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Dorothy smirks at her. ‘Eager to get rid of me?’
‘Of course not.’
‘I’m not having a go at you. I’d imagine after spending all that time living under your uncle’s roof you could do with some time to yourself. You’ll have to endure my company for a few months then I’ll have no choice but to leave you for a bit.’
Chloe laughs at the sour expression on her gran’s face. ‘It’s a holiday.’
Dorothy makes a face and waves her hand dismissively. ‘Some holiday. Your aunt is the most irritatingly organised, scheduled, perfectionist I had the pleasure of giving birth to. How that woman shares DNA with me I’ll never know. I’m in for a month of being fussed over and told what to do and when I can do it. Why would I be looking forward to that?’
Chloe climbs into the driver’s seat of her gran’s battered pickup and smiles across at her. ‘You’ll have a blast. You did last time.’
‘Yes. For a few days. Anyway, I will endeavour to be on my best behaviour and not disrupt her household too much.’
Chloe pulls out of the parking spot and glances sideways at her. ‘Oh Gran. Please behave.’
Dorothy smirks and settles back in the seat. ‘My dear, I am always on my best behaviour. How could you suggest otherwise?’
Chloe smiles but doesn’t bother responding. Her gran has the mentality of a mischievous child at times, but that’s what makes her amazing and so much fun to be around.
It takes an hour to get through the busy Dublin traffic to Newcastle where her gran lives. She pulls into the driveway of her gran’s cottage and hops out of the car. The sea breeze whips her long dark hair around her shoulders. She closes her eyes as she takes a lungful of the fresh, salty air.
‘Oh my God, that smells—’
‘Fishy,’ her gran finishes.
‘No. I was going to say it smells... actually it does smelly really fishy. What is that?’
Dorothy points a finger at the hedge separating her house from the neighbour. ‘Jim next door. Daft man took his boat up to repair. Smells like a rotten fish. He promises it’ll be back in the water and stop offending the neighbours by tomorrow. Come on, dear. Let’s get you settled in,’ she says as she unlocks the bright red door.
Chloe brings her bags upstairs and sits on the bottom of the creaky double bed. The spare room is stuck in time – just like her gran most of the time. The floral wallpaper matches the floral duvet which matches the floral lampshade and the floral curtains. The old floorboards are worn and creak with every footstep. She flops back on the bed and smiles up at the beams in the ceiling as she yawns. The flight was long and her body clock is completely off.
A few days of relaxing by the sea will sort her out. She’s not due to start her new job until late August so there’s no rush to do anything. She can’t remember the last time she had absolutely nothing planned.
Looking after her cantankerous uncle for the last year after he took a nasty fall was different but also hard work. It didn’t help that he lived off-grid in the arse end of Alaska. No power. No running water. No flushing toilet. She shudders when she thinks back to that part. It was a once in a lifetime experience but getting back on the flight to Dublin had been such a relief.
Time to spoil herself. She laughs as she looks over at the door to the bathroom. Having a flushing toilet is heaven.
She closes her eyes as the hours of travel finally catch up with her. Maybe she’ll have a quick nap to refresh herself. This summer is going to be a good one. Plenty of sea air and drawing. What could be better than that?
