‘It reminds me of the sea and the sky.’
Erin looked thrilled.
‘You can have it if you like.’
‘You can’t just give it away. You’ve got a business to run.’
‘But you’re a friend. Dad always says that we don’t take money from friends.’
‘Would you like some tea and cake? This was for Carrie, but the tea’s going cold.’
‘I really like the cherry and almond cake from here and the strawberry milkshake. I can pay.’
‘Then that is what you shall have,’ Jules said, picking up her small satchel. ‘My treat.’
While she rejoined the small queue at the little hut which served the tea, Erin placed the vases in the middle of the tables.
‘Looked as if you got lots of compliments,’ she said, returning with another tray.
‘Hopefully they’ll all stop in the shop on the way back and take a look at some of the other stuff,’ Erin said. ‘Dad’s made some cool bowls and plates, too.’
‘You must be very proud of him.’
Erin took a bite of the cake and sucked her milkshake up through the stripy straw. She touched the corners of her mouth with her index finger, wiping away a faint trace of foam.
‘He’s the best,’ she said. ‘I can’t remember much about Mum before she was ill. She died when I was eight and she’d been ill for a couple of years before that.’
‘I’m sorry. It must have been hard for both of you.’
‘Dad says that Fitz and I kept him going. But he must have done the same for us. Being here probably helped, instead of still being in London. Even though we don’t live in a village everyone rallied around. My grandparents wanted Dad to go back and I think he considered it, but I’m glad he didn’t. Where do you live?’
‘Manchester.’
‘Do you like it?’
‘Yes. I’ve got friends there and a good job.’
‘What do you do?’
‘I’m a midwife.’
‘I like babies. Have you met Cressie and her twins? They’re gorgeous. How many babies do you deliver each year?’
‘I haven’t met Cressie. She’s away at the moment, I think. In the hospital where I work, believe there were about five thousand babies born last year.’
‘My Mum was having Fitz when the cancer came back. The doctors advised her to have a termination so she could have chemo straight away, but she chose to wait and…’
Jules felt a tightening in her chest. She wanted to reach out and put her arms around this girl who would have to live with this loss for the rest of her life.
‘I do love Fitz even though he’s a pain, but sometimes when he’s really winding me up, I think…’
‘You think if it wasn’t for him your mum might still be here.’
She nodded. Jules leant closer.
‘But she might not, Erin. And then you would have lost both of them.’
Huge green eyes looked up at her.
