Mums Just Wanna Have Fun. Lucie Wheeler

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СКАЧАТЬ you have done a great job. Don’t take it the wrong way. What I mean is that you’ve had a lot on your plate and it has been a bloody hard year. I just wanted to mark this one-year milestone with something positive and exciting.’ She smiled. ‘I want this date to have positive connotations, that’s all.’

      Nancy felt her chest constrict with emotion. Harriet did remember, and that small token of friendship and kindness was exactly why Nancy had been drawn to Harriet all those years ago when they’d been ten years old and Nancy had just moved to the area. Her first day at a new school had been so incredibly daunting, and then Harriet had walked up to Nancy and said: ‘Come and sit next to me, I need a partner for science week and if you are mine then I won’t get put with Jenny. I only have one rule; you have to work hard because I’m not sacrificing my mark again this year…’ And they had stayed best friends ever since.

      Harriet’s work ethic had only increased the older she’d got – thankfully Nancy didn’t have to work with her on a regular basis, otherwise their friendship might have been tested.

      ‘I won’t take no for an answer,’ Harriet pressed. ‘If you’re thinking of turning this offer down and spending the next year wallowing then I’m sorry but we can no longer be friends.’ She shrugged and cupped both hands around her mug again.

      Nancy laughed. One of the things that made her love Harriet was her directness. She always knew where she stood with her. ‘OK, I’m not buying the stories that are coming out of your mouth but equally, I agree a holiday will be good for us all, so why not? How long have I got?’

      ‘We leave the day after tomorrow.’

      Nancy choked on her mouthful of coffee and placed the cup back down. ‘Are you serious?’

      ‘100 per cent, why hang around when there’s sun, sea and cocktails to be had?’

      ‘You realise we have children, this isn’t a piss up holiday.’

      ‘I know that – but I have chosen a hotel in a really family friendly part. And there is the kids’ club so we just pop them in there and get cocktail time too! Best of both worlds.’

      ‘Sounding like mother of the year over there, Hari.’ Harriet poked out her tongue and sipped her coffee. ‘But I will pay my share – you can’t pay for everything.’

      ‘Babe, with all due respect, can you afford this holiday?’

      ‘Well, I can shift some things around and … um…’

      Harriet held up her hand and stopped Nancy. ‘That wasn’t a dig, but honey, you are a single parent who works minimal hours and I know you don’t have expendable money to just swan off on holiday at the drop of a hat. Which is why I’ve sorted it. And before you say anything, I don’t want any money for it – call it an early birthday present, or maybe your Christmas present for the next ten years.’ She laughed and pulled her phone out of her bag as it pinged an incoming email.

      ‘I can pay you back in instalments. Hari, I can’t just have you pay for a holiday – you’re not my mum.’ The feeling of her doing that didn’t sit right for Nancy.

      ‘No, but I am your friend and I can afford this. Let me do this for you.’

      Nancy exhaled. ‘How can you afford it though? I know you have a good job, but this isn’t just a weekend in a caravan.’

      ‘You know that contract I was working on since like forever? Well, it came through so I gave myself a little bonus. Figured I would take this moment to take a little break away because I have a new tender going through and if we get this, I am going to be flat out at work for the next eighteen months. So, it’s now or never.’

      Nancy couldn’t argue with that. ‘Fine, but I’m paying for the taxi to the airport and any drinks or food we have at the airport.’

      ‘Deal. Mine’s a prosecco and a sushi meal.’

      Nancy laughed. ‘I don’t know how you run your own business with two kids. I feel like half the time I can’t even get the washing and housework done on time, let alone put together contracts and marketing portfolios and all the other zillion things you do.’

      ‘You could totally do it, stop putting yourself down.’ Harriet dipped into the jar for another biscuit.

      ‘I actually don’t think I could. I don’t have the businesswoman persona that you have. I would crumble under the pressure.’

      ‘Oh shush! Although I would get more done if I didn’t have a child who was as stubborn as hell.’

      ‘I wonder where she gets that from,’ Nancy said under her breath with a smile.

      ‘What’s that?’ Harriet questioned, clearly having heard exactly what Nancy had said.

      ‘I said, are the kids OK?’ She poked out her tongue.

      ‘Yeah I’m sure you did. They’re fine. How’s Jack doing?’

      Nancy’s stomach dropped a little. ‘He’s doing alright, could be better.’

      ‘School?’

      Nancy nodded. ‘He’s just not fitting in. I can’t help but worry that this school isn’t right for him. It breaks my heart every morning when I take him in and he cries because he doesn’t want to be there. I walked past at playtime the other day and he was playing by himself.’

      ‘Did you ask him about it?’

      ‘Yeah, he said he likes to be by himself.’

      ‘Well there you go – as long as he’s not sad about it.’

      Nancy exhaled. ‘That’s the thing though; he doesn’t really get the emotions so I’m worried that he doesn’t understand how he’s feeling.’

      ‘But if he doesn’t feel sad, and he’s OK, surely that’s all you want?’

      Nancy nodded. ‘I guess so. He’s apparently not the same in the classroom though, seems to be constantly agitated and emotional, the teacher tells me. I’m going to go in again after the holidays and ask for an update meeting – they need to reassess his plan and see what needs changing. It can’t stay like this.’

      ‘Chin up, things will be OK. And now you have a holiday to look forward to.’

      The doorbell rang and as Nancy stood, she said, ‘I won’t have the chance to look forward to it; it’s the day after tomorrow!’

      ‘Look, we have to go now because the kids only get two weeks off for Easter so we need to make the most of it.’

      Nancy walked to the front door laughing. A holiday seemed like just what she needed right now. Maybe it would be the perfect antidote for her stress? At least she was eating properly again and sleeping a little better. She opened the door half expecting the postman to be there, but instead got the shock of her life.

      ‘Hi Nance, can we talk?’

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