Page 66 of The Time of My Afterlife

I wish Dad were here to see upstairs take shape. Clark has got the first coat of paint on the walls, and I’ve just cleaned the windows. The late afternoon sun is now streaming through, and I can already visualise customers relaxing up here and finishing their coffee.

The walls need more coats, and the woodwork needs sorting, but it already feels different. Clark assures me it will be our work in progress, and any spare time we get, we will be up here, improving it.

He’s tidying up, and I’m going downstairs to close the café. Then we will walk back to the cul-de-sac together, which is something we have never done before.

After popping downstairs, I catch sight of Mum at the door.

‘Hello,’ I say, welcoming her inside. ‘You should see what Clark and I have done.’

She looks intrigued. ‘Did I hear you correctly? You and Clark?’

I nod as we cross the café and come to the bottom of the stairs. ‘We’re trying to work as a team and not argue.’

Mum looks confused. ‘You’re working as a team? Really?’

She follows me upstairs and gasps when we reach the top. ‘Oh – wow!’

‘Hello, Yvonne,’ calls out Clark from the other side of the room.

Mum is surveying the newly painted walls and the clean windows. ‘This is amazing. I can’t believe my eyes. Your dad would be so impressed.’

As she compliments Clark on his decorating skills, I notice something different about her. She isn’t wearing any makeup, which isn’t a bad thing, and I’m glad she’s embracing a new, natural look. I also notice that the gold hoop earrings she’s worn since the nineties have disappeared. This subtle change is a little worrying as this is not like Mum.

‘Are you okay?’ I ask as she peers out of one of the windows at the street below.

‘I’m just feeling a bit tired,’ she mumbles. ‘Nothing for you to worry about.’

When Mum says that I always do the opposite and worry about her.

She checks her watch. ‘I’d better go and catch my bus.’ Lifting her gaze to mine, she says, ‘Your father will be looking down from heaven and he will be overjoyed at what you have done.’

‘Give me a hug before you go, Mum.’

She casts me an odd look after I release her. ‘You know, all the gardening you did has changed you, Florence. Bye, Clark, nice to see you.’

He waves. ‘You too, Yvonne.’

I smile and walk her back down the stairs. ‘Take care going to the bus, won’t you?’

Clark and I are walking back from the café. ‘It looks good, doesn’t it?’ he says with a smile.

Mum’s appearance is still on my mind. I nod. ‘You’ve done a great job. Listen – did you notice anything different about Mum earlier?’

‘She looked the same to me. Why?’

‘She wasn’t wearing any makeup or her earrings.’

He looks down at his paint-splattered arms before looking up again. ‘Maybe she fancies a change?’

While he tells me about what skirting board he needs to replace, I think about Mum. Something is going on with her and I need to find out what.

Pearl is standing outside her house as we enter the cul-de-sac. Once she spots us, she rushes over.

‘Hello, Pearl,’ says Clark.

‘Oh, I am in a fluster.’ I can see her face looks shadowy and strained. Her twinkly blue eyes have also lost their usual sparkle.

‘What’s up?’ Clark asks, putting his arm over her shoulders.