Chapter 26
GENIE
Now
As we got a taxi to the villa the night before, Gray needs to go and pick up our hire car and decides to take Will who has been trying to persuade Gray all morning to hire a Mustang.
Both Cassie and I have put them both straight on that, concerned about our hair as they would bound to want the roof down, despite the soaring heat!
They are back before we can even think about doing anything more than sunbathing.
‘We’re back. And we’ve got Dunkin’ Donuts.’ Will shouts.
That’s enough to get Cassie moving, and she happily helps herself to a jam-filled doughnut, all thoughts of dieting thankfully forgotten.
She even laughs as jam from her doughnut explodes all over her cover up.
Gray and I gratefully drink our first proper American coffee of the holiday and share a glazed doughnut whilst Will proceeds to eat three in a row.
I don’t know where that boy puts his food because he’s as slim as a rake.
For the remainder of the afternoon, we all just laze in and around the pool, enjoying relaxing and generally doing nothing.
I’m reading, Cassie’s sunbathing and appears to be asleep while Will bounces from pool to spa before eating yet another doughnut.
‘What does everyone fancy for dinner tonight?’ Gray asks.
‘Can we go to that new steakhouse near the big Walmart that Uncle Jonesy recommended? It sounds amazing.’ Will replies.
‘Yeah, I don’t see why not. I’ll call ahead and book a table.’ Gray says before anyone has a chance to disagree.
Cassie and I go off to get ready for dinner, and after Will and Gray have a last swim, and then Gray makes the call to the restaurant before they both hit the showers.
As Gray comes out of the shower and wraps his towel around his waist, I’m putting the final touches to my makeup at the dressing table.
‘You look amazing.’ Gray says, kissing the back of my neck. ‘Are you starting to relax?’
‘A little, I guess, but I don’t want to wait too much longer to speak to the children. Perhaps after dinner when we get back to the villa?’ There’s a slight shake to my hand as I try to apply my mascara.
‘It sounds as good a time as any.’ he says, giving my free hand a squeeze.
It doesn’t take Gray or Will long to get ready, although we still have to wait for Cassie to dry her hair.
‘Come on, Cassie. I’m starving. No one’s going to be looking at you anyway.’ Will says, deliberately antagonising his older sister, his shoes already on to leave.
A screech of annoyance sounds from Cassie’s room. ‘Shut up, Will. No one’s going to be looking at you, you mean. I bet you haven’t even done your hair.’
‘I just rely on my naturally good looks…’
‘Enough, you two, Gray interjects before the pair launch into a full-on argument. ‘Let’s get in the car before we lose our table at the restaurant.’
The car’s great, with plenty of room for all of us, and the children even manage to be civil to each other on the short ride to the restaurant.
We announce ourselves to the cheery girl on the front desk, who gives us a buzzer.
We go outside to join the rest of the fellow would-be diners.
Within five minutes, our buzzer is vibrating.
In less than a minute, we’re sitting in a comfy air-conditioned booth, perusing a menu of incredible steaks and burgers.
Will goes for a T-bone steak and chips, Gray has a New York strip and Cassie and I both go for fillet.
All the steaks come with salad and either a baked potato or chips.
By the end of the meal, we can hardly move, except for Will, who’s already eyeing up the dessert menu.
Will orders some traditional Key lime pie, but Gray and I just have a coffee.
We’re going to need our wits about us later.
Gray settles the check - as the Americans like to call it - and we make our way back to the villa, stopping briefly at the pharmacy to stock up on some additional sunscreen and a few other bits and pieces that we need.
The plan is to go to the big supermarket over the next few days.
Once back at the villa, we all rush to get changed and just let our food go down, except for Will, who’s in the games room, shooting some basketball hoops.
That boy has such an appetite, but I guess he does burn it off, as he can never stand still.
As Gray and I get changed, we discreetly discuss how to broach the subject of Milly.
‘I don’t think I can do it.’ I croak. ‘I feel sick.’
‘You’ll be ok. I promise.’ Gray replies.
I lean forward and grip the dressing table, looking at Gray through the mirror. ‘You’ll back me up, won’t you?’
