The afternoon was murky, bathing the town in sepia tones and causing lamps to be switched on early. The sky looked swollen and heavy, and it gave the impression of hanging lower than normal, grazing the tops of buildings and rubbing out the hills in the distance. Fred walked slowly, waving to stall holders she recognized and soaking up the sounds and smells of the busy market, but all too soon she had rounded the bend and came upon Liam’s wood spirit sculptures smiling benevolently at her from their sentry posts on either side of the hut opening.
His hut, much like the man himself, had a friendly vibe and smelled of newly sanded wood. More wood spirits winked out from shelves, their long beards melding with the knots in the wood, their faces jolly and eyes full of mischief. Alongside these were sculptures of women with long flowing hair, as well as wooden mortars and pestles, and chunky irregular-shaped chopping boards. Liam looked up from the book he was reading, and his face broke into a wide smile.
He got to his feet. “Fred, it’s wonderful to see you!” He folded her into a hug, and she found herself holding back tears.
“It’s good to see you too,” she muffled into his thick corduroy jacket.
When he released her, he stood back, taking her in. “Hey now, what’s with the tears?” he asked.
“I was so sorry about Claire…” Her voice came out in a whisper.
“I know, sweetheart. Your letters meant a lot to me, and I know they would have to Claire too, she loved you very much.”
“How have you been?” she asked, collecting herself.
She took a seat in one of the wooden chairs he gestured to, while he took the other. People meandered in and out of the hut, invested in their own conversations.
“I’m doing well,” he assured her. “Sometimes I can’t believe it’s been five years, and other times it feels like I’ve been alone for decades.”
“Do you ever think about meeting someone else? I’m sorry, was that insensitive to ask?”
“No, it’s a reasonable question. I know Claire wouldn’t want me to spend the rest of my days pining for her. But I’ve only ever been truly in love twice in my lifetime, and I can’t see myself falling a third time; I’m just not sure it’s possible, not when I already gave so much of my heart away.”
“Never say never.”
“I never do. And what about you? How are you holding up? You’ve had a rough couple of years, what with that Tim and then your job.”
Another couple came in holding hands. They gave acursory nod in Liam’s direction and continued to chat in hushed tones as they studied the sculptures.
Fred had never been able to hide anything from Liam and there seemed no point in trying to start now. “By the time it was over, I didn’t love Tim anymore, but I’d forgotten how to be me. Once I started therapy, it got easier. And losing my job was inevitable; I’d made myself an obvious candidate for redundancy. It was almost a relief when it came, if I’m honest.”
“Sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection.”
“I’ve had the time,” she retorted, dryly.
“I’m not sorry that things ended with Tim, but I am glad to hear that the loss of him wasn’t too painful. It makes me want a little less to break both his legs…only a little less, mind.”
Fred laughed quietly. “I guess Mum told you all about it.”
“Of course she did. Did you think she wouldn’t tell me that you were trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship? Many’s the time I thought about traveling down to London and kidnapping you for your own good, but your mum would’ve had my guts for interfering.”
Fred laughed at the prospect.
“She was right to tell me to keep out of it, of course. She said you needed to get there on your own, or you’d boomerang right back to him.”
She sighed. “She knows me better than I like to admit. She was completely right about Tim, and I absolutely wouldn’t hear it—because what did she know? Only everything, as it turned out. I so badly wanted to make it workwith him, and her gentle concern drove me bonkers, I just didn’t want to hear it.”
Liam smiled. “I’ve known you since you were a bump in your mum’s tum, and you’ve fought her from day one on every single thing.”
Fred laughed. “I know you’re right. Sometimes I wonder if I do it out of sheer habit.”
“It’s an easy habit to slip into, but don’t let it cause you to pass up a good thing out of spite.”
“She told you about wanting me to join the business,” Fred said, knowingly.
“She did. Seems to me it would be beneficial to both of you.”
“I know, I know”—she brushed the air with her hand—“I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth…”
