12
True to her word, Sheena picked Lou and Jack up the following day and drove to the cottage after school to pick up the bags. They left the children playing while they packed the car.
‘I really appreciate this, Sheena,’ Lou said as Sheena slammed the boot full of bulging refuse sacks.
‘Don’t mention it. It’s no bother.’
‘Cup of tea?’ Lou asked her as they went back inside.
‘That’d be lovely, thanks. And then why don’t I help you with clearing out some more stuff?’
‘Thanks, but you’ve done enough.’
Sheena rolled her eyes. ‘I’ve done nothing. Really, it’d be no bother. I’ve got a couple of hours to spare and that pair are happy playing.’ She nodded to the garden where Jack and Bo were running around.
Lou capitulated, admitting defeat. ‘Well, if you’re sure. That’d be great, actually.’
While they drank tea, Lou showed Sheena the box of photographs she’d found. ‘I thought you might recognise some of the people in them.’
Sheena looked through the photos with great interest, remarking on how young Noreen looked in one or admiring a dress she was wearing in another. But she didn’t recognise many people, apart from Noreen and her husband, and some neighbours in group pictures of local events.
‘Sorry I can’t be more help.’
‘It’s fine. It just seems wrong throwing out someone’s photographs and letters. They’re so personal.’
‘I know. But what are you going to do with them? And they’re no use to Noreen where she’s gone.’ She fell silent, twisting her mouth thoughtfully. ‘I have an idea. How about you find a really nice picture of Noreen and get it restored and framed. It’d be a nice way of honouring her memory, wouldn’t it, without holding onto all this stuff that you’ve no use for? And then maybe you wouldn’t feel so bad about tossing the rest?’
‘Oh, I love that! That’s a great idea.’ Lou felt like a weight had been lifted off her already. ‘Thanks, Sheena. You really are good at decluttering, aren’t you?’
Sheena smiled and drained her tea. ‘Come on, then. Many hands make light work.’
It was indeed a lot easier with two. It wasn’t just the fact of having an extra pair of hands, but it made decisions a lot easier when there was someone else to consult.
‘What are you thinking about the furniture?’ Sheena asked when they were in Lou’s bedroom.
Lou shrugged. ‘I kind of need to keep it for now anyway. I can’t afford new.’
‘It’s good quality, solid stuff,’ Sheena said, examining a wardrobe. ‘It’s just a bit worn and old-fashioned, but there are some really nice pieces.’
‘Yeah, I do love that dresser in the kitchen. I’d like to keep that.’
‘It could be lovely with a lick of paint. Are you into upcycling?’
Lou shook her head. ‘No, I’m not crafty at all, I’m afraid. Slapping paint on everything is about the limit of my creativity.’
‘Well, Cara loves upcycling and she’s always looking for projects. I’m sure she’d love to have a go at it. And it would be a shame to get rid of it. You don’t see solid craftsmanship like that very often these days.’
‘I wouldn’t want her to go to any trouble.’
‘Honestly, she enjoys it. She’s always scouring charity shops and flea markets for things to work on. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to give a glow-up to a lovely old piece like that.’
‘Well, if she really would like to, that’d be great. I’d pay for all the materials, of course.’
‘Well, we can discuss that,’ Sheena said with a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘I think she has a lot of supplies.’
‘She’s welcome to take any of the furniture I’m not keeping too, if she’d be interested.’
‘I’m sure she’d like that. I’ll put it to her this evening.’
