Chapter 20
Marc spent the twins’ first Monday at school in alternate states of worry and relief.
He’d dropped them off at the door and met with their teacher, Thea Saint, who’d taught at the school for quite a few years.
Thea’s firm yet kindly manner reassured him that the twins were in safe hands, even if Luca had clung to him when he’d tried to say goodbye.
Liam had gone straight in the door with barely a backward glance, keen to suss out his new territory and make some new friends.
‘They’ll be fine,’ Thea had said, her smile belying the firmness with which she turned to Luca and said, ‘Come on, Luca, you can help me sort out the mini-whiteboards for our first activity.’ Luca, eyes filling with tears, had blinked furiously, but when Thea had promised him a sticker for his good behaviour chart, he had, eventually, let go of Marc.
Marc hurried away from the classroom door, trying not to admit how hard it was to leave the boys. They’d been very settled at their previous school, and the English system would take a bit of getting used to, but he kept telling himself it would get easier, for him and for them.
It was the only time he’d missed having a job to go to.
If he’d had meetings booked for that morning, it would have been far easier to lose himself in the minutiae of work.
As it stood, apart from getting onto Prime to order a few last-minute bits and bobs for the twins’ birthday, he had very little apart from the last bits of unpacking to occupy his time.
Driving back from the primary school to Lower Brambleton, and plunged into a surprising gloom, he decided to pop into Hope’s Café and check in with Lauren about the birthday cakes. He parked his car in the small car park across from the café and hurried through its brightly painted red door.
A few tables were occupied, and he smiled vaguely at one or two familiar faces he’d seen at the classroom door. Then, hurrying to the counter, he waited for Lauren to finish serving the customer in front of him.
‘Hi, Marc,’ she said, greeting him with a smile. ‘How are you today?’
‘Good, thanks.’ He explained that he’d just dropped the boys off for their first day at school.
‘Well, that deserves at least one slice of coffee and walnut cake, I would say.’
Marc was about to demur, but Lauren added, ‘And the cake’s on the house, of course.’
‘Why on the house?’
‘Well, I should imagine you need a bit of fortification – it’s a big step, starting a new school.’
‘You make it sound as if it’s me who had to get into the classroom!’ Marc laughed.
Lauren shook her head. ‘I’ve had enough emotional parents in over the years, needing a bit of sugar-based comforting on their kids’ first day, to know it’s tough for everyone.’ She cut a slice of cake and handed it to him. ‘Here you go. Get stuck into that, and I’ll bring your coffee over to you.’
Marc was touched by her generosity. ‘Thank you.’
He took a seat at one of the tables, and, happy for the distraction, he munched on the cake and watched Lauren making his cappuccino.
He liked the way she moved so confidently around the small counter space, knowing exactly where everything was, and handling the silver coffee machine with confidence.
He also noticed the way her light brown hair fell in soft waves from the butterfly clip she’d used to tie it back, and the gentle curve of her waist to her hips, accented by the neat bow of her apron.
She exuded softness, kindness, a sort of unassuming friendliness that he couldn’t help but respond to.
In his present, tired state, he knew he was ridiculously receptive to the smallest gesture of comfort, but his interactions with Lauren were beginning to feel like the beginnings of a proper friendship.
‘Here you go,’ Lauren broke into his reverie as she brought the coffee to his table. ‘Enjoy.’
Marc thanked her and smiled to see a holly leaf embossed on the top of his cappuccino, in cocoa powder. It was the little things, those small attentions to detail, that made this place so welcoming.
For a little while Marc scrolled his phone, catching up on the news headlines, falling down a couple of social media rabbit holes and, though he shouldn’t need to, checking his work email.
He was due back at work in the New Year, having taken a three-month sabbatical to co-ordinate the house move, and his boss had reminded him that he was under no obligation to check his emails in the meantime, but Marc couldn’t quite switch off from the routine.
When he looked back up again, he noticed that the café had emptied out and only one other table apart from his own was now occupied.
This gave him the chance to touch base with Lauren about her plans for the boys’ birthday cakes.
‘Is now a good time to talk?’ he asked her, as she mopped down a couple of recently vacated tables.
‘Sure.’ She smiled at him. ‘I’ve been meaning to get in touch with some possible ideas, before I start trying them out.
Let me grab my phone, and I’ll show you what I thought might work.
’ Lauren hurried off behind the counter, but in a moment, she was back again.
As she showed him some ideas, including some very sweet fondant Minecraft and Octonauts figures, he found himself moving closer to her to get a better look at her screen.
‘Yeah,’ he said, as she showed him the third possible design. ‘I think Liam would love that. And Luca’s favourite Octonauts character is Captain Barnacles, so that second option would work brilliantly.’
‘I could try to combine both, if you like,’ Lauren added. ‘Would you like one cake or two?’
‘Could you do two, but fit them onto one board?’ Marc asked. ‘I get so worried about treating them both equally.’
‘Of course.’ They were both hunched over her phone, and as she moved, Marc caught the scent of a fresh, summery fragrance.
It made his senses, dulled by tiredness, suddenly feel as though they were on high alert.
As Lauren moved away slightly, he realised it must have been her shampoo.
He swallowed down a rising sense of heat and, to distract himself, took another sip of coffee.
‘So, would I be able to collect the cake on the twenty-second?’ he asked.
‘Sure.’ Lauren put her phone in her apron pocket and turned her head to look at him. ‘And if you have any thoughts in the meantime, let me know.’
‘I will.’ He smiled at her, and his heart sped up as she smiled back. Coughing nervously, and torn between wanting to prolong the moment, but also needing to end it, he put his coffee cup down and pulled out his chair. ‘Thanks for agreeing to do this. You really have helped me out of a spot.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Lauren straightened up. ‘Take care, Marc, and see you next week.’
As Marc left the café, he couldn’t stop thinking about how lovely the interaction with Lauren had been. She was like a summer breeze, warming him and raising his spirits. In the depths of winter, that was just what he needed.