Eden’s Comfort Kitchen

Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

Eden and Livia spent the rest of the shift discussing her plan in between customers. By the end of it, Eden was sure Livia was more excited than she was. Every suggestion came with the caveat that she wouldn’t be able to spare much time but then became an enthusiastic proposal that always involved quite a lot of this time she didn’t have. And when the same people came in for their leftovers as they had during Eden’s first shift, Livia went with them to the kitchens, questioning them as they walked, and came back to Eden with their suggestions too – and the news that every one of them was thrilled at the idea of the café. They almost all promised to donate what time they had to helping out, even young Liam, which surprised Eden most of all. Growing up, all the teenage boys she’d known wouldn’t have been seen dead somewhere like that, let alone volunteer their services.

The following morning, she phoned the number she’d taken from the sign outside the scout hut to be told that she could only have it three days a week because there were meetings on the other days, and the land was being put up for sale and they didn’t yet know what that would mean for the building. However, they’d promised that while they could help, they would, and Eden decided to take the offer. Three days a week wasn’t what she’d wanted, but it was a start, and she couldn’t help but recall Ralph’s warning that she ought to pace herself. With that in mind, perhaps three days a week was for the best. The man she’d spoken to told her she could go down there at the end of the next scout meeting to have a look around and see about access, but that wasn’t for another couple of days. Until then, she’d spend her time trying to put a plan together.

Buzzing with thoughts of the next step, she began a text to Livia but then paused halfway through. There was too much to say and she wanted opinions. Livia would be busy working at her mum’s ice-cream parlour and so wouldn’t have time for back-and-forth texts. No, the best thing would be to go down at lunchtime and see if she could spare half an hour to chat again. Eden was aware she ran the risk that Livia might start to groan every time she caught sight of her sitting on the parlour chairs waiting, but she hoped that wouldn’t be for a while yet. She was also aware that Livia had many other claims on her time, but she was fast beginning to see her as a valuable ally.

‘Hello! You’ve just missed Livia. Hang on for me a tick, though.’

Livia’s mum, Julia, gave Eden a warm smile. Eden had always felt Julia was a bit suspicious of her up until now. There hadn’t been any concrete evidence of this, only a vague feeling, but today she seemed more welcoming than she had since Eden’s arrival in the bay. Perhaps Livia had told her all about Eden’s plans – it seemed a fair assumption – and perhaps Julia approved.

For once, the queue was small and it only took Julia ten minutes to clear it so she could get back to Eden.

‘Your sewing is ready,’ she said as she slurped at a cup of tea she’d picked up from a shelf at the back of the kiosk. ‘I could bring it down here for you to collect or give it to Livia when you’re next on shift at the pub together – whatever suits you.’

‘Wow, that was quick.’

‘I always think it’s better to get things out of the way as soon as you can – you never know what other little jobs are going to crop up. It doesn’t do to be behind before you’ve even begun.’

‘My mum used to say that to me all the time, especially where homework was concerned. I never listened to her…’

Eden tried not to let a sudden sadness at the thought of her mum take over, but perhaps Julia saw it anyway.

‘She used to say that? Is she…?’

‘She died,’ Eden said. ‘A month ago.’

‘Oh, my love, I’m so sorry to hear that. She can’t have been very old.’

Eden shook her head. ‘Too young.’

‘All our mothers are far too young to be taken from us when they go, whatever age that is. We’re never ready. The trick is to hold on to the happy memories. It’s a cliché, I know, but it’s really all we can do. May I ask…was it expected? Was she ill?’

‘No, it was sudden. She had a heart attack. They said afterwards she’d always had a heart defect, but nobody knew about it, not even her. I feel…I wish I’d known, because then…’ Eden shook her head. ‘I’m sorry…listen to me. I know you lost your husband this year too and I’m going on about my mum.’

‘That’s all right, my love. Your loss is as hard to you as mine is to me; it’s only natural.’

‘But I’m sorry for yours.’

‘Thank you.’

Julia glanced at the counter to see a family arrive. ‘Sorry, my love, I’d better get back; I can see a queue starting. No rest for the wicked, as they say. If you’re looking for Livia, she’s popped over to the charity shop on the high street. She shouldn’t be long.’

Eden nodded and watched as Julia went back to work. And then she decided to walk along to the high street to see if she might meet Livia coming back.

