Chapter Two
Effie pushed open the garden gate and whispered hello to the two garden gnomes that stood guard.
They’d been there for as long as she could remember, her dad giving them a yearly makeover as the weather faded them.
Effie had started to say hello and goodbye to them as a child and the habit had stuck well into adulthood.
Closing the gate behind her, Effie made her way up the garden path, which in a few weeks would be lined with bright yellow daffodils.
She paused on the doorstep to take in the garden.
Other than some bright bursts of pansies, it was still slumbering from winter.
In a few weeks, as well as the daffodils, tulips would be bobbing their heads and then the roses would begin to bloom.
If she left, Effie would miss everything springing back to life.
Pulling her key out of her pocket, she shook her head.
If she took Clive’s new role she’d only be in Polcarrow, it wouldn’t be like moving away to university, to London, leaving everything familiar behind only to have her big city hopes and dreams shattered.
She’d spent the day wafting around the bookshop in a daze, imagining herself in the tiny Polcarrow shop, the sunlight streaming in through the big bay window, the walls a rainbow of colourful spines.
After the disappointment that had been London, Effie hadn’t considered moving away again, but at least she would still be in Cornwall, and after all, despite all her savings, it wasn’t as if she had enough money to open her own independent bookshop. This really was the next best thing.
Effie unlocked the door and let herself in.
The cosy comfort of her parental home was a warm, familiar embrace.
Closing her eyes, Effie soaked up the homely atmosphere.
The radio was playing rock classics at a gentle volume, fighting with the sound of the evening news on the television.
She could hear her parents chattering away in the kitchen, from where a delicious aroma wafted.
What would it be like to leave this behind?
Rosemary, Effie’s mum, stuck her head around the door, her hair wild and her apron stained with tomato sauce. ‘Evening, love, almost ready. Lasagne, your favourite.’ She blew Effie a kiss before disappearing back into the kitchen. ‘Brian, I asked you to make a salad!’
‘I’ll just go and get changed,’ Effie called before heading upstairs to the sanctuary that was her bedroom.
Painted pale pink and rammed to the rafters with paperbacks, almost all of them sweeping, swoony historical romances featuring earls or dukes or Vikings.
Her desk was strewn with an assortment of notebooks, makeup and a half-finished jumper she was knitting for her dad.
It was purple-striped and currently a tangle of knots and dropped stiches.
Flopping onto her bed, Effie pulled the paperwork Clive had given her from her bag, and let out a squeal of delight.
Her own shop! Well, not her own exactly.
She could hardly believe it was happening, almost daren’t.
Maybe she should’ve accepted on the spot?
What if Clive also went away and had second thoughts?
Effie sat up, the terror that gripped her at that thought was proof enough that there was only one decision she could make.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she surveyed her cosy little bedroom, her childhood playroom, her teenage haven turned grown-up sanctuary.
Would she be packing all this up to take with her? Or just the essentials whilst she got settled in? She should’ve asked more questions but she’d been completely stunned by Clive’s proposal.
Effie glanced around her. Her life in this room was comfortable, well worn in.
The faux sheepskin rug on the carpet that covered up a nail-polish stain, the shelf where all her childhood teddies sat watching over her, the dip in her mattress that held her whilst she slept.
What would it be like to sleep somewhere different?
Although she’d considered leaving home, it had always been a sort of abstract dream, something she could casually make her way towards.
Yes, there had been a very brief moment of time after university when she’d considered going to Manchester with Brad, but that was something she was embarrassed to look back on now.
She’d been diligently saving and had imagined a nice little flat somewhere in Penzance but had never thought of moving as far away as Polcarrow, on the other side of the peninsula.
She flicked through the paperwork again, her eyes studying the dated flat, but it looked habitable, and she could easily transform it into a home from home.
After kicking off her shoes, Effie changed out of her work clothes, which were nothing more glamorous than a pair of dungarees, her favourite rainbow knit cardigan and a floral shirt and into a comfy pair of flannel pyjamas, perfect for lounging around after dinner.
Home had always been her sanctuary, somewhere she could safely remove all the layers she donned when she went out into the world.
She had always been a quiet homebody, content to curl up on a sunny windowsill with a book.
One dip of her toe into reality had been quite enough.
She placed the papers Clive had given her on her desk and jotted down a couple of questions to follow up with.
Would this be temporary? A trial run? Or would she be expected to settle there, run the shop forever?
A permanent move would be big, but when she looked up the distance between Penzance and Polcarrow, she realised it wasn’t as far as she’d feared.
Maybe not commutable, but easy visiting distance.
Once she’d freshened up, Effie made her way downstairs, pushed open the door and stepped into the homely kitchen-diner.
The yellow walls were decorated with an eclectic mix of artwork and ceramics her parents had picked up over the past forty years.
Effie loved listening to her dad, Brian, recount the stories of where various pots had come from.
Morocco, the Greek islands, a flea market in Paris.
He’d been a roadie for a minor rock band back in the eighties and Effie had inherited his love of a rambling guitar solo.
He’d traded in black leather and wild nights for heading up the local arts centre.
‘Come here, darling,’ he said, spotting her. He pulled her into a hug. ‘Good day at work?’
