3
Willow
‘How did your first day go, love?’ asked an elderly woman, sitting opposite Willow, knitting.
Willow lowered her ball of baby-pink wool to her lap. ‘I thought it was going to be weird, Nora. You know, what with Grandad not being there, but I just slipped into the role with no problems.’
‘That’s because you grew up helping out at the garden centre. You don’t need a fancy certificate to prove you know what you’re doing around plants.’ Nora’s beady bright-blue eyes twinkled with a smile.
‘Your grandad was with you,’ said Josephine Walker, without taking her eyes off her knitting needles clacking together at a speed Willow wished she had.
Knitting club was something Willow had joined when she was fifteen, and she still wasn’t as good as the elders in the group. At twenty-one, she was the youngest member, but nobody cared about age. She was happy to spend time with older people. They enjoyed her lively company, and her presence often had them reminiscing about their own youth. Their stories were filled with mischief and mayhem, and Willow loved all the tales, no matter how farfetched or detailed. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t hang out with them when they were young. She could hang out with them now, and they always sparked joy, had the best advice, and never tiptoed around their words. All of which she appreciated.
Nana Blackcurrant was the sweetest little old lady, who had the softest features and gentlest voice out of the clique, and Willow viewed her as the great-grandmother she never had. ‘We heard you’ve joined a park play.’
Willow grinned as she got to work on her purl stitch. ‘Word travels fast around here.’
‘Nora’s helping make the costumes,’ said Josephine, shoving a knitting needle into her wispy faded-blonde hair. ‘Always likes to be involved.’
Nora huffed. ‘Make it sound like a bad thing, why don’t you!’
Josephine shrugged. ‘Just saying. Your name always seems to pop up everywhere.’
‘I’m popular. Besides, word of mouth on my sewing skills brings in the punters.’ Nora shuffled in the wingback chair and grinned. ‘What’s your part, Willow?’
‘I’m not too sure yet, but I think I’m some sort of fish woman.’ She widened her eyes as she turned to Nana Blackcurrant. ‘It’s under the sea.’
‘Yes, scales were mentioned.’ Nora wrinkled her nose.
Willow mimicked her action. ‘I’m going to start going over my lines with Sully tomorrow.’
‘Ooh, he’s a lovely lad,’ said Nana Blackcurrant. ‘We were friends with his grandfather.’
One of the things Willow loved most about Pepper Bay was how everyone knew each other. She smiled to herself at the homely vibe in her grandmother’s living room, where everyone seemed as snuggled as her. No matter whose turn it was to host knitting club, the surroundings always held a warm and cosy atmosphere.
‘Was it Cody’s idea to join the theatre group, love?’ asked Nora.
If anyone else was in the room with her, Willow wouldn’t be so bold to tell of her psychic drawing, but seeing how the women in her circle were a coven, admired the way of the witch to the max, and Josephine was well known in the area as a fortune teller, she felt okay about spilling the beans.
‘It all started when I got dumped, then drunk.’ Willow’s lip twitched, and she wasn’t sure whether to laugh. ‘I went online and paid for one of those psychic soulmate sketches. I got a picture and a write-up, and when I was in Hope Park, I saw the man in the drawing. He was one of the actors in the play. And, well, that’s why I got involved.’
Nana Blackcurrant giggled into her garter stitch whilst Josephine shook her head.
Willow pursed her lips for a moment. ‘I thought you lot would understand.’
‘Oh, we do,’ said Nora. ‘It’s just… How can I put this? Don’t be a mug.’
‘I’m in my eighties, lovely,’ said Josephine. ‘But even back when I was your age, I could spot a scammer a mile off.’
‘You’re a psychic, Jo.’ Willow shook her head in disbelief. ‘You’re the one person who would know these people aren’t con artists.’
Josephine didn’t agree. ‘Some of them are. That’s why you only go see someone you or someone you know trusts. Your online artist could be anyone.’
‘Well, I think she’s real.’ Willow pointed towards the window. ‘She has to be, seeing how I’ve now met my soulmate.’
‘Yeah, and how’d that go?’ asked Josephine.
It had been eating away at Willow since the not so meet cute she had with Kip. He didn’t show any signs of attraction, but maybe soulmates didn’t always notice each other straight away. She wasn’t an expert on the subject. All she knew was Kip looked like the man in the picture.
‘He fitted the description,’ she felt the need to say, as she could hardly admit he didn’t hit on her or anything.
Josephine stopped knitting. ‘Let’s hear it.’
Willow looked at each lady in turn as they lowered their creations to their laps and sat up straighter. ‘Erm.’
‘Trust me, whatever it says, we’ve heard it all before,’ said Nora, giving a reassuring nod.
‘It’s nothing bad.’ Willow pulled out her phone, so she could read the short message word for word.
Nana Blackcurrant’s pale-blue eyes smiled softly. ‘And show us the picture. I want to see this soulmate of yours.’
Willow glanced up from her emails. ‘Did you all know your soulmates when you met them?’
Josephine was the first to chuckle. ‘Of course.’
Nora folded her arms in a hug. ‘Mine was the daftest meet cute, but I knew straight away.’
‘Ooh, what happened?’ asked Willow, loving a good love story.
Nora smiled. ‘It was like those ones you see in the films. We were both at a dance, bumped into each other, spilled our drinks, then he slipped on the mess, and I ended up on the floor on top of him. Our eyes met, and… swoon.’
The women laughed whilst nodding at each other, and Willow so wished she could go back in time and see them at her age.
‘What about you, Nana Blackcurrant?’ she asked.
‘We grew up together. He was always in my life. Still doesn’t feel right him not being here anymore.’ The elderly woman glanced at the ceiling, offering the smallest of smiles, which broke Willow’s heart into a million pieces.
