Page 70 of The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop

‘Yes, in two places apparently – I did a good job.’ She managed a wry smile.

‘You’ll be okay. They’ll get you all sorted out. Then you’ll just have to take it easy for a while.’

The old lady nodded. The nurse reappeared with an orderly who was there to wheel the stretcher.

‘We’re ready to take you down to theatre now, Mrs Clark.’

Emma gave the old lady’s hand a squeeze. ‘I’ll come back later. I’ll check visiting hours and ask them to let me know how you get on in surgery, but it may be the morning before I can see you.’

‘I’ll be fine, pet, don’t you worry. I’ll be back marching up that hill to your shop again in no time.’

They both knew that was more than a white lie, but Emma kept up the bravado. ‘Yes, you will be.’

The two of them were smiling through their fears, as she was wheeled away.

Emma felt shattered by the time she got back to The Chocolate Shop. She gave Alfie a big hug before letting him out, and then called Bev to update her and to ask if there was any way she could help mind the shop tomorrow morning, so that Em could visit the old lady again.

‘I’ll see if I can swap shifts with Ali at the surgery. Leave it with me,’ Bev said. ‘Oh dear, the poor love. I’ve been wondering how she was. And to think she was stuck at the bottom of the stairs all that time. Thank heavens you went to check.’

‘I know. She was very shaken up and in a lot of pain, bless her.’

‘It’ll take her some time to heal after a major break like that.’

‘I know. I can’t see them letting her back home any time soon after the operation.’

‘Aw, bless … Oh, I don’t like to alarm you, Em, especially after the day you’ve had, but the landlord phoned the shop while you were out. Hate to give you bad news, but there’s a viewing arranged. A couple are coming to look around the shop and flat tomorrow afternoon at three.’

Emma felt her heart sink. So this was it, it was becoming a reality. It was all about to slip away. It felt like a stopwatch had been set off and was now racing on, with her wonderful shop to be handed over at the finish line.

‘Em? You okay?’ The line had gone quiet.

‘It’s not the best news I’ve had all day. But I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to stop it. I can’t refuse to show them around.’

‘Well, you could insist the estate agent or landlord does it for you.’

‘Nah, I may as well bite the bullet, however much it hurts. It’ll not change the outcome. Well, you never know, I may be able to spin a few off-putting negatives through the conversation.’

They both laughed.

‘Ah, it sucks though, doesn’t it,’ Emma added.

‘I know. I’m sorry, hun. Nothing like being kicked while you’re down.’

Emma spoke with Max later that evening, telling him all about her sod of a day.

‘Sorry, Em. That sounds tough on you. Do you think the old lady will be all right?’

‘In the long term, yeah, at least I hope so. But it’ll take a good while to heal at her age. She looked so frail, bless her, so vulnerable, there at the bottom of the stairs.’ She was holding back tears just telling him.

‘And the shop too. Is this the first viewing, then?’

‘Yeah. I feel sick just thinking about it. Renting is so shit. It feels like mine after all these years, but it never has been. I knew that, but I couldn’t stop my heart attaching to it, making it my home, my life.’

‘Oh, Em.’ Max’s voice was gentle. ‘Do you want me to come up and see you? I can drive up straight away.’

‘Aw, thanks but it’s late enough already. I’ll probably be off first thing visiting Mrs C in the morning and then dashing back to do this viewing and run the shop. But what about tomorrow … after work? I’d love to see you then.’ To feel your arms around me.

‘I’ll be there. No worries.’