By the time Eden had got to the shop, she hadn’t met Livia coming the other way as she’d planned. She peered through the window and noticed her going through a rack of clothes, a bundle already in her arms. After a pause, where she was uncertain whether to go in or not, she pushed open the door and made her way over.

‘Oh, hi.’ Livia smiled. ‘Didn’t expect to see you here. After a few bargains?’

‘No, I came to see…’ Eden glanced at the clothes in Livia’s arms. ‘A bit small for you, aren’t they?’

Livia laughed lightly. ‘They’re for Nancy and Levi. I can’t tell you how fast they grow out of stuff. These things are hardly worn, a couple of quid each. They’ll do us for the next few months…at least, I hope so. Levi especially seems to have a growth spurt every week.’

Eden let her gaze rove the shop. If she said out loud what she was thinking, she was certain Livia would either laugh or be horrified, but Eden had never before set foot in a charity shop. She’d imagined them to be messy places full of other people’s old rubbish and was surprised to see that this one was far from the image she’d always held. There were things she would not have wanted to buy, but there were things that – like Livia had just said – looked brand new. It was clean, fresh smelling and well organised. Her eye was caught by a vase over in the home section. Livia must have noticed her looking.

‘You should have a nosy while you’re here.’

‘Oh, I don’t really…’ Eden turned back to her. ‘I only came to find you to tell you that the scout hut said we could have three days a week. I thought…well, I was hoping you might help me make some proper plans for the opening. Maybe put me in touch with the people who said they’d help. If you’ve got time, that is.’

‘I’ve got to get back to work after I’m done here. Maybe later? You could come up to the house. Mum’s done your cushions anyway so you could collect them at the same time.’

‘She said so…I saw her a minute ago when I went to the parlour to look for you. I’ll walk back with you anyway, if that’s all right.’

‘If you like. I’m almost done here.’ She pulled out a T-shirt with a race car on the front and showed it to Eden. ‘What do you think? Cute?’

‘Yes,’ Eden said, not entirely sure whether it was cute or not. ‘For Levi?’

‘It might still be a bit big, but that’s not a bad thing – we’ll get longer out of it. He won’t care if it fits or not; they both love new stuff. They’ll go nuts when I take this lot home later – anyone would think it was London fashion week in our house the way they dive into the bag.’

‘I bet they love that you bought it for them.’

‘Maybe. I love that they get excited, so I’m probably just as bad as them.’

‘You’re brilliant with them. I’ve only seen you with them the once, but I can tell they adore you.’

Livia smiled as she put the T-shirt with the other clothes on her arm. ‘If that’s true, then I’m glad. Mum and me do our best, but we’re not…’ She paused, the smile fading from her lips. ‘Anyway, I’ll get this lot paid for and then I’ll be ready to go. Are you sure you don’t want to have a quick look before we leave? I can wait.’

‘It’s all right – I’ve got all day to do this sort of thing and you haven’t. I can come back if I want to.’

‘Rub it in, why don’t you?’ Livia said, the smile back on her face.

The darkness had been banished so completely that it seemed quite miraculous to Eden, as if it had never been there. But she was beginning to see that Livia had a light in her soul, a glow that seemed to draw everyone to it. It was obvious there was tragedy in her past, and Eden didn’t know the full extent of it yet, but it didn’t seem to drag Livia down a bit. While she might be sad, she didn’t heap it on others, and she tried to be happy and strong for everyone around her. Eden wished she could be a bit more like that, but she found it harder not to dwell. Then again, perhaps the tragedies in Livia’s past didn’t come with quite so much guilt attached. Perhaps the awful things that had happened to her weren’t her fault. It was harder to be optimistic when you were forced to face the fact that being a better person could have prevented it all in the first place.

‘Give me a minute then…’

Eden watched Livia go to the till, chatting easily with the assistant as she paid for her bundle. The notion of belonging in such an obvious way was one that felt alien to Eden. It had always done so, even in London, even in the place where she’d grown up and sometimes even with the family who had doted on her.

There was a sudden pull, a longing to hear a familiar voice, and for a moment, she considered returning Caitlin’s calls, if only just to have one more taste of her old life, to feel a part of something, however fine that thread of belonging had been.

But as she painted on a smile for Livia’s return, she dismissed the idea. It wouldn’t make her feel better. It would probably make her feel worse.

