Page 72 of The Village Cafe in the Loire

‘I’ll miss you though.’

‘You’ll have your brand new flat soon enough,’ Amber said, squeezing her hand as if Becky were the patient and Amber was simply there to give comfort.

‘Still, I’ll miss you.’

‘Even the ridiculous movie nights?’

‘Especially those.’

Amber opened her laptop. ‘Got the time?’

‘Definitely.’

It was four by the time she left, after a healthy dose ofWhen Harry Met Sally. The light was still bright, the city still bustling. She called her mum as she made her way to the doctor’s office.

‘Fabulous news!’ her mother told her. ‘Getting back in there will be the best thing for you.’

‘Do you think?’

‘Of course I do.’

‘It’s just… Mum, I’ve been wondering whether… whether it’s right for me!’

‘Twaddle! Of course it is. You didn’t get where you are today without being a good fit.’

‘I just feel like the job takes everything else away. I’m not a good friend, not a good daughter. Not even a good colleague. If I’m good at this job, it’s at the expense of everything else.’

‘Oh Rebecca. That’s just being young. Trust me. You do the hard slog, and the rewards will come. Things will ease up. You’ll have assistants, more money. The second decade is always the hardest.’

‘I thought… Didn’t you tell me once that the first decade was?—’

‘Oh, it’ll pass in a flash!’

‘But…’

‘Rebecca,’ her mum said seriously. ‘Listen. You’ve been through a… tumultuous time. Your friend is ill. You’ve had all this Maud stuff to deal with. I’m guessing you don’t know whether you’re coming or going.’

‘Well, yes. That’s it. That’s just how I feel.’Did Mum actually understand?

‘Then don’t listen to your thoughts right now. Put your trust in me. Get yourself back to work. Get back in the rhythm of life. And I promise you’ll start feeling more like yourself. It’s the best tonic. Push those pesky feelings out of the way.’

‘You think?’

‘Darling. I know.’

27

Doctor Fuller looked over her glasses in a way that she surely must have practised in front of the mirror some time. ‘It’s good to see you, Rebecca,’ she said, smiling.

‘Thanks.’ Becky sat on the chair opposite her desk, trying to smile in return. In truth, her heart was hammering: nerves, probably. But whether she was nervous that her request to return early would be refused or accepted, she wasn’t sure.

‘It says here you feel more than ready to return to the office a little earlier than planned,’ the doctor said, looking at an email on her screen. ‘Your HR team certainly feel that you’ve made a full recovery. But obviously I can’t sign off on it without a consultation.’

‘I know.’ Becky nodded.

‘So, how are you?’ The doctor clasped her hands together and looked at her earnestly. ‘Any anger issues? Residual stress in the body? How’s the eye?’

The eye hadn’t actually twitched for over a week, Becky realised. It was funny that something that had plagued her so much had quietly retreated without her really noticing.

---