“I think you are wrong,” Marion said as she sipped her coffee and looked around the café.
Alfie swallowed the last piece of his apple pie. “I am?” he asked warily.
“Yes,” Marion replied, keeping her face serious.
“Can I ask about what?” Alfie asked warily.
She leaned forward and whispered, “This is not the best-kept secret in Bear Creek.” She nodded knowingly and leaned back in her seat, watching him.
And he was very easy on the eye. She winced at that thought.
There was so much more to Alfie than his infectious smile, and his broad chest, and toned thighs…
Alfie chuckled, “It isn’t? You don’t think the lemon drizzle cake is the best you have ever tasted?”
“Oh, no, you are right there,” Marion replied. “But that is not the reason this café is busy.”
“No, it’s not,” Alfie said as he glanced toward Welland, who was spouting lyrical about his carrot cake.
“Welland’s the main attraction,” Marion said. “He’s the best-kept secret in Bear Creek.”
It was Alfie’s turn to lean forward and say, “Don’t go telling everyone, though. I don’t want him thinking the grass is greener elsewhere.”
“Oh, I don’t think he is going anywhere,” Marion said. She gathered up her tote bag and hooked it on her shoulder. “But unfortunately, we have to.”
“Oh,” he looked incredibly disappointed. And she felt the same, but it was time for her and Charlie to get going. She’d only planned on being out for the morning, and it was way past noon. The cake might have been amazing, but Charlie needed a proper meal for lunch.
“We’re leaving?” Charlie complained, standing behind her, staring out at the butterflies fluttering around the potted plants near the window.
“We have to go, buddy. We still need to unpack those boxes in your room,” Marion reminded him, sensing she might have a tantrum on her hands if she wasn’t careful.
Although he had once outgrown such outbursts, he now resorted to them as a means of expressing his frustrations. It felt as though, in some respects, he had reverted to a more childlike state because of his turbulent home life under Razor’s roof.
Marion knew he didn’t mean anything by these outbursts, and he was always apologetic afterward. But a full-blown tantrum in the middle of a crowded café would spoil their otherwise amazing morning.
Charlie’s shoulders slumped. “But I wanted to ask Alfie more about the caterpillars.”
Alfie stood up, brushing crumbs from his shirt. “Well, you think of all the questions you want to ask and next time I see you, I’ll answer them all.”
“When?” Charlie asked his tone on the verge of demanding as he fixed Alfie with an intense stare that made the man blink in surprise.
Alfie’s mouth opened, then closed again as he looked at Marion, clearly hesitant to make promises without her approval. The question hung in the air between them, and Marion was grateful to Alfie for not making plans without consulting her first.
For a moment, Marion’s mind flashed to Razor.
How he’d always made plans involving Charlie without consulting her sister.
After they met, he’d quickly positioned himself as the decision-maker.
Often railroading Heather into agreeing to things she didn’t want to do.
It was as if Razor had held Heather in his thrall.
But Alfie was different. The contrast couldn’t be more stark.
Or maybe he was just better at the long game? No. She pushed the cynical thought away. She couldn’t judge every man by Razor’s standards. That wasn’t fair, not to Alfie, and not to herself or Charlie, either.
“Um,” Alfie said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That would be up to your aunt, buddy.”
Marion smiled, making her decision. “We’re coming back to the garden project next Saturday. Maybe Alfie could meet us there?”
“I’ll be there,” Alfie said with a nod. “Maybe we can make a log garden.”
“A log garden?” Charlie tugged his brows together and added a pout. “Logs don’t grow in a garden.”
“Oh, no,” Alfie waved his hand at Charlie. “We don’t plant the logs. We make piles of them in among the plants. Places for the bugs to hide.”
“Oh,” Charlie said, his expression clearing. He’d thought Alfie was teasing him, belittling him like Razor used to. It was painful for Marion to watch as it brought back a whole lot of other memories she’d tried to forget.
“I’ll gather up some logs we can use. There’s a woodland at the top of the vineyard and there’s always lots of fallen branches I can collect.” Alfie had a wistful look in his eyes as he spoke about the vineyard.
“Can I help?” Charlie piped up.
“Oh, err…” Alfie cast a questioning look at Marion, which did not go unnoticed.
“Can we?” Charlie asked, turning those pleading eyes on Marion. “It’s for the garden project. It needs bugs.”
Marion hesitated, then nodded. “If you’re sure it’s okay with your parents.”
“They would love to meet you both,” Alfie replied, then looked a little flustered as if he’d said too much.
“How about Wednesday after school?” Marion suggested. She’d love to see the vineyard.
And Alfie.
She pushed that treacherous thought from her mind, but it was persistent. Spending the morning with Alfie had been wonderful. She’d be lying to herself if she denied it.
But she’d be a fool to read too much into it.
“Wednesday is perfect,” he replied, his smile growing wider. “I’m at the garden center all day, but I can come by and pick you up around four?”
“Four works for us,” Marion said, surprised at how natural it felt to be making plans with this man she’d only met hours ago.
Charlie sucked in a deep breath. “And I can bring all my questions about caterpillars?”
“Absolutely. There are lots in the wildlife areas around the vines,” Alfie said. “I’ll even dig out my special magnifying glass so we can see them up close.”
“You have a special magnifying glass?” Charlie asked in awe.
“I do.” Alfie nodded, his face lighting up with the memory. “I got it as a birthday present when I was about your age. It’s one of my most prized possessions.”
“It is?” Charlie looked genuinely impressed.