Effie snuggled into him. ‘Yes,’ she replied rather hesitantly, her tongue pricking with nerves at having to disclose her news.
What would her parents think of the prospect of her moving out?
She almost blurted it all out, but managed to keep the news to herself, wanting to enjoy dreaming about it just a while longer.
She’d already mentally decorated the shop on her walk home, freshening up the white walls.
Rosemary plonked an oozing tray of lasagne in the middle of the table, followed by the salad. ‘Come on, sit down, don’t want it getting cold.’
‘No chance of that happening,’ Brian laughed, poking the bubbling cheese with a spoon, ‘it’s bubbling more than a volcano.’
Rosemary pulled the spoon from his hand and began to dish up, serving Effie first. Brian poured red wine into their glasses.
He had grand ambitions to become a wine connoisseur, however, had made no secret that he couldn’t tell a Shiraz from a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Still, Effie lifted the glass, swirled the red liquid, took a sniff, followed by a sip.
‘What do you think?’ Brian asked, showing her the bottle. Chianti.
Effie took another sip. ‘It’s like . . . wine.’ She wasn’t doing any better on the taste testing either.
Laugher erupted. ‘I think this is lost on us,’ said Rosemary, taking a sip, ‘tasty though.’
As they ate, they swapped stories about their days.
Rosemary, a community nurse, running through how her regular patients were getting on, Brian nodding whilst trying to decipher more of the wine flavours before updating them on the latest youth project he was trying to get funding for.
On the edge of her seat, Effie waited to share her news, happy to hold back whilst her parents discussed their days.
‘Anyone want any more?’ Rosemary indicated the lasagne that was left.
Brian sat back, patted his stomach. ‘I’m stuffed.’
‘Effie?’
‘I’m stuffed too.’
Rosemary shrugged and sliced off a tiny sliver. ‘We can have the rest tomorrow. I take it no one has any room for dessert?’
‘Oh, there’s always room for ice cream!’ Effie grinned.
They’d finished every meal with ice cream for as long as she could remember.
In the summer they usually took a stroll out along the seafront, trying different flavours from the ice cream parlour.
Effie liked the ones made with clotted cream, bursting with berries.
Ice cream sampling had always been more successful than wine tasting.
Rosemary rolled her eyes and Brian began to clear the table. He returned with three bowls, the scoop and a tub of raspberry ripple – Effie’s childhood favourite.
Once the ice cream had been eaten Effie pushed her bowl away and took a breath.
‘Are you all right love?’ Brian asked. ‘You’ve been very quiet, usually you’re full of bookshop chatter.’
Clenching her fists together, Effie glanced between her parents, a smile spreading across her face. ‘I have some news. Clive is opening a new shop in Polcarrow and he wants me to set it up and run it.’
‘Oh, love, that’s marvellous!’ Rosemary beamed. ‘You’re long overdue a promotion.’
‘Polcarrow! I remember it, tiny place,’ Brian said, ‘the seagull stole your sausage roll right out of your hand. Isn’t it a bit far? I mean, it’s doable, but driving there and back every day. Are you happy with that?’ They all knew Effie was an anxious driver.
‘There’s a flat above the shop. Clive said it comes with the lease and I could live there,’ Effie explained, feeling a bit like she was talking about someone else’s life.
Rosemary sat back down. ‘You’d be moving out?’
Effie nodded with more assurance than she felt.
Rosemary and Brian exchanged glances, swapping a multitude of questions and emotions in a single glance. ‘How do you feel about this?’ Brian asked. ‘Truthfully.’
‘I, erm, I don’t know,’ Effie admitted, which was the truth. ‘Clive sprung it on me. It was a bit of a surprise. But it will be like my own bookshop! You know how I’ve always dreamed of owning my own shop and this is the next best thing. I’ve already got lots of plans for it.’
‘Oh my love, that is so exciting.’ Rosemary bustled around the table and bundled Effie into a hug.
Brian nodded. ‘It’s a fantastic opportunity. Look, Effie, you’re almost thirty years old, we love having you here and you can stay here forever if you wish, but aren’t you curious about what lies over the horizon?’
‘Maybe a little bit,’ Effie admitted, ‘but you know I didn’t enjoy moving away to university.’
‘That was London. This is Polcarrow. It’s thirty-five minutes away.
The worst that could happen is that seagull comes back for a second bite of sausage roll,’ Brian pointed out gently.
‘Clive must think highly of you to trust you with this. You’re long overdue a promotion too. You work so hard there.’
‘You could come home any time, and we could come and visit you,’ Rosemary reminded her before glancing at her husband. ‘We’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time you spread your wings a little more.’
Effie shot a look between her parents. ‘You want me to leave?’
‘No, love, don’t be silly, we love you being here, us a cosy little three, but we’ve both seen so much of the world, it’d be a shame if you didn’t even explore it a bit,’ Rosemary pushed gently.
Effie nodded. ‘I told Clive I’d think about it. He’s given me until Friday. I didn’t want to leap right in without properly considering it first.’
‘Whatever you decide to do, Effie love, we’ll support you,’ Brian said, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.
‘Thanks, Dad.’ She squeezed his hand back. ‘But I think we all know what my decision will be,’ she said, beaming happily at them both, the possibility of her future unfurling inside her.