Spiralling Skywards: Fading (Contradictions, #2)(44)

“They’re really active tonight.” She looked up at me and beamed a smile.

“They’re always active at night, hope that’s not a sign of things to come.”

She laced her fingers together over my belly and rested her chin on them.

“I can’t wait to have a baby.”

“Really? I thought you were still undecided about Shain.

“I am. I didn’t say it had to be his.” She finally sat up before I had to tell her she was crushing me and retrieved her wine glass.

“You’re still unsure about Shain? How long have you two been flying back and forth to see each other?” Maggie asked.

“Four years now.”

“If you’re not sure by now, my lovely, then you never will be.”

I held out my hand to Sasha, and she helped me up as she considered Maggie’s words.

“I know. When I got home from my trip to see him in July, I realised as I landed, how happy I was to be home and I was gonna finish it with him. I felt bad not doing it in person though.”

“So, you’re gonna let him fly all the way here for Christmas and do it then? That’s a bit harsh,” I said, letting her take a seat on the couch before I sat next to her.

“I think he’s a bit of a dick. I’d just call and tell him. If you tell him now, he might be able to change his flight and go somewhere else and drown his sorrows. Bali or Thailand, somewhere like that.”

“Sasha, ignore my daughter.” Lori said, tossing the magazine she had been flicking through down on to the coffee table. “Maggie, you can’t go around calling other people’s boyfriends dicks.”

“Why? Am I not allowed to have an opinion? You smoked too much weed when you were younger, Mum, it’s scrambled your brain. Now you’re old and think everyone’s lovely.”

Lori’s mouth dropped open.

“Sarah, Sasha, ignore her. I did not smoke weed.”

Maggie tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows, in an ‘oh really?’ gesture.

“Well, maybe a little, but not too much.”

“My mum used to smoke weed,” Sasha stated. “She used to be really cool, but she’s changed.”

“How so?” Lori asked, obviously relieved she didn’t have to justify her pot smoking habits.

“She’s turned really nasty. I don’t know what happened, but it was about ten years ago. She’d been acting weird for a while, and then we were all going to a festival one weekend.” She turned to me. “Do you remember, Sares? We all went to Glastonbury before Luke went travelling.”

I nodded my head.

“One minute she said I could go and the next she was screaming at me, telling me I wasn’t allowed and she wasn’t having a daughter of hers whoring herself out to group of older boys in a field full of druggies.”

“How old is she?” Maggie asked.

“She’s forty-three now so she would’ve been in her early thirties then.”

“Your mum’s only forty-three?” Lori questioned.

“Yeah, she was only sixteen when she had my sister and eighteen when she had me. That was the next thing she started on at me about and has kept on about it for the past ten years.”

“What?” Both Maggie and Lori were leaning forward in their chairs and listening intently as they sipped their wine.

“She’s just become really bitter and constantly banging on about how having us so young ruined her life. I don’t know how my dad puts up with it.”

“It makes her sound like she’s jealous to me. She fucked up her life by getting pregnant so young, and she’s jealous that you’ve not made the same mistake and are still young, free, and single.” Maggie offered her opinion.

“Hmmm, maybe,” Sasha replied.

We were all quiet for a few long minutes.

“So, have we got anyone hot and single coming for lunch Christmas day, or are they all paired up?” Maggie broke the silence and had an almost hopeful look in her eyes.

“All paired up. Although . . .” I contemplated how she’d react to my suggestion and decided to go for it regardless of what it might be, “I could always invite Will.”

“Will?” They all questioned together.

“Yeah.” I shrugged.

“Will from the wedding?” I nodded at Maggie. “Will from the wedding who never took his eyes off you the entire day? No thanks.”

I felt myself blush and knew that comment just raised my blood pressure considerably.

“He did not,” I protested, but it was weak and everyone in the room knew it.

“Oh come on, Sares. We all know Will Bennet is bang in love with you. He moved away because you broke his heart so badly.”

I gave Sasha the look, wishing that I’d never made the suggestion.

“So, back to me. Is there any one coming to dinner that’s hot, not in love with Sarah, and single?”

“Well Shain might be if Sasha finishes with him,” I suggested.

“And not a dick.” Maggie added.

“Why’d you think he’s a dick?” Sasha was looking directly at Maggie. “What makes you say that?”

“I think he’s a bit of a flirt, and he doesn’t care if you’re around, he still does it.” Maggie shrugged her shoulder. I had noticed it too, but I figured if Sash didn’t say anything then she was okay with it, or at least happy to just let it go.