As they left the shop, Livia opened her bag and peered inside. ‘I’m chuffed with all this. I can’t wait to get the kids from school and let them go through it.’

‘I didn’t realise you had to pick them up from school; I thought you had to work at the parlour until five.’

‘We’re open until five, but someone has to do the school run before then. Mum and me take it in turns. It’s my turn today. If you’re at a loose end, you could come with me. We’ll only be heading back to work after – the kids stay with us for the last hour until we close – but you’re more than welcome if you fancy the walk.’

‘I would, if you didn’t mind. What time would that be?’

‘Oh, not for a couple of hours yet.’

‘Right…’ Eden was thoughtful as they walked slowly back to the seafront, the sun warming her face. All around them were people in bright clothes, eating chips from trays or ice creams or fudge from the shop just along from Livia’s, or clanking down to the beach with buckets and spades and windbreaks and deckchairs and all sorts of other holiday paraphernalia.

It was funny, seeing Sea Glass Bay from the other side. She’d always been one of those holidaymakers, only there during the bright, warm months where life was jolly and carefree and money was to be spent and not worried about. But although to all intents and purposes she was on a very long holiday, she felt more of a resident here than she ever had before. She was having to think about money – not in the way Livia and her mum and many others did, but she couldn’t just splurge for a week and put off worrying about it until she got home. She had to budget and consider how to make the money last, and she had chores to do and a job to go to.

And then there would be the kitchen – when she eventually got it set up. The responsibility of that would add another weight of worry. She understood that people would come to rely on it or – at the very least, she hoped – look forward to it enough to miss it when it went. But then, it would go, eventually. Eden would leave, and unless someone else wanted to take it on, then it would leave with her. Would anyone be up for it? Was it fair to expect anyone else to take it on? And if it wasn’t, then what did that mean for Eden? Was it her responsibility to stay and see it through? She tried to picture herself living in Sea Glass Bay for good, but she couldn’t imagine what that might look like.

‘Are you all right?’ Livia asked, breaking into her thoughts.

‘Oh yes. Just thinking.’

‘About your kitchen project?’

‘Yes. It’s all I’ve thought of the last couple of days.’

‘I suppose there’s a lot to consider. I don’t suppose…Don’t take this the wrong way, but it does seem like a very sudden decision. You’ve only just arrived in the bay, and you’re not planning to stay all that long. Do you think this thing is a good idea? It’s a lovely idea, of course, and it would do a lot of good around here, but it’s a tall order for someone at the best of times, and you…’

Her sentence tailed off.

‘I what?’

Livia shook her head. ‘I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I can tell there’s something. You don’t have to share it with me, but if you wanted to, I wouldn’t judge. At least, I don’t think I would. Was it a bad break-up or something? You lost your job in London?’

Eden wondered how much to say. She didn’t even know where to start.

‘Ignore me,’ Livia said into the brief pause. ‘I’m being far too nosy.’

‘You’re not. There’s just…’ Eden hesitated. She wanted to tell Livia something, but she was afraid. She had no doubt that Livia was sincere and wasn’t looking to judge her, but she couldn’t take the risk. She didn’t think she could bear Livia’s judgement, because she was sure it wouldn’t be good. ‘There’s nothing much to tell,’ she finished lamely. ‘I felt like I needed some time out of the rat race, and here I am. A first world problem, I suppose.’

‘If you can do it, do it. I don’t blame you for that – if I had the money and nothing to tie me down, I’d probably want to do the same. Travel or something, you know?’

‘But you have Nancy and Levi? Is that what stops you?’

‘Yes. Mum too. They all need me. It’s not that big a deal, you know; I don’t feel like I’m missing out that I can’t go off. There are far worse places to be stuck than Sea Glass Bay. In fact, I know I’m lucky to live here.’

‘How come…if you don’t mind me asking, how come you have Nancy and Levi? What happened to their mum?’

‘She died.’

‘How did it happen? Or is it too painful to talk about?’

‘It’s fine – I can talk about it. She had a rare type of cancer. It was aggressive and over quicker than you would ever have thought possible. Some days I still can’t believe she’s gone, even though it’s been four years.’

‘She’s your only sister?’

Livia nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘Were you close?’

‘God, yes, like best friends. Not even two years between us – she was the oldest. Before she died, she made me promise I’d take on the twins. As if she needed to ask – I would always have done that.’

