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She allowed her exhalation to be a long one, imagining she was breathing out her doubts and fears, and the jumble of painful memories. She was about to do a positive thing. To bring people together. Perhaps even help the town to shake off the stigma of their loveless award and grab themselves a future winning spot. And how fantastic that would be for her own reputation as a love coach. Making things happen. Proving her worth. Showing what her skills could do.

Yes, she was a goal-setting, people-motivating, problem-solving ninja. With new clients and fresh ideas, Alyssa Heart was making a comeback.

She swung open the doors and stepped in. Oh. Or maybe not.

She’d been expecting a bit of disarray and dust. Perhaps a few floorboards and curtains to mend. But she hadn’t been expecting this. The hall looked like a cross between a building site and a much larger version of the World’s Grottiest Flat that she and Pikachu had once escaped from. Who did all this junk belong to, and did anyone own a skip? Alyssa hoped someone had decent DIY skills. She clapped a hand over her eyes and let out a long urgh.

‘Where’s Devan when you need him?’ she asked nobody in particular.

Reasons to be cheerful. At least with all this rubble, she could barely see the stage of doom.

‘He came to ours for a cuppa this morning,’ Dawn replied. ‘Then he got distracted by his phone and said he had something to sort out. I’m not sure what his plans are.’

‘Right,’ said Alyssa. Well, she’d encouraged him not to feel typecast as Good Old Devan – though he could have picked a less busy day.

‘It’s fine,’ said Alyssa’s mum, Pearl, arriving behind her, with Alyssa’s dad in tow. ‘We’ve got this. More Love in Hartglove!’

Alyssa’s skin prickled. She knew she’d had that chat with her mum, where they’d eaten quinoa cake and her mum had insisted their marriage was now committed and happier – especially with the help of a certain app, and a second honeymoon in Gran Canaria. But so many lies had come before that she wasn’t sure what to believe. And she still hadn’t heard her dad’s version. Did she want to?

‘It’s jolly fun that you’re bringing us all together,’ Pearl enthused. ‘What are you planning?’ She pointed at the devastation.

She had no clue what she was planning anymore, other than it ought to involve a massive plate of that Italian apple cake.

Alyssa noticed her dad looking at her in a way that seemed almost encouraging, for a man who’d spent the last fifteen years telling her to get a job in a bank. In hindsight, that might have been easier. Though she resolved to avoid hearing it today.

‘Shall we do selfies for Insta?’ asked Pearl.

‘I can do pics and logistics,’ said Teijo, finally joining them.

Alyssa wouldn’t leave Teijo in charge of a raffle, but she was grateful he’d agreed to create some online buzz about Alyssa’s project to bring the hall back to life, as part of ’Appy Together’s Save Hartglove mission. She’d promised him all the best stories, even though she now doubted there would be much to cover, unless their followers enjoyed DIY disasters.

‘And I’m here for the nutritious quinoa bars,’ Pearl added.

‘Not today, thank you,’ Alyssa sing-songed. Although Alyssa had been letting some parts of her façade drop, she was still clinging on to some things out of habit, and perhaps to protect herself – because burning all bridges was simply reckless. She and Devan had recently let Teijo have some ‘exclusive’ info on limited parts of their past together in Hartglove, so at least she didn’t have to keep pretending she’d never been Beryl and had no ties to the town. Though Devan had seemed surprised when Alyssa insisted on holding the interview in a smart hotel, to keep up her image.

And as far as the outside world knew, she and Devan were not a couple. Her reputation in trying to prove a love coach was a safer bet than an algorithm was too important to her. At least Devan was good enough to respect her wishes, even if it clashed with his desire to show his app worked. She only felt a teensy bit guilty.

Her eyes scanned the room, watching folk scratch their heads, wondering where to start. Some were drinking tea and leaning on ladders. Mel from the Splash ’n’ Dash launderette had roped in her non-romantic husband. Hedgehog and her fiancé were trying to look busy with a tape measure. Horace was eating torta di mele, even though it was barely past breakfast time. There were people of all generations, including plenty she didn’t recognise. But still no Devan.

‘Pining over your bloke?’

Mrs Halfpenny’s voice made Alyssa jump. Oh bleurgh, she had been pining – in a panicky sort of way.

‘He’s not my bloke,’ she said on autopilot.

Mrs Halfpenny rolled her eyes. ‘Anyway, it’s dandy that you’re trying to bring more love to the town. But as one of those coach people, I shouldn’t have to remind you that loving you comes first. Take it from me, you can’t be mooning over folk who aren’t here. Get out there and paddle your own steamer.’

Alyssa couldn’t believe she was taking advice from a septuagenarian sporting a ‘Self-Love Is My Superpower’ badge and what looked like a knitted cape – but perhaps she had a point.

‘My new quest,’ she explained, as she saw Alyssa eyeing the ensemble. ‘Because love is love, even if it’s only with yourself.’ She gave Alyssa a wink. ‘Thanks for inspiring me to get up off my wingback chair and do something worthwhile. I think you’ve breathed life into us all.’

She rubbed Mrs H on the back, even if she wasn’t usually one for too much touching. ‘You’re a wise and wonderful woman. Let’s paddle.’

Buoyed by Mrs Halfpenny’s unexpected pep talk, Alyssa moved around the hall, discussing what needed to be done and making plans. With her coaching hat on, she knew how to communicate, adapt and flipping well crack on. A couple of the locals were builders, and there was a surveyor, a painter and decorator, an electrician, and plenty of people who were handy with mops, buckets, sewing machines and a kettle. Alyssa was soon in her element, organising the slackers, making lists, tramping up and down ladders, moving rubbish and scrubbing. If nothing else, it was a more appealing workout than pretending to like yoga in a sweaty pair of leggings.

Time flew so effortlessly that she forgot to look at her phone or worry about sharing photos. She briefly considered calling Devan, but she’d got roped into learning how to change a floorboard, and it helped to have space to process her tricky memories of the hall. He was a grown man, and it was a small enough town that if there had been a catastrophe, they’d know about it.

Alyssa took a moment to assess the scene, as she sneaked one of Sausage Sandra’s butties with a cup of her mum’s cold tea. Was her aim to bring people together actually working? Of course, it would take more than one day and a bucket of Mr Muscle. But she could hear laughter and see people of all ages pulling together. Was that a strange sense of pride she was feeling? She’d be wearing a knitted cape and a self-love badge, at this rate.