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‘What facts? Theo wants to marry you.’ Claire’s face was a crumple of confusion.

‘Yeah, so much so, he didn’t even think about the ring he was giving me. And I’m not saying I’m mad at that. I get why he wanted me to have it, but maybe it was a sign that neither of us wanted to consider. I mean, if he ignores something that significant, then it’s not meant to be, is it?’

‘Do you know how many thoughtless things Ian has done in our marriage? And by thoughtless, I mean he just didn’t think? It’s not malicious. Just sometimes people don’t think. Do you not remember the day before our wedding when he took a friend’s last-minute ticket to see Green Day because he’d booked the day off work and totally forgot it was to sort out the wedding venue?’

Daisy let out a brief chuckle. She remembered that day as clearly as if it had been the week before. Claire and Ian had booked a fairly nondescript barn for the reception and, given their budget, had opted to do everything themselves, from putting up lights and colourful bunting, to securing large,flowing drapes which hung from the ceiling. Only Ian’s mishap meant Daisy and Bex were working on it until gone midnight.

‘If anyone was going to read into signs as to why they shouldn’t get married, then surely that would be one?’ Claire said. ‘I could have called it off then and there. God knows my mother wanted me to. But then think of all the years of happiness I would have missed out on.’

‘But that’s different,’ Daisy said. ‘You and Ian were born to be together. You knew that from day one. You’re soulmates.’

‘What does that mean?’ Claire said, looking Daisy straight in the eye. ‘We fell in love young and ridiculously quickly, yes. But it takes more than that to make a relationship a happy one that lasts. We both make mistakes. We’re human. But any relationship, whether it’s marriage or not, is about forgiveness and tolerance and compromise.’

A slight snort left Daisy’s lips. ‘Compromise is just a nice way of saying no one gets what they want,’ she said, quoting her mother.

Claire frowned. ‘I don’t see it that way at all. Neither does Ian. For us, a compromise is a way we get to make sure the other person is happy. It isn’t about someone losing out at all, and it doesn’t have to be,’ she said. ‘If anything, it’s the opposite. I’m happy when I can make something work that means Ian is happy too. That’s what being in a relationship is about, isn’t it? Wanting each other to be happy.’

Daisy recalled Theo’s words to her from the night before. How he’d said that all he wanted to do was make her happy. And she felt the same way, too. She liked to do things she knew would make him smile. Like when she shut up the shop a little earlier, even though she might miss out on a few sales, because she wanted to get back and make sure theNarrow Escapewas tidy the way he liked it. Or when he got up every weekend to work with her, even though he had a full-time job of his own, so theygot to spend more time together. Making him happy was what made her happiest too.

A slight warmth began to fill her, but Daisy shook her head and forced it down. Two years wasn’t that long into a relationship really, was it? And of course they’d wanted to spend so much time together, given all the months he’d lived away. But that would change, wouldn’t it? The honeymoon stage would always have ended at some point. Better now than ten years down the road.

‘You know what, I think I should probably open up now,’ Daisy said, standing up and downing her drink in one. ‘You don’t want to hang around here with me. You must have more important things to do.’

‘Actually,’ Claire said, pushing back her shoulders and giving Daisy a look that was almost withering, ‘being with you right nowisthe most important thing I have to do. And as I’m a dab hand at making cappuccinos, I’m going to stay and help, and don’t you dare try to stop me.’

71

Claire stayed until after the lunchtime rush, and as much as Daisy didn’t want to admit it, she was grateful. More than once during the day she suddenly welled up uncontrollably and had to excuse herself from serving. One time was when she saw an old couple walking arm in arm. She had served the pair dozens of times before and they always ordered two drinks and a cake to share, and though the drinks were always lattes, what cake they chose varied. Daisy hadn’t yet learned their names, but she always felt a warmth when she saw them coming towards her. Except that day. That day, seeing them caused her stomach to drop, her chest to tighten, and a sickness to swell through her. So many times, she had imagined that they were what she and Theo would be like when they were old. She had even said so much to him.

‘Although I’d have my own slice of cake,’ Daisy had said when she’d told him about them a month or so before.

‘I would buy you all the slices of cake you could want,’ Theo had replied. ‘Although it would be tough because they probably wouldn’t be as good as ones you make.’

‘You know you’re the one who taught me to bake half the things I can do, right?’ Daisy had laughed. ‘And you still do them better than me, in most cases.’

‘In that case, I will bake you all the cakes you want,’ he’d said. And then they’d kissed. It hadn’t been a passionate kiss. It had been gentle and light, the type of kiss people shared when they thought they had a lifetime of sharing kisses ahead of them.

‘Are you okay if you serve these two?’ Daisy had said to Claire before disappearing back into the boat without waiting for a reply. When she had reappeared at the hatch twenty minutes later with blotchy red eyes and her mascara smudged, Claire hadn’t said a thing.

The second time Daisy had to excuse herself was because of a dog and his owners. A young couple was walking a spaniel puppy, but they could barely get two steps without the dog stopping and turning around to bound up at them. Its tail wagged furiously as it covered them in licks and each time, the young couple spent several minutes fussing over their dog. Daisy and Theo had talked about getting a puppy plenty of times. Company for Johnny. That was the excuse they used, although in truth, they both would have loved a little one to look after, even though they knew how much trouble it could be. Thankfully, the couple hadn’t come to the coffee shop and ordered from her, but still, Daisy struggled to watch them.

‘I’m going to have to head off now,’ Claire said when it hit two o’clock. ‘Amelia’s in an after-school club, but I don’t want to hit the traffic getting back.’

‘Thank you,’ Daisy said. ‘I think you were right. Having you here was a good thing.’

‘You’d do the same for me,’ Claire replied, and Daisy didn’t disagree. She had the best friends in the world and she would do anything she could for them. Claire reached in for a hug andDaisy squeezed her as tightly as she could, hoping it would be enough to convey the gratitude she felt.

‘Just call us, any of us,’ Claire said when they broke apart. ‘And maybe call Theo too. I don’t think this is anything you two can’t get past if you want to.’

‘Thank you,’ Daisy said. ‘But what’s happened is for the best. In the long run, at least.’

Daisy could see there were more things Claire wanted to say. Words twitching on her lips. But she held them in.

‘If you say so,’ she said instead. ‘Speak to you later, okay?’

‘Absolutely. You know I love you, right?’

‘I love you too. Take care of yourself.’