Page 44 of The Time of My Afterlife

I don’t have much choice. This could be my last day. I think of Mum. This is for her. I need to start.

Picking up the gloves, I slip my hands inside and hold my breath. This is going to be painful. To my surprise, Dad’s gloves are warm and comforting. Almost like he’s finished gardening and gone inside to make a cuppa. I smile, pick up the box and take it out of the shed.

An hour later, and I have dug out a small patch in the top right-hand corner of my garden. The swirling mass of thoughts about Clark’s trip to Devon, the afterlife’s test and my last call with Mum has evaporated, and my mind feels… weirdly clear.

The instructions on the seed packet say ‘Sow thinly’, which causes me a little panic as I have no idea what that means. After a quick Google, I press each seed into the soil and whisper some words of encouragement. ‘Please, can you grow into something? I am a newbie, I’ve been promising myself to start for three years and I want to show my mother I can do this.’

After watering the seeds, I sit back and admire my handiwork. Wow – I have planted some courgette seeds. Tears prick my eyes. It wasn’t that hard. Why have I been putting this off for so long?

Feeling proud of myself, I take out my phone and video-call Mum.

She’s in her kitchen when she answers. I hold the phone up so she can see the patch of soil behind me. ‘Look what I’ve done.’

Her face lights up. ‘Florence!’ she exclaims. ‘You’ve started your vegetable patch. Oh, my goodness, this is great.’

‘I’m wearing his gloves – do you think he will be proud?’

She beams. ‘Of course he is, Florence.’

‘I hope at least one courgette seed grows, Mum.’

‘Keep watering them, and I’m sure you will see some progress.’

That familiar, uncomfortable feeling returns. I might not be here to see what happens to my seeds. My heart lurches.

I need to change the subject. ‘How are you, Mum?’

She gives me a half-hearted sort of smile. ‘I’m just finding it strange being in this big house all by myself.’

‘It’s only got three bedrooms.’

She sighs. ‘I feel like I’m going stir-crazy.’

‘Why don’t you invite one of your friends over?’

‘Oh, no, Miriam’s husband is having an affair with a woman half his age, so she’s distraught and depressed. Tracey has gone to Greece for a few months after that hot Greek man begged her to go live out there, and Liz has just met a man from Whitby who’s a ghost hunter in his spare time.’

Mum needs some new friends. That’s what she needs. Maybe I can point her to the café notice board where she could find a club she’s interested in joining? ‘Come to the café more,’ I say. ‘It will be lovely to see you.’

‘Steve’s still asking⁠—’

This could be our last chat. I don’t want to spend it talking about Steve. ‘Mum,’ I say, interrupting her. She stops talking and fiddles with one of her nineties-style gold earrings. I take in her feathery blonde hair, her charm necklace that she bought from Etsy because she said it would bring her luck and her pencil-drawn eyebrows because the menopause stole her natural ones. Emotion rises inside me. ‘Mum, you know I love you, don’t you?’

She tilts her head to one side and coos. ‘And I love you too, Florence.’

Laura is at my door. She raises her phone aloft. ‘Ronan likes to send lengthy texts. I take back what I said the other day about Chris not being normal.’

I laugh and let her in. ‘Are you looking forward to your date?’

Laura grins. ‘Sure, I am, although I think it might end back in his hotel room.’

I giggle, and she laughs. ‘The café was quiet this afternoon. Have you enjoyed your life admin planning session?’ she asks, before glancing at my whiteboard. She turns to me. ‘It’s clear.’

A big smile is spreading across my face. ‘Come and see what I’ve done.’

As she follows me into the kitchen and out of the back door, I hear her gasp. ‘Oh, God, you’ve been gardening? You finally sowed some seeds?’

I race over to my new vegetable patch, and she follows with a squeal. ‘This is great. What have you planted?’