Page 50 of Autumn Secrets
“You see, Mum, you can’t just say things like that,” the young girl said to the woman. She rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Mum never makes much sense.”
“Don’t worry, I know the feeling.” I smiled politely before I turned my gaze towards her mum again.
“Have we met before?” I asked.
“No, but I believe you ran into my grandmother at the markets yesterday.”
I stared at her. “She’s your grandmother?”
“She is.”
“And my great-grandmother, but don’t worry,” the young girl said. “She just told us, and we won’t say a word. We actually didn’t believe her to start with.”
“You know who I am?” I asked.
“Yes, of course we do. But, don’t worry. We won’t tell a soul until it’s official that you’ve actually returned.”
“Returned?” I asked. “Sorry, I’m confused…”
Just then, Jasmine came back inside. “Aurora, sorry to interrupt, but have you decided what you want to buy? I think we need to get going. Lexi called. The girls are ready to hit the road.” She walked up to the counter. “Just buy some more cinnamon buns.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I just…”
The woman picked up a paper bag and put some cinnamon buns in it. “There you go.”
I pulled my wallet out from the back pocket of my jeans and gave the woman my card. “Thank you. You have a nice little place here. What’s your name?”
“Lucinda, and this is my daughter Phoebe.”
“I’m Aurora, and this is my friend Jasmine.”
“Nice to meet you both.” Lucinda smiled.
“You have the best apple pie in the world here,” Jasmine said.
“Thank you. It’s actually my grandmother’s old recipe,” Lucinda replied and slid me a quick look.
“Well, we need to get going,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t want to leave; I wanted to stay and talk to Lucinda and Phoebe. I knew they had answers that I was so desperately seeking.
Lucinda handed me the bag with the cinnamon buns. “Have a good trip back to Angel Falls. Be safe.”
As we walked out, it occurred to me that I never mentioned I was from Angel Falls. I turned around and saw Phoebe wave, then point to the paper bag in my hand. I waved back and opened it. On top of the cinnamon buns was a note with a phone number. I smiled and grabbed the note and put it in my pocket. This morning had definitely turned out surprisingly for the better.
Chapter 16
We arrived back in Angel Falls way later than anticipated on Sunday night. I quickly thanked the girls and hurried up the stairs to my house. I was so tired and couldn’t wait to jump into my own bed. I craved some time to myself again. I knew after this weekend that despite having friends who I absolutely adored, I still needed my space to be with my own thoughts. The battery on my phone had gone flat hours ago, and I hadn’t been able to call my mum. I really needed to memorise her number so I could call from someone else’s phone if mine wasn’t working for some reason.
“Mum, I’m home,” I yelled as I opened the door and dropped my bag on the floor, closing the door behind me.
“In here,” she called back.
I found her in the living room, watching TV. “Hey.”
She reached for the control as she stood up, turned the volume down and swung around with a smile to greet me. “Aurora, how—” She paused mid-sentence, watching me with big eyes. “Aurora?”
“Yes, Mum. What’s wrong?”
She took a step closer, watching me intently.