“I have no control over my daughters. Don’t get me wrong, I love them. Sophie and Elena are my whole world, but there is no middle ground where those two are concerned. They’re either angels sent from heaven or the spawn of the devil. Usually the latter when their dad is out of the house. This mum needs alcohol and lots of it. Hit me up, Cill.”
“You really can’t say things like that to me, Chloe. Spawn of the devil? That’s just feeding me lines that I’ll live to regret when Luca gets wind of them,” I joked as I handed her medicinal bourbon over.
“Oh my God, you came. It’s so lovely to see you all.” Paige drifted into the room and hugged her friends. She looked amazing in her yellow, floaty summer dress, with her hair in what she called a messy bun, whatever that meant.
Seeing her growing bump always made me go full on caveman. I wanted to drag her away, beating my chest and telling everyone, ‘I done that’. Lame, I know, but at least I was honest. Feminists forgive me, I know not what I do. Well, I did. I just didn’t give a shit. We made a baby, people. How awesome is that?
Chloe downed the rest of her bourbon then frowned. “Are you going now?” she said, heading over to the drinks cabinet and helping herself to another generous shot.
“No, I’m staying.” I plonked myself down on the couch, spreading my legs to show I was going nowhere, and stretched my arms across the back.
“But this is girls only,” she said, spinning round to face me and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Now that’s just plain, old sexism, Chloe.” I pointed accusingly at her. “I never had you down as a sexist.”
“Whatever, dude. But you gotta remember the rules, okay? What happens at the baby shower, stays at the baby shower.”
“Are we having strippers?” I fake gasped and raised my eyebrows in shock.
“No.” She laughed. “But I may be moaning about my husband andyouwon’t tell him a thing.”
I zipped my lips closed and gave her wink.
“That’s it, zippy. Not a word.”
* * *
Our living roomstarted to fill up with Paige’s friends, and the shrill cackles of laughter made me second guess my decision to stay for the party. Some of these women could only be heard by the local dogs. I caught Paige’s eye as she stood chatting with Ange and Doctor Graham, or Pam as we called her now. She smiled at me, and it hit me square in the middle of my chest. Meeting this woman had been better than winning the lottery. I couldn’t quite believe this was my life now. I had the woman of my dreams and I was about to become a father. I stood up to escape the noise and headed to the kitchen. There, I found Ryley washing the dishes and crying as she looked down at her phone on the counter.
“You know we have a dishwasher. You don’t have to wash everything by hand. You’re obsessed with cleaning, woman.”
I tutted, but hoped my intervention would pull her out of her misery. I didn’t like to see any woman cry, least of all one of my favourites.
“I know. I just like doing it. Plus, it takes my mind off missing Jack. I haven’t really spent any time away from him since he was born. I know it’s good for Jax to have some alone time with him, but I actually ache inside. I miss them that much.” She wiped her hands dry on a cloth and handed her phone to me. On the screen was a picture of Jax and baby Jack Junior. A grinning selfie taken in the park. I couldn’t even think of a witty response it was that cute a photo.
“Man, I love those two,” I said, holding her phone up and taking a selfie of the two of us to send back to him. “Tell him I miss him too when you reply.”
Ryley gave a slow laugh. “I will. Wouldn’t want to stand in the way of your bromance.” She typed and sent the photo, then turned on me with a wicked glint in her eye. “Speaking of romance, when are you going to ask that beautiful girl of yours in there to marry you? You won’t want different surnames once the baby is born. Come on, Cill. Get your head out of your arse and do it.”
“How do you know I haven’t already?”
“Have you?”
“Actually, yes, I have. I proposed to her last week. We were going to announce it soon, but I suppose it’s only right you should know about it first.”
“Oh my God, this is so exciting!” She jumped on me, hugging me like crazy, then she grabbed her phone again. “I need to ring Jax and tell him.”
“No need, he already knows.”
“What?”
Uh oh, me and my big mouth. “He came with me to buy the ring. Hey, don’t get mad at him,” I said, as her face began to turn red. “He was keeping my secret for me. I’m sure he’d have told you eventually.”
She nodded reluctantly, then her face softened. “So… how did you propose? Was it super romantic? You did get down on one knee, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t resist.
“Do you really want to know how I proposed?” She nodded excitedly and clapped her hands together. “If you must know, I proposed naked. I had this little gift bag and I hung it off my…”
