Chapter 27
When Gemma got home from work the next day, Laila was in the kitchen ferociously dicing red pepper as if she was unaware of the dangers of knives.
‘I’m making an omelette,’ she said.
‘Really? How lovely,’ Gemma said. To think that it had been months since someone had cooked her a meal … ‘Hey, I’ve got you a present.’ She took out the grocery items she’d bought during her lunch break.
‘What for?’
‘Doing dinner.’
Laila frowned as if trying to remember whether she’d told Gemma earlier that she would cook. She hadn’t.
Gemma handed her a large tub of Nutella, then she put the milk, apples and yoghurt into the fridge.
‘You remembered,’ Laila said. ‘Thanks.’
They sat at the table and ate Laila’s omelette, which was delicious, if not a little heavy on the cheese.
But Gemma wasn’t going to nit-pick. For the first time in several weeks, she was reminded of what being fully relaxed in your own home felt like.
As though an hour before, she’d treated herself to a massage.
‘I really appreciated that, thank you, Laila.’
‘My turn on the dishes, too,’ Laila said.
Gemma wasn’t about to argue. ‘Did you see Timothy?’
Laila stood up and gathered together the dirty dishes. ‘Yeah.’
‘Is he all right?’
‘He’s okay.’ Laila looked down at her scuffed black boots that seemed more suited to mid-winter snowy Balkan conditions than an unusually balmy London summer. ‘I passed Jodie in the corridor.’
‘Oh, gosh, how was that?’
‘Awkward.’ Laila made a racket rinsing the cutlery and plates. ‘She said you don’t need to meet her. She trusts Gramps’ endorsement of you.’
‘That’s great. Did you talk about anything else?’
‘I told her I was fine and that she didn’t need to worry.’
‘That’s all a parent ever wants, I reckon.’ Then Gemma changed the subject. ‘Do you like Love Island? I know it’s mindless but sometimes that’s what I need after a day’s work.’
‘It’s okay,’ Laila said as if she needed to pretend to like it for Gemma’s sake when she really didn’t. ‘I’ve got another idea. I could help you.’ Laila’s eyes shone like the crystal in her nose piercing.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I could help you find out more about your birth mother.’
‘You don’t have to do that.’ Gemma was taken aback by the girl’s interest and keenness.
‘I like finding stuff out.’
‘Well, I mean …’
‘You are going to do it, aren’t you? You got four yeses from the club. You wouldn’t want to let everyone down …’
Gemma laughed. ‘You’re really putting the heat on.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. Why would you want me helping you?’
‘Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!’
‘Well, wouldn’t it be better than doing it on your own? And if you discover things you don’t like, I’ll be here to make you a hot chocolate.’
Gemma’s heart melted. ‘You’re so sweet.’
‘No one’s ever called me that before.’ Laila pulled an expression of disdain.
Gemma smiled.
‘So?’ Laila asked.
‘Well, only if you really want to—’
‘Of course, I want to do family-larking with you. Where do we start?’
‘You mean now?’
‘Duh.’
Gemma moved a dining chair next to her desk chair and turned on her laptop.
‘It’s funny,’ Gemma said. ‘Ever since I learnt a little more about my birth mother, I’ve become hyperaware of what I do and how I do it.
Like, does my biological mother walk around the house when she’s cleaning her teeth?
Does she twirl her hair when she feels excited or on edge?
And what would I say if we ever met? Would I call her Mum?
Or should I call her Claire? Or would I be so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to speak at all? ’
‘The only way to know is to find her,’ Laila said.
Gemma nodded. It seemed a little strange getting reassurance from a seventeen-year-old but, as Gemma was finding out, life could sometimes be a little strange.
‘It’s okay, you’ve got me here, remember?’ Laila said. ‘So, what do you need to do?’
‘Now that I’ve got my original birth certificate, the next step is to apply for my social services file which will, hopefully, have all the information that was known at the time about my birth parents and my life before the adoption.’
‘Okay, let’s do it.’
‘It’s just a form.’ Suddenly, Gemma felt foolish for admitting that she hadn’t been able to even do that.
‘I hate filling out forms,’ Laila said. ‘Don’t do it too quickly, that’s what Gramps says, otherwise you could make a mistake.’
Gemma found the form she’d previously bookmarked. She read through the information that was needed, even though she knew it already. Her mouth went dry.
‘When Gramps said don’t do it quickly, he meant don’t fill it in too fast, not spend all evening wondering whether to complete it in the first place.’ Laila spoke so matter-of-factly that it made Gemma laugh.
‘I’m being serious,’ Laila said.
‘I know you are. I’m just nervous.’
‘I get it. Now, do it.’
‘Okay, okay.’ Gemma took another deep breath and started typing.
‘Now press “submit”,’ Laila said when she’d finished.
Gemma pressed submit and let out the longest breath she’d ever exhaled. Laila gave her a high-five, then got up to make hot chocolates.
For a moment, Gemma sat there taking in what she’d just done. Her mudlarking friends were right. Surely it was better to have some information than none at all, and what she did with it could always be decided later.
From the kitchen, she heard her phone ping with a text.
‘It’s Nick,’ Laila called out.
‘Are you reading my messages?’ Gemma put her laptop to sleep and left the study.
‘He wants to go on a mudlark. Just the two of you,’ Laila cooed teasingly.
‘Laila!’
‘It’s true.’
Gemma swiped her phone from the table and read the message.
‘See,’ Laila said. ‘I think he likes you.’ She stirred the hot chocolates and gave one to Gemma.
‘No, he doesn’t.’
‘Yes, he does.’
‘He wants to learn more about mudlarking and doesn’t know when we’ll next be going out in a group, now that Timothy’s in hospital.’
Laila smiled as if she couldn’t care less about Gemma’s excuse.
Gemma went over to the tide chart on the fridge.
The next low tide options suitable for her were going to be during the late afternoons of the following weekend.
Nick said the sooner the better for him, which realistically meant Saturday.
It wasn’t like she had anything else on, plus Nick was fun to spend time with and, unlike with her girlfriends, a child-free conversation was guaranteed. Why not?
‘Are you going to go?’ Laila asked.
Gemma didn’t answer but sent a reply to Nick.
‘You so are.’ Laila smiled.
Just as Gemma put her phone down, it went off again.
This time, in unison with Laila’s. Phyllida had sent them a friendly reminder (her words) about the hospital roster for Timothy.
She also included suggestions for treats they could bring in for him so they didn’t double up.
Laila had to tell her that she’d already given him grapes which meant Nick would have to choose another fruit.
Phyllida suggested strawberries because they’ve been ‘delish this season’ and Nick replied with a military salute emoji which made Gemma and Laila giggle.