Chapter 14
MADDIE
‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Maaaa-die, happy birthday to you!’
Maddie blew out the twenty-nine candles on her cake and then took a bow, as everyone in the café and the salon cheered. Jessie and Alyssa had, of course, organised the party and, as with any social occasion with free sausage rolls, half the village was here. Half the village plus one.
Her pregnancy was no longer a well-kept secret, because not only did she work in the gossip hub for all interesting news and salacious scandal within a ten-mile radius, but she was, more importantly, most definitely ‘showing’.
However, she had a firm story, and she was sticking to it.
It had been decided a few days after she’d seen the word PREGNANT on the test and, like all serious discussions, it had taken place in the village equivalent of a government Situation Room.
In Weirbridge, they just called it Val’s kitchen.
‘What am I going to tell people?’ she’d said, as she’d added another packet of caramel wafers to the extra-large biscuit tin.
Val, Jessie and Alyssa were assembled, and several items had already been ticked off the agenda.
The first had been Maddie’s decision on the possibility of relocating to London.
She hadn’t wanted to let Alyssa down, so they’d still gone on the trip south and stayed in Georgie’s empty house, partied (without alcohol for Maddie), went to the theatre, shopped and coffee’d until their feet ached.
They’d spent time in Grant’s salon and loved every second of it, but even if she weren’t still reeling in a state of shock about incubating a small human, she’d have known as soon as she got there that it wasn’t for her.
It was fabulous, it was glam and it was packed with champagne-sipping customers, but maybe Maddie had been in Weirbridge for too long, because she just thought how competitive and superficial it all seemed.
No one was chatting. No one was shouting down the salon to let the rest of the customers know that a parking warden was ticketing their Bentleys outside.
No one was laughing and there wasn’t even the threat of anyone randomly bursting into song.
She’d flown back north at the end of the trip and she’d known that she’d be staying in Scotland.
It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was a start.
Next on the agenda had been the allocation of the support squad for the antenatal appointments. Val had volunteered for them all, because, as she put it, she’d just started a couch to 5K regime and she preferred the couch, so any excuse not to exercise was good with her.
Alyssa had nominated herself as diet and nutrition consultant, insisting that she draw up an optimal eating plan for pregnancy and informing the newly formed, adhoc pregnancy committee that she would prepare and provide Maddie’s daily meals at the café.
And finally, the crux of it. As the commander of all strategic discussions in the village hub of the Copper Curls, Jessie was the optimal choice for head of communications. What was Maddie going to tell people? Of course the villagers would be curious.
Maddie had sought the emotional crutch of a caramel wafer, before going on.
‘I just don’t want to share everything until I’ve told Dylan.
And I don’t want to tell him until he comes home next month.
I feel that this is a face-to-face conversation, not a quick call and a “Hi, funny story, but guess what?”’
Dylan’s three-month contract in Nashville was already up, but they’d asked him to stay on for another couple of weeks because a few more scouts had shown interest.
‘It won’t come to anything, but I couldn’t live with the “what ifs” if I didn’t at least wait to see what they said,’ he’d told her when he’d shared the news in a call while she was in London.
‘Of course you have to meet them,’ Maddie had told him, all the while desperate to say no, come home, we need to talk.
His extension was up three days after her birthday, and Maddie had immediately begun counting the hours until she could let go of the story they’d come up with that night.
‘I think you should just say you got knocked up on a one-night stand on the Tinders,’ Val had offered, unhelpfully. Jessie had just about spat her tea across the table.
‘Jesus, Val, that’ll have them gossiping all the way to bloody Carlisle.’
‘Aye, but we could start a second rumour that it was with Gerard Butler, just to make it sound a bit more understandable. I mean, I would, and I’m past the age where my knees could cope with all that nonsense. It would be worth the cost of the physio.’
Maddie had waited until Jessie had stopped choking before she’d gone on, ‘I appreciate the suggestion, but somehow, I don’t think anyone will buy that Gerard Butler was on Tinder, Val.’