‘I’ve always had your back, and I always will, whatever happens.’ he says, planting a kiss on the top of my head, desperately trying to reassure me that everything will be ok. I just hope that he’s right.
I take my time changing into a pair of joggers and a T-shirt, hanging up my dress, brushing my hair again and checking my makeup, doing absolutely everything I can to keep my secret from the children for that little bit longer.
Even though I feel like a trembling wreck inside, at least I look ok outwardly.
Gray calls the children through to the living room area, telling them we need to talk to them about something important. My stomach is in knots, my delicious steak meal threatening to come right back up again. This is really it.
I join Gray in the sitting area, walking in a much more confident manner than I really feel. I take a seat next to Gray, taking hold of his hand for absolute reassurance that we are in this together.
Gray calls the children again, and Cassie eventually emerges from her bedroom, Will finally walking away from the basketball hoops to plonk himself next to his sister.
‘You both look like someone’s died.’ Will observes.
‘Oh my God. Did something happen to Granny or Grandad?’ asks Cassie, her face full of concern.
Gray shakes his head. ‘They are both absolutely fine, but we do have something very important to tell you.’
‘You’re not getting a divorce, are you?’ shrieks Cassie.
‘No, of course not. Your mum and I are just fine.’
‘You’re very quiet, Mum. What’s up?’ Will asks, much calmer than his sister. They both look at me expectantly.
‘Mhmm.’ I manage, a solitary tear rolling down my cheek. I don’t trust myself to speak properly right now without breaking down. My throat has closed up, and although I know the words are there, I physically cannot speak.
Both children look over at me, waiting for me to say something. Gray gives me a reassuring nudge.
‘I’ve been struggling with things that happened to me when I was almost eighteen. But before I fully explain everything, I want you to know that I absolutely adore and love both of you so, so much and would do anything for you. I only wish my parents had given me the same consideration.’
Cassie moves to sit next to me and strokes my hand softly, willing me on to continue.
‘When I was in sixth form, I started going out with my first boyfriend. At first, everything was great. It was new and exciting. Stupidly, we both, and all our friends, started regularly drinking, and I hate to admit that we used to smoke a bit of weed too.’ I confess.
Both Will and Cassie’s faces are in total shock, as they know my stance about any type of smoking. You really don’t want to hear about your mother’s youthful misdemeanours at their ages, but they need to hear the truth from me.
‘I know this is hard for you to hear, but I want to be totally honest with you both, and I want to be the one who tells you the whole truth. I don’t want you getting incorrect information from the tabloids or TikTok.’
Both silently nod.
‘We started sleeping together not long after we got together, and it’s not something that I’m proud of.
I now know with the benefit of hindsight that we were far too young.
My parents tried to split us up, and they grounded me several times, but I still managed to meet up with him and my friends when Mother was doing her voluntary work and when Dad was at work.
‘It wasn’t until early April that my mother realised things weren’t quite right with me.
She caught sight of me coming out of the bathroom one evening and noticed that I’d put quite a bit of weight on.
She got a bee in her bonnet that I was pregnant, asking me time and time again if I was.
I didn’t have a clue if I was or not, but the more she shouted at me, the more things suddenly started making sense.
Dad arranged for me to have an appointment with a private doctor.
’ I pause and swallow. ‘They confirmed that I was over three months pregnant.’
They still both look stunned, neither in any rush to respond, but I need to continue and explain everything.
‘It’s hard for me to find the right words to explain everything.
My mother, as you know, is very religious, and she was absolutely horrified to find out that I was pregnant, so she took me to stay with her sister, my Auntie Maureen, in Bournemouth to continue the pregnancy in private.
Dad stayed in London because of work. He also had to organise the sale of our house, as my parents didn’t want anyone to find out about my pregnancy.
He would come and visit us every other weekend, and those were the times that I lived for.
I wasn’t allowed to contact my boyfriend or any of my friends.
We basically just upped and left, never to be heard of again. ’
‘What happened to the baby, Mum?’ asks Cassie, her voice almost a whisper.