‘Since my grandad died suddenly, it’s made me not want to waste time.’ Willow stared over at the white surround of the fireplace. ‘I don’t want to spend time dating. I just want to find my soulmate and have a happy life like my gran and grandad had.’ The thought of having her grandad around, then losing him made her bottom lip tremble for a second. She quickly composed herself and went back to staring at her phone.
‘Everybody’s journey is different, love,’ said Josephine. ‘Now, read that message out loud. Nora’s hearing is on the blink.’
Nora frowned. ‘It’s not.’
Real or fake, Willow let them know what she was sent by Mystic Maureen from across the pond. ‘From what I can see, this man is loyal and will show you respect and will always be there for you through the ups and downs. He is kind and gentle and will embrace your determination for work and life, as he is also passionate about his dreams. He is known to be personable, a good communicator, intelligent, and charismatic. He can be humorous and friendly, and you’ll never feel bored around him. He is in the creative field of life and enjoys positive vibes. As for appearance, he has an athletic build and pale skin and piercing eyes that draw you in, and he is fussy about his hair. I see you have a strong past-life connection, and it would be interesting to explore this area with you in a deep-reading session. You both have beautiful, youthful, soul energy and will continue to love and support each other in this life and the next. Thank you, dear, for connecting with me.’
Josephine shook her head. ‘Generic is the word of the day.’
Willow frowned. ‘Not really. Think about it, Kip looks like the man in the picture, plus he’s in the creative field, he has eyes that really draw you in, and he was friendly when we met him. I’ll find out about the rest later.’
Nora scoffed. ‘Personable, good communicator, and intelligent. Sounds like anyone’s CV.’
Willow’s frown deepened. ‘Some people are shy. They wouldn’t match that description. And what about men in the business sector? Mine’s no businessman. He’s a creative person, so that’s not generic.’
Nana Blackcurrant reached over the wine-coloured sofa to lightly pat Willow’s hand. ‘I’m sure this Kit man is very nice, in his own way, but perhaps not the one for you.’
‘Kip,’ corrected Willow.
Josephine went back to her knitting. ‘Don’t jump in head first. Take your time and figure him out. That’s my advice.’
‘You want me to figure out the man you believe is a fake?’
‘I’m just saying, don’t be rash.’
Nora nodded her agreement. ‘It wasn’t the best reading, Willow.’
‘But what about the picture?’ Willow asked, thinking that part wasn’t getting enough recognition.
Nana Blackcurrant gestured at Josephine. ‘Would you like Jo to clear up a few things for you?’
Josephine shook her head. ‘Not happening. Willow’s young. She needs a bumpy path to walk so she can learn how to navigate obstacles.’
Willow huffed. ‘Oh, thanks!’
Josephine leaned forward. ‘I’ll tell you something for nothing, Willow Silver. You do have a soulmate.’
Nora scoffed. ‘Well, that’s really helped the girl, Jo.’
Willow left them to natter to each other about the rights and wrongs of online scammers, psychic abilities, and their own soulmates. Her mind was whirling with so many questions, she dropped more than one stitch.
I know it’s Kip. It has to be. He’s the man in the drawing. My psychic is real. She saw him, and I’m going to tell him exactly who he is to me .
As if reading her mind, Josephine glanced up. ‘Don’t you go telling this actor fella you think he’s your soulmate. He could take advantage.’
‘Tell him you’re saving yourself for marriage,’ said Nora. ‘That gets rid of the waste man.’
‘What’s a waste man?’ asked Nana Blackcurrant.
Nora waggled a knitting needle. ‘It’s what my grandson calls them. Those lads who only want one thing but pretend they don’t, get what they want, then bugger off. See, waste of time.’
‘Why do they lie?’ asked Nana Blackcurrant. ‘Why not simply tell the girl? They can find the ones who want a casual fling, then no one’s messed about.’
Nora’s drawn-on eyebrows shot up. ‘You’re talking about men. They don’t have that kind of logic.’
Nana Blackcurrant looked to the ceiling. ‘My man wasn’t like that.’
‘Neither was mine,’ said Josephine.
Nora sighed loudly. ‘Well, obviously, not all men are like that, but they’ve still got their brains in a different part of their body to us.’ She turned to Willow. ‘So, you be careful, my lovely. You haven’t saved yourself this long just to get swindled by some actor.’
Josephine nodded. ‘Actors are strange. I remember one I met when I was in my thirties. All he did was talk about coffee.’
‘Feet,’ said Nora. ‘I once courted a fella who talked feet a lot. Might have been his job. Not sure now. Still, odd subject.’
Willow wrinkled her nose, feeling completely lost in the conversation.
‘I saved myself for my wedding night,’ said Nana Blackcurrant. ‘Can’t say it was the best night, but we got there in the end. So don’t you worry, Willow, if it’s not all moonbeams and magic straight away.’
‘Weirdest feeling of my life,’ said Josephine. ‘I can still remember it. At least you get taught more about this stuff nowadays than we did.’
Nora scoffed. ‘My mother never told me anything about the birds and the bees. I learned most things from Barry behind the picture house. Not my finest hour, but still, I got free entrance to all the films playing during that time.’
Willow had to laugh. It wasn’t often she spoke virginity stories, as most of her friends had already lost theirs a few years back, and that conversation took place then. Every single one of her friends was no longer with the lad they had shared their most precious moment with, which made her even more determined to only sleep with the man she would spend the rest of her life with.
Ooh, hurry up and join my life, destiny man .
Cody tapped lightly on the living room door as he poked his head inside. ‘Fran sent me to see if anyone fancies a cuppa.’
Everyone nodded, and Cody headed off to the kitchen.
Josephine grinned as her beady eyes flashed Willow’s way. ‘Ooh, I do love soulmates, and I’m looking forward to your happy ending.’
Me too .