As it happened, Marigold, Emily’s daughter and Elliot’s best friend, was ‘working’ behind the counter and as soon as they walked into The Cherry on Top, Elliot wanted to help as well. He was currently standing behind the counter, with an apron on, giggling as they ate a few cookies. Occasionally Emily would get them to take a food order over to the tables, but that was as far as the helping went.

‘I can’t believe you never told me,’ Melody said, sadly, after Tori had explained everything about her relationship with Matthew.

‘I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you or deceive you. I just wasn’t sure how you would react to it and I didn’t want to upset you. The first time we made love, it was this wonderful little secret that was just mine and Matthew’s. He was going off to America on his gap year so nothing more was going to happen and then later when we started talking on the phone, I didn’t know what it was going to be, only that I really bloody liked him. That weekend he came to see me, I had no idea he had lied to you about going away with work until he told me what he had done. I didn’t want to tell you guys the truth and drop him in it and hurt you both at the same time. It just felt like a harmless little lie. I couldn’t tell you we had slept together then when he was supposed to be in Paris with work. I really am sorry.’

Melody was quiet, and Tori had no idea what to say to make it better.

‘We all have secrets,’ Isla said and then turned to Melody. ‘You’ve not exactly been particularly forthcoming about your feelings for Jamie. And my… friendship with Leo is beyond complicated, I certainly don’t want to talk about that either. Sometimes the “keeping it a secret” part can be one of the best bits and interference from other people, even if it is well-meaning, can taint or ruin it before it’s even started. Tori, I don’t blame you for not telling anyone. I saw or spoke to Matthew quite regularly over the last months of his life and he was so happy. If you had any part to play in that then I think I owe you my thanks more than anything else. It was good to see him smile again.’

‘Isla’s right,’ Melody said. ‘I think it’s lovely that your friendship with Matthew turned into something more. You made each other happy and that’s all we ever want from a relationship. But also, I feel unbearably sad for you too. You never got to see the relationship develop into something more, you never told each other how you felt.’

‘I feel so guilty that I ended it just before he died. I hurt him, and I never got the chance to fix things, to tell him how I really felt.’

‘Matthew adored you, anyone could see that. Growing up, you guys were so close, it’s only natural that closeness would turn to something more,’ Isla said. ‘You felt safe with him and he knew everything about your dad leaving and how much that ruined you. He knew about Luc and how scared you were of getting involved with another relationship; he should have been a bit more patient with you. If you loved him, then I bet he knew that, or at least suspected your feelings, which I imagine led to his frustration when you started to back off. But knowing Matthew, if he loved you like Elliot says he did, then he wouldn’t have given you up without a fight. He spoke to me the night before he died, said he was planning to come up to London to see us the following weekend. My guess is that was something to do with you. I don’t think he died still being angry at you. He loved you, and you don’t just switch that off.’

‘I hope you’re right. Maybe it would never have worked out between us if I had taken that step – once we were together our bad habits might have wound each other up. He might have hated my tidiness or how much attention I give my plasticine models and I might not have been able to bear him leaving his shoes lying around. But yes, I will always wonder what could have been. I will always regret what we didn’t do.’

‘If that isn’t an advert for seizing the day, I don’t know what is,’ Melody said.

‘I know. Leo said as much as well. He said there will never be a safe path. And he is so right. We can eat all the right things, never drink, never take drugs or smoke, never get on a plane just in case it crashes, and we can still die under the wheels of a bus one day or from some horrible disease. We might live our lives avoiding risk, push love away just in case we get hurt, but we’ll still get hurt one way or another. I was afraid of getting hurt, but losing Matthew hurt more than any broken relationship ever could. So maybe it’s time to embrace life a bit more, take a few risks, step out of my comfort zone.’

‘That Leo is a wise man,’ Isla said, with a smile.

Tori nodded. ‘He really is.’

‘We’re actually having a memorial celebration tomorrow,’ Melody said. ‘Just us and a few of Matthew’s friends. It was Leo’s idea. Instead of marking the day of Matthew’s death, we decided we would celebrate his birthday instead. You should come.’

‘I’d really like that.’

They fell silent for a while and Tori played with the last few crumbs of her sandwich, then she turned to Isla.

‘I want to hear about your complicated relationship with Leo.’

Melody giggled, and Tori was relieved the tension of the conversation seemed to have lifted.

Isla sighed, looked over at Elliot to make sure he was occupied and then around the café to check no one was listening. Sensing that this was a big secret, Melody and Tori leaned in close.

‘OK, if we’re sharing secrets, I’ll tell you one of mine. Leo proposed to me.’

‘What?’ Tori said. That hadn’t been what she was expecting at all.

‘What?!’ Melody squealed, almost bouncing in her chair as she clapped her hands with excitement.

Isla rolled her eyes. ‘I know, it’s ridiculous. I said no, of course.’

‘Why?’ Melody asked, her face falling at the happy ending fading away.