‘You might have a point,’ she’d accepted reluctantly.
Maddie had floated an alternative to the A-movie star on dating app suggestion.
‘I think I’m just going to say that it’s my ex-boyfriend from when I lived in Edinburgh.
I might even say that I’m seeing him again.
Hang on, no. That could be dangerous because I’d end up having to create a whole fictional relationship and I’ll never keep my story straight.
I’ll just say it’s my ex, and we’re no longer together and it’s too painful to talk about. That’ll stop anyone from prying.’
‘I think you underestimate the levels of nosiness and interrogation the women of this village are capable of,’ Alyssa had said doubtfully. ‘My Casey works away so much that I’ve heard Morag McGee started a story that he’s banged up and only gets out once a month on day release.’
Maddie had taken another bite of her caramel wafer while she’d pondered that. ‘I’ll act emotional – it won’t be a stretch – and just refuse to discuss it. If you lot stick to the same story, people will soon stop asking.’
‘Personally, I prefer the Gerard Butler story, but okay,’ Val had mused and that had been it settled. ‘And, pet, try not to worry. I know this seems scary, but we’ve been through so much worse. Just take it one day at a time, and we’ll get there.’
At that point, Jessie and Val had got up to make more tea, and then Jessie had started humming a tune, and the next thing, both of them were singing an old song Maddie vaguely recognised, something about taking life one day at a time.
‘What’s happening right now?’ Alyssa had asked, the corners of her mouth twitching. ‘Are they okay?’
Maddie had shrugged. ‘I think my mother used to sing that song.’
‘“One Day At A Time” by Lena Martell,’ Val had quipped, as she’d returned with a full teapot. ‘It’s a classic, and I won’t hear a single argument about that. Anyway, where were we? Right, the ex-boyfriend story. We’re going with that.’
And they had. As far as the world was concerned, Maddie was pregnant to an ex-boyfriend who was no longer in the picture. Depending on how Dylan felt about it when she eventually told him, they could correct the story at a later date.
As for how she felt about it… Panicked. Scared.
Worried. Fretting. She had no family, other than a load of cousins scattered across the country, and somehow she didn’t think they’d be up for a visit from a long-lost relative clutching a baby seat in one hand and a steriliser in the other.
However, after the first week or so, something else had kicked in.
Acceptance? Determination? Something that took the edge off the panic and gave her just a tiny shred of belief that she could do this.
Her mum had raised her on her own after her dad died, so maybe this was bigger than just a contraception fail.
Maybe it was history repeating itself because she was supposed to follow the same path.
Or maybe her hormones were just out of control and giving her some false sense of security and she should really double back to panic, scared and worried.
If so, she was going to have to schedule that for after this birthday party because it was difficult to panic when surrounded by a squad of Scottish women clutching savoury snacks and debating whether they should nip to the supermarket for a few more bottles of rosé in case they ran out.
‘How are you holding up there, pet?’ Jessie asked, wafting past holding a tray of coronation chicken vol-au-vents at shoulder level.
‘I’m good, Jessie. Can I help with the food?’
‘Och, no, love. It’s like a military operation back there. If making ham sandwiches was a sport, Val would hold the world record. She’s the Mo Farah of mass catering.’
That made Maddie smile. ‘Jessie, in case I forget to say it, I can’t thank you enough for everything you do for me. I’d be lost without you.’
Jessie blushed to the roots of her curly copper hair. ‘And I’d be lost without you too, ma love.’ It was a poignant, beautiful, sentimental moment… so, naturally, Jessie had to immediately elevate them back to emotional stability with, ‘Because my roots would be a mess.’
Maddie was still chuckling when she felt a buzz in the pocket of her jeans. She pulled her phone out wondering who would be calling her, because truly everyone she kept in contact with in her life was now in this room.
Except of course, for… Dylan’s name flashed up on the screen, so she made a beeline for the quiet of the staffroom so that she could speak.
‘Hey.’
