Page 87 of Second Chance with Seth

“It’s just we only spoke an hour ago, and while I’m never gonna object to talking to you, it’s not like you to…”

“If you’re busy, I can always…”

“I’m not busy,” he said. “I just assumed you would be.”

He wasn’t wrong. I was rushed off my feet. “I am, but…”

“What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“Nothing.” I turned around, leaning back on the counter, so no-one in the coffee shop could see the tears in my eyes. “I just miss you.” That was completely true. It may not have been the reason for my call, but I missed him… so damn much.

“I miss you too, babe.”

“Come home.”

“I will. Soon.”

I let out a sigh. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

I felt a little better for speaking to him, although it didn’t last, because I saw Helen again yesterday lunchtime. Three times in four days felt like a conspiracy, and for some reason, I was reminded of all the times I used to see her with Seth. I didn’t want to remember those dark days, but they came flooding back… the images of the two of them laughing together, and Helen touching him in ways I didn’t like… and then Seth defending what they were doing as ‘nothing’, when it so clearly wasn’t. I tried so hard not to think about it, but with Seth not being here, I couldn’t help it… anymore than I could help my feelings of insecurity, or my fears for our future, because he’d been away for four days, and I still had no idea when he was coming back.

The only ray of hope in my week has been that Barbra’s back from her vacation, so she came in today and helped with a busy Saturday breakfast and lunchtime. Not only that, but when it was time for her to go, she came up to me and asked if we could talk. I was a little concerned, wondering what could be the matter, but as it transpired, I didn’t need to be.

“I know we’re not due to change the shifts around fully for another week,” she said, twisting a bangle on her slender wrist, as she tilted her dark head at me. “But I was wondering howyou’d feel about me working tomorrow morning, and then not coming in on Tuesday.”

I felt myself frown. “Um… sure.”

She licked her lips, like she was nervous, which seemed odd. Since her husband and only child died in a car accident, she’s been a regular feature here, renowned for being shy… although that’s usually only around strangers. I’m certainly not one of those. I’ve known her ever since I came to live here, when I was five years old. She took an instant shine to me, probably because I’d just lost my parents. I imagine she thought that made us kindred spirits, after her tragic losses… and of course, the son she’d just lost would have been around the same age as me.

“It’s just…” she said, hesitating over her story. “It’s just, I’ve met someone.”

I was surprised by that. Don’t get me wrong, Barbra is a very attractive woman, but as far as I’m aware, she’s been on her own for over twenty years. Her news came as a surprise.

“While you were on vacation?” I asked.

“No. I met him before,” she said.

“So, he lives here?”

“No, he lives in Willmont Vale. A mutual friend introduced us, and well… he’s widowed too, and we just hit it off.”

“Did he come on vacation with you?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling, and blushing just slightly. “And he’s the reason I want to change my shifts. He works part-time, too, as a pharmacist, covering weekends and some lunchtimes, and…”

“You want to be able to spend more time together?”

“Yes.” She nodded her head. “We’ve only been back from vacation for a couple of days and he called last night and asked if I’d be able to switch my shifts around so we could meet up on Tuesday. He doesn’t work then, and although I didn’t make any promises, I…”

“It’s okay. You don’t need to explain. I completely understand.” Her smile widened, and she let out a sigh of relief. “To be honest,” I said, “you’d be doing me a favor. With the way River is at the moment, I could use having the day to myself tomorrow, just to get my head around what she’s doing.”

I wasn’t lying. The thought of being able to ignore the coffee shop all day and just focus on my daughter was almost too good to be true, and as the afternoon progressed, I looked forward to it more and more. The only thing getting in the way of complete happiness was the fact that I wouldn’t be sharing the day with Seth.

“Enjoy your day off,” Owen calls as he walks away.

“I will.”

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