Page 64 of The Time of My Afterlife

We walk up the stairs, and at the top, my heart skips a beat. The first floor is a large echo-y room with two large grubby windows. There’s a collection of boxes stacked in the middle of the floor, along with two abandoned chairs. The walls were once white but are now almost grey. We stand by the boxes and survey the room. ‘Are you okay?’ he asks.

Emotion is building inside of me. I can picture Dad rummaging through the boxes while lecturing me about his vision. The urge to go back downstairs is strong.

I’m about to turn on my heels when Clark bends down to pick something off the floor. To my surprise, he hands me a white feather. ‘It’s a sign. He wants you to do this.’

Laying the feather in the palm of my hand, I watch it become blurry. Tears prick my eyes. I try to hold them back, but they escape down my cheeks. ‘Dad,’ I croak.

Then I’m in Clark’s arms, and he’s pulling me into a hug. It’s the sort of hug you don’t want to end. When he finally releases me, I force out a smile. ‘Thank you.’

‘Let’s get started on decorating this place,’ he says. ‘I can work up here and you can manage the café.’

His hug has left me feeling unsteady but I need to focus on this plan. ‘I can give you money for the paint and stuff.’

He shakes his head. ‘We can sort all that out later. Right, tell me what you’re thinking colour-wise?’

I smile at him. ‘We’re really doing this?’

He takes out his phone and opens his notes app. ‘Yes, Florence. Now tell me your vision for up here because I will go and get what we need.’

24

CLARK

It’s mid-morning. I’ve made good progress on the upstairs floor of the café.

The room has been cleared. Florence checked all the old boxes in case there was anything she wanted to keep and then I took them to the skip. I’ve filled in all the holes and cracks in the walls, and I’m just sanding them down now before the painting can begin.

Downstairs, I can hear Laura telling Florence all about her date with Ronan tonight. I pause on the sanding so I can hear what they’re talking about. ‘I feel like a teenager again, Florence. You know all, giggly and excitable.’

Florence doesn’t answer as she must be busy.

‘How’s Chris?’ Laura asks. ‘I need an update.’

I move closer to the stairs so I can listen. On the way to the café this morning, I went to the post office to send Florence the glittery notebook I bought in Pixie Cove. I disguised my handwriting and slipped in a note with the words From Chris x.

As the lady in the post office took the parcel from me, I silently vowed that this would be Chris’s final act.

‘He’s okay,’ says Florence. She doesn’t sound overly enthused, which is a good thing, as after the notebook arrives, Chris will slowly go distant and quiet. Guilt nibbles away at me. I should never have created Chris. I think back to last year. Florence was upset after her miscarriage; she wouldn’t speak to anyone but her mum and all I could think about was the promise I made Harry. I had to make sure she was okay. Mum fell to pieces after losing her baby. I was scared the same would happen to Florence.

‘Are you having doubts?’ Laura asks. ‘It must be hard as you don’t have a clue what he looks like and haven’t met him in person.’

Florence doesn’t answer.

‘Molly is excited about her sleepover tonight,’ says Laura.

‘Erm… I forgot she was staying over,’ says Florence. ‘Good job you reminded me. What time will she pop over?’

I wonder how the afterlife will communicate with us if Molly’s in the house.

Today I don’t feel as worried about the test result. Iris’s cryptic comment last night helped a lot. It seemed to support Florence’s theory. We need to make little shifts that eventually tip something bigger into place. That’s what will get us that much-needed pass.

Florence is having a late lunch break, watching me paint the walls. She’s sitting in the middle on a chair, eating a cheese toastie. I was rewarded with one earlier, plus a coffee – all on the house, which was nice.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ she says, between mouthfuls. ‘We need to find out more about Mr Beaver. The key to reuniting him and Pearl is to do with his anger.’

I roller the walls with fresh cream paint. ‘He was always like that at school.’

‘Yes, but from what Pearl says, it sounds like he had a sudden personality change after they broke up.’