Page 96 of Hopes and Dreams at The Chocolate Pot Café
At the start of June, Zoe had written to her sister, Jacey, care ofher boyfriend’s address. She had no idea whether they’d still be together but I’d agreed that it was a great place to try. Unfortunately the letter was returned with a note scribbled on the back of the envelope saying that family had moved out three years ago and the current tenants had no forwarding address. It hit Zoe really hard and I was so concerned about her that I insisted on her staying with me for a few days rather than being on her own above the gallery. An emergency counselling session helped stabilise her and she was full of apologies for reacting badly to the disappointment but I assured her that there was no judgement from me, especially when I’d been derailed myself this year by bad news. Conscious that I’d never told her the story about why I’d fled from London, it had felt like an appropriate moment to share what I’d been through and how difficult I’d found Leanne’s return.
Sharing my own challenges with Zoe brought us even closer together and it also had a profound effect on her future plans. She’d thought about how much I helped others despite not having accessed the help I probably needed myself and how much of a lifeline her own counsellor was and she decided she wanted to be like us and train as a counsellor herself. She was now enrolled with an online learning provider called My Study Hub to complete her GCSEs and would be moving into Lighthouse Retreat with us to make it easier to balance studying with part-time hours in the café and the gallery. She remained passionate about books but, after running a book discussion for The Friendship Pod, she’d established a monthly book club which she said fulfilled her bookish needs. The dream to work in a bookshop had been replaced and I couldn’t help thinking that the experiences she’d been through would help make her an exceptional counsellor.
I’d been thinking about a return to educationmyself for a while and, after much research, had found a degree in community work and youth counselling run through a UK university but which I could complete via distance learning. I’d be starting that in late September.
As for the reason behind my own derailment this year, Mum and Dad hadn’t heard a peep out of Leanne since the discovery that she wasn’t pregnant. We’d had several heart-to-heart discussions about everything and I’d even shared the little voice in my head which had occasionally whisperedsecond best.I assured them they’d never made me feel that way and it was my own insecurities fuelled by Leanne seemingly getting away with murder. Even though I knew they’d never thought of me that way, it did feel good to hear them say out loud that, from the moment they met me, they’d thought of me as their daughter.
During one of our deep discussions, we’d explored whether I should report Leanne and Garth to the police. We agreed that I wouldn’t but they visited me a few days later and told me they thought I should. After reflecting on the conversation, they’d both concluded that I seemed more concerned about the impact on them for having their daughter reported to the police than the effect it would have on me reliving it all and they insisted I remove them from the equation. Leanne had already caused them no end of hurt, this had to be about what was best for me and they both firmly believed that I needed to do this to get closure.
I hadn’t done it yet but a visit to the police would be my number one priority for September after I’d fully handed over the reins to Maria and before I started my degree. My words to Zoe when I’d found out what her mother and Sol had done to her –It’s never too late. Why should they get away with it?– and Zoe’s courage in facing her past were my driving force for justice.
‘You’re still here!’ Mum exclaimed, coming back down the stairs. ‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
‘I’m better than I’ve ever been. Just needed some breathing space but I’m ready to rejoin the party now.’
I linked my arm through hers and we walked down the stairs together.
‘That couldn’t have gone better,’ I said to Jed as we settled on the sofa with Hercules later that evening, the final guests gone and the café cleaned and ready for tomorrow. ‘I can’t believe how many people came.’
‘I can. They came for you because you’re outstanding, although I’ll be having words with Maria later for stealing my line.’
I laughed. ‘She probably did it deliberately to wind you up.’
‘And how are you feeling about what happens next now that the news about you stepping down is out there?’
‘Excited. A little bit nervous too. The Chocolate Pot has been my whole life for so long but I’m ready to start working towards a new set of hopes and dreams including spending more time with my fiancé and my family – words that this time last year I never thought I’d be saying.’
‘There’s a wedding to look forward to,’ Jed said, running his fingers over the stunning diamond ring we’d chosen together. We’d set a date for next summer figuring that, if we didn’t get something secured, it could easily slip down the list of priorities with so many other things going on. I couldn’t wait to sayI doto a man who loved me as much as I loved him and to have the type of wedding we both agreed on.
‘And our new hometo design,’ he added.
‘Pretty big to-do list,’ I said, ‘but for now I just want to enjoy some quiet time with you.’
I snuggled up closer to him and let my gaze rest on the piece of art Jed had given me the night we first kissed. I couldn’t read the caption from here but I knew it off by heart:If you’ve lost your way, I will be your lighthouse.I had lost my way and several lighthouses had guided me, Jed being one of them. I’d been Zoe’s lighthouse and Jed had been Aaron’s and we’d guided each other through the storms created by Ingrid and Leanne. We’d continue to do that for each other and for our family, for the growing membership of The Friendship Pod and, behind the scenes, for my precious business. And somewhere down the line, we’d do it for teenagers like Zoe who’d lost their way and needed a guiding light to help reignite their hopes and dreams and somebody to remind them of their magic when they’d forgotten it was there.
