Pivotal Moments

It was time for Rebecca to make her own decisions . . .

AS Rebecca walked past the florist, she saw the assistant helping a man choose some flowers from the tubs outside.

“Preferably something to get me out of the doghouse,” he said with a chuckle.

“I have just the thing.” The florist turned her dazzling smile on Rebecca, and Rebecca smiled back.

It may be a big town, but everyone was friendly here.

In a strange way, Rebecca felt more at home in the town than she ever had in her home village.

When she reached Tilda’s, she took a moment to check out the window display, which was full of sumptuous treats.

Inside, a queue waited at the sandwich counter.

Rebecca joined the shorter queue on the other side for cakes.

“Hello, Rebecca,” the guy behind the counter said, to her surprise.

She laughed and looked down at her ID card hanging from a lanyard.

“Hello, Hussein,” she replied with a pointed look at the badge pinned to his apron, and he grinned.

She’d noticed his name when she first started visiting the bakery. “How can I help?”

“I’ll try one of your kiwi and almond tarts, please,” she said.

Rebecca usually visited the sweet side of the shop.

She’d come in every day, if she could, and it wouldn’t be just for the cakes.

“Excellent choice,” Hussein said. “I made them myself this morning.”

He put the tart in a bag and took her money.

“Do you work near here?”

“Yes, I have a job at the big insurance office at the end of the road.”

He looked impressed. “Hence the key card.” “We all have to have them,” she explained.

She felt the ID made her look more important than she was and she didn’t want to give that impression.

“Do you like working there?”

“Hussein!” Tilda called out from the other side of the shop. “Stop flirting! You have customers.” “Sorry,” he whispered. “Sorry,” Rebecca said at the same time and they both laughed.

“See you again soon!” he called out as she hurried from the shop.

Rebecca found a quiet bench in the town square and sat down to eat the tart.

It really was delicious, but it wouldn’t do to indulge like this every day.

She couldn’t afford it.

A lot of her wages went on train fares, and she was paid the bare minimum for her age.

Back at work, she made her way to her workstation and put her headset on.

To hear her parents talk, she would be the CEO before long, but that was never going to happen.

The company offered advancement to anyone interested, but Rebecca wasn’t.

The truth was, she didn’t like working there at all.

Just that morning, her mum had brushed invisible fluff off her shoulders and hummed proudly.

“You’re a commuter,” she said. “Did you realise that?”

It was true that Rebecca took a commuter train, but she didn’t feel as if she belonged.

“I suppose so.” She always found it best to agree with her mother. “But it’s just taking phone calls.” Mum wasn’t having it. “You’re doing a very important job, Rebecca.”

But not as important as her older siblings.

Jed and Leah had both been to university, and now Leah was a lawyer and Jed an accountant.

Rebecca had got better A-level results than both of them and her parents had been baffled when she’d refused to go to university.

It was the first time in her life that she’d let them down and the first time she’d made her mother cry.

“You’re so clever, Rebecca,” she said. “There are so many good universities you could get into.”

“I never liked school,” Rebecca insisted.

“But it’s nothing like school!”

“I just want to get a job,” Rebecca insisted. Easier said than done. After months of fruitless job interviews, Rebecca was offered two jobs at once.

One was a part-time job in a supermarket just a short distance from the village,

and the other was at the insurance company in a town 30 miles away.

“I don’t know which one to take,” she’d said.

Well, she did, she just didn’t want to say so.

“It’s a no brainer,” Dad said. “The full-time one.”

“But my rail fare will eat into my wages.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Mum said. “The important thing is that you’ll be working in an office.

“In time, you’ll be able to start your own business as an insurance broker.

“We could do with one in the village, couldn’t we, Matt?”

And so it was done. Rebecca worked for the insurance company and she hated almost every minute of her day.

She didn’t mind chatting to customers, but she’d far rather meet people face to face and have a proper conversation.

After work, she headed for the railway station to catch the 17:25 train.

She felt like some sort of robot with each day the same as the one before.

Maybe not exactly the same, she thought with a smile.

Her daily break in the town was a bright spot, especially when she visited Tilda’s.

Even more so when she saw Hussein, with his beautiful dark eyes that flashed when he smiled.

The next day she went back there.

To her surprise the older man who usually worked on the sandwich counter was standing in Hussein’s place. Tilda herself was on the other side with Hussein.

She was tempted to swap queues, but that would have been too obvious, so she stayed where she was.

She glanced over at Hussein, who was busy making sandwiches.

Just looking at him made her heart skip a beat.

When she turned back, the man was waiting with a smile on his face.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

He looked like an older version of Hussein.

“A kiwi and almond tart, please,” she said. “I had one yesterday and it was delicious.”

“One of my son’s inventions,” he said proudly. “I’m Ibrahim, by the way.”

He leaned forward and whispered.

“I cannot make a cake if my life depended on it, but I do good bread and sandwiches.”

