Sea Glass (WAYHAUGHT)

Service

Waverly clicked on the 'how to apply' button. Still humming the Spongebob theme tune, she read through the instructions, making a mental note of what the role required, imagining herself organising fundraising events, helping out in their shop, liaising with media. All perfectly within her abilities. In fact, she decided she might as well ring Heligan's, tell them to take the job off the market, and let her start as soon as possible. Then again, maybe not.

Champ's head popped up the other side of the bar. "Boo!"

Her girly shriek had him beaming. "Don't do that. You know I hate it when you creep up on me."

"Whatcha doing?"

Waverly closed her laptop. "Looking for baby clothes. Cute little designer outfits we can dress our firstborn in."

The smug grin vanished from his face. "Right, I'd best be off."

"What did you want?"

Halfway to the door he glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh yeah, we're heading to Drippy's later."

"Can't, helping Nicole out. Austell lot."

Ask anyone in the village, they would say Champ and Waverly were a couple. Ask either of them, they would say the same. Before Waverly got the fancy idea of going to college that status would have been true. Since her return that status was less true. Their relationship could technically be classed as complicated, the complicated part being neither was inclined to correct those who assumed they were back together. Yes, they were friends. Yes, they still hung out with other friends. Yes, they put on a thoroughly convincing show they were an item.

That was the trouble living in a small community. Everyone knew everyone, and everyone knew everyone's business, and everyone gossiped about everyone's business. And, if you'd been raised in that insular and gossipy kind of community, you knew when to hold your tongue, rather than have your name on everyone else's. She guessed Champ kept quiet about their convenient arrangement because he didn't want rumours. In the same way, she didn't want it known she was back on the market, which would mean being pestered by the likes of Tucker Gardner. For all his faults Champ was good to her, and well, about the best dating option available. So what was the harm in playing oh-so-very-nearly happy families? For now.

At some point, one or both would need to make that call, hold up their hand, put a full stop after their pretend partnership, and move on. Neither seemed in a hurry to do so, making the best of it about the best they could do. In a weirdly comforting way it worked. No one suspected so far, not even her sister who had a special talent for guessing the health of everyone's relationships.

Wynonna returned to the pub shortly after five, Alice in tow dripping vanilla ice cream all over Waverly's floor. A few tourists had braved the foul weather, navigating their way to the harbour, quietly sipping local ale while watching the world go by. They would need more emmets to find the Harbour Tavern in the coming weeks, to make up for the bleak months they'd endured through the pandemic, when the village had been deserted.

By the time she entered her parent's house Waverly was drenched. Michelle scolded her for not taking a coat, then rang Wynonna and scolded her for letting her sister walk about the village in this weather without proper clothing, with everyone talking about them. She knew Wynonna would scold her the following day for having been scolded by their mother, such was the way it worked in their family. Wet clothes removed, long shower taken, white shirt and black skirt donned, she made herself a sandwich to take to the restaurant. Nicole always offered to make her something when she was working. She always declined.

Robin was standing outside the kitchen when she arrived. Umbrella in one hand, cigarette in the other, he blew out a long trail of smoke. "Nic's in a shit mood," he grumbled as she passed.