Page 87 of The Village Cafe in the Loire

I’ll never move on from you! Are you OK really? Emotionally?

Amber

Not really. But I will be. Love you.

She felt something sink inside. She should be there. If she was any sort of friend, she’d be there.

Feeling sick, Becky made her way down to the kitchen to get a glass of water and found Maud sitting there at the table, the local newspaper open on a small article about the launch. ‘Hi,’ she said.

‘Hello again!’

She sat down with her glass and took a sip. Then sighed.

‘Are you all right, love?’ Maud said softly.

She looked up and saw Maud’s intelligent blue eyes watching her.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Just thinking.’

‘What about? Maybe I can help?’

‘I’ve quit my job,’ she said. ‘Not necessarily to come here. But… well, I might. For a bit.’

‘Well, that’s wonderful news! I did wonder when you said about my coming over more often, but…’

‘But it’s so complicated. Complicated to stay and complicated to leave.’

‘How so?’

‘Mum?’ Becky said, raising an eyebrow.

She expected Maud to say something derogatory – perhaps that her mother had to learn a bit of humility, or not to take her into account. But she didn’t. ‘Yes,’ she said instead. ‘Poor Cynthia. She probably would take it hard.’

‘So you think it’s a bad idea?’

‘No,’ Maud said, shaking her head. ‘Not at all. As long as you accept that the consequences may not be as you’d like.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, initially of course she might be hurt, angry. But hopefully she’ll come around. And maybe visit. Perhaps even start to enjoy spending time here again. After all, she’s done verywell for herself, the financial pressure on her isn’t what it was in the past.’

‘Yes, hopefully.’

‘But she might not. She might dig her heels in and decide to resent you for it. And that could be difficult.’ Maud reached out a hand, covered Becky’s. Her palm was soft and cool. ‘But you mustn’t let that sway your decision. Because if you bend to your mother’s will, you’ll end up resentingher. Just as painful, but with more regrets from your side.’

Becky nodded. ‘Yes. I can see that.’

‘Don’t be swayed by me either, of course!’ Maud said. ‘I know, perhaps I… well I hoped to encourage you over. But I’m not here to manipulate you. I just wanted to… show you what was possible, I suppose. Because you were never much like Cynthia, yet I saw that you were living a similar life – the sort of life she would choose for you. It made me worry.’

‘Thank you,’ Becky said, resting her head on her hand, keeping the other tucked under Maud’s. ‘It’s Amber too,’ she admitted. ‘My best friend. I feel bad about abandoning her. She… she really helped me in the past and I feel like I should be there for her too. She’s not well at the moment.’

‘Oh yes. The girl with the heart problem? Pascal told me. Poor kid.’

‘Yes. I think… she’s going to be fine. Health-wise. But she needs me right now.’ Becky shook herself. ‘But listen to me! I’m thirty. It’s normal that Amber and I should move apart, not be in each other’s lives so much at this age.’

‘Do you think so?’ Maud looked at her intently. ‘Really?’

‘Yes. I mean, it’s natural that we would… move apart as we get older.’

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