Reading nook ready. Cinnamon bun optional. Cosy reads guaranteed.
She added a leaf emoji and pressed save as the old building creaked slightly as she heard the heating click on. Frowning at a knock coming from the back door, she got up, put her mug down and padded to the back door, unbolting it with one hand and pulling it open with the other.
‘Morning, Daise.’ Maggie breezed in with a paper bag from the bakery, a tray with two coffees and what looked like a homegrown bunch of kale under her arm. ‘I brought cake, bunsand proper coffee. Also, I had too much kale and I needed to get out of the house before I started cleaning out the airing cupboard for no reason. I have a rare day off and there is no way I’m spending it decluttering. How are you? Have you seen the posters everywhere and the amount of people in the Facebook group? Twins good?’
Daisy stepped aside to let her in. ‘I’m just doing my social media posts.’
‘Right.’ Maggie eased two small takeaway coffees from their tray and put them on the counter like they were offerings and handed over carrot cake with thick cream cheese icing.
‘Mum made it. I stole it.’
‘You’re a good woman.’
‘Some say that. Others know better.’
Maggie put a white paper bag from the bakery on the kitchen table. ‘So, anything further on Miles and his mum?’
Daisy blew on her coffee. ‘He wants to bring her here to Pretty Beach to convalesce.’
Maggie paused, mid-sip. ‘Really? To the town about to be taken over by chains?’
Daisy shuddered. ‘Don’t even joke. Just for a while, while she recovers. Nothing dramatic or permanent. She is just going to have a bit of time near the sea.’
‘And? Your voice is telling me that Daisy is not sure what to think about that.’
‘My voice is correct. I don’t know what that means, for him, for us and for me. He wants to talk and he soundedserious. Strange, really.’
Maggie didn’t say anything straight away, which was unlike her. She just leant back in the chair, folded one leg over the other. ‘You don’t have to know what it means.’
‘It feels big. I’ve really missed him since he’s been up there. He said the same.’
‘Yep, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. His mum being mugged and in hospital has escalated things. You’re not talking about a man visiting for the weekend with a duffle bag and a nice bottle of red. You’re talking about family and him bringing his life. Stuff is getting real and we are seeing the difficult bits, not just the lovely bits.’
Daisy picked at the edge of her cake. ‘I know. It’s taken me by surprise. I was all for bumbling along and having secret romantic nights and now boom, his mum is coming here and the girls don’t even know him properly. I did feel like I wanted to be with him full time but now, oh dear, I don’t know, it all seems a bit… is “rushed” the word I am looking for?’
Maggie sighed. ‘Daise. It’s fine.’
‘He said he’s tired of splitting his life into bits and he wants it all in one place. He said I’m that place.’
Maggie smiled. ‘And what did you say?’
‘I said we’d work it out. I meant it, but then I woke up this morning and started thinking about everything; the flat, the twins, the GayesBooks thing, the mums at the school gate, his mum here in my town… I mean, I don’t know. I am like in a proper relationship with someone, aren’t I?’
‘Err, yeah! You totally are.’ Maggie took a bite of carrot cake. ‘You’ll figure it out. What matters is whether you and Miles still feel like Miles-and-Daisy when everything changes which it already has.’
‘I think we do. At least I hope we do. I want us to.’
‘Then back yourself, Daise. Stop waiting for it all to collapse.’
‘Are you now moonlighting as a relationship counsellor?’ Daisy joked.
‘No, I’m a Doom Counsellor.’ Maggie bantered back as quick as a flash.
‘Right, well, if so, I’ll tell you this then and see what you make of it: I wasn’t going to say anything, but I overheard Georgia and the school mums on the ferry.’
Maggie rolled her eyes before Daisy could even finish. ‘Again? What did they say this time?’
‘First off they were talking about the town meeting. Then about me and that I was stupid to think that Miles would stick around. That it was all a fantasy and I was playing house.’
