She beamed and seriously considered pinching herself. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be her life now.
Technically, it wasn’t. She still hadn’t made a decision one way or the other about where she’d be living come winter. And although she was finding it increasingly difficult to imagine heading back to Townsville, she wasn’t prepared to turn her back on her dream entirely.
‘So, what are your plans for today, then?’ Noah asked as they headed for the front yard. ‘You hanging out with Ellie?’
‘Um … no. She’s busy.’
It wasn’t a lie, exactly. Elliedidhave a house full of guests at the moment, so she was definitely busy, but that wasn’t why Beth was avoiding her. She just wasn’t ready to tell her about Noah yet. Because, knowing Ellie, she’d be immensely excited, and Beth wasn’t certain she could handle the pressure of keeping her best friend happy when she still had to make such an important decision about her future.
‘Still haven’t told her, huh?’
Beth mashed her lips together, not wanting to admit the truth.
Noah gave her a look that was half-sympathy, half-pity. ‘This is a small town, Beth. She’s going to find out sooner or later.’
‘I know. And I’ll tell her eventually, I promise. Just not today.’ She held up her bag, a tote containing a sketch pad and art pencils. ‘I’ve been promising Hana and Flo that I’ll give the craft group a shot. I really should go while I’ve got the chance.’
She frowned and glanced across the road, still not convinced that she’d warm to Elsie or enjoy being part of the group, but a promise was a promise.
‘Hey.’ Noah waited until she was looking at him. ‘You’ve got this,’ he said, proving how well he knew her, then he leaned down and kissed her. Right on the mouth.
She baulked, knowing the view Flo had from her lounge room window, but Noah didn’t seem to notice.
‘I’m proud of you,’ he told her and gave her one last peck. ‘When you’re done, pop over and let me know how it went.’
He headed back to the house and still Beth stood rooted to the spot, gobsmacked by the impact of those four little words.I’m proud of you.Had anyone ever told her that before? She honestly couldn’t recall a single instance.
And, sure, all she was doing was spending the afternoon with her elderly neighbour, her art teacher and their friends, but Noah knew how far outside her comfort zone this took her. His positive affirmation made her feel as if it was okay to be herself, like it didn’t matter that she found the simplest of interactions difficult, but especially, that she shouldn’t judge herself according to others’ capabilities.
His support gave her courage and made her feel as if she could do it, so with her heart full and her head brimming with self-belief, she smiled and headed for Flo’s.
As she passed by the front window, Beth heard giggling and scuffling movements, as if those inside were frantically scrambling to find their seats. Unsurprisingly, when she entered the lounge room, the group was the picture of innocence. She narrowed her gaze at them—she knew what these crafters were about.
Trevor glanced up from his sewing machine. ‘Well, hello there, stranger!’
‘Oh, hi, Beth. Didn’t see you there.’ Elsie blinked up at her over the tiny—Was that apenisshe was crocheting? That was … well, hilarious!
‘She’s only just arrived, Else,’ Carmen whisper-shouted, then beckoned Beth into the room and patted the empty space beside her. ‘Come in, honey. There’s room between Hana and me.’
Hana shifted their easel to the right, then got up and thread their arm through Beth’s, offering support and a friendly smile.
Beth gave a nervous wave. ‘Hi, everyone. Thanks for having me.’
‘We’re glad to have you here, sweetheart,’ Flo said as Beth and Hana took their seats. ‘So, what’s everyone working on today?’
Trevor, then Carmen, shared their projects with the group. Hana held up an iPad with the image they hoped to recreate in watercolour, and Elsie explained that she was crocheting twenty tiny penises to turn into ten pairs of earrings to give to the guests at her daughter’s upcoming hen’s night. Her cheeky expression was so animated as she held a pair up to her lobes that Beth couldn’t help laughing. She was starting to appreciate Elsie’s ability to make people smile.
‘There must be something in the water here that inspires crazy craft projects,’ Beth said. ‘The day I first drove into town, I saw a bike that was completely covered in crochet.’
‘Oh yes,’ Carmen interjected. ‘That was our Elsie, too. She entered it into the South West Art Show a few years ago and it came second!’
‘Hmph. Would’ve won if you lot had let me give it the nameIwanted.’
‘Which was what?’ Beth asked.
‘“The Wheely Talented Hooker”.’ Elsie winked. ‘Instead, Trevor named it “Spinning a Good Yarn”.’ She blew a raspberry and gave Trevor a thumbs-down.
‘Which was much more family friendly,’ Trevor said without glancing up from his needlework. ‘So, what are you working on, Flo?’
