie seemed lovely, as did her gran, and she’d like to make some friends. Back in London, she had friends, but they were always so busy that it was difficult to find the time to get together. Weeks, months and years passed, and she’d realised she’d neglected her friends as they had neglected her. Of course, it had been hard for her seeing them settle down and start families, especially in light of her own difficulties, but she had always been glad for them. She’d just wished she had what they had and didn’t feel quite so alone.
Her hand crept to her belly and settled there. The bloating was present like it often was, but her thoughts strayed to a time not so long ago when she’d thought something different was making her stomach swell. To a time when she’d felt a sense of hope, awe and wonder. How innocent she had been then and how wrong it had all gone.
Pushing the thoughts away, she stood up and dropped her rubbish into a bin then started the walk back to her cottage. She had a few chores to do and then she intended on plotting an outline for her next few chapters. She’d been listening to podcasts and reading blog posts, and she knew that it was important to have a writing routine. It would, she had read, enhance her productivity. Procrastination was so easy to indulge in, but it wouldn’t get this book written and, she reminded herself, the book was why she was here. She would write it one sentence, one paragraph and one page at a time and then, before she knew it, she’d have a novel.
She could do this, and she would give it her all. Taking breaks to enjoy things like yoga and beach walks and delicious baked goods, of course.