‘What about their dad?’

‘Oh, he’s never been interested, not since the twins were born. We did get in touch to see if he might feel differently with Zoe’s death, but all he did was visit once or twice. He sends a Christmas card when he remembers, but that’s about it. Maybe one day when they’re older they’ll try to build some kind of relationship with him – that’ll be up to them, I suppose.’

‘Wow, that’s harsh, considering they lost their mum.’

‘Maybe, but there was no way we would have given him custody without a fight, even if he’d wanted it. Luckily he didn’t, and I was allowed to adopt them.’

Eden’s eyes widened. ‘So they’re yours?’

‘Legally, yes. Mum wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the best thing to me, so we went ahead.’

‘But they don’t call you mum.’

Livia shook her head. ‘Why would they? They had a beautiful mum and they lost her. I don’t want to take her place; I just wanted to be their legal parent so there’d be no question over who would take care of them, make decisions about what’s best for them. Until they’re eighteen, it’s down to me.’

‘That’s kind of amazing.’

‘Is it?’

‘God yes! What are you, like twenty-five, twenty-six?’

‘Twenty-seven.’

‘And you’ve been looking after them for the last four years? Even adopting them? I don’t know anyone back in London who’d have done something so…well, not at that age. I don’t think I could have even looked after myself at that age, let alone two children.’

‘I didn’t see it that way. There was never any question – I was always going to care for them. Those two are everything to me, just like they would be if they were mine. And they are mine now. They don’t call me mum, but they’re my children.’

‘You might not think it’s anything to be proud of, but I think it’s amazing. They’re lucky to have you.’

‘They’d have been luckier to have their mum, but thank you.’

The time had passed so quickly that Eden didn’t realise they’d already reached the ice-cream parlour.

‘I’d better get back to work,’ Livia said. ‘I’ve been longer than I meant to be. So don’t forget, if you want to walk up to school with me, be back here in’ – she looked at the clock on her phone – ‘about an hour and a half. No pressure, of course.’

‘That sounds nice. I’d like to see Nancy and Levi.’

‘OK, so I’ll see you then.’

Eden grasped the hand of each child tightly, aware with every fibre of her being of just what she was being trusted with and determined to repay that trust. Livia had already told her that Nancy and Levi were everything to her, but after picking them up from school, she’d allowed Eden to take them off for an hour. The children had been beyond excited by this new and unexpected turn of events, which had made Eden feel happy and wanted.

Nancy was chattier than Levi, fascinated by everything but mostly by the novelty of their situation and with Eden herself. Her questions were endless, and barely had Eden given an answer than there was a fresh one to contemplate.

Have you got a little girl? Where do you live? What’s in that bag? Who’s your best friend? Do you have a dog? Do you like ice cream? What’s your favourite sweet? Do you eat burgers? Are you Livia’s friend? Do you work at the Dolphin?

Levi was quieter, humming to himself and content to let his sister do the talking, but from time to time he’d chime in with something of his own: Can you swim? Do you have a car? Who’s your favourite – Batman or Spider-Man? Have you ever seen an alien?

If she’d been less stressed, Eden would have found their interrogation funny. If they were always like this, then it was no wonder Livia loved spending time with them. They were both bright and lively and lovely company, but then, knowing Livia as Eden was beginning to, that was hardly surprising. It made Eden wonder what Livia’s sister – their mum – had been like. How much influence had she had on the children in the short time she’d been with them, and how much of who they were now was down to Livia and Julia?

As soon as they arrived at the beach and stepped onto the sand, both children bent to kick off their shoes and socks, dumping them on a nearby rock.

‘Can we paddle?’ Nancy asked.

‘I suppose so,’ Eden said, taking off her own shoes. But when she looked up, both children were watching her. ‘It’s all right – go ahead.’

‘You have to come with us. We can’t go to the water without you – Livia said so.’

‘Livia says we have to stay with you all the time because you don’t know your way around,’ Levi said with such sober maturity that it was all Eden could do not to laugh.

‘I suppose I might get lost,’ she replied, playing along. Livia had probably framed it that way so they didn’t wander off from her, not the other way around, but Eden had to admit it was an inspired bit of parenting. ‘It’s probably for the best. Come on then – let’s go and get our feet wet.’

