When we arrive, I park up and run around the car to open Hayleigh’s door, and when she steps out, her eyes widen as a smile blooms on her face.
The property is an end-terraced house with on-street parking. The front garden is small but full of wildflowers; there’s a bay window, and the front door is from the 1950s in a dark emerald green. To the side of a property is a tall wooden gate that leads down the side of the house and out into a massive back garden.
I usher Hayleigh inside. There’s no furniture in here; it’s an entirely blank canvas, but it does need work. I watch her face asshe takes the place in, and I can see the cogs turning and the ideas flaring up.
She rushes through to the kitchen. It’s old and hasn’t been touched for years. She runs her hands over the cabinets like they’re everything she’s ever wanted. The view of the back garden is above the sink, and a sigh leaves her lips as she takes in the sight.
Nerves flare inside of me. “What do you think?”
She turns and smiles, and it’s fucking beautiful. “I love it. Obviously, I need to see upstairs, but it’s beautiful.”
I smile back at her. “I’m glad. The seller is getting rid of it because their dad is in a care home now. They need the money for his fees. It’s an old Victorian property, built in 1888, but they’ve owned it since the fifties. It needs work but…”
“I’m glad it needs work; it gives me something to focus on.” She nods her head once, setting her jaw as her determined gaze wanders the room.
I nudge her. “I’ll help too, if you want it that is.”
Her smile fades, and my stomach churns as the nerves kick back up again, but then she asks me. “Do you think it’s worth it? To do this place up, I mean?”
“Hayleigh, just because it’s a little broken, it doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed; it means that someone needs to be willing to help it become whole again, and I’m fully invested in making sure this…home, becomes whole again.” I wrap her in a hug, my arms tightly around her as she rests her head on my chest and for a moment we stand, softly swaying, her eyes on the room and mine on her.
I hope my words hit the mark.
Hayleigh hums slightly before she whispers. “Kintsugi.”
Chapter 12
Hayleigh
Has a hug ever made you feel like coming home?
The warmth, the safety, the contented feeling? What’s scary is that right now I’m feeling all these things, but for a man who isn’t mine. Do I deserve this, and can I finally let go of everything to be happy? It’s such a simple question, but it isn’t one I can answer, because no matter how hard I try, being with someone new isn’t going to fix what’s wrong inside of me.
So, I detach myself from Nate, and I step out of his grasp, his arms holding out for a moment before he drops them to his sides. Hurt flashes across his face; the rejection is as clear as day,but it’s better this way. Things are already too blurry with those almost touches and moments where I want to give in and kiss him until I can’t breathe.
I nod once, my movements stiff. “Thanks, Nate. You’re a good friend.” I turn quickly and grimace.
He clears his throat behind me. “Yeah, no problem. Lunch?”
I turn and smile at him. “Sure. Lunch. I have time before I meet Daisy for yoga.”
We climb into Nate’s car, and the silence hangs between us. Should I say something, apologise maybe? I take a deep breath first, but he beats me to it.
“I get it, you know. Wanting to keep people at bay, and I want you to know I’m here for the long haul. I’m your friend first, Hayleigh, and it’s entirely up to you how this plays out. So, don’t ever feel bad about putting yourself first. No matter who it is.”
I want to cry, but instead I chew the inside of my cheek. “Your mum and dad raised good men.” I sneak a look at his profile and see the ghost of a smile.
We arrive at Irene’s and take a seat in one of the booths.
She waves at us from behind the counter, signalling she’ll be there in two minutes. Irene’s always feels homely, from the booths and the room around it to the beautiful display of flowers on the walls and the pictures of her customers from the past and present. It smells delicious, and somehow, I wonder how I’d never been here before I had met the Peterson family.
Nate’s voice breaks my little daydream. “What are you thinking about?”
I smile. “That this place is homely, and that I’d never been before I met your family. I’ve lived in Roselake for years now, and I’d never been.”
“It’s a gem of a place for sure, and Irene’s our adopted nanna. This place has been in her family for years and was originally hergrandparents'. She used to serve my mum and dad when they were dating.”
“I bet May was a total smoke show.” I laugh at the look on Nate’s face.
