AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Noah gave a curt nod and left.
An hour later, Ava left the washed walls to dry, gobbled down a ham, cheese and mayo sandwich and quickly made another that she took to Noah.
‘I’m heading into town to buy the paint. Do you need anything?’
‘No, not after this sandwich, thank you.’
Before heading anywhere, she made sure Ish had eaten his sandwich and checked on the puppies. The vet had given the babies a clean bill of health, including Daisy. At the moment, Ish jumped on the tramp, his uneaten crusts on the plate and the dogs were asleep, the puppies curled into Daisy’s side.
‘Mate, did you apply sunscreen?’
He shook his head. ‘Come off then, I’ve got to head into town anyway.’
‘I don’t want to go. I want to stay here.’
She sighed. Noah approached from behind. ‘It’s fine, leave him. You’ll get your stuff done much quicker.’
‘You don’t mind?’
‘Not at all.’
An internal tussle was in full force before she waivered. She guessed she’d have to leave him eventually. Her face must have revealed her uncertainty. ‘Ava, it’ll be fine. I’ll keep working and no doubt he’ll keep playing.’
She nodded in agreement. Noah was a parent; he would know how to take care of her son. ‘Duke, put your sunscreen on!’ she screeched before heading for the car.
Outside it was another glorious summer’s day, the sun bright and hot. She’d worked up a sweat and the moisture on her skin felt good. A gentle breeze was up and Ava chose to wind the window down and relish the coolness against her arms.
How best to decorate Ish’s room? He’d never had a bedroom furnished specially for him before. A bolt of panic passed through her. What would he want in his room? What did he enjoy? It frightened her that the answers didn’t come readily. Since their arrival in Bellethorpe, he’d fallen in love with animals. He liked the trampoline and Lego. She thought he liked planes. Cars, yes, he was fascinated with Matchbox cars.
Pondering this dilemma, she passed the cutest shop with a bright red bicycle outside and flowerpots in a variety of colours. Ava hit the brakes and found the nearest park; she was excited to check this place out.
Entering Café Antiquities was like walking into Aladdin’s cave. It was a veritable treasure trove of new and old goods. The aroma of coffee hung in the air, adding to the appeal of the whole scene. She’d grab a coffee and browse.
At the counter, the man taking orders beamed at her. ‘Ava Montgomery. It’s been a long time.’
‘Mr Shoebridge! You were my school bus driver.’
‘Indeed, a very long time ago and before your family moved.’
The woman standing at the coffee machine, watched on with fondness and an emotion Ava couldn’t pick. Mr Shoebridge kept talking. ‘Are you back visiting?’
‘No, I have returned to live here with my son.’
‘Oh, how wonderful! Whereabouts are you living?’
‘That place out on Kinross Road. Do you know it?’
‘Do we know it? Of course, we do.’ He turned to the woman behind him and they grasped hands. The intimacy caused a lump to form in Ava’s throat. ‘Did you ever meet my wife? This is Sheila. Sheila, this is Ava who was one of my students on the bus route all those years ago. She’s just moved back to town.’
‘Welcome back, Ava. Can we get you a coffee?’
‘Oh, yes please. A cappuccino would be lovely. You have the most gorgeous store!’
‘Thank you. Have a quick browse and we’ll holler when your coffee is ready.’
Ava walked around the mountains of goods piled high, lining the walls, sitting on desks; it was a plethora of novelties all in one place. An antique lover’s dream or perhaps an archaeologist’s? Only made better if she’d been the discoverer.
Along the back wall she found a collection of Matchbox cars, ones she was sure were no longer manufactured. Next to them was a model aeroplane kit. Turning the other way, she bumped her head on a constructed fighter plane hanging from the ceiling. It was painted in traditional khaki greens and reds. She collected the cars and model plane kit and would ask Peter if she could purchase the finalised version hanging from the ceiling. It would look fabulous in Ish’s room.
