I hadn’t been able to see it from my window, but now I noticed something standing up from the grass just above the shingle beach, covered in a sheet. I gave Seb a curious glance, but he simply grinned back at me.
When we reached the object, he stopped and turned to me. ‘Do you remember when we first started working together, Harry said we needed a better name thanthe lake project?’
I clapped my hand against my forehead. ‘I totally forgot about that.’
‘Then it’s lucky I didn’t.’ Seb’s eyes flicked between me and what I now realised was a wooden sign. ‘I hope you like it… maybe you’ll think it’s not that imaginative… obviously we can change it if you hate it…’
‘Seb, show me,’ I said.
He stepped forward and pulled off the sheet. Beneath it, a rustic wooden sign had a border of beautifully painted leaves, butterflies, and dragonflies. In its centre, in green lettering, readAn tyller lowen, and beneath it, in brackets,the happy place.
‘An tyller lowenis Cornish forthe happy place,’ said Seb, rubbing his palms against his shorts.
‘Yes,’ I said with a laugh, ‘I’d got that.’
‘So, what do you think? Is it too much of a mouthful?’
‘It’s perfect.’ I ran my hands across the beautiful sign, tears of happiness filling my eyes. ‘I love the design, was it…’
‘The planning officer from the council, yes. His artistic talents have come in very handy lately.’
‘An tyller lowen,’ I said to myself, my fingers tracing the outline of a butterfly’s wing. ‘When did you do all this? When did you decide on the name?’
‘Your dad was the first one to give me the idea,un lugar feliz, a happy place, remember? Then, the day you came to see me after Bertie had run away confirmed it. I knew then that whatever happened between us, this would always be our happy place, and I also knew how important it was to share it with other people. The name came to me, so I asked a friend for the Cornish translation, contacted our pal at the planning office, and here we are.’
I stepped towards Seb, almost drowning in the love I felt for him at that moment. ‘Seb.’ My fingers reached out to touch his face, but I pulled them away as a shout reached us.
‘Cooee! We’re ready and reporting for duty.’
We turned to see Maggie, Stephan and Harry appearing from the trees.
Seb laughed, put an arm around my waist and whispered, ‘there’ll be time for us later, but for now, your minions await.’
I smiled up at him, then turned my attention to my friends. ‘Come into the cabin, the to-do list is in there.’
Chapter Fifty-Seven
By mid afternoon, the forest was a hive of activity. Just as I had imagined, the woodland scene had been transformed into something resembling a village fete and an old-fashioned fairground. Its usual residents hid in burrows and tree tops as children ran from stall to stall, parents dug into their wallets for yet more change, and Mel’s brass band blasted out arrangements of pop songs that sent birds scattering from trees.
Everyone had gone to town on their stalls, with colourful banners advertising everything from a lucky dip to splat a rat. The bunting and fairy lights we’d strung up between the trees gave the forest an otherworldly feel, as though magic was in the air.
The potential investors I’d invited seemed impressed by what they saw. I’d held a series of meetings in my cabin, securing promises of further conversations, if not blank cheques. The day was warm and muggy and with relief, I finished my schmoozing and made my way back to the festivities.
‘Liv, there you are.’
I looked up to see Rob and Nicola descending the treehouse staircase.
‘This place is completely amazing,’ said Nicola, her eyes bright, the bangles on her arms jingling as she waved in excitement. ‘It’s paradise. I want to move here myself.’
I laughed, her enthusiasm infectious. ‘You’re welcome to come and stay anytime. Bertie would love that, but as for living here, well, that may take our unconventional arrangement to a whole new level.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Rob, ‘I’ve changed a lot recently, but not so much that I’d be happy using a compost toilet.’
I smiled at my ex-husband, who looked like a different man in his denim shorts and loose fitting T-shirt. He even wore a leather bracelet around his wrist, and I wondered how long it would take Nicola to persuade him to get a tattoo or piercing.
‘We’ve got you something,’ said Nicola, digging around in her bag.
‘What? There’s no need for any gifts.’