‘I can run fastest!’ Levi cried before haring off in the direction of the sea.

Nancy took off after him, leaving Eden – who considered herself fit – to bring up the rear. With a huge splash, Levi and Nancy landed in the surf and began to leap about, spraying each other with water, scooping it with hands and kicking it up with feet and laughing the whole while as if nothing could ever be as funny again. Eden joined in, indulging her inner child and marvelling at how something so silly and simple could be so freeing. It wouldn’t last, but for this moment, it was a wonderful thing. If these children could still love life after all they’d been through, then why couldn’t Eden?

While she caught her breath for a moment, she decided to take a photo of them playing and send it to Livia. There was an immediate reply.

Glad they’re keeping you entertained!

Eden grinned as she stuffed the phone back into her bag and covered the bag with her jacket. This bit of the beach wasn’t so busy, and she wasn’t worried about theft, but it didn’t hurt to be a little bit cautious. Then she joined the twins again, who were still running about in the waves.

Levi barrelled towards her and slapped a hand on her arm. ‘You’re it!’

‘Aww!’ Eden laughed. ‘Nobody told me we were playing tag!’

She lunged forward and got him back, and then tore off down the beach, glancing behind to see them hot on her heels. As she turned back, she lost her balance, and before she knew what was happening, she was face down on the sand, swallowed by an incoming wave and soaked to the skin.

‘Eden!’ Nancy yelled, and Eden looked up to see a look of alarm on the little girl’s face.

‘I’m all right,’ she said, hauling herself up and starting to laugh. ‘That was rubbish, wasn’t it? Serves me right for running too fast.’

There was no such sympathy from Levi, who coolly tapped Eden on the arm, announced that she was ‘it’ once again and took off in the direction he’d just come from.

‘It’s time out!’ Nancy shouted after him. ‘Eden fell over!’

‘See,’ Eden said with a wicked look. ‘That’s very kind of you, but…’ She got to her feet, touched Nancy on the head and started to run. ‘If you snooze, you lose! You’re it!’

Nancy squealed, at first with indignation, but then she started to giggle. She chased Eden for a way, but then seeing Levi had stopped running and was suddenly fascinated by something he’d found on the sand, she turned her attention to him, sneaking over. He looked up but too late – Nancy tagged him and tore away.

‘Nice one, Nancy!’ Eden shouted. ‘That’s how it’s done, girl!’

She didn’t have long to congratulate Nancy, however, because Levi wasted no time coming for her, and he was shockingly fast. Eden panted as she dodged out of his way, forced to stop for a moment as she was laughing so hard. And as she glanced across the beach, she noticed them being watched. At least, he seemed to be watching, though he walked off as soon as she took notice of him, back towards a car parked in a bay overlooking the beach. Had he been laughing? At this distance, Eden could have been mistaken, but it certainly looked that way. She supposed it might have looked funny, her getting trounced by Nancy and Levi. What she could see was that he was dark-haired and broad shouldered, a dressed-down sort of formality to his outfit, but not suitable for where they were at all…He looked like someone she’d seen on the beach the day she’d arrived in the bay. She’d felt a familiarity then, and she felt it again now, and he was closer this time so that she could almost make out his face. But surely it couldn’t be…?

Levi tagged her while she wasn’t looking, and she jumped, all thoughts of the man instantly forgotten.

‘Right!’ she said, putting on a mean face. ‘That’s it! I’m going to get you good and proper!’

The game came to a natural end in the way all unscripted children’s games do, where nobody had really announced it was over but everyone just moved on to something new. They went from splashing and chasing each other to poking about in rock pools and then searching the sand for shells and the sea glass that was often so abundant it had given the cove its name. Eden expressed surprise at how many pieces they did find, but when the children questioned her on why, she couldn’t answer. She found that happened a lot. As many of their questions were as difficult to answer as there were easy ones. Their curiosity was never-ending and seemed to have no rules. Discussions covered just about everything, from school dinners to spaceships. It was entertaining to Eden but also a bit bewildering. As fun as it was, having small children around was exhausting. How did Livia do this and hold down two jobs?

Livia herself appeared an hour later, just as the three had sat on the sand to examine all the bits they’d collected.

‘There you are,’ she said, smiling broadly as she marched across the sand. ‘Looks like you’ve been having fun,’ she added, looking at the ropes of damp hair that Eden usually wore smoothed and glossy. ‘Have you been swimming?’

