Dedicated to killyourcupcakes, even though she still hasn't made fetch happen.

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“So,” Nora began, as I settled into the opposite seat with my hands around a hot cappuccino. “How’s it been? You have to tell me everything.”

            It seemed strange that, tucked away in a busy Starbucks during the first time alone we’d had since Summer’s birth, Nora was asking me this. She was, after all, the one who’d just had a baby; the past seven days had seen her being hurled headfirst into the deep end of motherhood. I was sure that ranked a little more exciting than what I had to talk about – which was, of course, my summer so far in England’s sleepiest seaside town.

            And yet we were both here, tucked into a two-seater by the window, while Nora smiled expectantly at me over her coffee.

            Conforming to the rest of London’s routine at this time of day, the place was bustling. Clattering mugs and room-wide chatter made up a larger part of the shop’s soundtrack than the radio blasting over the speakers, and almost every table was occupied; we’d had to dash the moment another couple vacated their spot. It was hectic, but it felt normal. Everyone here was just a face in the crowd I’d likely never see again.

            It stood a stark contrast to the lethargy of Walden-on-Sea.

            Summer was now a week old, and Nora almost recovered from the ordeal, though I was yet to make my return to Walden. Gram had driven back several days ago, offering to take me with her, but I’d declined. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I found myself wanting to stay in London just that little bit longer.

            It was still my home, and yet I couldn’t deny something felt slightly off. It was as if three weeks in a cottage on the south coast had already altered my perception; I’d become used to waking up to the sound of the ocean rather than traffic rattling the window frames. One morning I even found myself wondering if Walden was in for some kind of freak tsunami, before realising that I was in fact one hundred and fifty miles away, in a flat in the country’s busiest city.

            The camp bed in Lenny’s living room wasn’t exactly the most comfortable living arrangement, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave just yet. I may have been as sleep-deprived as they were, now accustomed to the sound of Summer’s crying at all hours of the night, but I didn’t like the thought of separating from Nora again so soon. For now, at least, I felt as though I had the sense of stability back in my life – even if it was preoccupied with a newborn baby and I was living out of an overnight bag.

            “Well,” I said slowly, as Nora leaned back in her chair. I could tell she was preparing herself for a long story, detailing the adventures that had filled the time we’d been apart. “There’s not really much to tell.”

            It seemed true, at least on the surface. It was only when I began to think about what really had happened over the last few weeks that I began to doubt myself. Walden-on-Sea could undoubtedly bag prizes for being the dullest town in Britain, but that was only the case if the judge hadn’t met Daniel, Erin and their friends.

            “Oh, come on,” she said, stirring her coffee. “You’ve been away for almost a month. There has to be something to tell me. What’s Gram’s place like?”

            The cottage’s image was surprisingly easy to conjure up in my mind; I could instantly picture the whitewashed walls, the vibrant paint of each room, the thatched roof I was always convinced was going to collapse at the first sight of rain but never did. “It’s nice,” I said truthfully, “and my room overlooks the sea.”

            “Really?” Nora’s eyebrows raised. “God, I’m so jealous. I mean, Lenny’s place is okay, but a sixth storey view of the main road doesn’t really compare to something like that.”

            “Lenny’s place isn’t that bad.”

            Bringing the cup to my lips, I took a drink of the steaming liquid, jolting as it scalded my tongue. I’d been unprepared for the heat against my mouth, but soon realised the damage was done; there was nothing for it now but to go in for another sip.

            “So, have you made any new friends?” Nora wasted no time in diving straight into the next question, her expression eager. “There must be some kids your age, right?”

            I went in for a longer sip this time, deliberately delaying my answer. Nora was the equivalent of an embarrassing mother, and I wondered if spilling the details about my sort of – maybe – new crush was wise. After all, she wasn’t exactly known for keeping her nose out of things.

            “Yeah,” I said eventually. “I’ve met a few people. I went to that party – you know, the one I got invited to on the day we got there?”

            “You did?” Her face practically lit up. “That’s great, Flo! How was it?”

            “It was…” I was hit by a sudden flashback, of what could only be described as my freak-out at the mention of the word parents. I remembered hiding in the bathroom, the crippling nerves, the scrutiny of Collette’s gaze as she looked me up and down. It was almost strong enough to bring back a second round of the panic, but it merged into something else just in time.

