“Tell me if there is something I can do to make up for what I’ve done,” Aspen said, “and I’ll do it.”
Thatwas an interesting offer.
Sunday October 5th 2025
Am just going to copy out Charlie’s little list in here. It’s fairly self-explanatory. Though might add some notes of my own.
Things Aspen Denby can do today (October 5th 2025) to make up for identity theft, job theft, rental property theft and theft of hairstyle
Didnotsteal her hairstyle. Cutting in a fringe during a midlife crisis is a classic move, and she doesn’t own being brunette.
Did do the other stuff, though. So…should probably just let her have the hair thing.
Immediately give up stolen job as comanager of the farm shop
Knew this was coming. Obviously cannot object. And actually, as much as I love the farm shop, I miss midwifery, and this island is failing its women, IMO. Red belongs here, she wants to be here, and what, she has to leave because she’s pregnant? That’s crap.
This is the push I need to speak to Doc Laurry and make a case for bringing a midwife onto the medical team, which is currentlymade up of 1) Doc Laurry, 2) Rog (occasional tractor-ambulance driver), 3) Baptiste (resourceful vet, “can do humans at a push”).
Problem is, am no longer sure he or the island will ever want me. In fact, am fairly confident the Ormer gossip mill will be working overtime right now, spreading the word that I’m a lying fraudster.
A huge part of me wants to flee. Head back to the mainland, give up on the dream I’ve found here, hide from the shame of it all. That’s what I would have done, once.
But Ormer is my home now. And I don’t want to go.
How can I stay, though? When everyone hates me? Don’t know how I’ll survive the barn dance tonight, let alone try to build a life here after what I’ve done.
But I want to do it. I’mgoingto do it.
I’ve screwed up, I’ve done everything wrong, but am a tiny bit proud of myself nonetheless.
Lend Charlie Jones (original, one and only) a pair of hiking boots
Somewhat surprised by this one. As tense as things are between me and Charlie, I actually quitelikeher, you know—she’s quirky in a way that reminds me (no surprise here) of Rosie. She also has the wounded life-has-been-hard-on-me energy that always makes me interested in someone. All the best people are a bit screwed up, right? The happy untraumatized tell terrible anecdotes, in my experience.
But didn’t think we were yet at sharing-clothes status. Am fairly sure she strongly dislikes me. When I looked surprised at the shoe request, she just said: “You’ve been wearingmyshoes for two months. Metaphorically. And you look like a size five.”
Was expecting her to come to the barn dance, but Rosie shook her head when Marly suggested it. We were gathered around thefire in the farmhouse living room, everyone on their fifth or sixth cup of tea (though Marly has me on decaf, for obvious reasons. Sigh).
“There’s plenty of time for meeting everyone, but not today, right?” Rosie said to Charlie.
Charlie’s eyes were swollen from crying and her cat-eye eyeliner was all smudged.
“Not today. I came here for you,” Charlie said to Rosie, “but he—”
“Came here for you,” Berty and Rosie said together.
“We have a lot to talk about,” Charlie said. “We’d like to explore the island a bit—all the places we would talk about when we used to dream of the day we’d move here. Berty’s determined to get to Pouque Rock today.”
Oliver and I exchanged a quick glance, like,Are you telling her about high tide, or am I?
