A touch of summer

Leila had found a place she could go. A sandy cove, a short cycle ride from her flat, where she could spread out her beach towel, put on her headphones and watch the sea lap up onto the shore. She wasn’t sure what kept this spot so quiet, when the other Cornish beaches were packed, but she was grateful.

‘Soon,’ she’d whispered. Of course it would be soon. They’d be back together, it wouldn’t be long…

She had an hour today, away from the makeshift desk in her bedroom she’d been working from for the past couple of months. A precious hour away from her laptop and her list of things to do. As she’d worked that morning, she could hear the kids next door as they bounced on the trampoline. They’d been out there most days, these past few months, and their voices and laughter were her working-from-home soundtrack. She’d seen their dad