“You know how I’ve always talked about opening my own gallery?”
My eyes widened. Having her very own exhibition space had been a dream of Abbey’s for years. “You mean…”
“Yes, I’ve finally found the perfect premises. At least, they will be if all goes as it should.”
“Abbey, that’s wonderful,” Chloe said.
“At last,” I said. “I was beginning to think this would never happen.”
“It’s an old barn on the edge of a popular village. The perfect spot for attracting tourists and locals alike. Currently it’s just four walls and a roof, but I’ve been granted planning permission to put in a second floor.” She beamed. “Which means I can use downstairs to sell my work and upstairs as a studio.”
“You’ve already got planning permission?” I asked. “You mean this has been in the pipeline for a while?”
“It came through a couple of days ago. And like Chloe, I didn’t want to say anything from the off in case things went awry.”
“I’m so pleased for you,” I said. “You must be thrilled.”
“The builders have been lined up for ages. Finally, they can get stuck in.”
“I’mthrilledfor you,” Chloe said.
“The location’s great but the building itself is a long way from usable. It needs a tonne of renovations which are going to take months. I’ll be project managing, of course.”
“Of course,” Chloe and I said. We knew Abbey was a control freak when it came to work-related projects.
“Which means–” Abbey said.
“You can’t be bridesmaid either?”
She shook her head. “Afraid not.”
“You will make the ceremony though, won’t you?” I asked. “Because again, we could change–”
“Try stopping me!”
“Is it too early to hat shop?” Chloe asked.
“It’s never too early,” Abbey said.
Listening to my two friends excitedly chat, I realised it didn’t matter that they weren’t participating in my wedding. Simply having them there to celebrate with me was more than enough.
“We’re also on the end of the phone if you need anything,” Chloe said. “If the run-up to your wedding is anything like mine, you’re going to need plenty of moral support.”
“Plus we want regular updates,” Abbey said.
“And vice versa,” I replied. “Sounds like this year’s going to be full-on for all of us.”
“Tell me about it,” Chloe said, placing a hand on her belly.
“Bring it on,” Abbey said. “It’s going to be great.”
Chapter 7
“You should have seen her, Sal. She was so pleased with herself.” It might have been a few days since Mum’s visit but that hadn’t stopped me imagining the woman sat at her dining table, scissors in hand, ready to tackle the copious wedding magazines, fabric samples, and frills laid out in front of her. I shuddered, yet again shaking the image away. “I felt really bad telling her she’d wasted her time. She’d put so much effort into them.”
Neither Leo nor I usually worked weekends, but as a gardener, spring was a busy time for Leo. It was when most people turned their attention to their outdoor spaces, so while he and Otis were out pricing up a job, I’d hoped to spend the day in my studio. At least that had been the plan.
Following Mum’s visit with the mood boards, I hadn’t been able to concentrate. All week, sitting at the pottery wheel had been a pointless exercise and that Saturday was no different; no matter how I handled it, the clay continued to fold under my hands. In the end, I’d given up and gone round to my sister’s, hoping to share my mother-of-the-bride woes.
