‘And …’ Chloe began to pull out a long material bunting strip in similar colours to the cushions. As she opened it out, handstitched with a letter on each flag, it read THE COSY CHOCOLATE SHOP. ‘Oh, Chloe, this is just beautiful.’ Emma felt herself getting a bit choked up. ‘It must have taken you ages.’ She took the bunting in her hands and tried it against the countertop. ‘I love it! And look …’ Next she placed the star-patterned cushion in the centre of the others. ‘All set up on the window seat, don’t your cushions look just fabulous?’

‘Not bad,’ Chloe agreed modestly.

‘Well, I think we need to be the first to sit and use it, don’t you? It’s about time I took a breather. How do you fancy a coffee and a brownie?’

A few minutes later they were trying out the new window seat, testing the springiness of the new seat pads beneath them. They chinked their coffee cups together. ‘Cheers.’

‘Cheers, Chloe, and thank you so much, and James too. You guys have been amazing.’

‘Oh, yum.’ Chloe had just bitten into a square of brownie. ‘These are seriously good. Mmm, and the coffee.’

‘Yeah, I’ve sourced the ground coffee from a chap who’s just set up his own business in Berwick. It’s great, isn’t it, a really rich flavour? He does different blends. This is my favourite, Harry’s blend.’

‘I’m sure the café will go well for you, Em. It’s bound to. What’s not to like? Good coffee, chocolates everywhere, tea and cake, and you at the helm.’

‘I hope so. I’m feeling a tad nervous right now, to be truthful.’

Only time would tell. Her friends had invested time and energy, her parents had invested much of their savings in this, she’d invested her heart and soul, and her bank account really needed this to work out. It wouldn’t be long before the landlord would be snooping around again, checking on the work she’d had done, and the next thing she’d know he’d be hiking up the rent yet again, despite the fact she’d paid for all the renovations herself.

‘Well, this really is great, so cosy. And look, you can check what’s going on in the world outside the window, yet you’re here in this little magical world of chocolate too.’ Chloe smiled.

Emma looked out at her village. It was now a beautiful crisp autumn morning, the sky a vivid turquoise. She could just see down the hill, past the last of the stone cottages of the main street, where the glint of light was catching on the water of the harbour, boat masts bobbing. It was such a special place.

‘I love it, honestly,’ Chloe continued. ‘I shall be going straight back and telling all my friends about it.’

‘Thanks so much.’