by Agatha Frost
Julia held out her arms. Neither of them said anything, which Julia knew was exactly what Jessie wanted. Instead, Jessie sobbed against Julia’s dress until her tears were all dried up. Then, she pulled back, inhaled deeply, and lifted her head.
“So much has changed so quickly,” Jessie said, scrubbing away her tears away with both hands. “It feels like the end of a chapter.”
“Endings are new beginnings.” Julia tucked her finger under Jessie’s chin and tilted it up. “Time for a new chapter to start. And it’s not all bad. I owe you something.”
Julia opened her bag and pulled out £200 in crisp, purple £20 notes. She handed them over to Jessie.
“What’s this for?”
“You bet me £200 Leon was involved,” Julia said as she wiped a fallen tear from Jessie’s cheek. “You were right. I’ll listen to you next time. Why don’t you go and get yourself cleaned up at your flat, and I’ll meet you at the pub in ten minutes? One more person still needs to hear my news.”
Julia ripped the yellow dandelions from the base of her mother’s gravestone. She traced her fingers along her mother’s name, Pearl South, before sitting cross-legged in front of it. Julia had followed this ritual all through the last years of her childhood, and yet she hadn’t done it in years.
“Mum, I have some news,” Julia said. “I’m pregnant.”
Just like when she was a child, Julia sat and waited for a reply she knew would never come. She thought about saying more, but nothing else needed to be said out loud. Her mother knew the rest.
“I’ll come back soon,” Julia said after giving the stone a quick kiss. “I’ll bring flowers next time.”
Julia stood, surprised to see a man stood across the graveyard, watching her. She squinted, and though her long-distance vision wasn’t the best, she recognised Barker.
“How did you know to find me here?” Julia asked when they met in the middle.
“I just bumped into Jessie, and she said you had another person to tell,” Barker said as he twined his fingers with hers. “Since everyone and their dog around here knows you’re pregnant, I figured there was only one place you could be.” He let the air breathe for a moment before adding, “How do you feel?”
“Optimistic,” Julia said as they walked through the open gates of the church. “I’m excited.”
“Me too.” Barker squeezed her hand. “Now, why don’t we get to the pub before all the food goes? All week, I’ve heard nothing but high praise for your new raspberry cheesecake. I can’t believe I still haven’t tried it.”
Jessie was right; so much had changed. And yet, strolling hand in hand with Barker toward the pub, Julia couldn’t wait for all the changes yet to come.
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Also by Agatha Frost
(In reading order. Links to Amazon store. Available in eBook and paperback formats, or to read for FREE through Kindle Unlimited)
The Peridale Cafe Series
Book 1-10 Boxset
1. Pancakes and Corpses
2. Lemonade and Lies
3. Doughnuts and Deception
4. Chocolate Cake and Chaos
5. Shortbread and Sorrow
6. Espresso and Evil
7. Macarons and Mayhem
8. Fruit Cake and Fear
9. Birthday Cake and Bodies
10. Gingerbread and Ghosts
11.Cupcakes and Casualties
12. Blueberry Muffins and Misfortune
13. Ice Cream and Incidents
14. Champagne and Catastrophes
15. Wedding Cake and Woes
16. Red Velvet and Revenge
17. Vegetables and Vengeance
18. Cheesecake and Confusion
19. TITLE TBA - COMING SOON
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