‘Hey, happy birthday.’ It was an audio call, not video, so she couldn’t see him but his voice sounded husky and she guessed he’d done an extra couple of shows the previous night.
‘Thank you. You’re missing a great night out. Jessie is just about to get the karaoke out and she’s been practising “Dancing Queen” all day. I’m fairly afraid. How’s you?’
When are you coming home? Please say you’ll still be coming back in a few days’ time. I need to talk to you. I need you to help me figure this out.
But, of course, she said none of that aloud.
Three days. That’s when he’d be home. That’s how much longer she had to hang on for.
Not that she was expecting anything from him.
She didn’t want him to marry her and sail off into the sunset with his new, ready-made happy family.
And sure, there was part of her that was worried he’d want nothing to do with this, with her, but at least she’d know. Three days.
‘I’m… Maddie, I’m great. The guys took me out last night – that’s why I sound like this.’
‘Ah, I forgot – your leaving party. How was it?’
A pause and she wondered if he was in an area with a dodgy signal.
‘That’s the thing – it wasn’t so much of a leaving party, more a celebration.’
‘Why? Oh, don’t tell me – did Chad finally propose to Millie-Sue?’
In their previous calls, Dylan had told her all about the guys in the band there, and how Millie-Sue turned up at their gigs every night, making sure no one went near her boyfriend, Chad.
‘Thing is, he’s the drummer and he’s great, but he’s missing his front teeth and I don’t think he’s ever been sober a day in his life,’ Dylan had told her, laughing.
The opening bars of ‘Dancing Queen’ snapped Maddie back to their current conversation.
‘Noooo.’ Dylan’s laughter as he replied made her smile.
Okay, so she missed him. Baby or not, she missed having him around.
Maybe when he came back, she could tell him that.
No pressure, but perhaps they could try dating.
Do things backwards. Baby first, then work their way up to dinner and a movie.
Or maybe this was just her pregnancy hormones talking and they were only ever meant to be friends.
Erm, friends that were going to be co-parenting.
‘He says he’s not making a commitment until he can afford to get his teeth fixed.
’ The amusement in his voice gave her a mental picture of Dylan, jeans and T-shirt, battered-up sexy boots, maybe a cowboy hat on his head, laughing again as he spoke.
In three days, she wouldn’t have to imagine that anymore because he’d be standing right in front of her.
Minus the cowboy hat, because that would result in some strange looks in Weirbridge High Street.
Although, she had seen stranger sights there.
Last year, there had been a tense stand-off between all four Ninja Turtles and most of the Avengers over a parking dispute before the community centre Halloween party.
‘It was actually a celebration because…’ Another dip in the line. Or maybe he’d just cleared his throat. ‘Maddie, you’re never going to believe this, but one of the scouts was back and they’ve offered me a deal. A recording contract and a ten-city tour to start with.’
‘A ten-city tour…’ Maddie could barely form the words, and they came out as a whisper.
‘Sorry? I think I lost you there. What did you say?’
It was Maddie who definitely cleared her throat this time, trying desperately to ignore the blind panic that had just made a breathtaking re-appearance.
‘I said, that’s amazing! A ten-city tour!’ She forced out every word and even to her own ears they sounded enthusiastic.
‘I want to act humble, but fuck, Maddie, this is such a big deal. This kind of stuff just doesn’t happen to people like me.’
‘You deserve it. I’m so happy for you.’
‘It’s like every dream I ever had is coming true. I couldn’t be happier, Maddie. Although, I was really looking forward to seeing you next week…’
‘Ah, don’t worry about that. I’ll still be here when you get back.’ She tried to sound casual. Nonchalant. ‘And, er, when do you think that’ll be? You coming home, I mean.’
‘I don’t know, Maddie. The tour is scheduled to last for a couple of months, so I should be back after that.
But I keep dreaming about where it could lead.
This could be it, Maddie. The right person could see a gig.
We could get signed to a record label. This could be our big break.
If this all works out, then I might not be back at all. ’