‘Because he asked me to marry him out of some weird duty to Matthew, because he thinks Elliot needs a dad and because he doesn’t want me to worry about money. He knows things have been… a little difficult financially since Matthew died. Leo didn’t ask me out of love. He just wants to take care of us.’

‘Oh, that’s so sweet,’ Melody said, the possibility of a happy ending reappearing again.

‘I know, it is, but I’m not going to marry someone just so I’m financially supported.’

‘He actually said those were the reasons he wanted to get married?’ Tori asked. Leo didn’t seem the romantic sort who would get down on one knee and declare his love for Isla, but he must have said something nice, something that showed he had some feelings for her.

‘This was several months ago, though he has asked me quite a few times since then. But yes, there was no big fancy proposal, not that I’d need one of those. I’d gone round to pick up Elliot after he’d spent the night at Leo’s. We were having coffee and he said that he’d been thinking that we should get married. I didn’t know what to say at first but eventually I asked why, and he told me that he wants to take care of me and Elliot, that he didn’t want me having to worry about getting a job or money.’

Tori sighed. The man clearly needed a few lessons in romance. She’d seen the way he looked at Isla, it was obvious there was something there that was much more than friendship and that this flat proposal came from somewhere beyond just wanting to take care of them.

‘No man is going to give up their single life and get married to someone they don’t love, just to take care of them. If money was an issue, then why not just give you the money. There’s more to this than what he is offering,’ Tori said.

‘I agree,’ Melody said. ‘That gesture is so sweet, it’s obvious he cares about you.’

‘I know he cares about me, but I don’t need taking care of. Me and Elliot are fine.’

‘But just think of all the incredible sex you’d have,’ Tori teased.

Isla laughed. ‘I have, believe me, I have thought about that a lot. But if we’re not marrying out of love would we even have that arrangement? Or would we have separate bedrooms and live only as friends? Would he continue to date other people, bring them back to his house? I don’t think I could bear seeing that, my fragile heart couldn’t take it. But then if we did have sex, there would be something quite seedy about me sleeping with him in return for money and a roof over our heads, no matter how amazing the sex was. I want to get married for love and I won’t settle for anything less.’

‘And do you love him?’ Melody asked.

Isla sighed. ‘Yes, no… maybe. I don’t know. We’re good friends, maybe that’s as much as it will ever be.’

Elliot came running back, halting the conversation from going any further. At least for now. ‘Can I have a slice of banoffee cake?’

‘Of course, tell Emily that I said it was OK.’

Elliot ran off again.

‘OK, can we change the subject before he comes back?’ Isla said.

Tori cast around for a suitable topic. She spotted Mark at the next table eating a large cream cake that probably wasn’t very vegan either or, if it was, she didn’t think Mindy would approve. Isla was right, everyone did have their secrets.

‘I suppose I should share my secret as well, though it’s not too much of a secret,’ Melody said. ‘I’m in love with Jamie Jackson and I’m not talking a silly little crush. I mean head over heels, can’t sleep, can’t eat, crazy in love with him. And he’s the first person I’ve felt this way for too.’

Isla leaned forward. ‘Ah no Melody, I knew you fancied him, I didn’t realise you loved him.’

‘Your first love?’ Tori said, gently.

‘I know. Does love always hurt this much?’ Melody asked.

Tori and Isla nodded.

‘Then maybe it is best to be avoided,’ Melody sighed.

Tori didn’t want Melody to think that way. She might have given up on love for herself, but it didn’t mean she didn’t want to see her friends with their happy ever afters.

‘Have you done anything about it, have you told him how you feel?’ Tori said.

‘I think he knows.’ She covered her face with her hands. ‘I kissed him.’

Tori’s eyes widened, and she quickly glanced at Isla, who clearly had no idea this had happened either.

‘When was this? Did he kiss you back? What was it like?’ Tori asked, a million more questions bubbling in her head.

‘After Matthew’s funeral. I was a mess. Went to a pub and got myself blind drunk. Jamie looked after me. I knew him, of course. Every time I’d come down and visit Matthew, the Jackson brothers were always with him. I had a little crush on Jamie for years. He stayed with me that night in the pub, made sure I drank plenty of water, practically carried me back to the hotel I was staying at. And that’s when I kissed him. I don’t remember much, only how he held me in his arms like I was something precious, I remember his grip on me tightening, his tongue in my mouth and how I’d never felt that incredible when kissing anyone before. It seemed to go on forever, but in reality, it was probably only a few seconds before he pulled away. He didn’t say anything, just helped me into the hotel and into my room and, for a wonderful moment, I thought he was going to stay with me, but he simply took my shoes off and then covered me with the duvet and left. We have never spoken about it since. Of course, now, I’ve moved down here, and I live practically next door to him and bought the shop just opposite him, I bet he thinks he’s got himself a right stalker.’

‘Oh, love,’ Isla said. ‘It sounds like he kissed you back though.’

‘I don’t know, maybe he did, maybe he was just trying to get away from me politely,’ Melody said, sadly.

