by Agatha Frost
Julia handed over her tea, which Jessie accepted gratefully. She sipped the warm drink, her eyes blank as they stared at the burnt logs in the whistling fireplace.
“Is there something wrong with me?” Jessie asked, frowning into her tea. “Every time something is going well, it seems to go wrong.”
“Oh, Jessie,” Julia said, wrapping her arm tightly around her shoulders. “It’s not your fault. Things like this – they just happen. You’ll meet other boys, and you’ll fall in love again.”
“I don’t want to,” she said after another sip of the tea. “They’re a waste of space. Billy sent me a text last night asking me not to end things.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I wasn’t being an army wife who waits for their boyfriend to get back or not get back from wars,” Jessie said. “It’s stupid. He’s only joining up because he thinks he’ll never get a job in Peridale. I bet it’s his dad who put the idea in his head. He never once spoke about it, and then all of a sudden it’s a dream he’s always had but just forgot to tell me. How does that make any sense?”
“Men are complicated,” Julia said, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. “Simple, and yet incredibly complicated creatures.”
“They’re idiots,” Jessie said, her brows drawing together in a frown. “What’s the point?”
Julia was not sure she could answer. She had a failed twelve-year marriage under her belt and was only into her first year with Barker. She loved him with all of her heart and was glad she had met him when she did because she was old enough to appreciate their relationship. How could she explain that to a seventeen-year-old girl?
“One day you’ll meet someone who’ll make you understand why it’s worth it,” Julia assured her, watching as Mowgli padded into the room licking his lips. “Until then, live your life for you.”
Jessie exhaled heavily and finished the last of the tea, which was uncharacteristic for her. She rested the empty cup in her lap and stared at the leafy dregs in the bottom as though reading her own fortune. When she did not see what she wanted, she cast the cup onto the stack of pizza boxes on the floor and melted into Julia’s side.
“Get some sleep,” Julia whispered as she stroked the back of her hair through the fluffy blanket. “Mondays are always quiet. Come into the café when you’re ready, or not at all. I’ll manage on my own for one day.”
Jessie rubbed her tired eyes and nodded. With the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders, she walked back to her bedroom.
There were times when Jessie caught Julia off guard by how grown-up she seemed, and other times she looked like a lost little girl; this morning was an example of the latter.
Something vibrated and lit up where Jessie had been sitting. It was her mobile phone, and a text message had just come through from Billy. Julia did not realise she was reading a preview of the message until it was too late. ‘I love you. Please text me, we need to-’. Leaving the phone where Jessie had left it, Julia turned off the television and walked back into the kitchen to start work on the coconut buttercream to spread in between the rainbow slices.
“It’s all part of growing up,” Julia assured Mowgli as he begged for attention on the corner of the counter. “She’ll be okay.”
Barker’s alarm went off a little after sunrise, but Julia was already waiting by the bed with a full English breakfast, a rack of toast, and a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” she smiled before kissing him gently on the forehead. “Happy Birthday, Barker.”
“Breakfast in bed?” he asked, his voice faint and croaky. “I wish it was my birthday every day.”
Barker sat up in bed, letting the covers fall into his lap. Julia placed one of her pillows on his knees and balanced the tray carefully on top, the bacon and sausages still piping hot.
“How long have you been up?” Barker asked, rubbing his eyes as he stared down at the food. “It’s early.”
“Not long,” she lied. “About half an hour.”
Julia failed to mention she had finished constructing his birthday cake, successfully hidden it at the back of the fridge, baked a decoy chocolate cake along with two-dozen cupcakes for the café, wrapped his birthday present, showered, and eaten her own breakfast.
She perched on the edge of their bed, and watched him wolf down his breakfast. Before officially moving in, Barker had been splitting his time between his cottage down the lane and hers, but since having him there full time, she had come to appreciate how much of a good mood it put her in waking up next to him every single morning. In the short time they had been living together, they had painted over the magnolia walls in the bedroom with a soft shade of dusky blue, bought a brand new king size wooden bed complete with new bedding, matching bedside tables, and a new wardrobe for Barker’s work shirts. Julia could barely remember the time it had just been her bedroom.
“Is Jessie up yet?” Barker asked through a mouthful of toast, crumbs and melted butter on his stubbly chin.
“I told her to sleep in,” Julia said, not wanting to mention their early morning chat. “I think she’s struggling with this whole Billy situation.”
Barker sighed as he moved the beans around his plate with his fork. He looked up at Julia, a hesitant smile on his face.
“I care about Jessie, but –”
“You can’t help but think it’s for the best?”
“I’m not alone then,” Barker said, a little more confidently. “The amount of trouble that boy got into when I first moved to this village. There wasn’t a week that went by when I didn’t arrest him for something. I know he was starting to change, and underneath it all, he’s actually a sweet kid, but the army might be just what he needs. Structure and discipline are underrated these days. It’ll make him grow up.”
“He told her he loves her,” Julia whispered, not wanting to risk Jessie overhearing despite knowing she was probably in a deep sleep by now. “I think she loves him too.”
