‘What happened?’ I’m expecting Stacey to blow up, but she sounds genuinely concerned and when she touches my arm with her hand, it all becomes too much and the emotions I’ve been bottling up since the confrontation this afternoon rises to the surface. The frustration and anger, the hurt and betrayal, the grief of letting go of a long-held dream all manifest themselves as a gush of tears. Pulling me aside, Stacey guides me towards a hay bale and pushes down gently on my shoulders until I’m sitting down. I tell her everything that has happened, trying and failing to stop another flood of tears. It’s all been for nothing. I’ve hurt people and let them down, and for what?
‘It hasn’t been for nothing.’ Stacey has been rubbing soothing circles into my back as I recount my afternoon from hell. ‘Look at what you’ve achieved.’ She indicates the pumpkin parade, which is about to come to an end and make way for the firework finale. ‘Everybody has had such a wonderful time today, and even if Vanessa decides not to sell the land after all, so what? We’ll work something out.’
‘But I’ve let you down, again.’
Stacey shakes her head. ‘You’ve done no such thing. You’ve done everything you possibly could for the sanctuary, and I’m so grateful for that. It’s out of our hands now.’
‘You don’t hate me?’
Stacey nudges me with her elbow. ‘Of course I don’t hate you, you dork. And there’s someone else who doesn’t hate you. In fact, I’d say he’s pretty smitten with you.’ She points out her brother, who’s relieving the little boy of the giant pumpkin and giving him a high-five.
‘I’m not so sure about that, but it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m leaving tomorrow.’ My shoulders slump and I’m conscious of a fresh wave of tears building. ‘I can’t say I’m looking forward to living with my un-housetrained flatmate again.’
‘Then don’t go.’ Stacey shrugs, as though it’s a simple answer to my problem.
‘I can’t stay in Vanessa’s guesthouse.’ I’m not entirely sure I have the right to stay there tonight, actually, but she didn’t demand her keys back and it totally slipped my mind until now.
‘Stay with us. It isn’t as though you have a job to get back to.’ She pulls a face. ‘Sorry.’
‘Are you serious?’ Even as a temporary measure, it would be better than returning to my grotty flat.
‘I will expect help with the animals as rent payment.’
‘No problem. I’ve missed those guys.’
‘And I should warn you that we’ve taken in a pig with a flatulence problem …’
‘I’ve lived with a bloke who chews his own toenails, leaves his dirty underpants on the kitchen counter and wouldn’t know one end of a bath from the other. A pig with a flatulence problem would be bliss in comparison.’
‘Great.’ Stacey throws an arm around me and pulls me in tight. ‘Do you want to tell Oliver the good news?’ She tries to keep her smirk under control as she nods at her brother, who’s making his way over.
‘Talking about people being smitten …’ Which has the added bonus of diverting attention away from me. ‘Are you ever going to do anything about your massive crush on Dominic? Because I don’t think it’s completely one-sided.’
‘You don’t?’ The smirk has vanished from Stacey’s face. She’s looking scarily blanched of colour, even in the dim evening light. I thought she’d be jumping up and down in jubilation, but she looks like she’s about to throw up on the grass.
‘Who do you think threaded a million fairy lights in the trees?’ I point towards the perimeter of the field, which is lit up in multicoloured lights. It looks magical. ‘And who do you think set up the generators and supplied the materials for the stage and helped to build it?’
‘That doesn’t mean he likes me.’ Stacey’s voice is barely above a whisper, which is unlike my feisty friend. ‘He’s just a good guy.’
I roll my eyes. ‘He did it for you, you dork.’ I catch Stacey’s eye and we both grin.
‘Do you think so?’
‘Yes.’ I sit on my hands so I don’t take her by the shoulders and give her a good shake. ‘So one of you needs to do something about it.’
Patting me on the knee, Stacey eases herself up off the hay bale. ‘I’ll think about it.’ She holds a hand up in greeting to her brother before she scurries away.
‘Was it something I said?’ Oliver drops into Stacey’s vacated space on the hay bale.
‘I think that was her subtle way of giving us a minute so I could tell you I’m staying in Little Heaton for a little while.’ I clear my throat and look down at my feet. ‘In case you were interested.’
