Heart to Hart ✔️

20. Burnt marshmallows

"That's the last bag. It's an hour's drive, Sian. You sure you don't need the toilet before we go?" James called out as he slammed the boot of Alec's Audi.

"I've been. Come on Alec. We need to get there first so we can get the best beds in the cabin. I don't want Rosie and Daniel to get the only king-size."

We were parked outside Sian's flat, ready to head off on our little road trip to the New Forest. Rosie and Daniel, who were also sharing the lodge with us, were catching a lift with Daniel's brother, Andy.

It was ten am, everyone else was heading to the campsite for midday so Sian was unnecessarily worrying.

Halfway down the M27, with twenty minutes until we arrived at the lodge, I remembered Alec's sister. "How's Chloe getting there? Wasn't she meant to grab a lift with us?"

Alec took a swig from a water bottle James had picked up at the petrol station, we had driven away from, minutes ago. "No, she's coming with Joana. She didn't want her to be on her own, and refused to get in a car with Finn, for some reason."

We turned onto a dirt track towards a thatched-roof cottage and parked up. Alec had rung the owners of the camping site before we set off, and they would be waiting for us with the keys to our cabin.

He jumped out of the car to sign some papers and grab the keys. Ten minutes later, we were back on the makeshift road to our holiday let.

The oak framed lodge was bigger than I imagined. We had all seen photos online, but they didn't do this place any justice.

We walked into an open-plan, fully equipped kitchen and a sitting room with two sofas. Sian busied herself with loading the fridge and cupboards with the food we had brought with us.

"Leave that for now, let's check the bedroom." I grabbed Sian's arm, making her drop a packet of biscuits onto the floor, and pulled her upstairs.

"I'll clean this up then," James shouted up to us.

The small landing was dimly lit by the limited daylight coming up the stairs. We opened the door into one large room. A king-sized bed took centre stage against the furthest wall from the entrance. Two made-up double sofa beds were on each side of the room, leaving a narrow walkway around the biggest bed. The overhead VELUX windows cast warming, natural light onto the wooden floorboards.

"Where are the bunk beds?" Sian asked as we stepped further into the bedroom. She turned around to face the door. "Ah, how clever." She pulled a thick canvas type curtain back that was covering the bunk beds in a recess in the wall.

Along the rear wall was a smallish cupboard. Out of curiosity, I opened it to find a toilet in the compact space. "Ew, Grim. No one can use this for anything but a pee. It will stink the entire place out. Maybe we don't mention it to the boys and tell them they can only use the one downstairs."

Alec tumbled into the room, his arms laden with our bags. "How are we doing this then? All of us upstairs like one big sleepover or split between upstairs and downstairs?" Alec wondered.

"I think James and I should get the king-size and then you guys fight it out amongst yourselves," said Sian as she flopped down onto the bed.

"Well, that sounds fair, Sian. As long as you're sorted," Alec snapped back.

"We can't decide without Rosie, Daniel, your sister and her friend. They're sleeping here too, so I reckon we pull straws when they get here. Longest straw gets the king, shortest gets the bunk beds." I glanced up at Sian, who was not impressed with that decision.

"Please let me have the king," she begged. "James starfishes in his sleep. We need the space. Besides, we're the only couple. Well, Rosie and Daniel are too, but she's so tiny, we can slot her in anywhere."