“Less chat, more work!” Tilda called across, but she was smiling.

“My wife.” He sighed. “She works us hard.”

“I heard that!”

“And she has ears like a bat.”

“I heard that, too!” Tilda was laughing now, and the customers were joining in.

“Good job you love me!” Ibrahim shot back, his words bringing a flush to Tilda’s cheeks and a groan of embarrassment from Hussein.

So Tilda was Hussein’s mother.

Rebecca was still laughing as she came out of the shop, despite the rain that had started to fall.

How she wished she could work somewhere like that.

Her smile faded as she saw the towering dark building at the end of the street, and she happened to glance sideways at the florist’s.

There was a sign in the window that hadn’t been there yesterday.

Part-time position available. Apply within.

If Rebecca were to apply within, she’d be late back to work.

Not only would she be late, but she couldn’t afford the train fare on a part-time salary.

It would be madness. But she was already pushing the door open.

The woman she had seen the day before smiled at her.

She should turn round and walk out right now.

“I’d like to apply for the job,” she heard herself say.

“That’s wonderful. What experience do you have?”

“I like flowers,” Rebecca said. “Does that count?” “Well, it’s a good start.” Half an hour later she emerged with a new job paying more than minimum wage.

The sun had popped out from behind the clouds as if to congratulate her. The wet street twinkled.

For the first time since she started work there, Rebecca entered the building with a smile on her face.

It wasn’t just a new job she’d accepted, but a whole new life.

It wasn’t easy being part of a family of high-flyers, and it took Rebecca a full week before she could bring herself to tell her parents what she’d done.

It was Saturday and her father was getting ready for a game of golf while her mother was meeting some friends for lunch.

They both stopped in their tracks.

“A florist?” Dad asked. “It’s not even a proper job. It’s just part-time.” Mum sounded distraught.

“How will you manage on part-time money?” Dad asked.

“You’ll have to tell them that you’ve thought about it and realised you made a mistake,” Mum added. “It won’t be too late.”

“Yes, it will. I handed in my notice a week ago.

“I only have a week left to do. Besides, I’ve made up my mind, Mum.”

“I’m so disappointed in you, Rebecca.”

Rebecca recoiled from her mother’s words.

“Sally,” Dad said softly. “It’s Rebecca’s life. It’s her decision to make.”

“I’m sorry,” Mum said. “But I just don’t understand. What did we do wrong?”

Dad ushered her to the door.

“We’ll talk later, love,” he promised.

On Monday, when Rebecca came out of work with every intention of going to Tilda’s, she spotted her sister across the road.

Both her siblings lived and worked in the town but led such busy lives that she seldom saw them.

Leah waved and Rebecca hurried over to her. They hugged.

“It’s lovely to see you,” Rebecca said. “But if Mum’s asked you to try to talk me into changing my mind, you’re wasting your breath.”

“She did, actually, but I want to hear your side of things first.”

“I hate working there,” Rebecca said. “So I found a job I’ll enjoy.”

“Good for you,” Leah replied. “That’s all I needed to know. Have you time for lunch?”

“I only get forty-five minutes.”

“That’s all right. I picked up sandwiches from Tilda’s. We can have a couple of cakes, too, if there’s time. You can come back to my office to eat them.”

Leah’s office wasn’t far. The building had an elegant Georgian exterior, but inside it was thoroughly modern.

“Wow,” Rebecca said when Leah showed her into her office.

Leah sat down and passed a sandwich to Rebecca.

She had a photo of her husband and two children on her desk, and Rebecca realised she’d been caught looking at it.

“You’ll have to visit us. Stay over for a weekend,” Leah suggested. “The kids adore you.”

“Thank you, Leah.”

“I should have asked before, but it’s been so hectic. So, you’re going to work in a shop.”

“The florist.”

“The one over the road? Blossom’s Blooms?” Leah laughed.

“You always did like playing shops and in summer you always had your face buried in flowers.”

Leah got up and poured

them each a cup of coffee from a machine.

“If that’s what you want to do, I say go for it.

“If I’d known sooner how unhappy you were, I would have said so.”

“Thank you, Leah. That means such a lot.”

“I thought you were brave not going to university, by the way. I wouldn’t have dared stand up to Mum the way you did.”

“You wouldn’t?”

Leah shook her head.

“I did want to go to uni, but I went to the one Mum chose for me and I learned independence there.

“She wanted me to work for that old solicitor in the village when I qualified – the one who always wore a bow tie.

“Do you remember him?” Rebecca laughed. “How could I forget?”

“If Mum had had her way, it would have become my office with my name on the windows.” Leah sighed. It was a revelation.

“I had no idea.”

“And I had no idea you were unhappy,” Leah said. “I thought Mum was different with you, being the youngest. Not so pushy.”

“I didn’t realise she was like that with you, too. So you have no regrets about doing your own thing?” Rebecca asked.