“You could say it gave me a whole new perspective on life,” Alfie said with a wink. “It helped me focus on the little things.”
In some ways, Marion suspected Alfie was still a little like that boy, and that made her wary. Alfie was good and kind and obviously had a connection with Charlie that few people did, but he probably had no actual experience with children or family life.
“I spent much of my childhood looking at plants and insects. I was lucky that I lived at the vineyard. You should see what vine leaves look like through a magnifying glass.” Alfie chuckled.
“Can we look at the vines, too?” Charlie asked excitedly.
“Charlie, the vineyard belongs to Alfie’s parents. We can’t invite ourselves to go wandering all over it,” Marion said.
She could already picture him running off to explore every corner of the property, and she didn’t want to impose on Alfie’s family.
“Actually,” Alfie said gently, “my parents would be thrilled to have you explore. They miss having a houseful of boys tearing around the place.”
Marion chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t imagine how they coped. I find it hard enough with one.”
Alfie tilted his head, his expression softening as he looked at her. “You’re doing a great job.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Marion said quietly, glancing at Charlie, who was still daydreaming about exploring the vineyard. “I worry I’m making too many mistakes. Sometimes I think...maybe if he’d been my child from the beginning...”
Alfie reached across the table and placed his hand on her shoulder. The touch sent an electric current through her body, warming places that had been cold for too long.
“I don’t know your story, Marion,” he said in a low voice meant only for her, “but I do know that Charlie loves you and he’s happy.”
Marion shook her head, blinking rapidly. “He is today, thanks to you. You’ve inspired him.”
“And you inspire me,” Alfie said. “I can’t imagine how much courage it must have taken to become a parent to your sister’s child.”
Marion’s eyes misted with tears at the mention of her sister. She looked away, unable to meet his understanding gaze. “I should get Charlie home.”
Alfie squeezed her arm gently. “I’m here if you need me.”
A tear escaped, trickling down her cheek. She brushed it away quickly, hoping Charlie wouldn’t notice. “Thanks for everything today.”
“You’re more than welcome,” Alfie replied. “You know I enjoyed it, too.”
Marion smiled up at him shyly. “Me, too.”
With that, she stood up. It was all a little too much. Too intense and she needed air. Needed to think.
Thankfully, Charlie did not object as they left the café. Instead, he gave Welland a cheerful wave and said, “Thanks for the special hot chocolate.”
“You are welcome,” Welland said as he returned the wave. “Come back soon.”
“We will,” Charlie promised as he skipped on ahead toward the parking lot, his heart-shaped stone still in his hand.
When they reached her car, Charlie said a cheerful goodbye to Alfie before climbing into the backseat.
Alfie opened the driver’s door for Marion. “Wednesday then?” he asked.
“Wednesday,” she confirmed, their eyes meeting as that now-familiar spark flickered between them.
“And Alfie?” Marion whispered.
“Yes?”
“I’m glad I got the message by mistake.”
His smile was radiant. “Best mistake ever.”
Marion got into the car, offering him one last smile before pulling away. In the rearview mirror, she could see him standing in the parking lot, watching until they drove out of view.
“I like Alfie,” Charlie announced from the backseat.
“I do, too,” Marion agreed, surprised at how easily the admission came.
As they drove through Bear Creek toward their small rental house, Marion reflected on the day. Charlie wasn’t the only one who had changed this morning. She felt lighter somehow, more hopeful than she had in months.
“The hot chocolate was fantastic,” Charlie said, interrupting her thoughts. “And I like bugs. And plants, too.”
“I noticed,” Marion smiled at him in the mirror. “You were a natural gardener today.”
“Alfie said so, too,” Charlie replied, pride evident in his voice. “Do you think I could grow my own garden? Just a small one?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Marion said. “We could start with a few pots on the back porch.”
“Really?” Charlie’s excitement filled the car. “Can we get some marigolds? For the butterflies?”
“Absolutely.”
When they arrived home, Marion put on a pot of coffee and heated some leftover soup for their lunch.
For the first time since the judge had granted her custody, she truly believed she could do this. She could be Charlie’s mom. Not just his guardian, not just his aunt stepping in during a crisis…but the parent he needed, for as long as he needed her.
“Do you think we could get a magnifying glass, too?” Charlie asked, dipping his grilled cheese into his soup. “Not as good as Alfie’s special one, but maybe our own?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Marion said. “We could start our own collection of interesting things to look at.”
“Like our own nature museum?” Charlie’s eyes widened with excitement.
“Exactly like that,” Marion agreed. “We could even make labels for everything, just like in a real museum.”
As Charlie launched into plans for their nature collection, Marion thought of Alfie’s words and took courage. Perhaps she’d been too hard on herself. Maybe she didn’t need to be perfect. Maybe being present and trying her best was enough.
And maybe, just maybe, having someone like Alfie in their corner would make the journey a little easier.
“Can we text Alfie to tell him about our museum idea?” Charlie asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Marion hesitated. “I don’t have his number.”
Charlie’s face fell momentarily before brightening again. “We can tell him on Wednesday! He might even have ideas for our collection.”
“I’m sure he will,” Marion said, smiling at her nephew’s enthusiasm.
As they finished their lunch and began tackling the boxes in Charlie’s room, Marion found herself looking forward to Wednesday with an anticipation she hadn’t felt in years.
It wasn’t just Charlie who was changing.
She was changing, too, opening up to emotions she’d closed herself off from long ago.
And it had all started with a message sent by mistake.