‘Thanks. I’ll definitely take you up on that. It’s just a bit raw at the moment.’
‘Completely understand. You try to get some rest.’
Paulette rang Saffy shortly after and Saffy said she’d rather have the company overnight.
‘Grandma said she was too tired to talk about it,’ Saffy said as we drove to Willowdale so she could pack an overnight bag, ‘but I’m guessing it was bad. Did she say anything else to you?’
‘No, but I’m sure she’ll explain everything when she’s back tomorrow.’
‘I feel so guilty that she’s fallen out with Mum and Dad because of me.’
Her voice had a wobble and I hated how much pain this situation was causing Saffy and Paulette.
‘You do know that none of this is your fault, Saffy? I know your grandma would say the same if she was here.’
‘It’s one thing Mum having a strop with me, but why does she have to take it out on Grandma too? It’s not fair.’
‘No, it’s not, but your grandma was never going to stand back and let you take all the flack. She’s a strong, caring woman who loves her family and wants to keep everyone happy and at peace, which means stepping in as a mediator if things get heated. That’s a tough role and comes with some backlash, but your grandma’s made of sturdy stuff and she’ll bounce back from whatever happened today. She just needs some sleep first.’
Saffy didn’t speak but, out of my peripheral vision, I saw her nodding. When we arrived at Paulette’s house, I stayed in the car with the heater on while Saffy dashed inside. Five minutes later, she returned with a backpack.
‘Can we drive round to see the shop?’ she asked, brightness back in her voice. ‘I can’t picture where it is.’
I drove into the centre of the village and parked outside The White Willow. We walked back on ourselves past the village green and across the road. Several terraced properties – whitewashed with slate roofs and slate stonework round the windows – curved round the corner from the main road into a side street. The small general store was on the corner, then Willowdale Gifts and the bakery.
‘Ooh! Pretty!’ Saffy declared. ‘Weird that they left that sign up.’
A sign was taped to the inside of a glass panel in the door.
Thank you for your custom. Taking our winter break. Open again at Easter.
‘Yeah, you’d think they’d have removed it by now,’ I agreed.
Saffy stood back and looked up at the building. ‘It’s bigger than I thought. It’s giving me all the vibes.’
I wasn’t sure whatall the vibeswere but I certainly had a good feeling about the shop and could see it being perfect for us. There was a large bay window and I could picture a range of our crafts beautifully displayed in it. Shutters across the back of the window prevented us from seeing into the shop itself and, even though Saffy activated the torch on her phone and shone it through the glass on the door, we still couldn’t see inside.
‘Best to come back in daylight,’ I said, ‘but at least you know where it is now.’
‘Yeah, that was really helpful, thanks. And thanks for what you said about Grandma earlier. I sometimes worry about her living on her own away from all the family but I get it now. Why would she want to move when she’s got good friends like you here?’
What a lovely thing to say! It was icy cold but Saffy’s comments gave me a warm glow as we walked back to the car. This time last year, I could never have imagined I’d have a group of friends with whom I might be going into business, who confided in me, came to me for help and to whom I was going to open up about my past. Thank goodness I’d seen that Cake & Craft Club advert.
17
When I entered the lounge the following morning holding a tray of tea and toast, Saffy was standing in front of the mantelpiece.
‘Is that your husband?’ she asked.
‘Yes. That’s Cliff.’
‘He has a kind face.’
I smiled. ‘He had a kind heart too. He’d do anything for anyone, especially me.’
‘How did you meet?’
I placed the tray on the coffee table and we settled on either end of the sofa with a plate of buttered toast each.
