Page 62 of Happiness Under a Summer Skye

‘You’ve inspired her to take up music,’ the dad said as he stood now too. ‘She was diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago and has really struggled at school until she discovered your band. Since then, she’s learned ukulele and started having piano lessons. She recently progressed from ukulele to guitar, but she’s been borrowing one from school so we’re saving up to get her a good one of her own, you know?’

‘You’re my hero,’ the girl said and Angelia’s heart swelled. ‘We saw the interview on TV a couple of days ago that you did about your condition. You’ve been through such a lot and you’re trying to help other people like you now. That’s really brave.’ The prerecorded TV interview she had done with Kendric MacKinnon had aired at the start of the week but Angelia had forgotten all about it.

‘Well, Sarah, I think you’re my hero. You’ve overcome some tough times, too, and look at you now. Learning all those different instruments is amazing. Where are you staying?’

‘We’re at the little campsite along the road,’ the dad said.

‘Tell you what, why don’t you come to the summer concert tomorrow at the village hall? I think I have something you might like,’ Angelia said.

‘Can we, Mum? Dad?’ Sarah asked, a pleading tone to her voice.

‘I don’t see why not,’ the dad said.

‘That’s sorted then,’ Angelia said. ‘Now how about that selfie?’

When she went over to where Ferris was now seated, he smiled up at her. ‘You really are wonderful, you know,’ he said. ‘Am I right in thinking you’re going to give that girl a guitar?’

Angelia widened her eyes. ‘How on earth did you guess?’

He shrugged. ‘Because I’m learning what a special person you are.’

She picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee. ‘I’m not special at all. I just feel like I’ve been so privileged and I want to give back. I have my old guitar at home; the one I learned to play on. It’s been well-loved, but it was a good model back when it was bought so I think it will be a great starting point for her.’

‘You’ll need to sign it for her too. She won’t believe it’s real.’

Angelia felt her face warming. ‘She seems like a lovely girl. Anyway, you said you had news?’

He sighed. ‘Indeed, I do.’

‘Well, come on, tell me. Although you don’t seem too happy about it. Whatever it is.’

He lifted his chin to fix his gaze on her. ‘I have very mixed feelings.’

‘What is it?’

‘I’ve been offered my own parish,’ he said, staring down at the slice of Victoria sponge on the plate in front of him.

‘Oh, that’s brilliant. It’s what you’ve wanted, isn’t it?’

He nodded. ‘It is. And I should be happy.’

She tilted her head. ‘So why aren’t you?’

‘Because it’s in Lerwick.’

Angelia gasped. ‘In the Shetlands?’

He nodded. ‘In the Shetlands.’

‘Oh, wow, Ferris, you couldn’t get much further away.’

‘I know.’

‘Don’t you want to go?’ she asked as sadness washed over her.

He lifted his chin. ‘I can’t imagine leaving here. It wasn’t meant to be permanent, and I was absolutely fine with that at first but… Things have changed.’

She thought back to what Ed had said about Ferris and his feelings for her and wondered if perhaps she was the reason he was reluctant to leave. But that felt incredibly conceited and that was something she certainly wasn’t. There could be a number of things that made him feel that way. His love for the local people for starters. She was about to ask him to elaborate when the door burst open and a woman barged in, knocking over tables and chairs in her wake.