Page 78 of The Allotment on Willow Tree Lane

Rowena said, ‘Mrs Moxley was telling me how her great-grandchildren have been helping on the allotment, so Nia now wants to help, too. I told her that we haven’t got a plot, but she threw a wobbly. Can we spend some time on yours this morning, do you think? The school’s got a teacher training day, and I’m trying to keep this little munchkin occupied. I thought a bit of gardening might burn off some of her excess energy.’

‘I’m not going to the allotment today.’ Ceri’s voice was flat. She couldn’t face it – it was too close to Damon’s empty house. ‘You can go if you want.’

‘OK, if you don’t mind. Is there anything in particular you’d like us to do? Mulching, or something? Or if you’ve got anything that needs sowing or planting, that would be even better.’

‘There are some packets of peas in the shed, if you feel like sowing them. Come in and I’ll give you the key.’

‘Hang on, why aren’t you at work? Are you coming down with something?’ her sister-in-law asked, as she stepped inside. ‘You don’t look the best.’

Nia’s eyes were round. ‘When I had chicken pox Mammy said I had a temperature because I felt hot and was itchy all over. Are you hot and itchy, Aunty Ceri?’

‘No, sweetie, I’m not itchy.’ She crouched down to give the little girl a cuddle.

‘Can you show me how to grow sunflowers, please?’

Rowena said, ‘Not today, Nia. Aunty Ceri said we can sow some peas.’

‘Here’s the key.’ Ceri handed it over. ‘Be careful, because there’s a rake just inside the door. You can drop the key through the letterbox when you’re done.’

‘Come with us. It might do you good to get some fresh air.’ Rowena was examining her closely and Ceri squirmed under her scrutiny. ‘Are you sure you’ve not picked up a bug?’

Without warning, Ceri’s chin began to wobble and her eyes filled with tears.

Alarmed, Rowena cried, ‘What is it? Can I do anything to help?’

‘Not unless you can mend a broken heart,’ Ceri sobbed.

‘Can it be mended, Mammy?’ Nia asked, gazing at Ceri with fascination. ‘Skye broke her arm and she had to have a plaster on it. It was pink and she let me draw on it.’

‘Not that kind of broken,’ Rowena told her daughter over the top of Ceri’s head, her eyes warning Ceri not to say anything further.

‘Can Huw fix it?’ the little girl asked.

‘We’ll see. Why don’t you show Terror the garden while Mammy dries Aunty Ceri’s tears, then we’ll go to the allotment, yeah?’

Ceri was vaguely aware of Nia taking a cuddly toy cat out of her little rucksack, and she made a valiant effort to pull herself together. Nia did not need to see her Aunty Ceri bawling her eyes out.

‘What’s wrong?’ Rowena asked, as soon as Nia was out of earshot.

‘Damon, work…everything. I wish I’d never left Cardiff.’ She sniffed and dabbed her cheeks.

‘Put the kettle on and start at the beginning.’

Ceri led her sister-in-law into the kitchen and ran the tap. ‘He’s gone to London.’

Rowena frowned. ‘So…?’

‘I don’t think he’s coming back.’

‘Did he tell you that?’

‘No… he said heiscoming back.’

‘Well, then.’ Rowena stroked her arm. ‘If he says he is, then he is. Why would he lie?’

‘It’s complicated.’

Her sister-in-law pulled a face. ‘In what way?’

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