A Year at The Cosy Cottage Café_A heart-warming feel-good read about life, love, loss, friendship and second chances

by Rachel Griffiths

  “Yay! Can we keep them all?”

  Dawn looked at the four tiny white guinea pigs, then at her children’s delighted expressions and knew that she couldn’t refuse. They’d already lost one guinea pig, even if they knew nothing about it, so she could hardly deny them this.

  “I guess so. But I think we’d better give them some darkness now and close the door so they don’t get cold. Wallace has a big job ahead of him… I mean her.”

  “Wallace is a girl!” Laura shrieked then she held her belly as she giggled.

  “Indeed she is.”

  “Can we have a boy baby then Mummy, because there are too many girls now.” James frowned, his light brown brows meeting in the middle of his smooth forehead.

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Dawn ruffled his hair then ushered the children towards the house. “Come on, time to get ready for school.”

  Fenella led them inside and Dawn turned and gazed at the garden. Lulu was hopping about in the run, stopping to nibble at the grass. Dawn realised that it was lucky that the rabbit hadn’t attacked the baby guinea pigs – she thought she recalled reading that they were called pups – or even eaten them. That thought turned her stomach but she knew she’d read about rabbits turning on their own young. They would need to get another hutch now to give Wallace some space to raise her family. Especially as it had turned colder and Lulu couldn’t stay out in the run all day.

  More than ever, she wished her husband was here, so she could speak to him about what had happened and so that he could help her to decide on what needed to be done.

  She stepped inside the kitchen and closed the door.

  Then her heart leapt as she spotted Rick standing in the hallway, his face dark with stubble, his eyes red and his suit crumpled as if he’d slept in it. Laura and James were clinging to his hands, asking him why he’d come home from work at this time and Fenella was trying to get them to go upstairs to brush their teeth.

  “Laura, James, go on upstairs. I’ll be up in a bit.” Dawn used her strictest voice and the children listened, as if aware that their parents needed some time alone.

  “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” Fenella gave a quick wave.

  Then it was just Dawn and her husband and the air was filled with tension so thick she could barely breathe.

  “I am so sorry,” he whispered. “I’ve done something terrible.”

  Dawn wobbled and Rick was suddenly beside her, taking her arm. He helped her to a chair and she sat down then placed her palms flat on the kitchen table as if to anchor herself.

  Rick took the chair next to hers and sat facing her. She noticed that he couldn’t keep his hands still, he was wringing them together, his knuckles were white and his cuticles were ragged as if he’d been chewing them through the night.

  “So you’ve done something terrible?”

  “Yes. Well I think so. Although it might not be terrible… it depends how you see it, really.”

  “Something unforgiveable?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  The ground shifted beneath her and she gasped.

  “Dawn?”

  “I’m all right. Just a bit dizzy.”

  “I am so sorry for putting you through all of this.”

  “Rick, if you’d just let me know where you were last night. I was so worried.”

  “God, I know.” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I’m sorry, I was in such a state. Jake took me to a bar and we got drunk and… I’m just sorry. I was in no fit state to come home.”

  “You didn’t come home because you got drunk? What if something had been wrong with one of the children or with the baby… I wouldn’t have been able to reach you.”

  Dawn expected to feel anger rising again but instead a strange numbness was taking over, spreading like ice through her limbs and dulling her thoughts. Making them sluggish.

  “Dawn, I’d better just get straight to the point here. I got drunk because of what I did.”

  “Did you… did you cheat, Rick?”

  She clamped her jaw shut to stop herself crying, although a lump had risen in her throat and her eyes were burning.

  “Did I cheat?” His bloodshot eyes widened. “Me?”

  “You’ve been acting strangely. You’ve been distant. You didn’t come home last night and now you’re telling me you did something terrible. What’s worse than cheating?”

  “Dawnie, I love you, I would never cheat on you. Is that what you thought?”

  “Well look at me!” She gestured at her jogging bottoms and baggy t-shirt then at her face, where she knew she had a line from a crease in the pillowcase. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she certainly didn’t feel at her most attractive.

  “Look at you? Dawn you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  “But right now I’m all fat and swollen and…” Her lip wobbled so she stopped talking.

  “You’re absolutely gorgeous. I love you so much and even if you put on twenty stone, I’d still love you because you would be you. Don’t you get that? And right now, your body is changing again because you’re carrying our baby. That, to me, makes you even more beautiful.”

  “Really?”

  He took her hands. “Really. I’ll never ever want anyone else. That’s why I married you. I have never ever cheated and I never ever will.”

  “So what’s wrong then? Why all the secretive phone calls and longer hours and the distance between us? When you were home last week, things seemed so much better but then you stay out all night…”

  “If you think I’ve been distant then I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be at all. I’ve just had a lot on my mind. I did before you found out you were pregnant again but it kind of added to the pressure.”

  “It wasn’t the best time, was it?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I don’t care about the timing now. I’m delighted that we’ll have another child, but for me, I need to be able to provide for you all. I want you to be happy and secure and if you’ve been feeling the opposite of that then it’s an ironic mess.”

  “Oh Rick.” She squeezed his hands.

