Page 10 of A New Arrival at Cwtch Cove

‘How’s that?’ Her mum crouched down in front of her and took her free hand.

‘Better, thanks.’

‘You go and put your feet up and I’ll sort the dishes out.’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m fine. I just felt a bit off for a minute but I’m better now.’

‘I’m not taking no for an answer, Alice. Go to the lounge and sit down and I’ll be through in a bit with a mint tea to help you digest that wonderful meal.’

‘OK then, Mum, if you insist. But I’ll do the dishes tomorrow after dinner. I want to help not become a burden.’

‘It’s a deal.’

Alice got up slowly and was relieved to find that the dizzy spell had passed. A good night’s sleep and plenty of water would no doubt have her feeling right as rain by tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it?

Chapter10

Alice

The next day, Alice slept in until midmorning, which was something she hadn’t done in years. She hadn’t even heard her mum get up to go to work but when she checked her phone there was a message telling her to take it easy and to phone if she needed anything. It made Alice feel bad because there she was, being told to take it easy at twenty-eight and there was her mum aged fifty-three heading off to work at the crack of dawn. Surely it should be Alice who was working all hours and her mum who was getting the lie-in.

She made some tea and toast and ate it while snuggling the cats on the sofa then decided she needed some air and some exercise. She wasn’t going to start feeling better by lounging around all day so she’d go for a walk.

Once she’d dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved top, a fleece and trainers, she let herself out and made for the woodland path. It was a sunny morning with a cool breeze and she soon warmed up so she stopped to remove the fleece and tie it around her waist.

September was such a beautiful month. She liked it more than July and August when oftentimes now it was too hot for her liking. The onset of autumn meant that the leaves on the trees were changing colour, a robin sang ahead on the path as it hopped around and she felt freer than she had done in ages as she walked. It hit her then that the reason she felt so much better was because she’d admitted to herself and to her mum that she might not want to be a dentist anymore. It was a big thing to face up to and there was an enormous sense of relief in that. She realised that she’d been afraid to admit it to her mum because she didn’t want to disappoint her, and now she knew she hadn’t, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

But what else could she do?

Website designer?

Artist?

Sales?

Baker?

Accountant?

Teacher?

She ran through options but found herself shaking her head at them all. Most jobs required more studying or skills she didn’t have and the idea of more debt from returning to education did not appeal at all. She was almost thirty and she’d thought she’d have her own home, possibly be married and maybe thinking about starting a family at this age. Funny how life worked out. At eighteen she’d thought twenty-eight seemed old and a long time away but now she was here she didn’t feel old at all. Just the same as always but with a few more scars from the bumpy road of life.

‘What am I going to do?’ she said out loud, opening her arms to the sky as if she hoped the answer would fall into her grasp.

‘Hey! Are you OK?’

She froze and turned slowly to find Henry behind her on the path. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and they clung to him because he was drenched in sweat. Normally, Alice found sweaty people repulsive but Henry looked as good as always and the way his shirt was clinging to him showed off a very muscular physique.

‘Uhhh… yes?’ Her voice emerged as a squeak. ‘I mean… Yes. I’m fine. Thank you very much. I was just thinking aloud because I thought I was alone.’

‘Sorry!’ he held up a hand. ‘I didn’t mean to seem like I was sneaking up on you. I did call out to you several times but you didn’t hear me. Perhaps because you were talking out loud?’

‘Oh! Could be.’ She rocked on her heels and feigned interest in the fleece, picked at an invisible piece of flint on the sleeve.

‘What were you talking to yourself about?’ he asked, tilting his head to one side.

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