Elliot came running back then with a large slice of banoffee cake and a big pile of squirty cream with sprinkles on the top.

Tori looked around the table at her two friends. All their love lives were a complete mess. Maybe the festival of love would sort them all out once and for all.

---

Later that afternoon, after she had spent a while making a Millennium Falcon cake topper, and some time working on Aidan’s advert, Tori pulled on her strawberry-print pyjamas and got into bed, feeling a bit ridiculous for taking a nap. She was tired, but she couldn’t remember the last time she had slept in the middle of the day. She lay staring at the ceiling for a moment before she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, hoping that the warmth of the bed would send her to sleep. It didn’t. Maybe Aidan was right, maybe taking a nap with someone was infinitely better.

Feeling silly and giddy, she grabbed her phone from the side and took a photo of herself lying in bed and then texted it to Aidan with the message,

To her surprise, he texted straight back.

The next text he sent contained a photo and, as she opened it properly, she could see it was Aidan, lying in bed, with only a sheet clinging to his hips, only just covering his modesty. Was he naked under that sheet? God, he looked amazing, his hair all messed up, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

He sent another text.

She smiled and deliberately didn’t take the hint.

She smiled, squeezing her phone to her chest as excitement bubbled through her. She wasn’t sure what was happening here, but she knew she wanted more of it. She closed her eyes and imagined him lying in his bed, thinking of her, and her smile grew even bigger. If she could get to sleep now that her heart was galloping in her chest, she knew she’d have some very sweet dreams indeed.

---

To her surprise, she did sleep, and she slept a lot. Maybe it had been the eighteen months that she had spent on the animated film finally catching up with her, or maybe it was the sea air or that she had spent most of the night before awake, working on the advert instead of sleeping, or maybe because she’d had such wonderful dreams that she didn’t want to leave them. Whatever it was, she had been in bed for nearly three hours.

She got up and made herself a pot of tea before going outside to sit on the decking. She watched the sun as it began its slow descent into the sea, leaving plum and candyfloss pink trails through the sky, although it wouldn’t set properly for another hour or two yet.

She grabbed her notebook and started sketching out some more ideas for Aidan’s advert and the mascot, using her fine-line pens to add colour to her drawings so they slowly came to life. She was excited about this and how it would finally look and as the ideas bubbled through her she even started making a rough model out of plasticine too. The one she would use for the advert would be bigger, but at least showing Aidan what the model would look like would help him to visualise it better than her sketches and storyboards would.

Tori suddenly realised that she’d lost several hours to her sketches and modelling. The sun had set a long time before and solar lights were lighting up the decking without her even realising, though the pale sky and bright full moon still illuminated the garden almost like it was day time.

She got up and hurriedly made herself a bacon sandwich for her tea, slathering it in a thick layer of ketchup before tucking in. She’d seen Beast sniffing around outside near the shed, but she wasn’t sure if he’d gone in there to sleep or snuck off to terrorise the rest of the village again. But she poured out some food and left out some fresh water just in case. Judging by what she’d heard from various members of the village, he got his food from plenty of other sources, not just her, so she wasn’t too worried if he had missed dinner from her that evening. He was probably tucking into steak and chips somewhere else.

Tori decided it was time to look at the tattoo. With all the talk about Matthew with Melody and Isla that afternoon, she’d not had the chance to ask them what the tattoo was, and she hadn’t been entirely happy about showing people when she still had no idea what it was herself.

She stepped into the shower and a brown crust fell onto the cubicle floor as she brushed a towel across her shoulders. She turned the shower on and washed away any remnants before washing her hair and finishing off her shower.

Tori stepped out into the tiny bathroom and looked in the mirror over her shoulder at the tattoo, but the mirror was quite steamy. She wiped it down with a towel and pulled her hair up out the way and had a look again, but she still couldn’t see it properly as it was in the middle of her shoulder blades. She needed another mirror but there wasn’t anything in the bathroom. She quickly moved into the bedroom and rooted around in her handbag to find a tiny hand mirror, noting that she was running out of time and would need to be up at the farm soon. She quickly rushed back into the bathroom and, turning her back to the big mirror, she held up the tiny mirror in front of her and moved it around until she could see the tattoo. But she still couldn’t make out what it was. The lighting in the bathroom was particularly dim and, although she could see it was a heart with flowers around the outside, she couldn’t make out the patterns on the inside. She moved the mirror around and tried to step back, closer to the big mirror, but the sink was in the way. Maybe the patterns were just Celtic swirls, though she wasn’t sure what would be so hilarious about that. But it definitely wasn’t writing, no declarations of love for Aidan. It had crossed her mind that that was what Agatha had done, especially as she had been so adamant about Aidan seeing it. She sighed. She would have to get Isla or Melody to look at it the next time she saw them, for now she needed to get up to the farm. Luckily, Aidan wouldn’t see it, whatever it was, because it’d be hidden away under her hoodie.

She quickly got dressed, pulled on her wellies, gathered together her sketches and her heartberry model and left Blossom Cottage.