‘Hey, don’t apologise.’ My heart goes out to her. I can’t imagine how tough it must be for her, a single mum having to look after a child with a life-threatening illness all on her own. ‘I’d like to help if I can,’ I tell her on impulse. ‘How about I do the same as Lucy was going to do? Five per cent of my share of the takings from The Treehouse Café, once it opens?’
She looks horrified at the suggestion. ‘No, you don’t have to do that. I hope you don’t think I only came round here so that you’d …’ She shrugs helplessly and I rush to reassure her.
‘Of course I don’t. I just want to help, that’s all. I’m not sure it will be much but at least it would be a start to your living expenses fund.’
‘Count us in, too,’ calls Betty.
We both turn, and Doreen says, ‘Make it five per cent of all the takings, not just yours, Twilight.’
‘Oh God, are you sure?’ Jane is practically on the verge of tears.
‘Definitely,’ smiles Betty. ‘I can’t think of a better cause. We’ll get that little lad to America yet!’
*****
On the way back, I nip in through the garden gate to see the work that’s been done.
Jake has fixed up a big screen around the treehouse, presumably to keep people from staring over the fence and having a good old nosy. I like the air of mystery it creates, not knowing what’s going on beneath the flapping covers.
His van’s not there, so he must have gone home for the day. I pick my way through the garden and venture behind the screen, staring skywards at the magical scene before me.
‘Oh my God,’ I breathe, barely able to believe the transformation Jake has achieved in a little over a week.
Dad’s original structure had a fairy-tale feel to it and I was worried that in catering to the practical elements necessary to house a café, Jake might obliterate this quality. But he hasn’t at all.
The treehouse might now be ten times the size and have an impressive walkway entrance, a bit like a swing bridge, made from all natural materials, but it’s clear that the magical essence of the treehouse has not been lost at all.
It’s simply fairyland on a much bigger scale!
There’s still work to be done on it, but already I can see what a gloriously romantic setting it will be for our new café. It will be so light and airy in the summer for the customers, drinking their coffee high up in the treetops with glorious views over Lake Heath. In the winter, I’ll string fairy lights all along the walkway, and put candles under glass in the windows so that when it gets dark mid-afternoon, it will look so pretty and welcoming.
A little surge of happiness rushes through me. If I love it, other people will love it too, won’t they? It’s such an original idea, having a café in a treehouse. It will work, I’m sure of it.
It has to work …
Of course, I have Theo to thank for this glorious plan. It was all his idea. A cloud moves across the sun and I shiver. Part of me desperately wishes Theo could be here right now to see all this. But what would be the point? I can’t be with him the way I want to be. He’s made that very clear …
I’m aware of the doorbell ringing, and when I walk round the front of the house, there’s Paloma.
‘Hi, you’re back!’ she squeals, brandishing a copy of the local newspaper. ‘I’m so glad your dad’s recovered. I couldn’t wait to show you this.’
I unlock the front door to let us in and take the newspaper, which is folded open at a particular page. In the living room, I dump my backpack and slump down on the sofa, and Paloma sits beside me to enjoy my reaction to the photo.
‘It’s that picture you took of Lucy and Olivia!’
Paloma nods gleefully. ‘Stuffing their faces with cake.’
I peer closer at the photo and burst out laughing. ‘Their expressions! Caught red-handed. Oh my God, that really cracks me up.’
I read the headline aloud. Health Food Café Not Quite So Squeaky Clean!
I gape at Paloma. ‘So you gave the photo to the newspaper?’
She nods. ‘And a reporter phoned me up for the story. Read it!’ She taps the text. ‘I managed to get in a mention of The Treehouse Café. Look!’
I read it and sure enough, there’s a paragraph about the treehouse café being built and mentioning that it’s scheduled to open in mid-August.
‘Did you tell them mid-August, then?’
She shrugs. ‘I made it up, but I thought it would probably be around then. It will be, won’t it?’
I nod, grinning at the sheer nerve of my best friend. ‘I was thinking Sunday August 13th, if all goes according to plan.’
‘And Lucy doesn’t manage to sabotage it again,’ says Paloma, looking suddenly serious. ‘We’re going to have to watch her like a hawk. You do realise that? The cow will stop at nothing to bring you down.’
I sigh wearily. ‘I have thought about that, yes. I’m not going to let Lucy get within a hundred yards of the treehouse because I really can’t trust her.’
‘Are you worried about how she reacted to your shoving her in the trough?’
‘I didn’t shove her. She lost her balance.’
Paloma grins. ‘Yeah, yeah, I believe you.’
‘But it’s true!’ My face falls. ‘Oh God, are people saying that I deliberately pushed her off the fence?’ I groan. ‘Lucy’s going to hate that everyone’s laughing and thinking I got one over on her.’
Paloma shrugs. ‘I wouldn’t worry. She deserves everything she gets.’
We grin at each other and fall silent, staring at the picture of Lucy and Olivia in the newspaper.
‘You should issue invitations