“Do you remember being seventeen and thinking that you were in love for real?” Barker asked, dropping his fork onto the plate. “Mine was Stacey Crenshaw. I think they go by Simon Crenshaw these days, but that’s not the point. She’ll meet other guys.”
“Sue and Neil met when they were seventeen,” Julia said, thinking about her sister’s happy relationship. “They’re both thirty-two, married, and she’s pregnant with his twins.”
“Do you really see that for Jessie?”
“I don’t know,” Julia admitted, unsure of what she saw for the teen. “I take things one day at a time. She’s more fragile than she comes across.”
“And tougher than you give her credit for.” Barker placed the tray on the edge of his bedside table and jumped out of bed in his black boxer briefs. He picked up his dressing gown, which he always left on the floor next to the bed, and pulled it on. “That girl has been through a lot this year. Good and bad. It wasn’t that long ago that she was stabbed in that attic after being kidnapped by that mad woman. Most fully-grown adults would crumble to bits after something like that, and she’s still going.”
“I know she’s strong,” Julia said. “I know that better than anyone. I just want her to be happy, but that’s not realistic, is it? Life is messy and complex.”
“And she needs to go through it,” Barker said as he kissed Julia on the top of the head. “You’ve given that girl a life she was never going to have, but you can’t protect her from everything.”
Julia sighed, but she reluctantly nodded. She knew Barker was completely right. She could try her best to be there for Jessie through everything, but she would never become the woman she was destined to be if she did not face all the real world had to offer. She had seen more than most going through the social care system and living on the streets, but there was still so much for her to figure out.
“Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious.”
“Breakfast in bed isn’t the end of it,” Julia said, eager to push her mind back onto Barker’s birthday. “
Your present is in the dining room.”
Julia nodded her permission for him to go and look. She followed him into the dining room, where the giant rectangular box waited for him.
“I used two whole rolls,” Julia said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. “It was harder to wrap than it looks.”
Barker tore off the corner and pulled off a large strip of the paper, the colourful picture of the television jumping out on the front of the box.
“A new TV?” Barker cried, the grin continuing to grow. “Sixty-two inches?”
“And it’s 4K and 3D and all those other nonsense words you said you wanted,” Julia said, pulling off the rest of the paper. “I don’t understand what’s wrong with the one I have, but you seemed to really want a new one, so I thought I’d sacrifice half of the sitting room for the sake of this mammoth screen.”
“You have no idea how much I love you right now,” Barker said, wrapping his arms around her neck. “We can put the old one in the bedroom so we can watch movies in bed.”
“That decision will need some more discussion,” Julia said. “I was thinking of offering it to Jessie so she could watch what she wanted in private. I might order her one of those stick things so she can watch things off the internet.”
“’One of those stick things’?” Barker asked playfully. “You sound like your gran right now. Next, you’re going to tell me you miss the days of VHS and mobile phones with buttons.”
“The buttons were easier to use,” she said with a shrug. “You should get ready for work. You can play with your new toy when you get home.”
Barker kissed her softly before slipping into the bathroom. When steam drifted from under the door, Julia carefully opened Jessie’s door, popping her head around the edge. Jessie was curled up on top of her bed, a pillow clutched to her chest as she snored softly.
“Sleep tight,” Julia whispered before closing the door again.
Julia quickly dressed for work, opting for blue jeans and a navy blouse; it was far too cold to have exposed legs today. She waited by the front door in her pink pea coat while Barker ironed his suit in the hallway in nothing more than his underwear. When he was finally dressed, he grabbed his briefcase, and they drove into the village together in Julia’s car.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” Barker said, kissing her on the cheek as he opened the door. “I expect a huge slice of chocolate cake today of all days.”
“Consider it done.”
They parted ways, leaving Julia to open the café. She was thankful that Mondays were always quiet because it allowed her to perform her weekly stock check and to deep clean the place. The bell above the door did not ring out until nearly noon.
“Excuse me,” a young and fashionably dressed woman said, one hand still on the door. “We’re looking for directions to Peridale Manor. Do you have any idea where that is?”
Julia stepped around the counter, a crease in her brow. She dusted her flour-covered hands down her apron, glancing out of the window at the car the girl had exited. Julia could almost not believe who was behind the wheel.
“Ethan?” Julia mumbled, squinting through the window. “Why is Ethan in the village?”
“Huh?” the girl asked, whipping her brown and blonde ombré curls over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“The man driving that car,” Julia said, extending a finger to the slender, bald man behind the wheel. “I told my dad to keep him at Peridale Manor.”
The girl looked at the man Julia was pointing at. She seemed just as confused as Julia felt for a moment, before tossing her head back to let out a high-pitched laugh.
“Is your name Julia?” the girl asked, clicking her fingers together. “That would make total sense.”
“I am,” Julia said with a nod. “Who are you?”
“Bella,” she said. “Bella Brown. That’s not Ethan, that’s my father, Theo. They’re twins.”
“Oh,” Julia said, feeling her cheeks turning bright red. “I should have really known that, shouldn’t I?”
“It’s okay,” Bella said with a shrug, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “It used to happen all the time before – well, when they were closer. Haven’t seen Uncle Ethan since the funeral. So, you’re Uncle Barker’s girlfriend?”
