He turns to her, raising an eyebrow. ‘OK, maybe a half-marathon.’
She forces a smile, wishing that he’ll return it, wishing that he’ll jump up from the sofa with his former Labrador puppy energy and that everything can go back to the way things used to be.
He reaches for her hand, looping his fingers through hers. And then in a quiet voice, still husky from sleep, he says, ‘You do know I’m not going to get better, don’t you, Mouse?’
It’s the final stretch.
Tilly’s legs are wobbling and Harper’s teeth are gritted in silence as she supports Tilly’s weight. Then they hear a voice they recognize rising above the cheers of the crowd.
‘My girls!You can do it, my girls!’
Tilly isn’t sure she’s ever heard her mother shout so loud. Harper hears her too, her pained expression morphing into a grin.
‘Bloody hell, Mum.’
Tilly spots her alongside the rest of their group, gesturing and shouting manically. Raj has acquired a giant foam finger and is waving it in the air. Rachel claps frantically. Tilly’s dad looks like he might be sobbing. But maybe it’s just the rain.
‘Come on, my girls!’ comes another yell. ‘Come on,my bloody brilliant girls.’
And Tilly and Harper look at each other and smile, their mother’s voice in their ears as they stumble together across the finish line.
Book Lane Recommends
Books about bookshops
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshopby Hwang Bo-reum
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikryby Gabrielle Zevin
Days at the Morisaki Bookshopby Satoshi Yagisawa
The Bookish Life of Nina Hillby Abbi Waxman
48
Alfie Lane
Book Lane
12 Hill Crescent
London
Dear Alfie Lane,
As your landlord I am writing to inform you that I have made the decision to sell 12 Hill Crescent. The building consists of a top floor two-bedroom flat and the shop premises currently home to Book Lane. As you may be aware, the tenants in the flat recently vacated, which means I am hoping for a smooth and swift sale. As the long-term tenant of the shop premises I am contacting you first in case you wish to purchase the building. I will give you until the end of November to think things through, as I plan to have the property on the market by January.
Please do be in touch if you are interested. And if not, thank you to both yourself and your late father for being excellent tenants. But I am approaching retirement and wish to free up some capital to facilitate a move abroad. I hope you understand.
Best wishes,
Raymond Evans
So that’s it, then. Alfie stares at the letter in his hands, feeling as if time has slowed. He is painfully aware of the smells around him – new books, coffee beans, Prudence’s floral perfume and Georgette’s fur – and of the harmonious hum of customers browsing quietly, Blue whistling to herself as she strings a plethora of vibrant paper chains in the window.
‘Is everything all right?’ says Prudence, pausing as she shelves new titles in the gift book section, and placing a hand on Alfie’s arm.
‘Yeah, you don’t look great, Alf,’ says Blue, turning in his direction and nearly knocking over a stack of detective novels piled in the window.
