A moment later, armed with her gorgeous blooms and a handful of balloons, Elle paused briefly outside the library.
There was a hive of activity in The Heart of the Village. Isla was closing the family farm shop and Florrie was taking inside the buckets of beautiful flowers that lined the pavement outside her florist shop. Feeling emotional, Elle waved to them both before setting off down the driveway towards the bus stop on Love Heart Lane.
* * *
Arriving at Irene’s house in an emotional state, she knocked on the door and waited. As soon as the door opened, she was met with a broad smile.
‘Gosh, I’ve missed seeing you! Come here! Happy birthday!’ Irene threw her arms wide and hugged Elle like she’d just returned from a year’s travelling round the world.
‘I’ve missed you too,’ she replied, smiling at the overzealous welcome as she placed the bouquet of roses on the hall table and let the balloons dance at the foot of the stairs.
‘How are you?’ Irene asked. ‘It takes some getting used to, not seeing you every day.’
‘I’m good,’ Elle replied weakly, causing Irene to study her closely.
‘That doesn’t sound convincing.’ Irene looked sceptical.
‘Okay, you can read me like a book,’ Elle acknowledged, unbuttoning her coat as the fresh aroma of home-baked bread hit her.
‘Mmm, that smells divine,’ she murmured, slipping her arm through Irene’s as they walked towards the kitchen.
‘Your favourite, but I do appreciate you’re now thirty, so do you really want home-made bread with fish fingers and tartare sauce? We could order—’
‘Of course I do,’ Elle interrupted.
‘Okay, and guess what it’s followed by?’
‘Eton mess?’ Elle added hopefully.
‘Of course.’
‘Thank you! Even though I have to admit, I’ve had cake for breakfast.’
Irene pulled down the oven door and took out a baking tray. ‘If you can’t have cake for breakfast on your birthday, when can you?’ She smiled, turning the temperature up on the oven before placing the freshly baked loaf in front of Elle on a breadboard.
With a mischievous grin on her face, Elle leaned forward, but before she managed to pinch a little from the corner of the loaf, Irene playfully swiped her hand.
‘Damn,’ she muttered, rolling her eyes.
She smiled. ‘You, young lady, can wait another twenty minutes for your tea.’
‘Okay, okay, but it just looks so delicious – especially this bit here that seems to be looking straight at me.’ Elle managed to break a little bit off and pop it into her mouth before Irene playfully struck her again, this time with the tea towel.
Elle shot her a mock regretful look, then carried on eating with a huge grin on her face.
‘Cup of tea or a glass of wine?’ asked Irene, hovering at the fridge door.
‘It’s my birthday and Friday night – let’s go for the wine!’
‘Agreed!’
After pouring the wine Irene popped the fish fingers in the oven, set the timer and they went into the living room. Irene sat down opposite Elle on the settee and sipped her wine.
‘I’ve been thinking about you all day today. How’ve you been?’ she asked. ‘I’m assuming you’ve been all over the place emotionally?’
Elle looked up and met Irene’s heart-warming smile.
‘I’ve been spoilt rotten by my friends. Pippa greeted me at the bus stop with thirty balloons! Honestly, I thought she was going to fly high in the sky if the wind caught her at the wrong moment.’
