Page 23 of The Inn on Bluebell Lane

“Let me think of a few as we walk.”

Josh fell into step beside her as Gwen started walking briskly, pulling Ava alongside her.

“Let’s see,” she remarked as they turned the corner. “I remember on one occasion when Sarah wore your dad’s new trainers—sneakers, that is. They were the same shoe size for a few years, and he had a brand new pair he was proud of. He was absolutely furious, as I recall. She’d got them covered in mud.” She smiled at the memory, even though it had been far from funny at the time.

“Ben doesn’t borrow my sneakers,” Josh told her. “His feet are too big.”

“Then you can count yourself lucky.”

“Granny, I really need to pee,” Ava exclaimed, dancing from foot to foot.

Gwen gave Josh a conspiratorial smile. “We’d better hurry, then!”

They headed up the lane and into the kitchen of Bluebell Inn, the table immediately covered in backpacks and lunch boxes and shrugged-off jumpers, Ava raced to the bathroom, while Ben was rooting in the fridge for something to eat, and Josh looked around, wrinkling his nose. Jessa had already flounced somewhere with her phone.

“What happened, Granny?” he asked. “Everything’s so dirty.”

“Yes, it is…” Gwen ran her fingers along the counter and saw the tips were covered in plaster dust. The whole house would have to be cleaned from top to bottom, she thought wearily. “Well, that’s what I wanted to tell you about,” she told Josh as she turned around. “Something rather exciting happened today. Exciting and a bit scary!”

“Scary?” Josh’s eyes widened with anxiety, and Ava peered from around the open bathroom door, still sitting on the toilet.

“What was scary?” she asked.

Ben turned from his perusal of the fridge. “Yeah, it is dirty in here,” he remarked, clearly noticing it for the first time. “What happened, Granny?”

“Well—”

Before Gwen could begin, Jess burst into the kitchen. “Why is the top floor sealed off with tape?” she demanded. “And there’s dust, like, everywhere!”

“Ah, yes,” Gwen said a bit weakly. “Well, let me explain about that. There was a bit of a to-do with the renovations, but it’s all going to be all right.”

“What—”

“What happened?”

“Is Daddy okay?” Josh asked, a wobble in his voice.

“Daddy’s fine, Josh,” Gwen reassured him. “I’ll tell you all about it. First, though, let’s have a snack.”

Somehow, with an energy Gwen hadn’t realized she still had, she managed to wipe off all the surfaces and then settle the children at the kitchen table with glasses of milk and slices of toast with jam, which they seemed to like more than Welsh cakes. The backpacks were piled in the front hall, the cardigans folded neatly away, the lunch boxes rinsed out in the sink. Progress, even if she felt like wilting.

“Aren’t you going to tell us what happened?” Jess asked as she munched her way through her second piece of toast.

“Yes, I am.” Gwen sank into a chair at the table with a small sigh of relief. She had forgotten just how tiring this all was, although of course when she’d been in the thick of things with small children, she’d been much younger herself. “So, your father was looking at some ceiling joists, I think, and they were a bit wobblier than he thought, and unfortunately the ceiling came crashing down.”

“What—” Jess exclaimed. “Is he okay? Is he—”

“Yes, he’s okay. Everything and everyone is fine. He broke his arm, but it’s in plaster and he should be home soon with your mum.” She patted Josh’s hand, noting how worried he looked. “Really, it’s absolutely fine,” she reiterated. She thought of the voicemail on her phone and knew she couldn’t actually make any such promises. No one could.

“The ceiling,” Ben said, sounding impressed. “Wow.”

“Is all our stuff ruined?” Jess asked anxiously. “Can I even go in my bedroom?”

“Yes, I think so,” Gwen answered. “It was the floor of your parents’ room, and the ceiling of the room underneath. John, my handyman, said everything else was stable.”

“But the tape—”

“It’s just a precaution, I’m sure,” Gwen responded wearily. At least that was what John had said. “Now, your mum will be back quite soon, I’m sure, and your father, too.” She hadn’t heard whether Matthew would have to stay in hospital overnight or not, although she hoped not. “It’s all going to be absolutely fine, I promise you. Now, who would like another piece of toast?”