‘Of course you do because you’re –’
‘Super-smart!’ Rosie threw both hands into the air and then launched forward to kiss her before she wriggled down to the floor. ‘I’m ready for my lunch now, Mummy,’ she told Libby, holding out her hand imperiously for her mother to take.
‘Yes, madam,’ Libby muttered, rolling her eyes and mouthing a thank you to Millie.
Rosie might be a cute kid, but once she was in full tantrum mode it was very difficult to bring her back from the brink. Pav had been out with Libby, Jamie and Rosie a few times when they’d had to leave after it had become clear that Rosie was not going to calm down. So he knew how much having Millie diffuse the situation would mean to them.
‘I’m definitely signing you up for babysitting,’ Allegra said, rubbing her small bump under the white dress and smiling at Millie.
Millie’s mouth fell open in shock. ‘I … I would be honoured,’ she said, her voice slightly hoarse until she cleared her throat. ‘I hold a paediatric advanced life-support certificate.’
‘Uh … okay?’ Allegra replied with a bemused smile.
‘And I have a qualification in dietetics for children and … and a CRB check.’
‘Sweetie,’ Allegra said gently. ‘I was sold after just seeing you with Miss Chocolate Fountain, okay?’
‘Allegroula mou, go find your husband,’ Mama cut in. ‘Milloula mou –’ she moved to Millie, patted her cheek and linked their arms together ‘– ever drunk ouzo?’ Millie shook her head, her startled eyes coming to Pav’s amused ones before she was dragged forward to the bar. ‘Well, you’re in for a treat.’
*****
‘Grappa!’ Talia Martakis shouted for what seemed like the hundreth time that night with everyone around returning the call and downing their shots of ouzo. Millie loved ouzo. She loved Greek food. She loved Greek weddings, and shelovedPav’s family.
Millie had done her research. She’d known the wedding ceremony would be long, she knew that plate-smashing was largely out of fashion, and she knew about thekalamatianos dance that was traditional at weddings like these. She did not however in her wildest dreams think she would ever be participating in that dance. But here she was, drinking her fifth ouzo, red in the face and out of breath from spinning around the bride in a circle of her family. And, yes, Millie had danced the kalamatianos in the innermost circle of those closest to the bride. In fact she had been holding hands with the bride’s mother and father.
The kissing and hugging that had seemed so alien to her was now something she was well and truly a part of. She’d always known that physical affection could give people a rush of endorphins, but she’d never really experienced it before meeting Rosie, then Pav and his family. Something she hadn’t even realised was twisted inside of her had relaxed after the first time Talia Martakis added the ‘mou’ to the end of her name. Millie was a big believer in CBT, and of course it had helped her beyond measure, but despite that she knew that just hearing the Greek endearment, just once, from a woman like Pav’s mama, had done her more good than half the expensive therapy she’d paid for in the past. She stumbled slightly to the side after downing her shot and was held up by a familiar pair of strong arms.
‘I think we’d better get you home, baby,’ he murmured in her ear, and she giggled. Giggled. Again. Before the last few months Millie had never giggled. To be honest she would never have thought herself capable of it. ‘We’re going to hit the road … Mama, Papa,’ he raised his voice to be heard above the music by his parents.
‘You’re leaving?’ His sister’s vast dress swirled around them all. She was being carried by her husband for some reason, and he set her down in front of Pav and Millie, between them and his parents. ‘But I forgot to say thanks for the present.’
‘Uh … but I haven’t …’ Pav started to say.
‘It means so much to me.’ Allegra’s eyes filled with tears as she turned to Millie. ‘And thank you. I know it must have been you that told him exactly what I wanted. He would have never thought to look at my Pinterest account. I was amazed you found everything, even the little lampshade and the wall art.
‘Allie, I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Pav told her.
‘But … the furniture. My entire nursery furniture set – cotbed, dresser, all the accessories. You had it delivered to my house. I mean, I know you’re the surgeon now but I didn’t think you’d be able to afford …’
Millie bit her lip as Allegra stepped back from Pav and all eyes came to her.
‘Millie?’ Pav asked, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning down at her.
‘You bought me mynursery?’ Allegra whispered, her eyes going wide.
‘Ha!’ Talia shouted, clapping her hands once, then beaming across at Millie. ‘Paida mou.’ She pushed Pav and Allegra out of the way and took Millie’s arm again. ‘Yannis! More ouzo!’ she shouted to her husband at the bar, who rolled his eyes. ‘Now, Milloula mou. Have I told you about the new sofabed I have my eye on in John Lewis?’ Millie looked into Talia’s twinkling eyes and burst out laughing.
Chapter 30
Nothing to do with us
‘Oh wow,’ Millie breathed as she took in the crowded conference hall. Her poster was up in the centre of the presentation area and had gathered a fair amount of interest already. The organisers had eventually relented: allowing Millie to just present a poster and not give a talk to the large auditorium. With a poster all you had to do was prepare an A3 sized presentation outlining your findings and their implications. The only problem was that they wanted Millie to stand next to her poster with Anwar and field questions about it from interested conferences-goers and the judges. This particular conference was at the Royal College of Surgeons and it was a big deal. A very big deal.
‘Hey,’ Pav said gently, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. ‘You’ll be fine. You only have to stand up with it for half an hour, and Anwar’ll be with you the whole time.’ She directed a weak smile at him and gave a brief nod whilst her stomach turned over dangerously.
‘Just concentrate on the techniques we talked about, Millie,’ Anwar put in, shifting next to them and adjusting his tie. ‘You’re going to have to take all the questions not related to the actual CBT.’
‘Yo.’ Kira bounced up to them and shoulder-bumped Millie. ‘You cats getting your conference on or not?’ Kira’s smile faded as she took in Millie’s pale face. ‘Hey, what’s up?’
