Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (inspirational books txt) 📕

‘According to Ben and his weather reports, by this time tomorrow the whole of Pretty Beach is going to be blanketed in a layer of white,’ Sallie said excitedly.

‘I hope the trains are still running, or I won’t be going in to work.’ Nina said and started coughing. She’d had an irritating wheezy cough for a few weeks and wasn’t sounding great.

‘By the sounds of you maybe that’s a good thing. Have you had that checked out?’ Sallie replied, a furrow between her eyebrows.

‘I feel fine, so no. In fact, I’m feeling good, it’s just a bit of a tickle - the start of Winter and all that.’

Sallie looked doubtful but didn’t say anything further on the subject. Ottilie held up the keys and launched them over the table where they landed deftly on the counter at the end.

‘She’s quite the little athlete already. I presume you’ve got her signed up and on the waiting list for gymnastics, ballet and the like?’ Sallie said and laughed as she took a sip of her hot chocolate.

‘Not quite yet, that starts later. At this stage it’s baby swimming lessons, music with mama and baby massage,’ Nina chuckled.

It was a bit of a standing joke between them - Ottilie was the most prepared infant on the planet and nothing had been overlooked. Nina had put down a deposit for her at the prep school in Newport Reef before she was even born, had set up a children’s bank account and everything from her nutrition to her mental health was documented and recorded in a digital folder online enabling Nina to access it wherever and whenever she needed to. She’d also started the ball rolling on officially assigning Tillie’s legal guardian.

The door of the cafe rattled noisily in the wind and the awning outside looked like it was about to take off as the sky became darker and the ocean crashed onto the beach. They looked on from the warmth of the bustling little cafe.

‘Did you see that post on the Pretty Beach Community Page?’ Nina asked.

‘No, I’ve hardly looked at my phone these last few days; I’ve been up to my eyes in admin.’

‘The last time a snowstorm hit Pretty Beach one of the public jetties collapsed and had to be rebuilt, and Roy Johnson from the council fell over on the ice and broke his collarbone,’ Nina said.

‘You read it all on there, don’t you?’ Sallie replied and rolled her eyes.

‘That’s not all. While the snow was coming down, shock horror, Nel’s baby pink cruiser bike was stolen out of the shed,’ Nina chuckled and dipped a marshmallow into her hot chocolate.

‘You’re kidding me. That’s terrible, we’ll need a squad car down here if anything like that happens again.’ They both smiled - it still made them both laugh when they saw the local crime reports. Things that were an everyday occurrence in Freshlea made the news in Pretty Beach.

Ottilie started to whinge and Nina took a tiny little plastic container out of her bag and fed her baby rice with organic fruit. Ottilie spat it out in protest.

‘Going well on the nutrition front then?’ Sallie said and they both laughed.

‘She refuses to eat it, she’s so funny,’ Nina said as they both looked at Tillie sitting in the high chair with pale green baby rice around her mouth and on her bib. She stuck her fist in her mouth as if to say she’d rather eat that than the organic fruit.

The little tinkly bell on the cafe door sounded as it opened and icy air blasted through as Suntanned Pete walked in, his larger than life frame seeming to fill up the little cafe all at once. Rugged up in a huge scarf, beanie and boots he looked even bigger than he normally did. Sallie thought it was the first time she’d ever seen him in anything but shorts - it must be cold. He strode over to chat to them. Pete and Nina had become the most unusual of friends, bonding over a mutual love of birdwatching. He kissed them both on the cheek and started playing with Tillie.

‘Very cold out there, ladies. It’s coming in thick and fast. You’re all good with your heating and firewood? You’ll need to check it in case we get snowed in like last time. I just walked past your place, Nina. I’ll take the hanging baskets down on my way home if you like - doubt they’ll stay there if the wind is going to be like they say it is.’

‘I checked my firewood last week actually and I’ve got loads. Thanks, that would be great if you can take down those baskets.’ Nina looked up at Pete and smiled.

‘You’ll have to stay in for a few days Pete, how will you cope?’ They all chuckled, knowing that Pete suffered withdrawal symptoms if he couldn’t get to go out on his boat.

Nina started to get Ottilie’s baby pink pram suit out of her bag and packed her toys away.

‘Well I'd better get going and get this little one home then,’ she said, as a bin rolled around on the floor outside in the wind and someone getting out of a car was knocked back as they walked along the street. Just as Nina was getting up from the table, Nel walked in with her reusable coffee mug in hand, dressed in her bus uniform. Sallie got up from the table to say hello.

‘Hey Nel, how are you? Don’t usually see you in here at this time of day.’

‘I know, but I’m stocking up for today - you never know what will happen on the buses when snow is on the way. I’ve got my flask all topped up with hot tea and I’m going to get a hot chocolate in this little baby before I go.’ She held up the pink cup.

‘I guess this is our first real Pretty Beach storm then, Sals. We’ve heard enough