and braced myself for the first of many unusual working lunches.
As the three of us (Kate was away for the day), ate our way through the soft filled rolls, and then some delicious cakes, I, at Luke’s request, talked them through the notes I had made so far.
For the most part, he and Chloe sat and listened, encouragingly nodding along, with the occasional ‘I told you we should have been doing that,’ thrown in from the eager volunteer.
‘So, Chloe,’ I said, once I had finally finished and the clock on the wall was telling me we had talked way beyond the thirty minutes I usually allotted myself for lunch, ‘can you remind me how many days a week you’re here?’
‘Just two,’ she said. ‘All day Tuesday and Thursday. I missed this morning because I had an appointment, but as a rule I’m here from eight until four.’
There was plenty we would be able to get done in that time and I felt my shoulders relax a little.
‘And if push came to shove,’ she went on, ‘I’d be happy to give up the occasional weekend.’
‘That’s very kind of you,’ I said, thinking that I would definitely be taking her up on the offer ahead of the Winter Garden opening and wondering if any of the Grow-Well team could spare a few hours too.
I knew that Luke had said he didn’t like to ask them, but if it did get tight for time, I was sure they would help, Graham especially. I was feeling much better now we had talked the tasks through. I might not have had the formal qualifications Jackson would have preferred, but I did have the skills and experience. I could do this. I would do it, and what was more, I would do it well.
‘And is there anything you really enjoy doing in the garden and anything you absolutely hate?’ I asked Chloe.
She shook her head. ‘I’m happy doing anything,’ she told me. ‘I come here for the exercise and the fresh air. This place has worked wonders for my mental health, so I’m happy to undertake whatever task you assign me.’
Just as I thought, Chloe really did have a great can-do attitude.
‘I work as a teaching assistant at the local primary school the other three days of the week,’ she elaborated, ‘so you might even be able to talk me into some extra hours during the holidays.’
I noticed she was wearing a wedding band.
‘And I can see you’re married,’ I said with a nod to her left hand. ‘Do you have any kids of your own?’
Luke started gathering the dishes together and I felt my face go red. The older I got, the more often I had found myself being asked the same thing. Given how much I resented the sympathetic looks I received when I said no, I didn’t have any children, I felt awful for letting my mouth run away with me and asking the same thing of Chloe, especially when I noticed the look on her face.
‘No,’ she said, with a suddenly less than convincing smile, ‘no kids, and no husband actually. He died before we got around to it.’
I didn’t know what to say but I wished Nell would start digging a hole in the floor for me to crawl into. That was the last time I was going to let my mouth overtake my brain.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered.
She was far too young to be a widow.
‘You’ve not been living in Norwich all that long, have you, Chloe?’ said Luke, kindly coming to my rescue.
‘No,’ she said, ‘what is it now? About eighteen months, I reckon. I moved here six months after Ade died. Completely against the advice of my mother, of course,’ She tutted, sounding more like herself again. ‘She wanted me to stay put. Same house, same town, same life, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to do it. Once Ade had gone, I realised I had nothing of the same life left and so I decided to build myself a new one.’
‘That was very brave,’ I told her.
‘My mother prefers to call it stupid,’ she told me, thankfully sounding far happier again. ‘She said I was making a mistake and that I’d regret it.’
‘And have you?’
‘Not yet,’ she beamed.
‘I can sympathise,’ I said, ‘on the opinionated parent front, I mean. My mum and dad have never been backwards in coming forwards when it comes to expressing their views about my life choices too.’