Julia nodded and watched as Bella pouted into the camera of her phone, taking a selfie against Julia’s pink and blue wallpaper. She changed facial expressions half a dozen times, snapping away like she was in the middle of a photo-shoot.
“The lighting in here is too perfect,” Bella exclaimed, looking around the small café. “Maybe I should get Conrad in here for a couple’s selfie?”
Julia looked into the car, where a tanned, handsome young man with bright blond hair was sitting in the passenger seat. Theo, who looked eerily like his brother, but without the crooked nose, bobbed his head to see what was taking his daughter so long.
“I’ve never really been one for selfies,” Julia confessed, almost apologetically. “We had film cameras when I was your age, and it wasn’t as fun when you had to wait for them to develop.”
“It’s for my followers,” Bella said as she adjusted the lighting and colours on the picture she had just taken, transforming it into something that looked almost professional. “I have eleven thousand. Conrad’s almost at one hundred. It’s easier to get followers when you have abs these days, don’t you think?”
“One hundred?” Julia laughed awkwardly. “I think I have thirty-four Facebook friends. I don’t think I know one hundred people.”
“Oh, I meant one hundred thousand,” Bella said with a shrug as though the number meant nothing. “I don’t know how he deals with the pressure, but I guess it’s his job now.”
“He makes money from selfies?”
“Companies pay him to advertise their stuff,” Bella said, glancing back at her boyfriend in the car, who was engrossed with whatever was happening on his phone. “Teeth whitening products, food supplements, detox teas, clothes, you name it. Hey! I could probably get him to give you a discount to shout-out your café! I suppose we’re family now, aren’t we?”
“I suppose we are,” Julia said with an anxious smile, understanding virtually none of what the girl was talking about. “I’ll have to think about that.”
“Directions?” the girl asked after Theo honked on the horn three times in quick succession. “It’s been a long drive.”
“Right,” Julia said, turning and grabbing her notepad from the counter to scribble down a crude map. “If you go up past The Plough, take a right at the B&B, and continue onto Mulberry Lane, you’ll pass an antique barn. Take a right, and then a left, and you’ll see a sign at the bottom of a winding lane that will point you in the right direction. That’s the quickest way from here. You can’t miss it.”
“Thank you,” Bella said, looking down at the map with a tilted head. “I suppose I’ll see you later at the party.”
“I suppose you will,” Julia said, pushing forward a polite smile. “It was lovely to meet you, Bella.”
“You too, Julie.”
“It’s Juli-a.”
“Right,” she said, pointing at Julia as she walked backwards out of the café, the map clenched against her phone. “I’ll remember that. See-ya!”
The young woman spun around, her stylish hair bouncing over her shoulder. She jumped into the car and passed the map to her father. She said something that made Theo bob down and stare through the window at Julia. Julia waved and smiled, but the man did not bother to return it. He sped off, the tyres screeching as he went.
“Oh, Julia,” she whispered to herself as she spotted Jessie wandering down the lane from their cottage. “What have you got yourself into?”
3
“Dot,” Barker said through a strained smile. “You shouldn’t have.”
“Oh, it was no bother!” Dot waved her hand dismissively as she leaned back in her chair with a pleased smile. “I saw it and immediately thought of you.”
; “’How To Survive Your Midlife Crisis’,” Sue, Julia’s sister, read the title aloud over his shoulder. “Can I borrow that for my Neil when you’re finished?”
“I’m only thirty-nine,” Barker said, his cheeks flushing as he placed the book on the table next to his half-finished slice of chocolate cake. “It’s the thought that counts I suppose.”
“You’re displaying all the classic symptoms,” Dot announced with another wave of her hand. “Anyone can see it.”
“The symptoms?” Julia asked, sending a playful wink across the dining table to Barker as she sucked the chocolate off her fork. “Please, do enlighten us, Gran.”
“Well, that ridiculous television speaks for itself,” Dot cried, craning her neck to look at the new set in the sitting room. “It’s like a cinema! What’s wrong with a nice little eleven-inch screen?”
“It was a gift!” Barker cried defensively, looking at Julia for support. “Julia bought it. If anyone is having the crisis, it’s her.”
“You did ask for it,” she replied with a shrug. “Classic symptom, like Gran says.”
“They used to make TVs that small?” Jessie mumbled, looking up from her plate as she traced her fork around the outline of her untouched chocolate cake. “Sounds pointless.”
“What are the other symptoms, Gran?” Sue asked, smirking at Julia as she rubbed her firm bump. “Keep going.”
“Weight gain!” Dot cried, poking Barker’s soft stomach. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, all of those cakes aren’t doing you any good, Barker Brown!”
“It’s my birthday!” he mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate icing. “I’m exactly the same weight I was this time last year.”
“And this idea that you’re going to write a crime book?” Dot exclaimed, casting a finger over to the vintage typewriter in the corner. “Classic symptom. Stick to what you know, and that’s being an average detective inspector!”
Sue choked on her glass of water as she stared ahead at Julia with the usual look of ‘did Gran really just say that?’ plastered across her face.