Chapter 31
D aisy’s morning, if you didn’t include the regular madness of the school run and the posters all over Pretty Beach, was calm.
The shop was oddly quiet. Not that it was ever exactly rowdy, but it had a hush about it that made Daisy wonder where everyone was.
Fairy lights blinked above the counter, the back door was propped a little for air, and her mug of tea had gone stone cold beside her as she’d pottered around with a head of wondering if soon she’d not have a business at all.
She was halfway through putting together a week’s worth of social media posts.
Monday’s post was going to be one of her ‘Daisy recommends’ reels, Tuesday a carousel of autumn reads, and Wednesday had a note scribbled beside it that simply said: “behind the scenes faffing”.
She’d worked out pretty quickly that faffing reels and her just pottering around were the most popular.
Taking a few videos, tapping on her phone, she took a shot and added a caption.
Then changed the caption, mused for a bit and then changed it back again.
There was a clatter outside as she watched the postman park and stroll past and Xian from the bakery smiled and waved as she walked along with her friend Dimitri.
Daisy had loads to do but, because of both Miles being away and the repercussions of the town meeting, felt all out of sorts.
Putting down her phone, she adjusted the laptop screen and tried to concentrate.
Then she picked it up again, stopped what she was doing on her laptop completely and opened WhatsApp instead, where there were no new messages.
Just as she’d flicked out of it, her phone rang and she nearly dropped it as the notification showed Miles was calling.
‘Hi.’ Daisy tried to sound breezy, happy and calm and like she hadn’t been thinking about him and her business predicament all morning. He had enough problems of his own, she didn’t need to overburden him with hers too.
‘Hey, how are you?’
Daisy blinked, closed the laptop, shifted it aside, and leaned her elbows on the counter. ‘Very quiet here. How are things?’
‘Pretty dull, to be honest. Hospital visits, emails, and pacing around my flat. I’m sick of London. I cannot wait to get back down to you.’
‘You always say that.’
‘I know. I miss you. I hate not being near you. Everything feels off.’
Daisy felt the words go straight through her. ‘I miss you too. It’s been strange, hasn’t it? Not bad-strange, just, I don’t know, weird. I had got used to you being here.’
‘I was in the study earlier trying to work and I just thought, I’d rather be watching you rearrange book piles than be here answering emails for a job I’m not sure I even like anymore. You have to pay the bills, though, right?’
Daisy pressed her palm to her cheek. ‘For sure.’
‘I miss my life down there already. You, the shop. All of it.’
‘We’re still here and not going anywhere, at least, I hope we’re not unless the big guns chase the lot of us out.’
‘You are my somewhere, Daise.’
Daisy’s stomach flipped and did an odd twist.
‘I’ve been walking to the hospital every day and thinking about what’s next and how much I miss you. I know we have to think about the twins and all, but I’m tired of all this splitting my time nonsense. I want to be where you are.’
Daisy swallowed. Miles had just delivered something massive as if he was talking about the weather. Her eyes pricked and she tilted her head to blink away the fizzy bits at the corners. ‘I don’t know what to say to that, really. You have to be there for your mum.’
‘I know. She’s still so bruised. I didn’t realise how frail she’d become. I kept thinking she’d bounce back like last time, but she’s slower now and not eating much, which isn’t helping.’
Daisy pressed the phone tightly to her ear. ‘That must be hard to see. I’ll come back up for the day and give you a hand.’
‘It is. I sat there earlier thinking, how did we get here? How did I become the one sorting out care notes and filling in hospital meal slips?’
‘Because you’re the one who showed up and you’re the good one.’
‘I don’t always feel like it.’
‘You are. You’ve done everything you can. More, actually.’
‘I’ve been thinking about what happens when she gets discharged and everything that’s going on down there with you.
She’s nowhere near ready to go home on her own.
My brother’s no help and it’s all fallen on me.
She just needs space and some quiet. I wondered what you’d think about her coming to Pretty Beach for a bit.
Just a few weeks to convalesce and rest up somewhere near the sea.
Somewhere that doesn’t smell like disinfectant and microwave dinners.
I know I mentioned it before, but now I’m serious . ’
‘Right.’ Daisy ran her finger along the edge of the counter. ‘You mean, be here with her and with us.’
‘Yeah. That’s exactly what I mean.’
‘That sounds doable.’
‘Not the most enthusiastic response I’ve had to a plan.’
‘Ha.’
‘The flat is tiny so I’ll need somewhere else.’
Daisy smiled. ‘I think it’s a good idea and she’d love it here. The air, the view and this time of year is very cosy. It’s a different pace and it might do her the world of good.’
‘And I’d be close to you. I’ve been thinking about this for days. I love you, Daise.’
Daisy gulped. ‘I love you too.’
‘I need to be in Pretty Beach again. I miss you. I miss the shop. I miss walking down the hill and seeing the bay. I miss all of it. It’s so weird; it’s like it crept up on me or something.’
‘It has a habit of doing that.’
‘So, what are you doing right now?’
‘Pretending to work. Half a reel, one draft caption and a mug of cold tea.’
‘I miss your cold tea. Even that.’
‘Ha. right, well, I did have an idea when you mentioned bringing your mum down before. Holly has a string of holiday cottages and there might be one of those available because of the time of year. I’ve had a look at Pete’s bookings, but there aren’t any with a long stretch free.
Plus, Holly’s places are next level and I think your mum would love one of them.
Shall I ask Chloe to see what she can do? ’
‘Yes.’
‘What, so you’ll just work from down here and do the same as you were doing before your mum went into hospital? I mean, you’ll go up on the train when you need to, yeah?’
Miles sighed. ‘I don’t even need to do that very often. Nowadays, everyone works from home and does video meetings anyway.’
‘Hmm, right, yes, true.’
‘So, really, it doesn’t make any difference where I am in the world. For instance, I was just on a video call with someone in San Francisco, a tech start-up we’re investing in over there. It’s all so easy and literally on my phone.’
‘I suppose it is. Location no longer really makes a difference.’
‘No. Anyway, look, speaking of video calls, I have to shoot off and then I’m going to see Mum. If you can find a cottage, that would be great. I am going to make this happen.’
‘You’re sure you want to do this?’
‘I am and then we need to have a proper conversation about where we go next.’
‘We do?’
‘Yep.’
‘About what?’
‘Look, Daise. I know you’re concerned about the twins, but I feel like a bit of a spare part.’
Daisy frowned. She was the one who’d felt like a spare part and had wondered what was going to happen. ‘Okay. meaning?’
‘Meaning we need to talk about it properly. Sorry, I need to go.’
‘Okay, speak to you later.’
‘I love you, Daise.’
‘Me too.’
When the call ended, Daisy sat with the phone in her hand and looked around at the shop.
The sun was slanting across the mat near the door and the light caught a vase of garden flowers on the counter.
Miles had shown his cards and despite the flapping mouths of the school mums, it appeared that he was in for the long haul and was going to address it.
Daisy still didn’t know exactly what was going to happen next, but she knew this much: she was in the place she adored, doing the thing she’d dreamed of and the man she loved had just told her he loved her back and wanted to be with her.
That was something and everything else in between.
What else did Daisy Henley need in her life? Not a lot.