I should be so lucky!
‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have just turned up like this. I couldcome back some other time?’
‘No, no.’ I give an inner sigh of resignation. ‘Come in,Ellie. I’m not busy at all.’
‘Great.’ She glances over her shoulder. ‘Maisie and herfriend Jessica are riding their scooters around the close while they wait forme. I’ve told them to stay on the pavement.’
I glance over. They seem to be having a race and I smilefondly, remembering how Poppy loved the pink sparkly scooter that Rachel boughther for her last birthday. ‘This isn’t a through road, so they’ll be fine. I’llleave the door open in case they want to come in.’
I usher Ellie inside and point through to the kitchen on thepretext that I was about to make myself a coffee and would she like one?
‘Lovely.’ Walking ahead of me, she glances to the side, throughthe living room door, and my heart sinks into my fluffy slippers. But to hercredit, she says nothing and carries on to the kitchen.
Relieved, I follow her, glad that it wasn’t outspokenMadison who’d turned up instead of Ellie.She wouldn’t have minced herwords!
I make the coffee and we sit at the little table, discussingsome ideas for the fete. Katja’s sixteenth-birthday cake extravaganza slipsinto my mind, prompting me to suggest a celebration cake competition, open tothe public.
‘Great idea, Kenzie. I was thinking along the lines of a competitionto invent a new cake flavour.’
‘Ooh, nice.’
‘We’d have to come up with prizes. But the winner would alsohave their cake invention highlighted on the café menu.’
‘Who would judge the competition? You?’
She gives her head a little shake. ‘I think Fen would beperfect. She was runner-up in a baking competition on TV a few years ago, andpeople still recognise her in the street even now.’ Ellie grins. ‘She hatesit.’
‘Wow, she never told me she was in a bake-off on telly!’
‘I’m not surprised. She’s so modest, she would never thinkto mention it.’ She smiles. ‘So is it someone you know who’s organising thisfete?’
‘Erm... well, I don’t know him all thatwell. He’s called Aidan and we only met a few weeks ago.’
Ellie nods expectantly, waiting for me to elaborate.
‘I just think it’s such a great idea, raising money for thehomeless,’ I say in a hurry. ‘And Aidan seems really passionate about it, so...’I shrug, feeling myself blushing, which is so annoying.
And of course Ellie picks up on it.
‘So this... Aidan... ishe single?’ She gives me a speculative smile.
‘I think so. I really don’t know.’ I try to brush it offcasually.
‘He sounds lovely.’
‘Yes. Yes, he is. But there’s nothing like that going on.’
‘Right.’
‘I haven’t for time for romance. What with my job at thecafé and trying to get the pottery business up and running.’
‘Of course.’
‘Also, I’m quite happy on my own right now.’ I shrug,thinking of Rachel and Darren. ‘What starts off as so romantic can end up beingthe worst decision you ever made.’ I stare down, twisting my hands together inmy lap. ‘Because if you really fall for the person and they turn out to be...bad for you... it can be really hard to leave them, even ifyour head is telling you that you must.’
‘Kenzie?’
Lost in my own world for a moment, I look up to find Ellie studyingme worriedly.
