Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Teetering on the stool she was using to reach the top shelf of the Year Four stock cupboard, Gemma dragged a pile of geography books towards her, lifted them and held them out to Lydia who was standing on the floor next to the stool/
‘Thanks for helping here, Gemma. I really appreciate it.’ Lydia took the books and placed them in a pile on the table.
‘No worries. I’m glad to help. Annie couldn’t make it today, so we’re going to stay late during the week and take an audit of what stock we have down in our classes.
It makes sense that I come and help you and Adam.
’ Plus, in truth, Gemma needed the distraction.
If she’d gone down to her class, she’d have been alone with her thoughts, as Tania hadn’t made it in either, had to do some last-minute babysitting for her daughter or something.
This was a win-win situation. Lydia got some help, and Gemma got the distraction she needed.
Not that it was working particularly well.
However much she tried to listen properly to Lydia talking about the upcoming family wedding she was going to next week, all Gemma could picture was Jonathan’s face when they’d spoken in the hall, feel his lips on her forehead.
She shook her head as she shifted another pile of books towards the edge of the shelf. ‘So, tell me, what’s your outfit like?’
‘Beautiful. Although I may be biased. It’s a pale blue chiffon dress with these little straps which lie just about here.
’ Lydia pointed to her shoulders before reaching up for the other books.
‘I’ve chosen to wear a fascinator rather than a hat.
All the hats I tried on just looked wonky.
Although I think that has more to do with the shape of my head rather than any of the hats themselves. ’ Lydia chuckled.
Laughing, Gemma looked down at Lydia. ‘Your head looks normal to me, but a fascinator sounds nice.’
‘Yes, it’s got these little feathers in. Fake, of course, but nice and fluffy if you know what I mean?’
‘I do.’ Standing on her tiptoes, Gemma squinted her eyes. She could see something right at the back of the shelf, in the corner. ‘Oh, did you know you’ve got a few packs of pastels at the back here? Brand new by the looks of them.’
‘No. Oh, we need pastels for our art project next week. I’d put an order form in for them weeks ago, when Diane was still here.’ Lydia paused. ‘I suppose we both now know the reason they were never ordered.
‘Well, you’ve got some now. I’ll see if I can reach them.’ Still on her tiptoes, Gemma stretched her arm towards the stack of pastels.
‘Be careful, won’t you? It’s high up there, and I’m still not happy you’re just balancing on that stool,’ Lydia’s voice was full of concern.
‘I’m fine.’ She twisted around a little and reached out again, but the pastels were still out of her reach. Only by a few millimetres, mind. ‘I’m guessing the colour of your fascinator matches your dress?’
‘Perfectly. Which was a pleasant coincidence, being as they were both from entirely different shops. I got the dress from...’
As Lydia continued talking, Gemma lifted one leg and leaned over a tad more, her fingers brushing against the boxes of pastels.
She almost had them, but just as she gripped the stack with her fingers, she felt the stool give way beneath her, and for a millisecond she stay suspended against the shelf, her fingers now gripping the wooden edge before she felt herself plummet to the ground.