‘Not intentionally,’ Eden said.

‘She fell in,’ Nancy cut in, and Livia’s grin spread.

‘Did she? I bet you laughed your heads off at that.’

‘I didn’t,’ Nancy said solemnly.

‘Well.’ Livia glanced from one twin to the other. ‘Time for tea. Grandma’s making sausages and mash.’

‘Yes!’ Levi pumped the air with his fist. ‘I love sausage and mash!’

‘I know you do,’ Livia said. ‘You’d eat it every day if we let you.’ She looked at Eden. ‘Mum says you’re welcome to join us.’

‘Oh I wouldn’t want to—’ Eden began, but Livia stopped her.

‘I think she’d really like to get to know you a bit more. And she wants to hear about your plans for the community café. We don’t stand on ceremony around here – if she’s inviting you to tea, she’s not just being polite; she actually wants to feed you. Unless you don’t like sausages, of course, but I’m sure we could find?—’

It was Eden’s turn to interrupt. ‘I’d love to! No problem with sausages.’

‘Good,’ Livia said. She handed each child the socks and shoes she’d picked up from the rocks on the way over. ‘Get these on and let’s get marching. We don’t want to keep Grandma waiting, or she might give up and eat all the sausages herself.’

Nancy giggled uncontrollably as she pulled her socks on, while Levi stuck his tongue out in concentration. But the more he concentrated, the more twisted his socks became until Livia bent down to lend a hand. As she did, she tickled his toes, and he burst out laughing. Eden smiled as she watched, filled with a warmth she’d never thought she would feel again.

Unlike Four Winds Cottage, there was no dramatic clifftop location or brooding isolation with Livia’s house. There wasn’t even an evocative name – it was simply number three Sea Glass Parade, but what it lacked in drama, it more than made up for in welcoming cosiness. It stood on a row of terraced cottages with low-framed, pastel-painted front doors and higgledy walls and roofs. Each house opened directly onto the pavement, though Eden would see as she took a seat in the warm kitchen, the air fragranced with cooking, a larger than expected garden at the back to make up for it. There was a circle of lawn bordered by lush shrubs and summer blooms, beyond that a bird table and a vegetable patch, with insect hotels nailed to the back wall and a bright wooden Wendy house in a shaded corner.

Livia’s mum, Julia, was busy at the stove. She turned to Eden with a broad smile. ‘Did you enjoy the beach? The twins weren’t too much for you, were they?’

‘Oh no, we had fun, didn’t we?’ Eden turned to the children, who nodded. Livia ushered them to the sink to stand on a chair she’d just placed so they could reach to wash their hands.

‘Can you take us again tomorrow?’ Nancy asked as she splashed water over not just her hands but a good deal of the surrounding surfaces.

‘You can’t be asking Eden every day,’ Livia said with a laugh.

‘I don’t mind.’ Eden moved her elbows from the table to let Julia set a place for her. She looked up. ‘Can I help? I could set the table.’

‘No need. Won’t take me a tick, and everything else is done. Sausages are just staying warm in the oven, and gravy’s on the stove. Do you want a drink? I don’t have wine or anything in, I’m afraid.’

‘I’ll drink anything,’ Eden said. ‘A glass of water is just fine. Thank you.’

‘I’m sure we can do better than water,’ Julia said. She looked at Levi, who was drying his hands. ‘Could you run and fetch a bottle of Grandma’s lemonade from the outhouse?’

Levi duly went through a door at the side of the kitchen and returned a few seconds later with an unlabelled bottle.

‘You’re honoured if Mum’s opening the home-made stuff for you,’ Livia said, smiling at Eden as she moved the chair from the sink to wash her own hands. ‘I think that’s the last bottle as well.’

Julia waved a vague hand as she opened the oven. ‘I can make more easily enough.’

Levi looked up at Livia. ‘Can I pour it out?’

‘If you’re careful,’ Livia said. ‘Don’t want to spill any of Grandma’s special drink, do we?’

‘I won’t.’

Eden watched as Livia opened it and steadied each glass for him. The lemonade trickled slowly into each one as he held it with the utmost concentration, barely letting it flow from the bottle at all.

‘That’s it, carefully does it,’ Livia said. ‘Brilliant job.’

