Page 56 of My Kind of Happy

‘You look as if pregnancy is suiting you,’ I said, handing her a drink.

Her baby bump had grown since the last time I’d seen her and her face had a golden serenity to it which made her look like nothing could possibly mar her happiness.

‘Happy mummy and hopefully a happy baby,’ she said. She smoothed her dress over her stomach fondly. ‘Plus getting married to a fabulous man, followed by two weeks in my grandmother’s home town of Sorrento helped. Thank you for helping out with the flowers by the way. Poor Nina. I had no idea about all the stress she’d been under trying to cope on her own.’

‘I should be the one thanking you.’ I waved my arm around. ‘It was doing the flowers for you that led me to working here.’

‘Nonna is still raving about that spring meadow table runner you did a month later,’ she laughed.

‘She was very complimentary at the time,’ I told her. ‘And she brought me some biscotti to thank me after I’d started working here.’

Rosie shook her head fondly. ‘She got so caught up on my wedding preparations, I really hoped she’d put Stanley out of his misery and set a date.’

‘Why won’t she?’

She pulled a face. ‘She’s scared of losing him like she lost the first love of her life. Stanley had a heart attack a few years ago, she’s worried that too much excitement would finish him off.’

I nodded in sympathy. ‘Poor Maria, I know how it feels to be scared of losing loved ones.’

I remembered earlier this year, the sheer terror of finding Ethel collapsed on the bedroom floor. She might be ninety-four but I wasn’t ready to lose her yet. I wasn’t ready to lose anyone else ever.

‘They both seem very happy together, married or not,’ I said. ‘And very much in love.’

‘Oh they are. Take my advice: don’t ask Nonna about their love life.’

‘Why not? Not that I was planning to.’

‘Because she’ll tell you!’ she said with a snort. ‘Pass me some more crisps, will you, I’ve fully embraced the concept of eating for two. And then you can tell me how you persuaded Nina to try and drum up business. I’ve been on at her for ages to do something like this but she’d never listen.’

‘Confidentially,’ I whispered, pulling up a chair and handing her a bowl of crisps, ‘the shop needs to make more money.’

‘I know,’ she said sympathetically. ‘Nina’s very open about her inability to make a profit.’

‘What I don’t understand,’ I said, frowning, ‘is why people are happy to spend a fiver on a coffee and a slice of cake …’

‘More than that,’ she corrected.

‘Which is gone in a couple of minutes. Whereas for the same money, they could take home a big bunch of tulips which would bring a smile to their faces for a whole week.’

‘Ah,’ said Rosie sagely. ‘But it’s not just food and drink they get in the Lemon Tree Café, it’s company, escapism and a little bit of Italian sunshine thrown in.’

I nodded. ‘That’s very true. So I need to make buying flowers more than just about buying flowers?’

‘Worth a shot. Anyway, great party but I need to get back to the café.’ She stood up and handed me back an empty crisp bowl. ‘Gosh, now I’m standing up I need the loo. Sorry. You didn’t need to know that. I’m just glad Nina’s got you to help her. It would have been awful if she’d just abandoned the shop and left the country as she planned. You obviously managed to persuade her to stay and soldier on.’

‘I don’t think she was serious about going abroad, really.’ I smiled, remembering Nina’s throwaway comment about New Zealand. ‘She was probably just having a bad day.’

Rosie blinked at me. ‘Oh she was. Deadly serious. Oh look, here come Nonna and Stanley now, I might have known she wouldn’t miss out on a free drink. Ciao, Fearne. Thanks again, and let me have some costs for flowers when you can.’

‘Rosie wait,’ I begged, ‘tell me more about Nina!’

She winced. ‘Sorry, I really do have to go. My bladder is the size of a walnut at the moment. Ask her yourself, it’s not a secret.’

I watched her leave and then sought out Nina across the room. As if by a sixth sense, Nina turned her head towards me and smiled.

‘You OK?’ I mouthed.

She beamed and stuck both thumbs up in return.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was fine, I had nothing to worry about. Nina and I were partners now and if there was anything I needed to know, she’d tell me. Wouldn’t she?