Page 13 of Daydreams & Doughnut Cake

Ellie and Zak had bought the run-down, Victorian house just after Christmas and had spent the past six months bringing it back to life beautifully. They’d preserved a lot of the building’s character so it was now a wonderful blend of traditional features and ultra-modern comforts.

Parking up by the front gate, I glanced at my watch.

It was still quite early but I knew from experience that parents with children quickly forgot what a ‘lie-in’ actually was! I was pretty sure Ellie and Zak would have been up and about with baby Isla for a few hours already. And of course Maisie would be getting ready to go to school.

Zak’s car wasn’t there, I noticed, but Ellie’s was. I remembered her telling me that Zak sometimes used the nearest library to work when he had a deadline looming. He found the change ofscene helpful when he was up against it. So maybe that’s where he was?

I rang the bell but no one answered.

Peering in through the glass in the door, I eventually saw Maisie running downstairs.

‘Hi!’ I beamed at her as she opened the door. ‘I was hoping I might catch you before you went off to school.’

‘It’s sports day today at school but Mum forgot to wash my PE kit so it’s in the tumble dryer.’

‘Oh, dear.’ I smiled, remembering similar incidents in our house. It was hard enough making sure Amelie had everything she needed on time. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage it with a new baby to look after as well!

‘What’s that?’ Maisie pointed at the gift shop bag.

‘Ah, well. This is for you.’

‘For me?’

‘Yes. After our little chat the other day, I realised you might find one of these useful.’ I drew it out of the bag and presented it to her.

‘A diary?’ She looked at it, wide-eyed. ‘Thank you, Rosie.’ She trailed her fingers over the cover. ‘I really like the butterflies on it.’

‘I was hoping you might.’ I searched in my pocket and pulled out the piece of paper I’d been keeping safe. ‘I found this on the floor of the café the other day and I thought it might be yours?’

She looked at it and made an embarrassed face. ‘I was starting to write my feelings down like you said but I must have dropped it on the floor.’

I nodded. ‘That’s what I thought. There’s a phone number on the back so I thought it might be important.’

She smiled sheepishly. ‘It’s the number of a boy in my class. He’s called Reuben.’

‘Oh, right.’

‘Rosie? Can I ask you something?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘What’s it like when you’re in love?’

‘Oh.’ I glanced at her, feeling quite thrown by her question.Ask me an easier one!‘Do you mean how do youknowif you like someone?’

‘Yes. Do you feel all sort of fuzzy and jumpy inside when he’s around? Like when you’re about to get a spelling test and you really want to do well because you’ve been practising monumentally hard?’

I smiled. ‘Well, I haven’t taken a spelling test for quite a while, but I know what you mean. You have that feeling inside that makes you feel happy but weirdly nervous all at the same time. WhenIhad a crush... er,likeda boy at school I could never eat my lunch if he was sitting anywhere near me in the dining hall because I felt so jumpy inside.’

‘Yes!’ She turned to me, her eyes shining. ‘That’s how I feel.’

‘Is this anything to do with Reuben by any chance? The phone number?’

She nodded. ‘I haven’t texted him yet. I’m trying to get braver first.’

‘Of course.’

‘I thought I might ask him if he wants to go and see a film with me. But I keep thinking he might just laugh.’

---