‘Thank you,’ Eden said. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. It was tart, and at first, it was all she could do not to purse her lips. But a hit of sweetness followed and a rush of citrus that made her mouth water. ‘That’s amazing! You should bottle that up and sell it!’

‘I keep telling her that,’ Livia said. ‘It would go down a storm at the ice-cream parlour.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ Julia said, clearly delighted with the praise but trying not to show it. ‘I think people might have more sophisticated palates than that these days. It’s all slushies and energy drinks people want. Besides, I don’t have the time to make gallons of the stuff for the parlour – it’s far easier to buy it in to sell there.’

‘I think once people tasted this, you could stop selling ice creams and make a mint from lemonade,’ Eden said. ‘It’s that good.’

‘Well, thank you for saying so.’ Julia took the lid from a crock she’d just taken out of the oven.

‘Have you made pudding?’ Nancy asked.

Julia laughed lightly. ‘We haven’t had a mouthful of our tea yet and you’ve already moved on. You know the rules – no pudding until we’ve made a dent in this.’

‘But did you make pudding?’ Nancy asked.

‘I might have done.’

‘Is it chocolate cake?’

‘It might be.’

‘With the bit in the middle…? And the custard?’

‘If you’re lucky and you’ve been a good girl.’

‘I have!’ Nancy beamed at Eden. ‘Haven’t I?’

‘Brilliant,’ Eden replied, that strange but not unwelcome warmth spreading through her again. For a fleeting moment, sitting here with this remarkable little family, she felt a part of something wonderful.

Julia put a bowl of mashed potatoes and another with mixed vegetables onto the table while Livia lined up two sausages onto each person’s plate.

‘So, Eden, Livia tells me you’re keeping Four Winds for the next six months,’ Julia said as she put a jug of gravy down. ‘It used to be in our family, you know.’

‘Yes, Livia did mention it,’ Eden said. ‘Your uncle?’

‘My husband’s uncle. It was meant to come to us when he passed, but…well, things changed, as they often do.’

‘Oh…’ Eden frowned. ‘You were supposed to inherit?’

‘Livia’s father was, and he would have passed it straight down. As I said, things changed. I’d hoped it would be somewhere for Livia to have as her own one day?—’

‘Mum,’ Livia cut in. ‘Don’t bring all that up. It’s gone, and that’s that.’ She shot a look of apology at Eden.

Despite it, Eden suddenly felt guilty that she was currently enjoying the house that was meant to be Livia’s. She knew it wasn’t her doing, but it didn’t make her feel any better. What was worse was that she didn’t even need the house – for now, of course, but not beyond that – whereas Livia clearly did.

‘I didn’t know that,’ she said, wanting to ask how things had changed in such a way but aware that Livia wanted to change the subject.

‘And you’re keeping it until the end of the year?’ Julia asked.

Eden nodded. ‘That was the original plan.’

‘Oh? So you might not?’

‘I don’t know. I think it depends…That’s what I’m doing at the moment, but I suppose it depends on how things go.’

‘Like your community café idea?’

Eden was thinking of that, but she was also thinking of what else might change. There were things back home, things in her recent past that she had still to face fully. Whether she had the strength was another story, but she was beginning to realise that those things weren’t going to go away simply because she was here ignoring them. Caitlin’s calls and messages hadn’t stopped, for one thing. If Eden knew one thing about her sister, it was that she’d always want the last word; being unable to contact Eden to have it would be driving her to distraction.

‘That’s all a bit unknown at this stage.’ Eden helped herself to vegetables. ‘I’m still trying to get my head around it.’

‘Hmm…’ Julia was silent for a moment, allowing Livia to jump in.

‘But it’s a brilliant idea, isn’t it, Mum? You were saying so earlier.’

‘Yes. I think it’s sad that someone local hasn’t done it, really – someone who knows the community and their needs. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be doing it, Eden,’ she added quickly.

‘You’re probably right, though,’ said Eden. ‘I wonder if people will think I’m interfering where I’m not wanted because I’m an outsider.’

‘We don’t have that daft village mentality round here,’ Livia said.

‘Younger ones don’t,’ Julia put in. ‘I wouldn’t say that about everyone.’

‘I suppose all we can do is get it up and running and see who comes,’ Eden said. ‘If people don’t want to, then that’s that. At least I’ll have tried.’

‘I think people will come,’ Livia said.

