‘I knew her time was running out, but I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t want my mother to go, but it was the right thing for her. She spent her last summer surrounded by those who knew her in happier times and that was a blessing for which I was grateful.’

I can’t even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Nico at that time. Alone, grieving and having to piece together a new life for himself.

‘And that’s how the retreat began,’ I find myself saying out loud.

He nods. ‘Loneliness is an awful thing. For a while I didn’t think I could stay here, but Margot convinced me to offer bed and breakfast. She stepped in to sort me out after my mother left, fearing I’d starve.’ He looks suitably embarrassed.

‘But you can cook, I’ve seen that for myself.’

His laugh is throaty. ‘Only what Margot has taught me over the years. She became my housekeeper at first, sorting the breakfasts when I had guests here. Bastien was one of the first to arrive and we just hit it off. I needed someone to repair some fences and he was looking for some temporary work. Within a year everything seemed to fall into place, so I can’t really take any credit for it. It was fate.’

Fate. And fate brought me here, too. What purpose am I supposed to fulfil in Nico’s life? I wonder. It seems out of kilter with the path I’m following, like a detour. But Aiden created this little deviation to the plan and our life back in the UK has nothing at all to do with Provence, or Nico. I’m feeling confused and trying hard to keep any emotion and empathy I feel for a troubled artist, a man I’ve grown to respect, in check. All I can offer is words of comfort, even when it’s clear how much he’s hurting and how deep his wounds go.

If Nico’s mother was here now, she'd be so very proud of him and what he’s achieved because fate doesn’t hand anything to you if you aren’t prepared to put in the work. This place obviously meant a lot to her and she instinctively knew that this was where Nico was supposed to be. She distanced herself from her son to ease the impact of her passing and that's the true sign of a mother’s love. True love, I reflect, is all about sacrifice.

22

Stepping It Up

With only four days to go until our first visitors arrive at The Haven, Ceana and Pierce return amidst much excitement.

Nico arranges for everyone to get together for a celebratory lunch and then formally reveals the new name for the retreat, handing around the redesigned advertising materials.