  “Dawn… yesterday I quit my job.”

  “What?”

  “I quit. Well, I didn’t exactly walk out empty-handed but the company has suffered some losses recently and they asked for volunteers to come forward to accept redundancies.”

  Dawn’s mouth had fallen open so she forced it shut.

  “You don’t need to worry, Dawnie, it’s a good package. I wouldn’t have considered it otherwise. I promise you that.”

  “You gave up your job?’

  His cheeks blanched. “You’re not happy. See, this is why I was concerned you’d think it was terrible. The last thing I want to do is to put you under more pressure. But honestly, angel, we have more than enough money to pay the mortgage and bills for two years… more if we’re careful. I know it’s not the best time to be careful with money with a new baby on the way but I won’t just sit around doing nothing. I have some ideas… and contacts. I know people who’d give me a job tomorrow. I’ll need to go into the City for a few days next week just to tie up loose ends but then I’ll be free.”

  Dawn started to laugh.

  “Dawnie?”

  “Rick, I’m not worried. We still have money that we saved when I was working. We won’t be broke; I know that. And if it came to it we could sell this house and downsize.”

  “I don’t want to do that to you and the children.”

  “No, I know. But it’s always an option. And after the baby’s born, I could look for work. Do some supply teaching just to keep some money coming in. I was hoping to go back to work anyway, wasn’t I… before we found out we were expecting again?”

  “So you’re not mad?”

  “Not at all. In fact, I’m delighted. Just think of the time we can spend together. It was so lovely having you home last week.”

  “Well, that was one of my ideas. I could set up as an independent f
inancial adviser. Work mainly from home and go out when necessary. It would mean I’d be around more for when baby number three comes.”

  “Oh Rick I love that idea.”

  “And if you want to return to work next year, then that’s up to you, but you know you don’t need to.”

  “I know that, but I think I’d like to. Even if it’s just for a day or two a week.”

  Her heart soared as she let everything sink in. Rick wouldn’t be working such long hours anymore. He wouldn’t have to leave for the train at the crack of dawn or return after Laura and James had gone to bed. It would be so good for the children. So good for them.

  Then a thought struck her like a bucket of ice-cold water.

  The email.

  There was still the issue of the email.

  “Rick.”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s one more thing.”

  He nodded.

  “I was upset… because I’d got it into my head that you were cheating. And I’m so glad that isn’t the case but I did something I shouldn’t have.”

  “You did?” He watched her, his hazel eyes wary.

  “I went into your email account.”

  He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d do that but there’s nothing in there to worry about.”

  “I found an email. Titled FYEO. About a weekend away. From another woman. Brianna Mandrell.”

  Understanding filled his eyes.

  “Ahhhhh…”

  “But you’re not cheating?”

  He smiled. “No, but I’m gutted you found that. It was meant to be a surprise. I was trying to organise a weekend away for us without the children. I’d enlisted Camilla and your mother to take care of Laura and James. I wanted to take you away for a weekend of pampering, to ensure that you got some rest and so that we could have some quality time together.”

  “It was about a booking for us?”

  “Of course.”

  Relief washed over her.

  “Rick, I’m so relieved. I spoke to Camilla and she insisted it was nothing to worry about and said she’d speak to you. It all makes sense now. She was probably going to tell you to talk to me about it, so I’d stop worrying.”

  He opened his arms and she moved into them, sitting on his lap as he kissed her gently.

  “I thought I was losing you.”

  “You’ll never lose me.”

  “I love you.”

  “And I love you.”

  “Daddy!” James shot into the kitchen closely pursued by a red-faced Fenella.

  “James! Come here right now. I’m so sorry. I told him you needed time to talk but he was desperate to tell you.” Fenella straightened her blouse.

  “Daddy!”

  “No let me tell him.” Laura ran up to her father and took hold of his face. “Stop looking at Mummy for a minute and concentrate.”

  Rick winked at Dawn then nodded at his daughter.

  “Laura, you have my undivided attention.”

  “Good.”

  “It’s Wallace,” James blurted. “He’s a girl.”

  “James!” Laura turned to her brother. “Shut up.”

  “Wallace is a girl?” Rick’s eyebrows shot up and colour flooded his cheeks then he started laughing. “Well that’s a shocker. But how do you know for sure?”

  Laura folded her arms and rolled her eyes. “She had babies Daddy.”

  “Babies?”

  “Yes. Lots of tiny white babies and Mummy said we’re going to keep them all.” James jumped up and down. “Yay for baby guinea pigs!”

  “Let’s go and see them again, James.”

  The children hurried out into the garden.

  “I take it that you two worked things out then?” Fenella eyed them both. “Not my business, I know… well it is because I love you both and want you and my grandchildren to be happy… and you look… happier.”

  “Everything’s sorted, Fenella. Life is going to be much better now for all of us.”

  “I’ll fill you in later, Mum,” Rick said. “But right now I think we’d better go and check that James isn’t handling the new additions to the family. He’ll scare them half to death.”

  “And we don’t want another dead guinea pig round here.” Dawn gasped as she realised what she’d just said.

