“The ice has kept people away.”
“Itisfreezing. It’s even colder than it is in Boston, and that’s saying something.”
They shed their coats and boots and walked into the kitchen; as Juliet flicked on the lights, Lucy’s heart swelled with happiness at the sight of the familiar green Aga, the pine table, the poinsettia on the windowsill. She walked towards the range, holding her hands out to its comforting warmth.
“I missed the carol service down at the beach, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“And Father Christmas.”
“That was Peter, actually.”
“Peter!” Lucy turned around, grinning. “How did he do?”
“Brilliantly,” Juliet answered, and Lucy raised her eyebrows, wanting to hear the full story. “Not now,” Juliet said, but her lips twitched in an answering smile. “But I think you can probably guess.”
“I think I can.” They were both silent for a moment, and then Lucy said, “I’m sorry I was gone so long.”
“I thought you’d be gone a lot longer.” Juliet hesitated, then asked, her tone diffident, “Are you going back?”
“Maybe for a few days here and there. Mum still has a long road of treatment and recovery ahead of her. But I don’t think she needs me every step of the way. And I need to live my own life.” She paused, wishing she had more of a sense of Juliet’s mood. She’d hugged her and welcomed her home, yes, but she was looking rather stony-faced now. “And I’d like to live my own life here,” she continued. “Unless . . . you’d rather . . . ?”
“Don’t be daft.” Juliet smiled then, a crooked, awkward thing but a smile all the same. “I told you this is your home. I’m gladyou’re back, Lucy. I’m sorry for the things I said before you went.”
“I’m sorry too, for the things I said.”
“Well, then, that’s put behind us, then,” Juliet said briskly. “Cup of tea.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Lucy answered, and reached for the kettle.
That night she lay in bed listening to the familiar and strangely comforting sound of the wind soughing through the now leafless trees and rattling the windowpanes. Amazing, really, that she’d missed even that. The cold and the rain and everything about Hartley-by-the-Sea.
And Alex.
She hadn’t spoken to him since that conversation in the hospital, and he hadn’t called her since she’d left that terribly revealing message on his answering machine. His silence was eloquent enough, and yet Lucy knew she needed to see him. Needed to hear face-to-face if their hiatus was permanent.
At five o’clock the next evening, Lucy headed up to Alex’s house. It was already dark, moonless and windy, the pavement icy beneath her feet. No one was outside, the post office was closed and shuttered for the night, and so the walk up the main street felt particularly treacherous and lonely.
A light gleamed from the sitting room window of Alex’s house, and taking a deep breath, Lucy knocked on the door. A few seconds later it was flung open by Poppy, who stared at her openmouthed for a moment before running back towards the kitchen, shrieking, “Daddy! Daddy! It’s Lucy! She’s come back!”
Lucy’s heart felt as if it were beating its way up her throat as Alex walked from the kitchen towards the front door. He had a dish towel thrown over one shoulder and his face was utterly unreadable. She swallowed dryly.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” he answered back, and she still couldn’t tell anything from his tone.
“Let her in, Dad,” Bella said from behind him. She stood on the bottom stair, her arms folded, and Lucy couldn’t read her expression, either. Why did everyone have to be so damned poker-faced?
Alex stepped back and Lucy came into the house. Charlie trotted in from the kitchen, wagging his tail and offering Lucy one enthusiastic woof. At least he was happy to see her.
“I’m back,” she finally said, unnecessarily, her voice cringingly overbright.
“So I see,” Alex answered. “For how long?”
“For good. I decided . . . I realized . . .” She licked her lips and swallowed again; her throat felt so very dry and her heart was still beating hard. “I realized I didn’t need to be there as much as I thought I did.”
“What made you realize that?” Alex asked, his voice toneless. Couldn’t he give her just one clue as to how he was feeling?