            The conversation in the kitchen with Erin, the intangible bond that linked us together. How I’d returned to the party and done something I hadn’t, at that point, thought possible: I’d enjoyed myself, without being in London and without my sister. “It was fun, actually.”

            Her grin widened, though I wasn’t quite sure how. “Oh, Flo. I’m so happy for you.” Inching forward, she placed her elbows on the table. “So, tell me… any fit Walden guys?”

            I’d expected the question at some point, attributing my straight face to the mental preparation I’d had time for beforehand. Tactfully averting my gaze downward, focusing on the specks of chocolate floating atop the coffee foam, I shook my head. “Not really.”

            I had never been the world’s most talented liar. Since I was a kid, I’d been no good at it. One Christmas, I remember stumbling across Mum’s hiding place for all our presents and not being able to resist sneaking a peek at every single one. It would’ve been fine if the guilt hadn’t racked me from then onward, eventually leading me to blurt out the truth and burst into tears on my mother’s lap several hours later. I just couldn’t lie.

            Maybe I could’ve gotten away with it. If I just kept my head down, letting my hair’s loose curls shield my face from view, I might’ve been able to get off scot-free.

            As it turned out, my phone chose that exact moment to come to life. With a buzz that vibrated the entire table, its screen illuminated, flashing the six-letter word that gave it all away.

            “Text from Daniel?” Nora asked, struggling to hold back a smirk. Though I snatched the mobile up as quickly as I could, my reactions had been just that little bit too slow. She’d seen the name, and by now I was blushing full-force.

            Whichever way I looked at it, there was absolutely no wriggling out of this one. Because while Nora had her slightly ditzy moments, she was by all means persistent.

            “It’s nothing.”

            “Oh, really?” Her smirk intensified. “It doesn’t seem like nothing. He’s obviously got something to say.”

            I gripped the phone more tightly, half-afraid she would rip it out of my hands and read the message herself, but the hot coffee on the table seemed to deter her.

            Lowering my phone safely into my lap, well out of Nora’s reach, I ducked my head to check the message. It flashed up immediately onscreen, my eyes scanning over it eagerly. We’d exchanged a lengthy text conversation spanning the week I’d been in London, although there had been no mention of what had happened the night I’d stayed over. It was much too heavy to discuss over text messages, but even in person, it wouldn’t feel right to bring up in daylight. Some things were banished to the safety of darkness, where the slate would be wiped before sunrise. I wondered if we’d ever get round to mentioning it, even after I arrived back in Walden.

            His messages, however, rarely failed to make me smile – especially when they consisted of tales about Erin being roped in to cover my shifts at the shop. Just imagining her scowling face behind the counter as she scooped ice cream into cones made me have to bite back a smile.

            You coming home soon? it read. We miss you.

            A round of butterflies instantly erupted in my stomach. I almost forgot that Nora was sat across the table from me, watching my girlish expression with amusement painted across her own.

            Only then did I notice the most significant part of the text: the way Daniel had referred to Walden as ‘home’. Of course, it was to him; he’d lived there his entire life. But to me? The world almost didn’t sound strange enough.

            “What’s he saying, then?” Nora asked, obviously fed up of watching me smile idiotically at my phone. “Text message love letter?”

            I rolled my eyes. “You’re so immature.”

            She stuck her tongue out, effectively proving my point. “Come on, Flo. You said there was nothing to tell. You were lying. You and Daniel have got something going on, haven’t you? You little sneak!”

            “No,” I said firmly. “He’s just a friend, that’s all. He just wanted to know when I was planning to head back.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yes,” I told her, knowing better than to elaborate. One slip-up could be disastrous; Nora had a knack for twisting my words into something one hundred times more embarrassing. Years’ experience had taught me it was better to keep quiet. “What? Stop looking at me like that.”

            Though I tried to sound irritated, we’d both noticed the way my cheeks were warming considerably – and I couldn’t put it down to the heat of the coffee I’d been drinking. Nora, averting her gaze to the table on which she was drumming her fingers, merely smiled. “Nothing,” she said, though it was clearly the opposite. Then, she added, “Looks like Flo’s got a little crush.”

