Page 119 of Carry Me Home

‘That’s great,’ I say. ‘That’s really great. How’s Isla?’

‘Exhausted. Happy. Kit’s walking around like someone hit him over the head with a frying pan – you know that look he gets. Total shock. But good shock.’

‘And the baby?’

‘Perfect. Loud. Already got Kit wrapped around his tiny finger.’ Jude laughs. ‘You should have seen it, Tom. The whole village went mental. Dot was directing traffic. Bill abandoned his fish. The ice-cream van was playing “Greensleeves” in the background like some kind of weird soundtrack.’

‘Sounds about right.’

‘Nina was there. At the hospital, I mean. Isla wanted her in the room.’

My hand tightens on the phone. ‘Yeah?’

‘She was amazing, mate. Held it together the whole time. She’s strong, that one.’

‘She is.’

‘She’s doing well, actually. You should see what she’s doing with Jenny’s Dream.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘She’s converting it into a floating coffee shack. Got Emmett from Newquay doing the carpentry. The whole village is involved – Bill and Frankie offered to help, Brynn’s done about forty sketches of the layout. She’s calling it Lavender Dreams.’ He pauses. ‘It’s going to be brilliant, Tom. She’s got this whole vision – fairy lights, cushions, coffee on the water. It’s so … her.’

‘That’s great.’ My voice sounds far away. ‘That’s really great.’

‘She’s turned a corner, mate. You can see it in her face.’

‘Good. That’s good.’

Jude hesitates. ‘You okay? You sound weird.’

‘I’m fine. Just busy. Work stuff.’

‘Right. Yeah. Course.’ Another pause. ‘How’s Scotland?’

‘Good. The practice is good. Cara’s good. Everything’s … good.’

‘That’s a lot of good.’

‘Because it is. Good.’

‘Okay.’ His tone is pitched with a question. ‘Well. Just wanted to let you know about the baby. Thought you’d want to hear it.’

‘I did. Thanks for calling.’

‘Take care of yourself, mate.’

‘You too.’

I hang up. Set the phone down on the desk. Stare at the wall.

Lavender Dreams. Floating coffee shack. The whole village involved.

She’s thriving now that I’m gone.

The thought should make me happy. It does make me happy – somewhere underneath the hollow feeling, the slow excavation that’s been happening since I crossed the border. She’s building. She’s moving forward. She’s doing the thing I always wanted her to do.

She just didn’t need me here for it.