‘Obviously I’m interested.’ Oliver’s fingers brush against mine, but he makes no attempt to take hold of my hand. ‘I’ve really missed you this week.’
‘You have?’
I see Oliver nod out of the corner of my eye as I’m too scared to make direct eye contact. ‘I’ve had nobody to whoop at board games.’
I laugh. I can’t help it, and it feels good after the day I’ve had. ‘There’s a giant Connect Four over by the coconut shy. Fancy your chances?’
‘Always.’ Oliver gives a one-shouldered shrug. ‘But I’d rather kiss you first.’
And he does. Just like that. No drama. No drunken passes. No revelations blowing up in our faces. Just a lovely kiss that’s been a long time coming, with a firework scattering pink and green glitter in the sky to mark the occasion.
Epilogue
The butterflies take flight as soon as I step on the train, but the anticipation intensifies as we leave each station along the way behind. It’s a familiar journey by now, one I make most weekends and often mid-week, and I could lose myself in a book or tune into the conversations going on around me, but I’m alert, my eyes watching as the towns turn to countryside, buildings making way for fields, people and vehicles for sheep, cows and horses. I’ve seen this view as winter took over from autumn, turning the golden yellows and rusty reds of the trees to bare branches dusted with snow and frost, watched as commuters added more and more layers, padding out their bodies to protect against the harsh weather. Umbrellas, woolly hats, thick gloves, sturdy boots became the norm, but over the past couple of weeks they’ve started to slip away. The hats were the first to go, followed by the gloves and the boots. The umbrellas are still shaken on platforms on rainy days, but I don’t expect them to disappear completely. Spring may have brought milder weather and blue skies, but this is Britain we’re talking about here.
The train pulls into the next station and I’m on autopilot as I start to gather my things; handbag, holdall, satchel containing my work files. I’ve made this journey countless times. I don’t need to know which station we’re leaving behind or the next one we’ll be approaching in five-and-a-half minutes. It’s simply second nature to pack up and make my way to the doors by now.
Oliver’s waiting for me at the station, and my step quickens as I catch sight of him, the butterflies in a chaotic flurry as the smile widens on his face. He relieves me of my satchel and holdall before he kisses me, not caring that we’re causing a holdup of those eager to get home and kick off their Friday evening routines.
‘Sorry.’ I pull Oliver out of the way, trying not to clock the glares and tuts as people flow past. You’d think we’d been parted for weeks, months, instead of the two days that have passed since we said goodbye at the station. Two days. Is that all it’s been? That can’t be right.
‘I should warn you,’ Oliver says as we make a move towards the car park. ‘Stacey’s in a flap and Mrs McColl is on the warpath.’
‘What’s happened?’
‘The new girl dropped her best crumble dish and cracked it in two yesterday. While the crumble was still in it. Apparently, it went everywhere. Mrs McColl has been apoplectic about it ever since.’
‘Mrs McColl is usually apoplectic about something or other. I meant what’s happened with Stace?’
‘Nothing in particular. Unless you count Tammy digging up the broad beans again.’
Oliver opens the boot of his car and places my satchel and holdall inside. ‘It’s just Stace. You know how she gets when we’ve got an event coming up. She flaps.’
‘It’s all going to be fine.’ I slip into the passenger seat and rub my hands together. It’s spring but still quite chilly.
‘I know that, but you know what she’s like.’ Oliver starts the engine and cranks up the heating. ‘Plus, it’s the first event since the development was completed.’
Vanessa did sell the land to Stacey after all, and waived the extra cost in the end. I wasn’t sure whether to hug the woman or fall down in shock, but as I haven’t actually seen Vanessa since I picked up my bits and pieces from the office shortly after my resignation, I decided to simply celebrate with Stacey and Oliver instead. The outbuildings on the land have been renovated, creating a new café and gift shop, and an education suite which is proving popular with schools and community groups. There’s a new allotment, which Mrs McColl has taken charge of and Tammy, the not-so-tiny kitten, has adopted as her playground. When she isn’t stalking the chickens around the yard, she likes nothing more than digging up the seedlings for sport.
