Page 74 of The Little Provence Book Shop
It was followed with a GIF of a cat wearing dark glasses with the words “How You Doin’” written across the bottom.
Adeline smiled and returned her own cat GIF, resolving again to write a longer message tomorrow.
For now, she felt exhausted. Happy, but tired to her bones; the tension of the last couple of days had ebbed away and she realised for the first time how much the anticipation of meeting Sophia and the travel to get here – not to mention her sleepless night – had taken its toll.
Before she had time to lay back on the bed and close her eyes for a moment or two, there was a soft knock on the door. It opened and Monique was there, her eyes red, a big smile forced across her face as if to try to distract from the fact that she’d obviously been crying.
‘What’s wrong?’ Adeline said, all tiredness forgotten.
‘But nothing is wrong!’ Monique said in a voice she clearly intended to be upbeat, yet sounded anything but.
‘You’ve been crying,’ Adeline said, looking at her steadily until she glanced away, like a child who’d finally had to acknowledge a crayoned wall or an empty biscuit tin. She wrapped her arm around Monique and led her to the chairs and small table by the window, nodding in Lili’s direction en route to confirm that they were effectively alone and could talk about proper, adult things if they needed to.
Monique slumped into the chair and Adeline reached for one of the bottles of water that sat on the dresser and passed it to her. She opened it and drank from it gratefully.
‘Now,’ Adeline said firmly when the bottle had been set on the table. ‘Tell me what’s the matter.’
Monique shook her head. ‘It is too difficult.’
‘Did something happen while we were with Sophia? On your walk perhaps? Did you get a call? Some news?’ Adeline’s eyes searched Monique’s face, but other than the evident upset written on it, she couldn’t read her.
Monique shook her head again. ‘It is too much to explain for now. “The truth must dazzle gradually”.’ She met Adeline’s gaze.
If she thought she was going to get out of telling Adeline whatever it was that was bothering her – that had clearly been bothering her over the past few days – by quoting Dickinson, then she had another think coming. ‘Monique,’ she said. ‘Please. I can handle it. Honestly.’
Monique remained silent.
‘Look,’ she said. ‘I know what you’re saying. There is something wrong and you don’t want to burden me with it, or for it to be too much. But I’ve realised over the past few months how important truth is. It might not always be perfect, might not be what people want to hear. But it’s still the truth. People shouldn’t be afraid of it.’
Monique nodded softly.
Adeline reached for Monique’s hand. ‘So tell me. What is it? Is it the shop? Michel? Something else?’ She remembered the letter from the DNA company. ‘Something about your daughter?’ she found herself asking.
Monique flinched slightly at her words. Then her features softened as if she were at last releasing something, some sort of barrier between them. ‘Oui,’ she said softly. ‘I think I know who my daughter is.’ Her hand reached up to the moonstone at her neck.
‘Oh my God, that’s wonderful! Why didn’t you say?’ Adeline began before realising that her own reunion had probably taken precedence in all their conversations. Monique probably hadn’tknown how to raise it with all of this going on. ‘Anyway, no matter. It’s brilliant news! You’ve found her? You know who she is? Did you do a DNA test?’
Monique shook her head. ‘Non. I considered it. But in the end I didn’t need it. Because I found my daughter quite by accident, and it is sure.’
‘You know – truly?’
‘Oui,’ Monique said softly.
‘But that’s wonderful! Oh Monique, I’m so happy for you!’ She pushed back her chair and wrapped her arms around Monique, squeezing her tight. She felt Monique stiffen slightly, so released her and sat back down. Clearly, something was wrong.
‘It is wonderful, isn’t it?’ Adeline repeated. A thought occurred to her. ‘Oh. Did you make contact? Was she not… Did she not want to…’
‘Non. It is not that. It is just… well, complicated I suppose.’ Monique fixed a steady look on Adeline, this time neither happy nor sad. As if she were trying to communicate something with her eyes.
‘OK…’ Adeline said slowly. ‘But what kind of complicated? I mean, life is complicated… so I’m sure whatever it is, we can find a way to… to…’ She trailed off as something stirred inside her.
‘Adeline,’ Monique said, her gaze not wavering. ‘My beautiful girl. You already know.’
‘I… what?’
‘You already know.’
A shiver ran through her. Adeline raised her eyes and met Monique’s. She felt the months fall away, back to that first contact between them. The fizz she’d felt when Monique had touched her. The way she’d settled so quickly into the shop. Lili’s closeness with Monique.