“None! Anyway, let me know when you want to come and stay,” Leah said. “And leave the rest to me.

“We’ll have to do this again. Let’s make it a regular thing.”

Rebecca had never felt closer to her sister than she did in that moment.

The following day, Jed was waiting outside at lunchtime.

Rebecca nearly burst out laughing when she saw him.

He looked up from his phone when he saw her coming.

“Rebecca,” he said. “What a lovely surprise. Fancy seeing you here.”

She hugged him. “You’re not subtle,” she accused him. “Mum asked you to see me.”

Jed’s face flushed. “Let’s have lunch,” he said. “It’s a nice day. We can sit in the square.

“I got wraps from Tilda’s. You do still like spicy chicken, don’t you?” “Definitely.”

“Mum tells me you’re chucking in a . . .” he paused, before imitating their mother, “jolly good position at the insurance company – where you had real prospects – to work in a shop making funeral wreaths.”

“That sums it up,” Rebecca said.

“Good. Blossom’s lovely.” “You’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”

“Are you kidding? If I’d done what Mum wanted, I’d be working out of an office at her house running my own business and dancing to her tune.” “Really?”

“You never heard the arguments? I suppose you were too young to notice.

“She used to accuse Leah of having a teenage rebellion. Then it was my turn, and now it seems it’s yours.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t know any of this. I grew up thinking you and Leah were the perfect children.” Jed laughed.

“We always thought you were the favourite and could do no wrong.”

They ate their wraps which were delicious.

“You’ll have to come and stay with me and Maria,” he said. “Have a weekend with us.

“In fact, we have plenty of room. You could move in. It would save you the train fares.”

“Don’t you think you should check with Maria before offering me a room?” Rebecca asked in shock. He laughed.

“It was her idea, actually. “Think about it. You don’t have to decide right away.”

“Jed!” A shout went up and Rebecca looked up to see Hussein hurrying towards them. “You forgot the pastries!

“Hello, Rebecca. I didn’t realise you were Jed’s sister.”

“You two know each other?”

“Rebecca is my favourite customer,” Hussein admitted with a broad smile. “She brightens my day when she comes into Tilda’s.”

“Yes, she is pretty special,” Jed said, much to Rebecca’s surprise.

“Life’s changing,” she said when Hussein had gone. “Really quickly.”

“That’s how it usually happens. You blink and everything’s different.

“Look at Ibrahim and Blossom.”

“What do you mean?” “Ibrahim lost his whole family when he was a child, and he came to this country to live with his uncle and aunt.

“Blossom grew up in care and ended up living on the streets.

“Now look at them,” Jed continued. “Ibrahim and Tilda own the most popular bakery in town and Blossom’s reputation is second to none.

“I don’t suppose it happened in the blink of an eye, but there often comes a pivotal moment when things change. You may not even notice it at the time.”

Rebecca flung her arms round him.

“Thank you, Jed!” “What for?” He laughed. “I didn’t do anything.”

Rebecca wasn’t sure what her pivotal moment was.

Perhaps it was when she saw the sign in Blossom’s window.

Maybe it was the day Hussein walked in and ordered the most lavish bouquet of flowers.

“I’ll come by and collect it later,” he said.

“She must be very special,” Rebecca said, not really sure why her heart felt as if it was breaking.

When he came to collect the flowers, he handed them straight back to her.

“For you,” he said. “Will you go out with me, Rebecca?”

She didn’t even have to think about it.

“Yes!” she cried.

A few weeks later, Jed and Maria invited everyone round for Sunday lunch.

Leah was there with her family, plus Mum and Dad and also Blossom and Hussein.

It was the first time her parents had met her boss and her boyfriend, and Rebecca was nervous. She needn’t have worried. Even her often frosty mother couldn’t fail to be charmed by Hussein’s smile.

“Your mother’s bakery is very popular,” she said.

“It’s Dad’s, too,” Hussein said. “But she’s the boss.”

“Have you thought of opening your own bakery, Hussein? You could have a whole chain of them.”

“We’re happy as we are,” he said, “and, as my parents say, that’s what’s important.”

“Well said, don’t you think?” Blossom asked. “Absolutely,” Dad agreed. “You have three amazing kids,” Blossom went on, “and two lovely grandchildren. You’ve really hit the jackpot there, Sally!”

Rebecca looked over at her mother and for once she looked content.

Her shoulders seemed to loosen as she looked round the table.

She’d only ever wanted what she thought was best for her children and they’d all grown up OK.

“I love you, Mum. And you, Dad,” Rebecca said and her parents looked shocked.

They’d never been overly demonstrative, but Rebecca’s words brought joy to their faces.

“And we love you,” Mum said. “All of you! So very much.”

She looked as if she might cry and Dad gave her a hug.

“Now all our chicks have flown the nest, we’ve decided we’re going to move,” he said.

That would be another pivotal moment, Rebecca thought. How wonderful.