'Allthe second thoughts. I've made a terrible mistake.'
'You know what I think? I think you're overthinking this to the point where you're going to drive yourself completely mental. It's Sunday dinner, not a royal wedding.'
‘It's the first time I've ever brought a man home to meet the girls properly. I know they’ve technically met him…’
'There is no right or wrong way to do this, you daft thing. You're all just going to muddle through and hope for the best.'
‘I hope so.’
‘What happened about Elizabeth and not inviting her and it being awkward?’
‘It was fine because she was already locked into Facetiming her cousin in New Zealand…’
Maggie made them both coffee and they sat at the kitchen table while Daisy continued to fret about everything that could possibly go wrong. Outside, Pretty Beach was starting to wake up and go about its usual Sunday morning. Church bells were ringing across the way, the ferry horn honked in the distance and the familiar sounds of the end of the weekend were beginning to unfold.
Maggie drained her coffee. ‘Let's get this bookshop open and give you something else to think about before you wear a hole in the floor with all that pacing.’
They made their way through to the main part of the bookshop, and Daisy smiled at the space as it greeted them. Morning light streamed through the big front windows and long rectangles of sunshine slanted across the old wooden floor. The whole place smelled of books, coffee and the lavender scented candle that had been lit most of the busy day before. Daisy had had a good old tidy up on Saturday closing, and it was evident as they walked back in to open up; the display tables were neat and tidy, lovely potted plants donated by Susannah and lovingly fed and watered were dotted around on the windowsills and tables, and the new corner with its chair and library trolley was ready and waiting. The children's section with its low shelves painted in cheerful colours and reading carpet was clean and tidy and the beanbags and cushions were scattered around for smaller readers.
‘You've done such a good job with this place.' Maggie looked around appreciatively. 'I know I tell you all the time, but honestly, Daise, it's perfect. Every single time I come in here, it just gets better. You have a knack for this. All the little bits andbobs everywhere are placed just so. It’s not just about books. GayesBooks aren’t even in the same league.'
‘Don’t even mention them. I keep hoping that that nightmare will just go away. It's getting there.' Daisy said, though she was pleased. The bookshop had taken so much planning, hard work and more money than she had really been able to afford, but it was exactly what she had imagined when Suntanned Pete had first planted the seed about starting a business in Uncle Dennis's old building. She just had to hope that the likes of GayesBooks wouldn’t be able to jeopardise that.
She’d constantly made little tweaks here and there to the shop as she went along, and all in all, it was a work in progress, but her hard effort showed. Above the fiction section, she had strung up some bunting that the twins had helped her make from pages of damaged vintage books that were beyond saving. It gave the whole place a festive feeling, and customers often commented on the homely atmosphere and the fairy lights which had multiplied and twinkled from just about everywhere.
Maggie went to flip the sign on the front door from closed to open, and almost immediately, their first customer of the day appeared. Roy Johnson from the council and his wife came bustling in, looking for something new to read and wanting to know if Daisy had any recommendations for historical fiction. They’d had a brief conversation about GayesBooks with the conclusion that no one seemed to be any the wiser on the progression. After Daisy had shown them a few books and then while she put the sale through the payment gateway, Mrs Johnson chatted about the weather, her grandson who was visiting from Scotland and the new family who had moved into the cottage at the end of her road. It was the sort of conversation that Daisy loved having in the bookshop; all cosy and comfy, community and very Pretty Beach.
After the Johnsons had left, a steady stream of Sunday browsers began to arrive, with the bell above the door continuously tinkling. There was a young couple who came in every weekend to look at the travel section, always talking about places they wanted to visit but never quite managing to book any trips. A customer who bought detective novels by the armful came in and always wanted to discuss the plots in great detail. There was a woman with a toddler who liked to sit in the children's corner and read picture books in a dramatic voice that made her little one giggle.
As it approached two, the rush was starting to wind down, and Daisy began to think about closing up for the afternoon. She had planned to shut at three as usual, giving her enough time to get everything ready for Miles's visit. The thought of the evening ahead made her stomach clench with nervousness again, despite the distraction of the busy morning and early afternoon.
As if reading her thoughts and the twist in her stomach, Maggie appeared at her elbow with a cup of coffee. 'Are you going to tell me what's really bothering you about tonight?'
'I don't know what you mean.'
'This isn't just first-time nerves about introducing the girls to a boyfriend. There's something else going on in that little brain box of yours.'
'I suppose I'm worried that if it goes well, then what? If the girls like him and he likes them and everything works out perfectly, then I have to figure out what comes next. And I have no idea what comes next.'
'Nobody ever knows what comes next, Daise. That's what makes life interesting.'
'Sometimes I liked it better when it was just me and the girls. It was simpler.'
'Simpler, but were you happier?'
'I knew where I stood. Now everything feels uncertain: Miles, the bookshop and my future. I thought I was so clever and had it all sorted, too.'
'Uncertainty can be good, though. It means possibilities and it keeps you on your toes.'
'It also means the possibility of everything going wrong.'
Maggie rolled her eyes. 'You are determined to expect disaster, aren't you? What if everything goes right instead?'
'Then I'll have to figure out how to be in a proper relationship while being a single mother to twins who are used to having me all to themselves. I'll have to trust that Miles really does want all of this and isn't just saying he does because he thinks that's what I want to hear.'
'Those are all solvable problems, Daise. Difficult, but solvable. I think tonight is going to be absolutely fine. I think the girls are going to adore Miles, he's going to be charmed by them, and you're going to wonder why you were so worried about it all.'
'And if you're wrong?'