‘She needs to calm down.’ I switch on the radio, smiling when I hear the opening to The Lightning Seed’s ‘Change’. ‘That’s what I’m here for.’
After quitting my job at Vanessa Whitely Events, I thought my life – and my dreams – were over, but it turns out this was just the beginning. After licking my wounds in Stacey’s spare box room for a few days, Mrs McColl gave me a stern talking to (in which she basically told me to stop moping about the place and get a grip), and I started to search for positions in events. This time, I narrowed down my search, honing in on positions that were specific to my knowledge and experience. I wouldn’t settle for a job that was vaguely connected to events this time. I had the qualifications and now, thanks to the autumn festival, I had a bit of experience too.
Finding my dream job wasn’t easy, and I was lucky that Stacey and Oliver let me stay with them for a couple of rent-free months, but eventually I was offered a position at a small events company based in Warrington. We don’t organise the big, flashy events like Vanessa, but I adore my job and the supportive team I work alongside. I now have my own flat a short bus ride from work as it was too much of a commute travelling from Little Heaton every day and back again, but I spend most weekends in the village with Oliver. Lately, there’s been talk of Oliver moving into my one-bed flat.
‘Is everything good to go?’ Oliver pulls out of the station’s car park and heads towards Little Heaton. ‘No hiccups?’
I shake my head. ‘Everything’s going smoothly.’
Tomorrow, the animal sanctuary will be hosting its Easter family open day, which I’ve taken the lead on organising. It’s the first time my boss has let me loose on a project, and hopefully, if all goes well, it won’t be the last.
*
Mother Nature has looked down kindly on us today, sending a gloriously sunshiny day with a gentle, cooling breeze as we set up for the open day. Tammy is threading her way through my legs as I hide foil-wrapped eggs around the yard, trying her best to upend me. As lovely as the cat is, she can be a little minx and is definitely full of character. While her brothers found new homes once they’d been weaned, Stacey decided to adopt Tammy for herself and she’s now become part of the animal sanctuary family. She’s even struck up an unlikely friendship with Bianca, the sanctuary’s feistiest chicken.
‘Balloon modeller’s here.’ Stacey stumbles across the yard behind a pile of boxes. ‘Dianne’s taken him across to the café.’
‘Is that wise? Isn’t Mrs McColl still on the warpath?’
‘Hmm, maybe you’re right.’ Stacey dumps the boxes by one of the trestle tables. They wobble but don’t collapse in a heap. ‘Let’s hope we don’t see him running screaming from the building.’
Dodging Tammy, I place an egg on the chicken coop’s roof, making sure it won’t roll away, while Stacey opens the box on top of the tower.
‘Hello?’
The voice is sort of familiar behind me, but it can’t belong to Vanessa. It’s far too meek to belong to my former boss. But when I turn around, there she is, standing rather awkwardly in the doorway of the house.
‘I thought I’d pop over and see if there’s anything I can do to help?’ She steps cautiously into the yard, walking slowly towards Stacey while her eyes flick nervously in my direction. Who is this woman? She looks like Vanessa. She dresses like Vanessa, in designer gear that looks severely out of place in the yard, but her manner isn’t akin to the Vanessa I know, nor is her offer to help out.
‘That’d be great. Thanks.’ Stacey beams at my former boss and indicates the open box beside her. ‘Could you put out the craft supplies on these two tables while I go and check in on the café?’ Stacey catches my eye, and I know she’s going to check in on Mrs McColl and make sure she hasn’t made anybody else cry (the poor new girl was sobbing in the loos for over half an hour after Mrs McColl’s latest tirade).
‘I’ll come with you.’ I scurry after Stacey, almost tripping over the damn cat. ‘What was that about?’ I lower my voice as we head towards the new café across the yard.
‘What, Vanessa?’ Stacey glances behind her and I nudge her with my elbow.
‘Of course Vanessa. What’s she doing here?’
Stacey frowns at me. ‘She’s setting out the craft stall.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Are you being purposefully dense?’
