Chapter Four #2
‘Depressing,’ I replied. ‘To be honest I’m glad to be out of there. Shauna was trying so hard not to gloat it was embarrassing.’
I managed to dodge answering any further questions, because I spotted an open Colin the Caterpillar cake box, a few remaining pieces inside, the white chocolate Colin head in there too.
I fingered it, pulling the chocolate towards me, ready to help myself.
Being with family made me behave in a way I never would at a friend’s house.
No airs and graces. Everything that’s theirs is mine.
From nowhere, Nora helicoptered towards me at speed. Like a wild animal pouncing on its prey, she artfully glided across the tiled floor, skidding to a halt on her impressively fast pink socks.
‘Nooooo!’ she screamed, arms outstretched.
Then, using the breakfast bar to bring herself to a sharp standstill, she shouted urgently, ‘Stop! That’s the best part! Don’t eat the head – it’s mine! It’s MY birthday and I was saving it!’
‘Okay, okay. Don’t panic!’ I dropped the head and raised my arms like it was a hold-up. ‘It’s all yours.’
‘Do you think I could steal you upstairs for a minute?’ Lucy said, coming up beside me, to save me from Nora’s wrath.
I followed her up the carpeted steps from the hallway.
I loved Lucy’s house. After a recent refurb it was the kind of cosy, tastefully decorated family home that made you feel like everything was going to be okay.
It had curtains with pelmets and framed family pictures on the walls.
The pale greys, greens, and cream were nurturing and calm.
I wondered if I would ever be this grown-up.
Lucy sat on the side of her king-size bed, her eyes drifting to the wardrobes to her right. The doors were closed.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked.
‘I’m fine,’ she whispered.
‘Are you sure?’
She glanced sideways at the wardrobe. ‘Well, I do have a bit of news.’ She stood up and opened the final door of their white wardrobes.
A sinking feeling gripped my stomach as she laid down the wedding gown, still in its protective case, across the bed.
‘You hate it.’ I pre-empted. ‘You can be honest with me, sis, I’m a big girl now.’
‘It’s not that—’ Her voice trailed off. ‘It’s more that it’s not going to fit me.’
‘Lucy, it’s fine. I know the team at Pronovias really well. We can arrange a visit and have it altered, it’s not a problem,’ I said cheerily, putting my arm around her shoulder. ‘It’s your wedding dress – it’s got to be perfect.’
She bit her bottom lip. ‘I don’t think that will cut it, I’m afraid. I mean it’s really not going to fit.’ Her eyes were glassy. ‘I’m going to be a pregnant bride. A heavily pregnant bride.’
My mouth dropped open. I flung my arms around her. ‘Wooooww! I never would have guessed that one!’
Lucy being pregnant was big news. When she gave birth to Nora seven years ago at home, the first words she said as I arrived a few hours later to meet my new baby niece were, ‘If I ever so much as think I will do this again, please remind me of this moment – and shoot me.’
To be fair, Nora’s birth was traumatic. After a prolonged labour, she finally arrived by forceps on the sofa at Lucy and Rory’s flat, after the planned Zen water birth Lucy had been prepping for couldn’t go ahead safely because Nora was a large baby and was basically stuck.
Things had progressed and it was not safe to move Lucy to hospital for an epidural, so an emergency team came to her.
After a ripped perineum, several stitches, a lot of swearing, and Rory fainting later – Nora finally arrived, screaming and very cross with the world, like a little red gargoyle, all nine pounds of her.
It didn’t seem possible that our petite Lucy could produce such a large baby.
Lucy didn’t even have any photos from the very first moments of holding her baby, because Rory was out of action.
‘The front room looked like an abattoir – no one needs to see this,’ she told me.
‘And I’m spitting because the hypno-birthing course was a total waste of money.
Money we could have spent on a night nurse.
’ Then she burst into tears. ‘It’s only been a few hours and I’m already a shit mum because I hated my birth and I’m absolutely gutted that my fucking fanny is never going to be the same. My life is over!’
‘Of course you’re not!’ I had dutifully protested, reminding her she was due a painkiller. I took the bundle of new life, who smelt of malted milk biscuits, and held her tenderly in my arms.
‘Isn’t it amazing?’ I murmured, enjoying the comforting feeling of Nora’s warm little body next to mine. ‘You created this perfect human.’
Lucy sighed.
‘You did the best you could possibly do for her, Luce,’ I continued. ‘She’s here and she’s healthy. You shouldn’t punish yourself for something so out of your control. I love you both very much.’
Nora gurgled, wrapped her tiny hand tightly around my little finger and stared back at me with a mixture of milk-drunk bemusement and total adoration. I’m sure we cemented our special bond at that moment.
