Chapter 19
The raincheck on a Chinese came sooner than anticipated. Paulette rang me the following morning to say that Veronica had news about Willowdale Gifts and wanted to share it with us all over a takeaway.
‘I’m meeting my friends for tea tonight,’ I told Trevor as he preened himself in front of the mirror.
Friends. Plural. I’d never in my whole life made a statement like that and now here I was at sixty years old with the most lovely group of friends.
I’d never expected that. And if it wasn’t too late to make friends at my age, it wasn’t too late to find love either.
‘Pretty bird!’ Trevor called, followed moments later by, ‘Visitor!’
I glanced out of the window where a car had stopped.
‘That’s the estate agent to value the house. I’ll pop you back in your cage for the moment but you can come out again when he’s gone.’
Having made the long-overdue decision to move, I saw no point in hanging around. I’d arranged for three estate agents to visit at intervals across the day and first up was the one who’d sold Betsy’s house.
It was the third estate agent who I warmed to the most – a woman in her forties called Lorna who made a beeline for Trevor.
‘Who’s this beauty, Yvonne?’ she asked, crouching down beside Trevor’s cage.
‘Trevor. He’s thirty-eight.’
‘Aren’t you a stunner, Trevor?’
‘Pretty bird!’ Trevor agreed.
Lorna turned to me with a wide smile. ‘I’m totally in love and I could spend hours chatting to him, but I’d better do my job. Should we start upstairs?’
After she’d gathered measurements and photos, I signed the sales agreement with a smile. It was really happening and, while I was sure I’d have a few emotional moments saying goodbye to the house I’d shared with Cliff, my gut told me it was the right thing to do.
‘It’ll be a pleasure to sell your home for you, Yvonne,’ Lorna said when I walked her to the door.
‘It’s in a beautiful condition and these houses are a good size in a great location so I don’t anticipate it’ll stick around for long.
I’ll have it up on the website by the weekend and a “for sale” board up within the next couple of days. ’
I waited on the doorstep for her to get into her car and was about to close the door when Christian cycled into the cul-de-sac, heading for his house. He changed direction and pedalled across to me as Lorna pulled away.
‘Don’t tell me you’re moving too,’ he said, standing astride his bike.
I nodded. ‘The house is too big for just Trevor and me. If feels like time to move on, especially as…’ I stopped myself before I could speak ill of my new neighbours but I hadn’t managed to avoid a glance next door and Christian had clearly noticed.
‘Not going too well with the new neighbours?’ he asked.
‘I miss Betsy,’ I said, hoping that would be enough.
‘If it’s any consolation, I’ve tried to engage with them several times and they’re not interested.’
I smiled gratefully. ‘It’s not just them. I don’t feel like I belong here anymore. Most of the neighbours are really young and have families.’
Christian glanced around the houses, frowning. ‘I’d never thought about it before but you’re right. It’ll be thirty years or so before any of this lot are eligible for bus passes. So where are you moving to?’
‘Staying in the area – hopefully Willowdale – but I’ve just started looking. Do you think you’ll ever move?’
‘I don’t know. It’s interesting what you say about the house being too big for you. I never felt like that about my place until Emma moved out to live with Killian. Now I feel like I’m rattling around on my own and it’s far too quiet.’
‘I did wonder about Emma,’ I said. ‘I haven’t seen her around for a while.’
‘They’ve bought an old barn and are doing the conversion themselves so, when she’s not working, she’s there.
She was asking after you the other day and I realised I’d barely seen you.
I’ve been helping them at the barn so I’ve not been around much.
I wondered if you’d like to come over for a coffee at some point. ’
‘That would be great. Any day except Wednesday works for me.’
A sudden gust of wind made us both shiver.
‘We’d better get out of this cold. I’ll find out when I’m needed at the barn over the next couple of weeks and give you a shout.’
Christian hopped back onto his bike and pedalled across the road to his house.
Had he just asked me out? No! Of course not!
He was a friendly neighbour offering a catch-up over a coffee.
But we’d never done that and he had just admitted that he was rattling around in his house on his own which could suggest he was lonely.
I shook my head, tutting to myself as I reached for the front door handle.
Christian Wynterson was a handsome man and there was no way he’d ever be interested in me.
Would he? As he wheeled his bike across his drive, he turned back and smiled and waved in my direction, causing the butterflies in my stomach to stir.
I stared into the space he’d left, my brain racing.
Was I attracted to Christian? Surely not!
So why the butterflies? Closing the door behind me, I hugged myself and rubbed my arms to try and warm them up.
‘What do you think of Christian Wynterson?’ I asked Trevor as I released him from his cage. He shuffled along my forearm and looked up at me, as though waiting for me to continue. ‘Could you see us together?’
I glanced across the road towards Christian’s house and the butterflies stirred once more.
‘I don’t understand, Trevor. Why now?’ We’d had plenty of conversations before and I’d never reacted like that.
‘Pretty boy,’ he said, making me laugh.
‘Yes, he’s very handsome, but I’ve always thought that and it’s never affected me before.’
‘Come in!’ Trevor cawed. ‘Pretty boy, come in!’
‘Is that you giving me permission to let Christian into my life?’ I said, stroking Trevor’s plumage.
I was joking but something about permission resonated with me.
I gently placed Trevor in front of his mirror and wandered through to the dining room where my journal was open on the emotions section.
Could that be the reason for the butterflies?
That I’d given myself permission to feel love?
The idea both thrilled and terrified me… but more of the former.