  Fenella frowned. “Another dead guinea pig?”

  “Something else I’ll explain,” Rick said.

  They followed Fenella out into the garden and Dawn’s heart was so full of love that she thought she might just float off into the sky, if Rick wasn’t holding her hand so tight.

  11

  “Oooh, look Mummy!” James pointed at The Cosy Cottage Café as they walked through the gate. The path and steps were lined with pumpkins of varying sizes. Each one had a different expression and glowed in the twilight. Dawn knew they had LED tealights inside them instead of naked flames. Allie always considered the safest option with children around, which Dawn was glad of as James’s curiosity meant he’d probably try to examine their light source.

  The trees in the café garden and the pergola were draped with strings of tiny pumpkin-shaped lights and a few black bats dangled from them, swaying in the gentle evening breeze.

  The front of the café itself was dressed with fake cobwebs that hung from the shutters, and to the side of the front door, was a four-foot skeleton. As the café door opened and Allie emerged carrying a tray, the skeleton cackled and shook.

  “Mummy, it’s alive!” James grabbed her hand.

  “Don’t be silly, James,” Laura said. “It’s obviously activated when someone goes near it, which means it has a movement sensor.”

  Dawn looked at Rick and he shrugged. “I guess she’s learned about it in school.”

  “Or watching the Discovery Channel.”

  “Hello!” Allie called as she approached them, depositing the tray she was carrying on a nearby table.

  In keeping with the café theme, Allie was dressed as a giant pumpkin. She was wearing black tights and boots with a velvet pumpkin dress that hung to her knees. On her head was a green headband with a thick green stalk sticking out of it. She’d tied her hair back and painted her face orange.

  “You look amazing, Allie. You always make such an effort.”

  Allie smiled warmly.

  “Have you seen Jordan and Max yet?”

  Dawn looked around and spotted the young men at the drinks table. She took in their matching grey werewolf costumes. They’d outlined their eyes with coal pencil and drawn whiskers around their stick on snouts.

  “I told them they’d terrify the children looking like that but Jordan insisted that kids these days aren’t scared by werewolves. Popular culture means that if they saw a zombie walking along the street they wouldn’t bat an eyelid.” Allie shook her head.

  “How things change, eh?”

  “And you guys look great! Laura, I think you are the scariest vampire I’ve ever seen.”

  “I’m not a vampire, I’m a witch.”

  “Oh!” Allie grimaced at Dawn. “Of course you are. And James… you are a terrifying ghost.”

  “You can see me?”

  “Who said that?” Allie frowned and batted the air around her, causing James to giggle.

  “You can see me when I say you can,” James said, throwing back the hood of the white robe that Dawn had fashioned out of an old sheet. It was a simple costume but James had insisted that he wanted to be a ghost like the ones in the old movies, because then he could be invisible. “See me now!” He clapped his hands and Allie gasped.

  “Well that’s just amazing.”

  James giggled. Dawn wasn’t convinced that he believed he was invisible but he was enjoying himself, so it didn’t really matter.

  “Allie, did you hear about Wallace?” Laura asked.

  “No…” Allie glanced at Dawn and Dawn shook her head.

  “He’s a she and she had babies.”

  “Really?” Allie raised her eyebrows. “That’
s amazing.”

  Dawn bit her lip to hold her laughter in. She had told her friend about the replacement guinea pig’s surprise delivery the previous Tuesday, when she’d met up with her friends at the café, but she’d told Allie that the children would probably want to tell her all about it themselves.

  “I had my suspicions that something was wrong because Wallace was so fat.” Laura nodded.

  “You did?”

  “Yes. And… the strangest thing was that his… her… eyes changed colour.”

  “Did they?” Dawn blurted the question before she could stop herself.

  “Oh yes. I noticed that there was something different about Wallace at the same time I noticed that she was fatter.”

  “I see.” Rick’s smile was getting bigger by the minute.

  “Wallace’s eyes were pinky-red but they changed to blue. It must have been because she was going to have babies.” Laura folded her arms and turned to Dawn. “When will your eyes change colour, Mummy?”

  Dawn gulped under her daughter’s scrutiny and Allie snorted loudly.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Laura asked. “Why is that funny?”

  Rick squeezed his daughter’s shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later, angel. I think Mummy and I need to explain a few things to you.”

  “Yes, I think we do,” Dawn said.

  “Oh, okay. Can we go and get a drink, Mummy?” Laura asked.

  “Of course.”

  Laura and James went over to the drinks table and James tugged on Jordan’s furry tail. Jordan kept turning around, pretending not to know who was there.

  “Well that’s something we can’t allow her to believe, Rick.” Dawn shook her head. “I think we’ll have to tell her the truth about Wallace.”

  “She’s pretty sensible, Dawn, so I think she’ll understand why you did it.” Allie smiled.

  “I think she will, too. At least if she is sad about Wallace the first, the new guinea pigs will help to cheer her up. Although I do miss the original Wallace, I have to be honest.”

  “Well you’ll have our new baby to cheer you up soon.” Rick slid his arm around Dawn’s shoulders. “And this is yet another amazing party, Allie.”