Rebecca Pugh - Down on Daffodil Lane

‘It was lovely,’ she agreed with a smile, and she meant it. ‘Exactly what I needed. If you hadn’t turned up today, I’d probably still be wandering about in my dressing gown. It’s done me the world of good to get out and into town. I feel much better for it. Thank you.’

‘Right,’ he announced after a quick glance at his watch. ‘I best be off. It’s my turn to cook dinner tonight. Teriyaki chicken.’ He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. ‘The girls and Rosanna love it. And you’re welcome, by the way. It’s a stunning place. I’m glad you’re tucked away here for the summer. I reckon you’ll be back to yourself before you know it.’

Maria walked Rob to the door, feeling sad to see him go but looking forward to relaxing. She hadn’t even begun to gather the bits and pieces for the decorating yet. She had no idea where to begin with it. Still, it would be good to turn her mind to something else, and despite having not been expecting Rob to turn up on the doorstep that morning, she’d actually really enjoyed his company.

‘Come here.’ On the doorstep, Rob grabbed her head roughly and yanked her towards him. He planted a loud kiss on her forehead and laughed when she protested.

‘Ow, Rob!’ she screeched, trying desperately to wriggle free and push his hands away. ‘Get off! I’m older than you, don’t forget that, will you?’

He stepped backwards towards the car. ‘I know you are, but you’re still my sister. See you soon, all right? Take care of yourself. Oh, and Maria? Why don’t you have a think about that job in the café? You never know what might come of it.’ He hopped into the car then, and reversed off the driveway, before trundling up the road and disappearing round the corner.

Maria watched him go before turning to take in Daffodil Lane itself. It was, she had to admit, a gloriously pretty area. The cottages were almost identical. One had a bike propped up beneath the kitchen window and another had a garden absolutely overflowing with gorgeous wildflowers that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a watercolour painting above someone’s fireplace. Surrounded by thick woodland and with the cornflower-blue sky above, Maria began to feel that she was on holiday in some far-off land, which she knew had been the point of coming here in the first place. It was a relief to be away from the house she’d shared with Mike for so long. She wondered if he’d packed up his things and left yet. The very thought of going back there sent her stomach rolling. She disappeared into the coolness of the cottage to stop herself from feeling dizzy and light-headed.

Stepping inside, she walked down the narrow hall which led into the conservatory at the back of the cottage. It provided her with a perfect view of the never-ending, rolling green fields reaching out into the distance. The sight was relaxing and, with a sigh of relief that the morning had been successful – in that she hadn’t had a meltdown or burst into tears – she plopped down into one of the wicker chairs and allowed the sun to warm her face through the windows. She kicked off her shoes and stretched her legs out, propping her feet upon the oak table in the centre of the small room. She wriggled her toes and felt calm in the simple beauty of her surroundings. Yes, she could get used to this. No worries. No pressure. Just the journey of getting back to her original self. It would no doubt be hard, but oh-so worth it in the end. The happy, carefree Maria who she missed dearly could be just around the corner.

Stupid Mike. She’d never forgive him for what he’d done to her, what he’d done to their relationship. But it was time to let go and focus on herself, Maria promised, as she closed her eyes and relished the feel of the sun warming her cheeks through the glass.

Yes, by the time summer came to its end, she vowed to be happy once more.

Chapter Two

It hadn’t taken Maria long to decide on visiting the café again the next morning. There was something about the place, perhaps even about Harriet, that Maria felt pulled towards, like a magnet. One thing was for sure, the food she’d eaten had been incredible; she could already feel the stirrings of hunger within her stomach at just the thought of eating it again. Also, fluttering about in her mind was the vacancy. She knew she shouldn’t have allowed the thought of Mike laughing at her to put her off, but it was difficult to ignore. Still, she wasn’t completely decided on it. It was just there, taunting her, refusing to let her concentrate.

Getting herself a part-time job just for the summer wasn’t such a bad idea though, was it? Besides sprucing up the cottage, she didn’t have anything else to do in the area, except perhaps take woodland walks and wander about in the sunshine. And, she had to admit, she did like the café and the owner. It would be a wonderful place to work. Was she up to it? Well, she couldn’t be sure of that, but she’d always been a believer in giving things a bloody good go and hoping for the best. She was friendly, approachable, and once she got to grips with something there was no stopping her. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea after all? She nibbled her lip as she thought some more about it. It deserved at least a bit of consideration.

First though, before any of that, she’d promised to give Ellen a call to update her on the cottage and how she was getting on. Still in her dressing gown and with a cup of coffee fresh from the shiny machine in the kitchen (which she’d finally managed to figure out), she took herself back into the conservatory which was quickly becoming a favourite room of hers. It must have been a recent addition to the cottage as it hadn’t yet been painted or carpeted, although it didn’t put her off in the slightest. Maria curled her legs up beneath her as she picked up her mobile phone, her feet cold from the floor, and called Ellen.

‘Hi, Mum. It’s only me. Just checking in.’ She twisted the belt of the dressing gown around her finger and became fixated by the lush garden visible through the windows, bordered with bright flowers springing up from the soil. ‘I thought I’d give you a call let you know how I’m getting on in Loland Green.’

‘Maria! It’s wonderful to hear from you. In fact, I was just thinking about you and how you were getting on. How’s the cottage? Is it lovely? Rob mentioned he drove up to see you yesterday. He said you seem to be doing okay, so that’s good, and Geraldine wanted me to pass on a message too. She said there’s extra toilet roll in the airing cupboard upstairs, as well as fresh bed sheets.’

Maria smiled to herself. ‘Okay, tell Geraldine I said thank you. I’ll make sure I remember in case of an emergency. The cottage is gorgeous, although in need of a bit of a spruce-up, like Geraldine mentioned. It’s a bit dull inside but nothing a good lick of paint won’t sort out. I’ve a few ideas in mind for the rooms.’

‘Oh, yes. Have you got started on that yet?’

‘Erm… Yeah. I’ve made a small start.’ She didn’t want Ellen to report back to Geraldine with a negative to that question. The truth was, she hadn’t yet found the motivation to get going. It was coming though, she could feel it. The longer she spent looking around the cottage, the more she wanted to add her own touch to the place. She made a mental note to get out and grab the bits and pieces she’d need. She had a feeling summer would pass by in the blink of an eye, so she really did need to make some sort of start on it, have the paint in the cottage at least. ‘I think you’d love it here,’ she said quickly, moving the topic of conversation along. ‘I was thinking to myself just yesterday about how I’m beginning to feel as if I am actually on holiday. I’m currently in the conservatory looking through the window and there are green fields for as far as the eye can see. There’s a posh coffee machine in the kitchen and I figured out how to work it this morning, so that’s a bonus. I can see myself becoming a little too attached.’ She wondered, briefly, why on earth Geraldine and her husband hadn’t moved here permanently. If it was Maria’s, she knew she certainly would have. She laughed, realising how alien it felt to do so. She wanted to laugh again, but thought it might seem odd so didn’t.