‘Maybe.’ Stacey grins at me and threads her arm through mine. ‘Seriously though, this isn’t the first time she’s helped out. She comes over quite often. Whenever she’s in the village, really.’
‘Since when?’
Stacey shrugs. ‘I think it was around Christmas.’
I snort. ‘Do you think she was visited by three ghosts and told to mend her ways before it was too late? First she sells you the land for what she paid for it, and now she’s volunteering.’
Stacey shrugs. ‘Who knows, but I appreciate the help.’
‘What exactly does she do here?’ I can’t imagine Vanessa mucking out the barn, or cleaning up chicken poop.
‘She doesn’t do anything too messy, obviously. I can’t get her out of her designer shoes, for a start.’ Stacey pushes open the café door and we listen out for sounds of distress. Luckily, there aren’t any and we step inside. ‘It’s mainly admin stuff, really. She’s much better at keeping track of the accounts than I’ll ever be.’
‘Why am I only hearing about this now?’ I place a couple of eggs on the windowsill; I may as well while I’m here. ‘And why haven’t I seen her here before?’
‘Because you’re usually loved up with my brother.’ Stacey mimes sticking her fingers down her throat. ‘Nothing else matters when the two of you are together. It’s sickening.’
‘Like you’re not the same when Dominic’s around. You practically get cartoon love-heart eyes whenever he steps into a room. And he’s been just as bad since you two finally got together.’
‘Have you seen the man? Can you blame me? He’s a god.’ Stacey sighs happily before giving her head a shake. ‘What were we here for again?’
I shake my own head and make my way to the back of the café, where the balloon modeller is nibbling at one of Mrs McColl’s bunny-shaped biscuits.
*
The open day is in full swing, with children dashing across the yard as they search out the little chocolate eggs I’ve squirrelled away. The animals have been on their best behaviour and haven’t, as far as I’m aware, snaffled any of the foil-wrapped treats themselves. Not even Violet, and that pig will eat anything.
‘Rebecca, over here.’ I spot my sister and her husband over by Elsie’s tombola, which isn’t difficult as she’s pretty hard to miss these days. I head over, giving her a quick hug that still feels a bit strange, and not because she’s eight months’ pregnant and looks as though she’s about to pop. Our sisterly relationship is fledgling, but we’ve
both been working at it since I called Kate the day after the autumn festival.
‘I guess I just wanted to tell a member of my family who wouldn’t respond to the news with indifference or aggravation,’ she’d said after telling me about the pregnancy.
‘You’ve told Mum and Dad then?’
Kate had given a humourless laugh. ‘Mum quickly moved the conversation on to the cruise she’s going on after Christmas – I don’t think she even bothered to congratulate me first – and Dad doesn’t think it’s the right point in my career for me to be having children. He hasn’t spoken to me for two weeks and counting.’
Dad still hasn’t come round to the fact he’s going to be a grandfather in the next few weeks, so it looks as though he’s going to push his ‘perfect’ daughter away too. Still, the news has brought Kate and I together again, and I can’t wait to be an aunty.
‘This all looks amazing.’ Kate looks around the yard as she threads her arm through mine. ‘You should be very proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.’
‘Really?’ I can’t help sounding cynical. ‘Even though I’m not a doctor?’
‘Because you’re not a doctor.’ Kate screws up her nose and leans in close, lowering her voice. ‘I never wanted to study medicine, you know, but I wasn’t strong like you.’
You could seriously knock me down with one of Bianca’s feathers right now. ‘What did you want to be?’
Kate’s cheeks start to turn pink. ‘I quite fancied being an air hostess when I was younger. Can you imagine Dad’s face if I’d have told him?’
We share a look, and I can’t help giggling at the thought. ‘It’s not too late, though.’
Kate shrugs. ‘Maybe one day, but I think I’m going to concentrate on this one rather than a change of career right now.’ She pats her rounded stomach.
‘Fair enough.’ We’re wandering towards the café when I remember I have a gift in my pocket for my sister. ‘Here, this is for you. I saw it in the gift shop.’ I hand over the cheap ring with a deep blue setting. ‘It’s a mood ring to replace the one I lost when we were kids.’
The Accidental Life Swap Page 26
