Page 12 of See the Stars

‘Actually, I am interested,’ he told her.

‘I like rockets. But that book is far too out of date,’ he added, bending down so he could see the cover.

‘Neil Armstrong hadn’t even been to the moon when it was written.

He would have been . . . ’ he glanced up to the ceiling as if the information was written there, ‘thirty-five. Buzz Aldrin would have been the same age, there’s not quite a seven-month gap between their birthdays.

Isn’t that a coincidence – the first two people to walk on the moon born within months of each other?

’ Alice nodded, surprised at the knowledge.

‘There are some much more up-to-date books about space travel here,’ he added.

‘I could make some recommendations, if you like? Since you so kindly helped me out of my predicament?’

‘No thank you,’ she said, not quite sure what to make of the boy in front of her. ‘I like this one.’

‘Why?’

She lowered the book a moment and thought. ‘Sometimes it’s good to read about what people used to think,’ she said. ‘It puts things in perspective.’

The boy paused a moment as if considering the wisdom of that.

‘Good point,’ he said, landing in her favour.

‘It’s not often someone tells me something I hadn’t thought of,’ he added, very seriously.

He reached out his hand. ‘I’m Berti Beechwood.

Blame my mum for the awful alliteration and my erstwhile father for the tree-themed surname. ’

‘Nice to meet you,’ said Alice with a smile.

Berti looked at her again, then spoke to her slowly, as if she were a child. ‘I was hoping for your name,’ he said. ‘That would be polite, because I told you mine.’

She hesitated, her years in London making her reluctant to give anything away to a stranger. But then what else could she say? ‘I’m Alice,’ she admitted.

‘Congratulations on the insight, Alice,’ Berti replied. ‘And thank you for the intervention.’

‘You’re welcome,’ said Alice.

To her surprise, Berti ignored the empty tables nearby and sat down on the chair right next to her. She glanced at what he was reading. The History of Rocketry and Space Travel. She thought for a moment of asking him about it.

Then she thought better of it, settling back into her own book.

‘The library is closing soon,’ said Berti.

‘Because it’s Monday, and it closes early on Mondays.

’ Alice had forgotten he was there; she’d been so engrossed in her reading.

She hardly ever read in London; her commute was short, and when she got home, she rarely had the energy for anything more demanding than Netflix.

Reading words on a page made her feel so different to watching something on a screen.

It was much more rewarding. She decided that when she was back in London, she’d make time for reading again.

Although even as she thought it, she realised it would likely go the same way as yoga and making her own smoothies.

Her London life didn’t have room for such things.

‘Will you be here tomorrow?’ asked Berti, interrupting her thoughts.

‘Perhaps,’ said Alice. She had no plans that far in advance, she realised, which was strangely freeing.

‘Is that a yes?’

‘We’ll see,’ said Alice, a bit surprised that he had pressed. She glanced at her phone; she had several missed calls from her mother.

‘We will,’ said Berti, apparently happy with that arrangement. He watched as Alice stood up. ‘Goodbye for now.’

‘Goodbye,’ replied Alice, as she replaced her book on the shelf.

She tapped a quick message to her mum, then stepped outside.

It had become a beautiful winter’s afternoon; clear and blue, with the moon visible even before the daylight had fully faded.

As she walked back towards the station, where her mother would pick her up, she stared at the moon, trying to make out Aristarchus, a lunar crater deeper than the Grand Canyon.

‘Watch it!’

She had collided with another pedestrian. ‘Sorry,’ she said.

‘You should look where you’re going,’ he snapped.

‘I said I’m sorry.’ She wondered why this man was overreacting to something that was clearly an accident.

Weren’t people in small towns meant to be more laid-back?

She avoided eye contact, looking at his shoes instead.

Then she noticed that he had a walking stick, although he wasn’t old at all.

‘I am sorry. It was my fault,’ she said, more softly. ‘I was looking at the moon.’

‘The moon?’ He frowned at her, then hesitated. ‘Alice?’

Alice looked at him, properly this time. His face was pale, with deep bags under his eyes, but yes, it was definitely him.

‘Matt!’ she exclaimed, feeling a little shaken up at seeing him. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’

‘I am,’ he said.

‘Of course you are.’ She was aware that she was taking the conversation in a circular direction. What was wrong with her? ‘Are you on leave?’ she asked, in an effort to stop merely confirming his presence.

‘No,’ he said, not offering more information. He studied her. ‘You look different,’ he said.

‘So do you,’ said Alice. She tried to make it sound like a compliment, but from Matt’s expression she knew she hadn’t succeeded.

They stood in silence a moment. ‘I hope you’re well,’ he said, with a nod as if this was a parting statement. It didn’t sound like a question, but she decided to answer as though it was.

‘I’m not well, actually,’ she told him. ‘I’ve just had a stroke.

Well, a TIA. That’s like a mini stroke, a warning sign that .

. . ’ She stopped herself, aware that she was oversharing with someone she hadn’t seen for years.

She was a professional, with a proper job and a flat overlooking the river.

Why was this encounter with Matt turning her into a geeky teenager again?

‘Thanks,’ she said instead, trying to sound more dignified. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m in my mum’s old place,’ said Matt. ‘Living with my sister,’ he added, as if this should tell her everything.

‘I’m staying with my mum,’ she told him. She gestured to his walking stick. ‘You look like you’ve been in the wars,’ she added, with a laugh to lighten the mood.

Matt didn’t reply; just grimaced a little.

Alice realised what she’d said. What was wrong with her?

‘It’s just an expression,’ she said hurriedly.

‘I didn’t mean it literally. You fell down some stairs for all I know.

Or maybe a hole,’ she added, wishing a black hole would enter their solar system and swallow her up at this moment.

‘I should be going,’ said Matt. ‘See you around.’

‘Maybe we could meet up while we’re both here?’ offered Alice hurriedly, not quite sure why she didn’t want him to walk out of her life again. ‘I don’t really know anyone around here any more, and I’m staying for another week.’

‘Maybe,’ he said.

‘Do you still see my brother?’

‘No.’

‘Come for dinner,’ said Alice decisively.

She was a grown-up, why shouldn’t she extend an invitation to an old friend?

‘I’ll invite Eddy too. Mum was saying she doesn’t see enough of him, and I bet she’d love to see you.

’ She realised her continued references to her mother made her sound like a kid again.

‘It will be like old times,’ she added, to compensate.

He didn’t offer a response. ‘Great,’ she continued, pretending to herself that he’d accepted.

‘I’ll set it up. Eddy has your number, presumably, or I could take it now? ’

‘I need to get going,’ said Matt. ‘I’ll be late.’ He didn’t make a move, though, and Alice wondered if he wanted to say more to her too.

‘I think the last time we met must have been back in 2007,’ she said, trying to reopen the conversation with reminiscences.

‘Bye,’ said Matt. He leaned on his stick and winced.

‘Do you need some help?’ she asked him in alarm.

‘No,’ he snapped. ‘Just head off, will you?’

‘Oh,’ said Alice, realising he wanted her to leave first. The thought crossed her mind that he might not want her to see him walking with the stick. ‘Of course. See you soon.’

She set off, feeling strangely self-conscious about her own walk.

Matthew Stanton, she thought to herself.

That took her back.