Julia poured some gravy over her food. ‘So you’re here from London?’

Eden nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘Is that home for you?’

‘Just outside. Essex, actually, but, you know, it was only a Tube ride away, so I spent a lot of time there growing up.’

‘Essex? Did you like it there?’

‘I suppose so. You take where you live for granted, don’t you? I’m not sure I ever thought about it that much. I was used to it; it was home.’

‘So you don’t live there anymore? Where will you go back to when you give up Four Winds?’

‘I was in London proper for a while. I don’t know…I gave up my flat, so I don’t actually have a place to go back to.’

‘But you could go to your father’s house if you needed to? I know Livia would always have a home here if she?—’

‘Mum…’ Livia interrupted with an uneasy look Eden’s way. ‘I’m sure Eden doesn’t want to think about all that. We were going to talk about the community café, weren’t we?’

‘I was only making conversation. Eden doesn’t mind me asking, I’m sure.’

Livia turned to Eden, who had the feeling her friend was trying to change the subject. If so, it was a bit clumsy, but Eden appreciated the effort. ‘Don’t let us forget to give you your sewing before you go tonight. Mum’s done a lovely job, and your fabric is so pretty.’

‘Nice to work with too,’ Julia said. ‘You chose a good quality one.’

‘I only went with the lady’s recommendation.’ Eden dug her fork into a mound of mashed potato. ‘I don’t know the first thing about fabric or sewing.’

‘My mum taught me to sew,’ Julia said. ‘One of the first things she taught me, actually, and it’s been so useful over the years, I wouldn’t be able to thank her enough.’

‘Is she…?’ Eden hesitated.

‘Oh, she’s still with us,’ Julia replied, anticipating the question. ‘But she’s not well, and we had no choice but to get her professional care. Alzheimer’s – barely remembers me, and no recollection of Livia or the twins.’

‘That must be devastating. I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s life, isn’t it?’ Julia said with a stoicism that convinced Eden that if she wasn’t entertaining a relative stranger, she’d be sobbing now.

The more Eden learned about Livia’s family, the more she marvelled at how they managed to stay so positive when they’d endured such terrible loss and sadness. Not only had they lost Livia’s dad and sister, but there was Julia’s mum suffering this horrible illness – the worst, Eden had often heard people say, where the loved one was gone long before they died. She’d never encountered it, and she hoped she never would. Though Eden had her own pain, the more she heard about Livia and her family, the more perspective she got. What she’d gone through was bad, but there were others going through worse, others who were entirely good and entirely blameless and who didn’t deserve it at all.

‘Still,’ Eden said, ‘doesn’t seem fair when it happens to such lovely people.’

‘We’re not all that lovely,’ Livia said with a smile that was as stoic as Julia’s. ‘You should hear us argue on a good day, and you’d realise we can be just as bad as anyone else.’

‘Levi threw my doll in the apple tree,’ Nancy said as she concentrated on cutting a sausage.

‘When was this?’ Eden asked.

‘Last week,’ Julia said. ‘Goodness only knows what they were fighting about – neither of them can remember. And he must have a heck of a throwing arm on him. I said he ought to take up cricket, could be a fast bowler for England. There’d be money in that, I bet.’

‘We’re definitely counting on one of them making our family rich in the future,’ Livia said, her smile growing into something more certain.

‘I bet they’ll both do amazing things in the future,’ Eden said. ‘With some people, you can just tell, can’t you?’

Julia and Livia both looked so proud that Eden wondered which one would burst into tears first. But it was lovely to see. Had her parents ever looked like that about her? They’d doted on her, spoiled her and loved her, but had she ever made them proud? There was a feeling of deep shame at the answer, a truth she couldn’t deny to herself. No, she didn’t think she had.

‘Right…’ Julia gave Eden her full attention. ‘Tell me about your community café idea.’

‘There’s not all that much to tell yet. There’s quite a bit to work out.’

‘I’m sure we could do our best to help with that.’

‘I was hoping you might.’

Both Julia and Livia smiled warmly at her, and Eden sent them a smile of her own. Things were moving, and she couldn’t quite believe how willing people she barely knew were to help. She was learning that Sea Glass Bay was like that. A month ago, she couldn’t even imagine being here, but, so quickly she was hardly aware of it, she was beginning to feel as if she never wanted to be anywhere else.