Page 31 of One Perfect Day in Lovely Bay
Cally smiled. 'Morning. Yes, I'm a bit of an early riser.'
Morag's eyebrows rose in surprise. 'Really? Not many of the lot that come up from down south can drag themselves out of bed at this hour.'
Cally chuckled. 'Force of habit, I'm afraid. My body clock's set to getting up for work these days.'
'Ah, that's right. You mentioned you work in a chemist. Must keep you busy.'
'It does, but that’s not what I get up early for. I do some online work too, for a retail chatbot. It means early mornings or late nights. Usually mornings. I do the super early shifts to get it done and dusted.'
Morag whistled. 'Right, so you're up with the birds. You have two jobs do you? You must be busy.'
Cally chuckled and rolled her eyes. ‘Actually, I have three.’
‘Ah, well, no rest for the wicked, I always say. Better to be doing things.’ Morag tapped the side of her head. ‘No use in keeping this idle as far as I’m concerned. Asking for trouble if Isit around doing nothing but that’s just me. This place sorts out my mental health.’
‘I know, right? It’s good to be busy.’
‘Mmm. As long as you get the balance right. Anyway, how did it go last night over at the main house there? Fun evening, was it?’
‘Really good, actually. The food was fantastic. Yes, I had a nice evening.’
‘Excellent. I hear there was a bit of an announcement.’
Cally smiled. ‘News travels fast up here.’
‘That it does. There aren’t many of us so we gossip, ha! Alastair is off on his travels, then?’
‘Yes.’
‘Alright for some. How about that then? A year off globe-trotting…’
‘I know. Have you ever travelled much? Outside of Scotland, I mean.'
Morag straightened up. 'Can't say that I have. Since I’ve been up here, I’ve more or less stayed put. Can’t be bothered with trekking all over the place when I’ve got what I want right here on my doorstep. You know? I mean, what’s the point? I’ve been to London once or twice for gardening shows. I took a wee trip to the London Flower Show a few years back and that wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But other than that, I've stayed pretty close to home. Yeah, it sounds a bit boring, but there you go. I’m not trying to impress anyone.'
'And you're happy with that?' Cally asked.
'Aye, that I am. As I said, I don't see much need for gallivanting about when I've got all this beauty right here.' Morag gestured around the conservatory and beyond to the mist outside. ‘I don’t really want anything much these days either.’
‘I hear you.’
‘Yeah, it’s not for everyone living here, but it works for me. I’ve never really understood the need to travel to far off lands. It’s a thing though, for sure. I mean, who doesn’t want a week in the sun every now and then, but going off for a year and that whole van life thing? Nah, not for me, thank you. Van life? Pah!’
‘I haven’t quite had the opportunity.’
Morag chuckled. ‘Ach, I don’t reckon it’s all it’s cracked up to be. Some folks, like young Alastair, need to roam a bit to find themselves. Others don’t need any of that. They find themselves by putting down roots. At least, that’s what happened to me.'
Cally nodded. 'That's it exactly. I've spent so much of my life feeling unsettled. Now that I've found a place in Lovely Bay, the thought of leaving it behind just doesn't feel right to me. Does that sound a bit bonkers?'
'Not at all. There's something to be said for knowing where you belong. For building a life somewhere, becoming part of a community.' Morag winked. ‘Ask me how I know. I won’t be leaving this place anytime soon.’
'Mmm, interesting. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Paris or somewhere like that someday.’ Cally wrinkled her nose up. ‘But the idea of constantly moving and never settling. I don’t know, it's just not for me.'
Morag’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. 'Sounds to me like you've got your head screwed on right, lass. There's no shame in wanting to build a life in one place. And who says you can't have both? A home to come back to, and the occasional adventure to broaden your horizons. If you ask me, that's the way to do it.'
‘You're right. That's exactly what I want. A home in Lovely Bay, with maybe a trip here to Scotland now and then, and the odd holiday abroad. That would suit me well enough.’
Morag nodded. 'You can do a lot worse, I do believe. Half the problem in life is finding out what youactuallywant.’ Moragswept her hand around the conservatory. ‘Messing about in here all day with plants works for me.’
