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Chapter Nine
‘Thank you.’ Carmenwaved off a group of young children as they ran back to their parents, cupcakes gripped in their hands. That was the second tray of cupcakes that had been sold. Letting Diane and Elsie carry on serving, she bent down and pulled out a large plastic tub from beneath the stall. Opening the lid, she began transferring the last of the cupcakes onto the tray.
‘Is that the last of them, love?’
Carmen looked across at Elsie and nodded. ‘Yep. We’ve still got some cookies though, I think.’ She replaced the now-empty box and picked up another. ‘Yes, we’ve got a few cookies left.’
Elsie chuckled. ‘And there was me thinking that baking twice as many cupcakes as last year would be enough to see us through the day.’
‘It’s a good thing. People love your cupcakes.’ Diane grinned.
‘Yes, yes. It’s nice to know.’ Elsie finished serving the customer in front of her before turning to two young girls. ‘Pippa, Ava. How lovely to see you both.’
Diane waved off a customer before turning to them too. ‘Hey, kids. Is your mum about, Pippa?’
‘Yep, she’s somewhere back there, talking to Ava’s dad. I think they’re talking about the class we’re going into next year. Look, Elsie, I’m getting taller, aren’t I?’ Pippa stood on her tiptoes, her chin jutted up into the air.
‘You certainly are, Pippa, love. I remember when you first moved to Penworth Bay, and you were only a tiny little thing.’
‘Yes, and now I’m growing. Mummy said I was as small as Hudson when we moved here.’ Pippa picked up a cupcake.
‘That’s right. You were, love. Are you both moving up into the same class?’
‘Yep. We are. We’re going into Lauren’s...’ Pippa slapped her hand over her mouth. ‘Oops, Mummy says I mustn’t call her that name in school. I need to call her by her teacher name.’ She looked at Ava and scrunched up her forehead. ‘What’s her teacher name again?’
‘It’s Miss Burton.’ Ava looked longingly at the cupcake Pippa was holding.
‘Would you like a cupcake too, Ava?’ Carmen held out the tray.
‘Ooh, can I?’
‘Of course you can, love. Which one would you like?’ Elsie smiled and indicated the tray.
‘Can I have the blue one, please?’ Ava’s eyes sparkled as she picked up a cupcake, the pale blue icing swirling to a point and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re very welcome.’ Elsie nodded. ‘Wow, you’ll both have a lovely time in Miss Burton’s class in September then, won’t you?’
‘Yes. We’ve been in her class this week because we got to go up into our new classes.’ Pippa took a bite of cupcake before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, smearing the icing across her cheek. ‘It’s called training week. I think.’
‘Was it transition week?’ Elsie picked up a napkin and wiped Pippa’s mouth.
‘Transition week. Yes, that’s what Miss Burton called it. I think it means the same thing though, that we’re training to go into our new classes.’ Pippa frowned.
‘That sounds about right.’ Elsie stifled a chuckle.
Was that Rob walking towards them, chatting with Teresa? Pippa had said her mum was talking to Ava’s dad. Was Ava his daughter? How many Ava’s were in the school? She guessed she was about to find out.
