Salt Sisters

goodbye to him. We decided to spend our last night together in the pub. Auntie Sue was taking care of dinner for Mike and the children, and we called at the house first so Adam could say goodbye to them. Mum was worryingly chipper, playing with Betsy and asking Hannah if she wanted her hair plaited. She wrapped Adam in a tight cuddle and thanked him for everything. Auntie Sue pulled her off to help peel vegetables and gave me a knowing look.
Back at The Ship, Adam packed his case and came to meet me in the bar. We shared a steak pie at our usual corner table and I started to drown my sorrows.
Adam eyed me as I poured a third glass of wine. ‘Easy, tiger. You’re not in Honkers anymore.’
Gina was serving behind the bar, dressed in a low-cut leopard print blouse and big hoop earrings, and not even in an ironic way. Adam caught me watching her. ‘You know, you will need some friends around here once I’ve gone. She’s a nice girl, which you would know if you gave her half a chance.’
We went up to my room to do a face mask before bed. Adam was leaving early in the morning, so we had decided to do our goodbyes the night before – I always handled the emotional stuff better when alcohol was involved. He’d promised to come for a visit at the end of next month, but that was an eternity away.
‘So, what’s next?’
I sighed. ‘I don’t know. Surviving one day at a time seems to be a reasonable goal right now.’
‘You’ll be great. Just remember – your sister wouldn’t have asked for your help if she didn’t think you could do it.’
He had way more confidence in my ability than I did. What had made Amy so sure I’d be any good at this?
‘Thank you for everything. You were a true friend when I most needed one.’ I started to cry, unable to stop myself.
‘Now listen here: I’ve seen you do a lifetime of crying these past couple of weeks. But you’re strong, Izzy. You’re stronger than you know.’
For the last time, Adam tucked me in. From now on, I was flying solo.

Chapter Six
Adam had left by the time I woke up the following morning. My head pounded and my mouth was dry – that had been a bigger night than I’d realised. I drank a whole bottle of water and followed it with a swig from my hip flask, just to soften the sharp edges that were poking in my brain.
I checked out of The Ship and made my way to Puffin Cottage, wheeling my single suitcase noisily down the back lane. Sandra was waiting to meet me at the gate to the yard. She boiled the kettle for tea as I looked over the rental agreement. I noticed the name on the contract: Wheeler. The name of my favourite schoolteacher.
‘Are you related to Mrs Wheeler, by any chance? I mean, er, Diana Wheeler?’
‘Yes, she’s my mother. This is her house.’
‘She taught me and my sister at St Helen’s. She always… Let’s just say, I was very fond of her. Please tell her I said hello. It would be lovely to see her, if she ever wants to stop by.’
Sandra shook her head. ‘She’s not doing great, I’m afraid. Losing her touch, a bit.’ She tapped a finger to her head.
I felt a pang of sadness for the woman who had once played such a big role in my life. ‘Sorry to hear that. She was a wonderful teacher.’ And had fabulous taste in interior design, I thought to myself as I admired the kitchen cupboard curtains again.
As soon as Sandra had left, I sent a message to the family chat:
Hello from Puffin Cottage! Do you want to come over for tea and biscuits?
The responses came quickly:
Hannah: Yes, would love to. See you soon
Auntie Sue: Me and your mum will come. Love Auntie Sue. x
Auntie Sue: Do you need us to bring anything? x
I smiled, replying:
Yes please! Tea bags, milk, sugar and biscuits…
Hannah: LOL
Rachel: I’m in too – extra biscuits coming right up! xxx
I selected an eclectic mix of tea-cups and saucers from the cupboards in preparation for my guests’ arrival. After welcoming them and giving the grand tour, we raised our teas in a toast my new home. Mum looked uneasy.
‘Is everything all right, Mum?’
She shook her head.
‘The feng shui in here is way off. We should rebalance it or you’ll be wallowing in negative energy.’
I resisted rolling my eyes. This was exactly why I wasn’t moving in with her and Auntie Sue. I desperately tried to think of some way to change the subject, but was saved by a knock at the door.
It was Gina, holding an enormous bouquet of red roses.
‘Gina, you really didn’t have to…’
‘They’re not from me,’ she blurted. ‘They were delivered to the pub this morning, after you left. I think there’s a card in there.’
I opened the small envelope and read aloud: ‘To Isabelle. Sorry for your loss. Glad to hear you’re staying in Seahouses for a while. But no name. That’s strange…’
Mum clapped her hands in delight. ‘Looks like you have a secret admirer – how romantic!’
I shook my head, frowning. That was odd – who could they be from? Obviously, the whole village knew by now that I was staying for a while – these people had nothing better to talk about. But why not leave a name? Was Mum right – did I have a secret admirer?
A tiny part of me hoped that maybe they were from Jake Ridley, and the thought caught me off-guard. Really, this was not the time for romantic aspirations. Besides, it was probably just someone trying to be friendly. It would be weird to woo a girl right after her sister had died.
I hunted through the cupboards for a vase – the best I could find was a large ceramic jug. I tried to arrange the