Time was a great healer for Lucy. Gradually she was able to talk about the birth without breaking down in tears and she was a brilliant, devoted mum, but still, it was a lot, and I could understand why she and Rory had decided to stop at one.
‘We count ourselves lucky’ was how they looked upon it. And that was that. Until now.
Lucy and I sat on her bed chatting for a while longer.
‘It was a total surprise,’ she said. ‘I honestly thought I was bloated.’
‘Have you told Nora?’
‘Not yet, she’d never forgive me for stealing her spotlight in her birthday month, and I didn’t want to risk her blurting it out at school until we’d had a chance to tell you all. But now I’m three months gone, I will soon.’
‘I’m going to be an auntie again!’ I exclaimed.
‘I think my child loves you more than me most of the time.’ Lucy smiled.
‘Anyway, how are you feeling?’
‘Apart from morning sickness, I’m okay. I’d forgotten how bad it was with Nora. I’ll bet there’s another head-strong little girl in here.’ She ran a hand over her stomach.
‘Will you find out the sex?’
‘I don’t think so. Rory says there are few genuine surprises left in life, so why not let this be one.’
‘And a massive control freak like you is happy to go along with that?’ I smiled at the side of her face.
‘To be honest I’ve been feeling too green to argue. We’ll see, but for now, I don’t have a huge urge to officially confirm my gut instinct that it’s a girl.’
‘We’re going to need to find you a new wedding dress then,’ I said. ‘But don’t worry, I’m sure Pronovias do a maternity line. I’ll sort it.’
Lucy hung the gown on the outside of the wardrobe and unzipped the bag, some of the champagne-coloured fabric immediately spilling out, shimmering sequins catching the light.
‘It’s a shame. I absolutely love this gown. I felt amazing in it.’ Lucy took a final look at it. It was the most unwedding-y bridal gown I could find – on her orders – and it really was stunning.
The doorbell rang, making us both jump.
‘It doesn’t matter if he sees it now,’ Lucy remarked. ‘Come on, let’s go back down and find you some wine.’ She steered me towards the stairs again.
‘Sorry I’m late. We met in the off-licence.’ Rob was standing in the hallway with Rory. ‘Happy birthday, Nora!’ he called out, but Nora was still too busy devouring another mouthful of leftover cake to notice.
‘Jesus, Mum, were you not keeping an eye on this?’ Lucy asked, moving forwards to detach the little girl from the cake box.
Mum looked up from her phone. ‘Sorry, darling – work stuff.’
We might have been together for two years now, but Rob still had the ability to put butterflies in my stomach, just like when I first clapped eyes on him in the Smith’s boutique when he was making a TV show about Mona Armstrong.
He had an undeniably, classically good-looking face, symmetrical features, sandy hair, green eyes, teen- pin-up qualities that had not diminished with age.
I’m lucky to have him. I kissed him on the cheek, and he wound an arm around my waist.
‘So – what’s the latest?’ Rob asked.
Everyone looked at me expectantly.
‘I got it.’ I smiled.
‘Got what, darling? The bridesmaid dresses?’
‘No, Mum. I had the interview today – for the stylist job for Mandy Sykes.’
‘Mandy who?’ Dad appeared beside us.
‘Mandy Sykes. She’s a celebrity. A big one. I got offered a job as her stylist.’
‘Oh wow – have you accepted it?’ Lucy asked.
‘Not quite. I mean, yes, I probably will, but there are some parts we need to discuss.’ I looked at Rob. We stared at each other for a beat. I didn’t want to do this in front of my whole family. ‘We can talk about it later. But it feels like perfect timing, given I’m unemployed.’
‘Sorry if this is a stupid question,’ Dad piped up, ‘but who exactly is Mandy Sykes?’
‘She’s one of the wealthiest business stars on social media,’ I replied, feeling my skin prickle. Somehow inserting the word business made me feel as though he was more likely to approve.
‘I follow her on Instagram,’ Lucy said supportively. ‘She’s massive. Think the Kardashians meet Housewives of Beverly Hills.’
Dad looked blank. ‘Does this mean you’re needed in LA again?’
‘No, she’s moving here – to Surrey,’ I said hurriedly.
‘From the Hollywood Hills to the Surrey Hills, I can see what they did there.’ Lucy smirked.
‘Still no idea, so sorry,’ said Dad. ‘Is anyone else peckish?’
‘I’m starving,’ said Rob. ‘Here, I come with crisps.’ And he pulled out two large packets from the carrier bag he was still holding and headed towards the kitchen.
I was glad of the change of subject, it gave me an opportunity to speak to someone more on my level. I padded over to Nora, who was now busy in a corner working on the Barbie house she’d been given for her birthday.
‘Do you know who Mandy Sykes is?’ I asked her in a hushed voice.
‘Who?’ she whispered back, conspiratorially. ‘Is this a secret?’