Chapter 33
ARIANA AND RAE
After a hard day at work, Ariana and Rae sat eating takeout pizza in Ariana’s lounge. Izzy was in the shower, having been for a run, singing Taylor Swift at the top of her voice.
‘We’ll eat it all as a punishment for her being so off-key,’ said Rae, and she grinned.
‘Says the woman who, after a few drinks, used to have to be held back from applying for The X Factor,’ said Ariana. ‘You always murder “Bohemian Rhapsody”.’
‘A great hit by… Queen.’ Rae wiped her mouth with a square of kitchen roll and sighed. ‘Can’t put it off any more. The reason I’ve come over. Things may have changed but we used to be Carrie’s best friends. I reckon that means we should have her back – tell her Eliza is actually her grandmother.’
‘What? No way,’ said Ariana and shook her head.
‘She’ll shoot the messenger. It’s not our business any more.
’ She shot Rae a curious look. ‘I’m surprised you want to.
I mean, it sounds like she and Eliza – or whatever her real name is – have both been living fake lives, and I know that’s made us both angry, but you… ’
‘I didn’t calm down as quickly as you,’ Rae muttered. ‘It felt like such a deception but…’ She waved her phone. ‘We’ve both read Carrie’s last message. She’s grateful we called out her behaviour. And she has made countless apologies.’
Silence fell again and they ate more pizza. Rae swigged back a mouthful of cola. ‘And that latest message from Carrie reminded me of how fair she used to be. She’d always own up if she was wrong – unlike me who will fight an argument until the death.’
‘I do miss her,’ said Ariana. ‘Okay. Perhaps you have a point and we should get in touch.’ She flicked on the kettle and the two of them brainstormed over how to word a message – Izzy chipping in with objective observations, helping them remove the emotion.
‘I’ll read out the final draft.’ Ariana cleared her throat.
‘Hi, Carrie. We have debated whether or not to tell you this, but it is only right. At a meal out with Eliza recently, she revealed that her husband from years ago used to call her “Queenie”. It’s too much of a coincidence.
We think she must be your grandmother – especially as she’s talked to us about having a child who did something her husband couldn’t forgive and that she should have supported her child and stood up to him.
She said her husband was a real royalist – perhaps that’s something you heard from your mum.
We have no idea why she bought your life. Ariana and Rae.’
‘God, that sounds brutal,’ said Rae. ‘But there is no sugar-coating the truth.’
‘I’m worried about how Carrie will react to such a forthright message,’ said Ariana. ‘What if she’s on her own when she opens it?’
‘Carrie is strong,’ said Rae, ‘packing up her life and moving abroad, coping since Mel died… She’s proved that. I get your concerns. I mean, it also feels brutal from Eliza’s point of view.’
Ariana nodded. ‘I’ve really grown to like her – I can’t believe she’s this terrible person we’ve always heard Queenie to be.
It’s because of what happened between her and Mel that she’s been encouraging us to sort out our rift with Carrie.
She’s got regrets. She knows she did wrong. Monsters don’t admit or face that.’
‘Yet, what a useless grandparent she’s been, there’s no denying that,’ said Rae.
‘Why not reach out to Carrie before now? My gran may have retired down south, but she pays my train ticket to visit, rings regularly and never forgets a birthday. She also had countless video calls with my mum when she had that breakdown, even coming over at one point to help out when Dad’s compassionate leave from work, to support her, ran out.
Those are the actions of grandparents, of family. ’
Ariana nodded. ‘Yeah, my gran, as you know, doesn’t approve of my sexuality. But she’s tried to understand and whilst she won’t refer to Izzy as my girlfriend, she asks about her whenever we speak, and last year sent a Christmas card addressed to us both.’
‘Yet I can’t help thinking Eliza is a genuine, caring person.’
Rae read the draft message again. ‘How about this? We don’t send it – instead we confront Eliza as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow, and give her a couple of days to ’fess up to Carrie herself?’
Ariana hesitated. ‘Okay. Yes. That gives Eliza a chance to really explain herself, and means Carrie will get the absolute facts straight from the off.’ Her phone buzzed and she glanced down.
‘Eliza’s sent me another message. Jez is throwing her a birthday party at The Niterie this Sunday coming.
That’s when she turns seventy-five. She wants us to go.
’ She sighed. ‘Great. Telling her we know the truth before then will ruin her celebration.’
‘I guess… waiting a bit longer to confront her – showing Eliza that kindness – doesn’t mean we aren’t putting Carrie first,’ said Rae. ‘Because putting Carrie first is paramount.’
‘Yes. Because she’s our mate.’
The two of them looked at each other as if they finally understood something important.
‘That party’s not going to be easy,’ said Rae. ‘Not with conflicting feelings about the birthday girl.’
‘But we’re strong too. Like Carrie,’ said Ariana and deleted the message to Carrie that they’d constructed. ‘It’s agreed, then. We’ll show our faces at Eliza’s party, leave pronto, and then text her the next day, saying we know she’s Queenie and that she’s to tell Carrie the truth immediately.’
‘Or we will,’ added Rae.