Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
‘Why is Auntie Grace crying, Mummy?’
Naomi Davies handed her sister a tissue. Gracie blew her nose loudly and ruffled her nephew’s hair.
‘Me and Uncle Lewis had a row, that’s all, darling. I’m fine, don’t you worry about me, little man.’
‘Why did you have a row?’ The innocent inquisitiveness continued.
‘Be a good boy and eat your cereal or you’ll be late for school.’ Naomi dragged her dark long hair up into an untidy ponytail.
‘But Mum…’ Five-year-old Jack bashed his spoon down and milk flew across the kitchen table.
‘No buts, eat!’
Naomi Davies looked a little worn for her forty years. Her previous sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle, plus the stress of single parenting, were beginning to catch up with her.
She had never really wanted kids, preferring a free-spirited hippy lifestyle. But while on holiday in Croatia, a one-night stand with a Hollywood actor who happened to be filming there, no less, had put paid to that.
Gracie had gone along with her to the abortion clinic, but Naomi couldn’t go through with it. And nine months later, baby Jack was born. It was just the two of them – and that’s how it had stayed.
Long-term relationships had never been on her agenda either. In fact, having slept with half the male population of London and become increasingly frustrated at the lack of compatibility, Naomi had found herself more and more attracted to women.
‘Phew, that’s him out of my hair until three.’ Naomi returned from the school run and flicked the kettle on. She looked to a puffy-eyed Gracie. ‘So, firstly, little sis, what are you going to do about work?’
‘I’ll have to resign, won’t I? I mean, how on earth can I face the bitch? I just can’t.’
‘What did you say to Rob this morning?’
‘I told him what had happened. I couldn’t lie to him, he’s been so good to me. He was great as usual, there’s no urgency on any events at the moment, so he said take the week off. Have a good think about what I want to do.’ Gracie ran her hands through her hair. ‘He doesn’t want to lose me, but she does bring in a hell of a lot of business. It’s not his problem, is it? Oh God, Noms! I can’t believe this is happening.’
‘I never thought the scumbag gave you enough attention after you lost the babies, to be honest, Grace.’
‘Yeah, I know all that, but I love him and he’s been through it, too.’
‘Still, no bloody excuse to sleep with someone else. Especially a woman you work with!’
‘I know, I know. I don’t know what to do, Noms. I mean if I leave him where will I live? And I can’t leave work, I need the money. But I seriously don’t think I could ever trust him again now. Or work with her, for that matter.’
‘You can’t stay with someone just because you’ve got nowhere else to go.’
‘Give me a break, sis.’ Gracie blew out a huge breath. ‘I need to get my head around it all.’
‘I realise that, Grace. But, how dare he? You’re so beautiful. You lost those precious little babies and he does this to you. What an arse.’
Gracie sighed deeply. ‘I’ve been hell to live with.’
‘I’m not buying that.’ Naomi’s voice softened. You can move in here. I don’t need any money from you, you know that.’
‘You make it sound so black and white.’ Gracie blew out a huge breath. ‘And out of anyone you should know that relationships aren’t ever that.’
Noms gripped her sister’s shoulder. ‘I’m so sorry this is happening to you.’
Suddenly appreciating what Naomi had gone through herself, Gracie removed her sister’s hand, put it momentarily to her lips, then went to fill the kettle with water.
The Hollywood actor had said that if Naomi kept quiet about the baby, she would want for nothing. So a three-bedroomed house in Wimbledon had been purchased and five hundred thousand popped into her bank account. She had signed an NDA to say that she would never publicly out him, and that was it. She would watch him in his movies with a wry smile, and could already see his brooding good looks developing in her handsome young son. Gracie was the only person in the world who knew.
Gracie and Noms’s parents hadn’t questioned anything. They had assumed that Naomi had been her usual black-sheep self but was doing very well at selling the bespoke handbags she made, and could afford the house she lived in.
John and Deidre Davies had emigrated to Spain when the girls were in their early twenties and no love had been lost between them since. Their distance had been another factor in Gracie’s sometimes depressive state. The one woman she had wanted by her side when she lost her babies was her mum, who didn’t even bother to book a flight to the UK. Noms had been her rock instead.
‘Go and sit down, do you want coffee or tea, I’ll make it?’
‘Coffee and fuck it, two sugars, please.’ Gracie let out something between a laugh and a cry.
‘That’s my girl and if it makes you feel better, why don’t you just fill the fridge for the three of us, as I know you’ll want to pay your way somehow. Workwise, get your CV up to date, so if you do decide to move on, you’ll be ready to go. Maybe you should go away for a week, get your head around everything, decide whether you really do want to be with Lewis or not.’
Gracie sighed deeply. ‘So many bloody decisions.’
They were interrupted by a bark and Naomi smiled.
‘Hello, Boris, you little munchkin. Where have you been, you scamp?’
The lively Patterdale Terrier jumped up at Gracie’s knees. Gracie bent down to stroke him as her sister continued.
‘He’s like a teenager, hilarious. He literally lies in his crate and waits for me to come back from the school run when he knows it’s walk time.’ She whispered the word walk for fear of him getting even more excited.
‘I’ll take him out, if you like. Forget the coffee for now. The fresh air will do me good – give me time to think.’
‘If you’re sure, Grace, that would be great. I’m doing a talk about my bag making and setting up a stall at the WI at eleven. I know, don’t say it, I’m still so rock and roll.’
Gracie managed a smile. ‘That, dear sis, you are. Now, where’s this little fella’s lead?’