‘I don’t know. What do folks usually do?’ said Annie.
‘Depends. Some Borrowers stay and man the tills in case customers come in; some lock up, take the opportunity to do some sightseeing?’
They both turned to look out at the dark afternoon outdoors.
‘Some go to the pub?’ Austen added with a light laugh.
Annie weighed up leaving to hunt down Harri in the dark or staying here in case he got back and found her gone leaving a shop full of kids. ‘Does anyone stay and take part in the session?’ she asked.
‘Are you wanting to help?’ Radia interrupted from her spot on the green armchair by the fire. ‘Because I’m the helper, actually.’
‘Oh, no, I uh, I thought I might participate?’ Annie hazarded. ‘I love poetry, you know?’
Radia seemed to consider this, giving Annie a long look. ‘All right then. You can sit…’ she looked around, before purposely choosing the beanbag next to her chair, ‘…down there.’
‘Rads!’ Austen said in a warning voice just as a family arrived with two hollering kids.
‘It’s okay,’ Annie said. ‘I worked… I mean, I work with kids, in a school library, so I get it. Kinda.’ She may be comfortable around middle graders, but these little kids were a whole different crowd.
Annie took her place beside Radia who graciously selected a marker pen for her and a sheet of paper, and she watched in wonder as the little girl directed all the new arrivals to their seats, making sure the mother with the baby asleep in a sling sat at the farthest point away from her. ‘Babies stay over there,’ Radia said with a glower.
Soon there were local kids sprawling across the other beanbag, or perching two-per-chair. Some were sitting cross-legged on the floor, munching biscuits and making crumbs all over the place. Two cups of squash had been upset over the floor by the time Austen announced the session was about to start and Radia had twice, like a little martyr plagued by silly children, tutted all the way to where the mop was kept.
‘Who’s ready to write some poetry?’ Austen asked. ‘Today’s theme is friendship.’
Annie checked her phone for notifications, and finding none, switched it to airplane mode and, with Radia eyeing her primly because phones werenot allowed, slipped it into her pocket.
‘There’s a saying about friends,’ Austen said, ‘which is going to inspire today’s session. It goes,Friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Can anybody help us understand what that means?’
Radia’s hand shot straight up.
‘Harri!’
When had Paisley last said his name with this much affection? Harri could have sworn she really was glad he’d called.
‘Hi,’ he said, cupping his hands around his phone to protect their conversation from the blustery wind coming in off the water. ‘Is… is this a bad time?’
‘Of course not. Are you okay?’ She sounded girlish, like she had when they first met.
‘I don’t know,’ he said, a strangled laugh working its way out. He didn’t know why he laughed. Nothing felt funny. ‘It’s so nice to hear your voice.’
Paisley laughed too; a bubbling, slightly tearful sound. ‘I’ve missed you.’
‘Oh my god, me too! So much.’ The words came easily.
‘Where are you?’ she asked.
He looked up at the dripping fern-covered cliff wall. ‘I’m on a beach.’ It sounded as odd as if he’d told her he was on the moon. He was so very far away from home and its familiarity and routines. ‘What day is it?’ he asked.
Paisley didn’t seem to think this was a strange question. ‘Wednesday,’ she said simply.
‘Your half day?’ he said. ‘Are you at home?’Home. As though he still lived there too.
‘Actually, I’m in Cardiff. I called in sick and I took myself shopping.’
‘You did?’ Harri had never known Paisley take a sick day in all the time he’d known her.
Her voice shook. ‘I earned it, I reckon.’ Her accent, so familiar, and so gentle, soothed him. When had they last talked like this? Without the tension and cool civility?