            “I do not!” I protested, but the squeakiness of my voice begged to differ.

            “So you’ve been hanging out with him?”

            “I…” Whatever negative response I might’ve had died in my throat. Nothing could come from lying, so I took a deep breath and prepared for Nora’s potential squealing. “A little. And he, uh… he kind of gave me a job.”

            “In the ice cream shop?”

            “Uh huh.”

            She clapped her hands together, leaning back in her seat with a huge grin on her face. I couldn’t really see what was so amazing about this revelation, but Nora obviously could. “Oh, Flo,” she gushed. “You know, I was so worried about you settling into that place. I thought we might have to reconsider if you found it too difficult… but this is wonderful. It’s all worked out. I’m so happy for you.”

            My cheeks reddened. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

            She reached over the table and clasped my hand, the conversation suddenly serious. I blinked back at her, focusing so hard on her face that the people walking past the window were reduced to indistinguishable blurs. “You’re really okay?” she asked. “Because I swear, if you’re not happy, we can figure something out. All you have to do is say the word.”

            “Nora,” I said, “I’m fine. Honestly.”

            It was hard, adjusting to a whole set of new surroundings, but I had to stick it out. Even if I hated life in Walden-on-Sea, I couldn’t ask my sister to uproot her whole life – the one she’d only just started living – for my benefit. The thing was, despite the extent of the surprise that came with the fact, I didn’t hate it. Though taking some getting used to, I was getting there.

            Nora had her own life now, and I had mine.

            And though the thought pretty much scared me shitless, there was nothing I could do but accept it.

            “Okay.” She seemed satisfied with my answer, or at least that’s what I took the loosening of her grip on my hand to mean. “I’m so glad.”

            Keen to steer the conversation toward a lighter topic, I cleared my throat. “So, uh… how’s motherhood treating you?”

            She sighed, blowing her fringe from her face. “Oh, just brilliant. I mean, it’s a complete doddle. And I get eight hours of sleep every night.” She rolled her eyes. “No. It’s freaking hard, Flo. It’s only been a week and I’m exhausted. Seventeen years and fifty-one weeks to go, huh? Not that I’m counting.”

            I shot her a sympathetic look. “That bad?”

            “Well…” She paused for thought. “Not completely. I mean, I love her to bits. I couldn’t imagine being without her now. It’s just… I don’t know. I always thought I’d be a bit more clued up – that once I actually had the baby some kind of maternal instinct would kick in. But right now, I’m basically just winging it. It wasn’t until the midwife visited that I realised I’d been putting her nappy on backwards for the first three days.”

            Laughter bubbled up inside me, escaping before I could stop it. I pressed a hand to my mouth to suppress the giggle. “Oh, God.”

            “Hey, don’t laugh.” She pouted exaggeratedly. “I’m a first-time mum. No one gave me an instruction manual.”

            “You’d have thought all those baby books you spent a fortune on would’ve done the trick.”

            “So did I. And then there’s all the worrying. Worrying about whether she’s having enough milk. Worrying about whether she’s gaining weight quick enough. Worrying if her cot’s the right temperature. You know, I even worry about whether I’m worrying enough.”

            Now, I could sense it was my turn to be sentimental. “You’re doing fine,” I told her honestly. “You and Lenny are going to make great parents.”

            She blinked back at me, widened eyes making her face look younger than ever. “You really think so?”

            “Of course.”

            A small, genuine smile graced her features. “Thanks, Flo.”

            Over the table, she stared at me, her eyes scanning over me with more intent than they had all afternoon. It was as if she found herself determined to see past the walls of my exterior – and for that, Nora had always possessed a talent like nobody else’s. “You know what? I’m not worried about you at all. You’re going to be absolutely fine in Walden.”

            Though I had doubts in my sister’s ability to fasten a nappy, I had a feeling she might have been right about that one.

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Short chapter, sorry. But I think you guys need a bit of time-out before the next couple of chapters... things are going to get intense ;) Haha, you'll love it.

I'm just bracing myself for a crazy week, seeing as mock week starts on Monday and I am ridiculously unprepared for all the exams I have. Revision is so awful. So leave lovely comments for me to read while I'm going through the hell of exams, okay? Love you guys