Lucy's Book Club for the Lost and Found: A heartwarming feel good romance novel(8)

Carrie loved the Rhyme Time sessions just as much as Lucy did, but the poor girl was nursing a cold, and a half-hour of energetic sing-alongs was probably the last thing she needed.

‘I’ll make you a big mug of tea when you’re done,’ replied Lucy, with a grin, to which she received a fervent thumbs-up.



* * *



Lucy took another bite of her banana as she prodded the teabags. It wasn’t even twelve yet and she was starving. She would finish at two today, in lieu of her late-night working, so she didn’t get a lunch hour, just a fifteen-minute break and then a raid of the biscuit tin when she got home. On a whim, she took down another mug and added a teabag to it. She felt a little guilty about Oscar for some reason; he wouldn’t have heard the comments that Rachel made, so there was no harm done, but she had found herself glancing across at him from time to time during the children’s singing and hated herself for doing so. Now she reasoned that she did so only because she trusted her instincts and wanted to prove them to herself, but instead of seeing his usual smiling face whenever she looked up, he had seemed rather sad. Perhaps a cup of tea would cheer him up.

She dropped Carrie’s mug off at the counter first, as the poor girl was clearly gasping for a drink, and looked over to where Oscar had been sitting. His seat was empty.

‘Has Oscar gone?’ she asked.

Carrie followed her line of sight. ‘Oh, I didn’t see him. Odd, because he usually calls goodbye. Maybe he’s just popped to the loo.’

Hmm, maybe, thought Lucy to herself, but she could feel a faint prickle of something tugging at her. She picked up the mug of tea she’d made for him and carried it over to the table. Perhaps Oscar had heard more than she’d thought, because he never left without saying goodbye; he made a point of it, in fact. Plus, he had seemed his usual chirpy self that morning, so what had changed? She directed an irritated glance back at Rachel. If Oscar had heard the things she’d said, then Rachel was due a firm talking-to, and Lucy wouldn’t hold back.



* * *



‘What’s the matter, love?’

Lucy turned to look at her mum, the expression on her face so familiar. Even at the age of twenty-four it made her smile to see the way her mum looked at her, just like she had throughout Lucy’s childhood. Every time there had been a problem – with homework, bitchy girls at school, or a boyfriend who had not turned out to be what Lucy thought – then her mum’s dear face had been there. That same expression, those same words – What’s the matter, love? – and Lucy always knew that everything in her world would come right again.

She gave her mother a weak smile. Dinner had been the usual noisy affair with her mum, dad, and younger brother, who hadn’t gone back to uni yet. It was a time Lucy usually loved; sharing in the events of the day, the banter, the highs, the lows. Her dad was a primary-school teacher and always had some funny tale to tell. But tonight Lucy had been quiet, unable to join in, as if she was slightly disconnected from everyone and everything around her. And, of course, her mum had noticed.

‘Is it that whatsit girl from the library again, giving you grief?’ asked her mum. ‘Because if it is, you can’t let her get to you like that.’

Lucy gave a tired smile. ‘No, Mum, it’s nothing like that.’ She picked up the remote and clicked off the sound on the television. Neither of them had really been watching it anyway.

‘Well, I know there’s something on your mind. You’ve got that look about you; like you’ve got the whole world on your shoulders.’ Her mum was searching her face for clues. ‘And if I know you, it won’t just go away either.’ She tipped her head to one side. ‘Lucy…’ she started a little hesitantly. ‘You know I’m not being critical in asking this, but are you actually happy at the library? Because if you’re not, no one will be upset if you change your mind about what you want to do. You could go back to your studies, make a career in teaching after all… No decision is ever final, is it? Your life is made up of endless possibilities.’

Lucy thought about her mum’s words for a moment. She knew what she was getting at – in fact, she should probably be agreeing with her – but the instant she had heard the words Lucy’s instinct had been to deny them. She was happy at the library, she did enjoy being there – she just wasn’t sure why. After all, it really didn’t make any sense; ever since she was little she had talked about being a teacher like her dad. There had never been any other plan for her, and Lucy had set her sights on it with passion. She had graduated from uni with a first-class English degree, and had been all set to undertake the postgraduate course that would allow her to teach, when all of a sudden her dream had lost its shine. The job at the library was only meant to be temporary, while she worked out what she wanted to do, but as soon as she started working there it was as if she had come home. She felt like she belonged; she and the books were kindred spirits, and she could feel the magic that lay within their pages. The books had the ability to take their readers anywhere they wanted to go, could make them feel a dozen different emotions and allow them to explore new worlds. That all this could come from what was essentially a random collection of words on a page was a rare and wondrous alchemy. To Lucy’s surprise, it was also a power that she yearned to master herself and, shortly after taking up her job at the library, she had bought her first notebook in which to write. It lay beside her bed most of the time, relatively untouched. She had picked it up on many occasions, her pencil poised, but the right words never came. Perhaps her desire to write was just a foolish dream. She heaved a sigh. Only time would tell.