Blueberry Wishes by Kelly McKain

Saff, looking relieved.
    â€œSo,” said Dad, “your coach isn’t till half two, is it? There’s a whole big, beautiful city out there – what would you like to do?”
    â€œShopping!” cried Saff. Predictable.
    And then of course we all got carried away, suggesting lunch out in the West End, a movie, a trip on the London Eye…
    â€œWell, that’s all out of budget,” said Dad, “but I know where we can have just as much fun for free. Come on.”
    â€œWhere are we going?” Saff demanded.
    â€œSurprise,” said Dad, winking at her. He pulled up his cuff to check his watch and his silver cufflink chinked against it. This was our old dad back again – smart, savvy and completely in control. “Grab your stuff, there’s a bus in ten minutes.”
    Dad kept the surprise to himself all the way into town and we were really excited when he herded us off the bus at Covent Garden. As we linked arms in a big line and headed into the crowded piazza, Dad said, “ Et voilà – all the shops, entertainment and delicious food you could want. Well, window-shopping, street theatre and Cornish pasties, anyway.”
    â€œGreat idea,” I told him, as Saff dragged me off to look in Oasis. We tried on half the shop and had a real laugh even though we couldn’t afford anything, while Dad and Grace browsed in the bookshop just down the street. Then we met up and got steaming coffee and pasties, and ate them while watching this brilliant sword swallowing-juggling-comedy act by the church.
    After that, we walked round the different levels of the piazza, looking in all the little shops and stalls, and of course we spent ages in Lush. I was in heaven surrounded by all the gorgeous products.
    When we came out, we found Saff waiting outside for us, eyeing up a lad and giving him her most flirty smile. He was just coming over when Dad appeared in the shop doorway, immediately clocked what was going on and gave him such a death-stare that he pretty much ran in the other direction.
    â€œOh, thanks very much, Dad!” said Saff, pouting.
    â€œNo one looks at my princess like that,” Dad grumbled, still glaring at the boy as he disappeared round the corner.
    Well, Saff couldn’t help smiling, and she only pretended to be put out for about two more seconds before taking Dad’s arm and leading him off to look in the window of Ted Baker. I smiled too, glad that things were okay between them again.
    As Grace and I followed behind, talking about which things we’d liked the most in Lush, I felt a huge wave of happiness inside me. I just loved the buzz of London so much and clearly my sisters did too.
    But I didn’t love it as much as Totnes, I realized. In fact, I was already starting to look forward to seeing Marco the next day at school, and Summer and Ben. And to me and my sisters all squashing up on our revolting brown sofa and getting an update from Mum on how things had gone at Rainbow Beauty while we’d been away.
    I’d already started thinking about how to package the men’s shower gel for Massimo too, and I was keen to get started on working out exactly the right combination of essential oils to make it really deep and rich. I couldn’t help smiling to myself. Here was the whole of London spread out in front of me, and it was great – but it wasn’t home , not any more. Home was our shabby little flat. Home was Rainbow Beauty, and Cavendish High, and Marco and my friends. Home was gorgeous, slightly crazy Totnes.

    We were all a bit quiet on the coach, and I thought maybe Grace and Saff were still going over what Saff had said to Dad, like I was, and wondering when they’d see him again. We cheered up as we walked back to the flat, though, imagining Mum’s face when we told her about the visit to Beau and what Massimo had said about our new range, and about him reordering the lime and ginger scrub, and