‘Excited about tonight?’ Connie asked enthusiastically as she re-soaked her sponge and doused the windscreen.
‘Yep.’ She nodded.
‘Is that it? “Yep”. Jesus, I’ve had people show more joy when I give them the bill!’
‘Well, you are very reasonably priced.’ She smiled at her voluptuous cousin who even managed to make cleaning the bird shit offher windscreen look sexy. ‘How come you’re out here?’ She pointed to the Café on the Corner.
‘Jan and Gay can handle things; we’ve got too much to do! I’ve cancelled your shift – we need to get ready for tonight!’
Tawrie laughed, delighted to have this day off and looking forward to celebrating in the way she’d been doing since her birth. Her heart might be bruised, but it was still her birthday and that meant celebration. But first, she had to talk to Connie and her stomach churned at the thought, aware that once she’d told her, news would reach her nan’s ear and then her mother’s. She exhaled slowly.
‘There’s a lot to do – we want a roaring fire and cushions!’ Her cousin beamed, as if the idea was a novelty. ‘Lots of cushions!’
‘So what can I do to help?’ She pushed up her long sleeves.
‘Plenty later.’ Connie wrung out the sponge and let the water trickle along the floor towards the drain. ‘Twenty-nine, Taw, it’s quite the age!’
‘Thanks, I think.’
Connie stopped cleaning and stared at her. ‘There’s something I want to say to you. No’ – she put her finger over her lips as if mentally regrouping – ‘there’s something Ineedto say to you.’
‘Sounds ominous!’ She pulled a face. ‘And actually, there’s something I want to say to you.’
‘Okay, you first.’ Connie indicated with the sponge and flicked water in her direction.
She drew breath, trying to remember what she had settled on when having the conversation in her mind; it had seemed so much easier in her head.
‘Go on then! We haven’t got all day!’ Connie urged. ‘What did you want to say?’
‘What it is ...’ She blew a breath out nervously. ‘... is that I’m leaving the café. I’m giving you my notice and I’m going to college. I’m going to become a nurse, a midwife, specifically. I’m going todo it.’ She waited to see how Connie would react, while feeling good to have said it out loud, her words coasted out on pure relief!
‘You’releaving?’ Connie stared at her.
‘Yes, I mean, not immediately. I need to sort dates, but I have an offer of a place, and I haven’t even told Nan yet, but that’s the plan. I’m going for it.’ The two women locked eyes. ‘Say something!’
‘My darling cousin, sister to me, lifelong friend.’ Connie toyed with the sponge in her hand. ‘I think that’s bloody marvellous!’ The quiver to her bottom lip suggested otherwise.
Tawrie put her hands on her hips. ‘Well, that’s charming! You could have at least tried to talk me out of it, told me you’d miss me, how valuable an asset I am, anything!’ Humour right now was the mask she reached for.
Connie started to laugh.
‘It’s not funny! It’s a whole change of life for me, a huge step!’
‘Yes, it is, my love. And you’re right, you can’t work in the café any more.’ Connie put her sponge in the bucket and came to face her. ‘I love you, Taw, we all do. You’re a smart woman who’s been hiding away in this little corner of the world, serving bacon sandwiches and cups of tea to fill your time. You’re right, you need to stop doing that and think about what you really, really want to do with your life, where and how you want to live it. You’ve always said you wanted to help bring babies into the world. And now you’re actually going to do it!’
‘Well, I hope I can. I’ve said a lot of things in my time, including that I wanted to marry Harry Styles. Don’t think that’s likely now.’
‘But that’s the point, Taw. Nothing is likely unless you chase it, unless you make it happen. I think you’ll be a brilliant midwife.’ Connie sniffed the emotion that pooled in her eyes. ‘This is it, little Tawrie Gunn, you’re setting yourself free. I’m so proud of you.’
‘Thank you, Con.’ Her throat tightened with emotion, unable to imagine not spending each day with Connie and the gang. She watched now as her cousin straightened and cleared her throat. ‘Nan will be okay, won’t she, if I’m not here all the time? And ... and Mum?’
‘They will. They will be fine. They were always going to be fine – or not. And you hanging around, hovering with your emotional first-aid kit wasn’t going to make a bit of difference. That’s the truth, my love.’
‘That’s what I figure. It’s taken me a while, but that’s where I’m at. I need to let go.’ Looking out over the sea, she knew the responsibility she felt for her nan and mum weren’t the only things holding her back.Where are you, Dad?The question leapt into her thoughts.
‘You do, you need to let go.’ There was a beat of silence while this sank in, before Connie shifted on her feet, exposing her nerves. ‘Okay, here goes, now I have to tell you something.’
Tawrie had momentarily forgotten that her cousin also had news. She hated the mounting tension and wished that whatever it was Connie had to say, she’d just spit it out.
