‘There’s also some upstairs space, a flat, not being used at the moment,’ Josie said. She led the way up a narrow staircase.
Greta followed. The space was quaint and characterful, with sloping ceilings, multi-paned windows, and worn wooden floorboards. Cobwebs drifting from the old grained ceiling beams somehow added to the charm.
‘The bedrooms are pretty, too,’ Josie said, gesturing for Greta to take a look. ‘Someday, when I have enough funds, I’d like to extend the café up here, maybe adding some event space.’
Greta peered into the main bedroom. The floral wallpaper curled at the edges, and the room smelled faintly of lavender sachets. The sparse furniture consisted of an iron-framed bed and a dresser with a wonky drawer, but the potential was there.
She circled the space a couple of times, thinking that Lottie would probably like it here, too. More ideas began to swirl in her head.
‘The rent on my flat is up for renewal, and I have to decide by New Year whether to stay there or not.’ She thought for a while. ‘How about this? If I work full-time and help spruce up Brewtique, could the flat make up the difference in salary?’ Josie only took a second to decide. ‘Yes. That’s a great idea.’ She exhaled deeply, as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders. ‘It would solve a lot of things. I can’t afford to pay someone full-time right now, but this way, you’d get a place to stay, and I get the help I need. Plus, you have some great ideas for the café space.’
Greta placed her hands on her hips, looking around her again. She’d need to contact her landlord to let him know she wasn’t renewing her contract. She’d have to speak to Jim and Lottie, and sort out numerous other things, but this could be good. A fresh start.
‘It looks like we have a deal,’ she said, sticking out her hand.
‘Great!’ Josie said, returning the shake. ‘When do you want to start working at Brewtique?’
Chapter 38
ON CHRISTMAS MORNING,Greta woke to an empty, silent flat. There was no rustling of wrapping paper, no smell of mince pies, and no need to retrieve carrots from the hearth that had been left out for Santa’s reindeers. Everything felt very quiet without her family.
She made herself a coffee, curling her hands around the cup as she looked out of the window. The snow was falling harder now, coating the streets like a soft white blanket, still untouched by footsteps. Everyone was likely tucked inside, eating breakfast and opening presents with loved ones. The scene reminded Greta of her log cabin date with Jim, except there was no golden sun shining through the trees.
She picked up a framed photo of her mum from a shelf, taken last Christmas. Her mum wore a piece of tinsel around her neck like a feather boa. Lottie clamped her teeth together in an exaggerated smile, and Jim looked handsome in a jumper with a reindeer on the front. Funny, she’d forgotten he had that one. He looked rather like Mapleville Jim.
Greta reached for a tea light and lit it, placing it in front of the photo. ‘Merry Christmas, Mum,’ she whispered. Then, she stood on tiptoe to add her mum’s favourite glass robin decoration to a branch on the Christmas tree.
Her thoughts turned to Edgar, who might be spending Christmas alone. Greta opened the local Facebook forum to send him a message.
Happy Christmas, Edgar! Hope you’re having a peaceful day, full of good cheer and even better coffee??
His reply arrived within moments.
Merry Christmas to you, too, Greta! Very peaceful, thank you. A time for reflecting and stirring up some nice memories. Hope you’re enjoying time with your family??
Greta smiled, but before she could close her laptop, a new post caught her eye. She clicked on it, thinking she’d skim through some local news while waiting for Lottie to call.
Her heart skipped a beat as she read the main headline.
MISSING LOCAL WOMAN (80)
FOUND AFTER FOUR DECADES
A local family has been left stunned and overjoyed by the reappearance of a woman who went missing forty years ago. Millie Maxwell (previously known as Millie Moss), now 80, vanished without a trace in 1985, leaving her family, including son Leonard (now 60), heartbroken.
The news of Ms Maxwell’s return has been met with elation. Leonard Moss, proprietor of L. Moss jewellery shop in Longmill, confirmed the news. ‘It’s still hard to believe, but yes, my mother has been found alive and well, if understandably confused. She is very pleased to be home,’ he said. ‘After all these years, we had almost given up hope.
We are working to understand what happened and getting to know each other again over lots of coffee.’
While details surrounding Ms Maxwell’s reappearance remain scarce, sources suggest she was located unexpectedly after decades of no contact. The circumstances of her disappearance remain a mystery.
The Moss family has asked for privacy during this special time.
The article was accompanied by a black-and-white photograph. Greta recognised Millie immediately. Her fine bone structure remained unchanged, though her hair was now silver. The way she and Leonard looked at each other struck Greta the most. After years of loss, and probably many questions without answers, their eyes were full of love. Around Millie’s neck was a string of chunky pearls.
A lump swelled in Greta’s throat. Were those the same pearls she’d dropped off at the jewellery shop? Had Leonard restrung them as a Christmas gift for his mother? She liked to think so.
When her phone buzzed on the dining table, she picked up the call. Lottie.
