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A small woman with bright green glasses sat across from them.

“Darleen, this is Hazel, my daughter,” Molly said with a wide grin.

“Hazel! We’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to put a face to a name.” Darleen gave a smile as she readjusted the bright blue scarf that was covering her short cap of white hair.

“Hi. Nice to meet you. Did you make that?” Hazel pointed to Darleen’s necklace. Chunky turquoise stones adorned her neck.

“I did. Right here in this room. I always like to wear one of my creations to class.”

“It’s beautiful! It really makes your eyes pop.”

“I think you need to come every week, Hazel. I could get used to the compliments.” Darleen pouted her lips in exaggeration. The women all laughed.

“Is Jill coming today?” Molly asked her friend.

Darleen shook her head. “That lucky duck. She’s still in Europe! I think she has another month over there.”

“It feels like she’s been gone forever.”

“The last postcard I got was from Positano. I nearly ripped it up out of jealousy!”

The two friends chatted as Hazel noticed a tall, slim woman enter the room. She looked about Hazel’s age and had short hair the colour of wheat that sat just above her collarbones. She wore baggy jeans and an oversized grey shirt. As she walked across the room, Hazel noticed her face was hidden by her hair. She sat down next to Hazel. Hunched over, she clasped her hands tightly together on the table in front of her.

“Hello,” Hazel spoke in a low voice so she didn’t startle the woman. She introduced herself.

The woman gave her a small smile. “I’m Josie,” she said in an equally soft voice. Her hair was still covering her face.

“Have you been to this class before?”

“It’s my first time. I just moved here.”

“Oh, same here! Well, I mean, I grew up here, but I’m back for a little while.” Hazel paused. “My mum dragged me along today. She’s been raving about this class for the last week.”

Josie gave Hazel a polite smile as she rested her fingers on the side of the table. Josie’s nails were cut short, perfectly oval and painted a subtle nude. Everything about her was very polished, even the casual outfit of jeans and a T-shirt. Hazel wondered if the woman was shy. She was certainly exhibiting some strange behaviour.

Before she could think too deeply about it, a short woman with a long red braid stood at the front of the room. She was wearing a dusty pink smock dress and clogs. “Hi everyone, nice to see some new faces! I’m Rain. Welcome to the jewellery class at The Craft Studio. Today, we are going to experiment with beads and learn the best ways to use them in our craft.” Rain explained the technique they would be learning and directed them all to the tools in the centre of each table.

Hazel decided to make a pair of earrings with a strand of beads. She started with a large pink bead and gradually ended with a tiny lilac bead. The effect was a pink to purple Ombre dewdrop.

Molly made a necklace, duplicating the technique she had used for her flower sculptures.

Josie and Darleen both stuck with fairly simple drop earrings using a single bead.

Josie and Hazel chatted during the class, with Hazel doing most of the talking. She couldn’t really stand long silences, so she filled Josie in on her chaotic last few weeks. Josie had responded, although not at length, but she still managed sympathy and kindness at all the right moments.

Hazel was just about finished her earrings, so she held them up to the light to check she was happy with them.

“Hmm,” Josie muttered as she struggled with one of the tools. She looked over to Hazel, her eyes widening as she saw Hazel’s earrings. “They’re so beautiful!”

Finally, the hair had fallen off Josie’s face, and Hazel could see her properly. She had delicate features with big brown eyes and thick lashes.

“Thanks. I like the colour of your earrings.” Hazel gestured to the emerald green beads. She hesitated for a moment. Something about Josie made Hazel feel like she might need a friend. “Would you like to get lunch sometime? Or maybe go for a walk?”

Josie looked up, her eyes wide again. They shifted nervously before darting to the ground.

Hazel felt puzzled but waited for Josie to reply.

“That would be nice, actually,” Josie said very quietly.