Summer had only just arrived, so Maria was surprised at how warm it felt already with it being so early in the day. When she’d followed Rob into town the day before, she hadn’t taken the time to admire her surroundings, she’d been completely lost in her private thoughts. But today, she did take the time to notice the scenery and she couldn’t understand how she’d missed it previously.
She walked up the road which led her out of Daffodil Lane and turned right along the footpath, alongside which ran the road that led towards the shops and places to eat. As she walked, Maria inhaled deeply and caught the faint scent of honeysuckle in the air. On the opposite side of the road, a row of impressive houses sat proudly, tall gates secluding them from the rest of the area. She peered at them, with their double-breasted chimneys and stained-glass windows and wondered about the people who lived there. Families? Couples? Were the men within of the same kind as Mike? Playing away while their wives sat at home, loyally waiting for them to get back? How would she ever trust another man again? Did she even want to?
She forced her focus away from the houses, realising she’d gone off down a path of thought she hadn’t anticipated and didn’t want to continue down. She supposed the idea of another man coming into her life after Mike didn’t seem feasible. They’d been together for such a long time, since secondary school, and the thought of someone else taking Mike’s place in her life was terrifying. But could she really and truly cut herself off from the idea of another relationship in the future? Was she destined to now spend the rest of her life alone? She’d always been such a hopeless romantic and an avid believer in her and Mike lasting forever. She wasn’t quite sure what to believe now. Did true love even exist? These thoughts, amongst others, fluttered about in Maria’s mind as she began to approach town, keeping her occupied as the distance between herself and Harriet’s Place lessened.
When she arrived, Maria again began to notice things she hadn’t seen the day before. It really was a pretty little place. She passed by a bakery with its door propped open, allowing the heavenly scent of freshly-baked bread to seep out into the air. There was a florist too, with a brilliantly bright selection of blooms on offer. Colourful foil windmills had been propped amid the flowers, and the sight of them twirling in the breeze made her smile and reminded her of how much she’d loved playing with those as a little girl. Continuing on her way, she walked by a gift shop, the exterior painted playdough-blue, with a wonderfully charming display of photo frames, cards and teddies in the window. She couldn’t believe she’d missed it all the day before. It was colourful and eye-catching. And then, just a couple more steps away, sat Harriet’s Place, and just the sight of it lifted her heart. She knew that when she stepped inside, she’d be greeted like an old friend.
‘Oh, hello love!’ Harriet smiled when the door closed behind Maria. ‘Back again? Lovely to see you.’
‘Well, after the food you served yesterday I couldn’t keep away’ Maria laughed lightly as she peered around for a table to sit down at. It wasn’t yet busy, thankfully, so she had quite a few choices. She walked past the counter and couldn’t stop her greedy eyes from creeping towards the slices of chocolate fudge cake, moist and soft. ‘Do you make all of this yourself?’ Pulling out a chair, Maria took a seat and shrugged off her jacket. She hung it across the back of the chair and picked up a menu. She already knew what she would order, but wanted to have a proper perusal just because she had the time to do so.
‘I certainly do,’ Harriet replied. ‘All freshly baked by yours truly.’
‘Wow, that’s impressive. I have to say, they look delicious.’
‘Thanks, love. I’m proud of my creations. My mother was a passionate baker and I think it must be genetic. I’ve been honing the skill ever since I was little.’ Harriet winked. ‘So, what’ll it be this morning?’
‘I think I’ll go for the cooked breakfast again please,’ Maria said. ‘What you served yesterday was heavenly, I had to come back for more.’
Harriet chuckled heartily. ‘My, you keep going with those compliments and my head will pop. One cooked breakfast coming right up,’ she said, scribbling it down onto a small notepad. ‘Let me take this through to the kitchen and I’ll be right back to sort a drink out for you.’ Harriet slipped into what Maria presumed was the kitchen and reappeared just a few seconds later. ‘Coffee? Tea?’
‘White coffee please, two sugars.’ Maria looked around. ‘It’s quiet today.’
‘It is, but don’t be fooled by it. Just you wait until lunchtime. This place will fill up like a hot air balloon. Enjoy the peace while it lasts, that’s all I can say.’ Harriet delivered Maria’s drink to the table with a smile and sat down in the opposite chair. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I join you for a few minutes? I’ve been working my socks off since five o’clock this morning, and you seem like a nice enough person.’ She yawned as she wiggled around to get comfy.
Maria sipped her coffee delicately, aware of the steam curling up from the surface. ‘Of course not. Sounds like you could do with a break. Do you have far to travel to work in the morning?’
‘Oh, no!’ Harriet laughed. ‘I live right upstairs, in the flat above the café.’
Surprised, Maria placed her cup down and looked up at the ceiling. ‘Really? Gosh, it must be tiny. Have you always lived up there?’
‘No, not always. My late husband and I moved into this place about thirty years ago. We had a vision in our minds of opening up our own café and, with hard work and determination, that’s exactly what we did. It didn’t look like this at first, I can tell you. It was a complete mess. I’m not sure what the place had been previously but it had stunk to high-heaven of cigarettes and booze. We practically had to fumigate the place. It took a while to really take shape but it was worth it once we’d finished. I’ve never lived anywhere since. I don’t think I could leave because it’s where we spent so much time together, side by side. And as for the flat? It is very small but the perfect size for me. I have everything I need up there, and it’s been home for so long now. It’s quite comfy when you see it, everything has its own place and I do enjoy watching my soaps up there of an evening. Peter used to love watching them too, surprisingly. He seemed to enjoy anything that I enjoyed. We were like two peas in a pod.’
Maria smiled softly. ‘I’m sorry about your husband. Was he very young?’
‘He was rather young, yes. But then again, any age would have been too young in my eyes. He’d always had problems with his heart, and this one turned out to be a bigger problem than all of the others. Still, he hasn’t left me, not really. He’ll always be with me in here.’ Harriet placed her hand upon her chest and closed her eyes momentarily. ‘Plus, I have this place which we both built up from the ground, so I’ll never really forget him. I suppose what I could have done once I found myself alone was go and see the world but, for me, it didn’t hold much appeal. This place is my home and always will be. I think I’ll remain here forever, or at least until I join Peter again.’ She smiled, and Maria realised she really liked the woman sat opposite her. There was a softness about Harriet that rubbed off and seemed to soothe even Maria herself. She enjoyed being in her company very much, and she’d only sat down at the table a short while ago.
‘That’s lovely.’ Maria took another sip of her coffee. ‘And no one can blame you for staying anyway. The area is gorgeous. You could travel the world but afterwards, I suppose there’s no place like home, is there?’
‘You’re