This Time Next Year(91)

‘Four of us,’

‘Four of them, Tara … yes, that’s fine, she says come.’

Minnie felt her skin getting hot. Clare pulled the last curler into place and sprayed a cloud of setting spray over her head.

‘Is Quinn going to be there?’ Minnie asked quietly.

‘I don’t think so, why? Do you want to see him?’ Connie asked.

‘No, I just wouldn’t want him to think I was – um, following him around London.’

‘Tara, Minnie wants to know if Quinn’s coming over?’ Connie yelled.

‘Oh god, don’t ask her!’ Minnie sank down into the chair and put a hand over her eyes. Pleased as she was that her mother had a new friend, it wasn’t ideal that this friend happened to be the mother of the man she’d just been ghosted by.

‘No, he’s at some conference all day. So you don’t need to fret about running into him without your lippy on, Minnie.’

Half an hour later, the four of them were standing outside Tara’s house, each modelling impressively bouffant 1950s hairstyles.

‘Jesus – this is her house?’ said Leila. ‘It’s bigger than my whole block.’

‘You know, if I lived somewhere like this, I’d probably never want to leave the house either,’ said Bev.

‘Shhh,’ Minnie hissed as they stepped up to the front door and rang the bell.

Tara answered the door.

‘Minnie, well look at you? You look gorgeous. I used to wear my hair that way once upon a time.’

Tara was wearing gardening gloves and a green apron over a grey shift dress. Her skin was sun-kissed and her eyes twinkled with life.

‘Are you sure we’re not intruding?’ said Minnie. ‘We won’t stay long.’

‘No, no, come in, come in. Oh my, how colourful!’ Tara said, on seeing Leila and her rainbow hair. ‘What a jolly way to be.’

Minnie introduced Tara to her friends and they all followed Tara through to the kitchen where Minnie’s mother was scowling at a laptop. Leila and Bev both gawped at Tara’s palatial interior with undisguised awe. Minnie mimed closing their gaping mouths at them while Tara was looking the other way.

‘Oh Minnie, you look like a young Elizabeth Taylor,’ said her mum. Minnie did a double take at such a compliment from her mother. ‘And Fleur, a touch of the Bette Davis. What’s this all in aid of?’

‘Hair trials for Leila’s wedding,’ Minnie explained.

‘Right, show me this blog you need setting up?’ said Fleur, pulling up a stool next to Minnie’s mum.

‘Well, we haven’t got past the first page,’ said her mum, shaking her head.

‘I don’t think I’ll be able to manage if it’s complicated, Connie,’ said Tara, clasping her hands together, her brow knitted in consternation.

‘It’s not complicated, don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it,’ said Fleur, dismissing Tara with a wave of the hand.

‘Show Minnie the garden, Tara, I’m sure she’d like to see,’ suggested her mother.

‘Oh, it’s nothing remarkable,’ said Tara quietly, shaking her head, ‘but it’s something of an achievement for me.’

Tara led Minnie, Leila and Bev down a flight of stairs into the basement, where there were French windows leading out to the back. The garden was huge by London standards, stretching off to a wall of trees a hundred and fifty feet away. Nearest the house was a cobbled patio with wicker table and chairs, then beyond, an arc of flowerbeds full of white roses, purple foxgloves and orange dahlias – a wild array of colour.

‘This is all the gardener, I can’t take credit for the flowers,’ Tara explained, ‘but this I can – this is our little project.’

She couldn’t hide the pride in her voice as she showed them the vegetable garden beyond. Four neat squares of soil, all planted with rows of leafy vegetables, herbs, climbing beans and tomato plants.

‘Wow, you’ve been busy,’ said Minnie, kneeling down to smell the thyme.

‘Your mother drove me to the garden centre last weekend. I got out and bought those myself,’ said Tara, pointing to the row of herbs. Then she turned to Leila and Bev. ‘I know that doesn’t sound particularly impressive,’ Tara clasped her hands again, rubbing the back of one hand with the other palm, ‘but I sometimes have trouble getting out, I get a bit overwhelmed.’

‘We’ve all got our demons to fight, hey,’ said Bev heartily, and Tara nodded.

‘Your mother is such a wonderful woman, Minnie. She’s pushed me to make a small step every day. Doesn’t take no for an answer, does she?’

Tara spoke with such warmth in her voice, it caught Minnie off guard. She rarely heard anyone talk about her mother like that. She hadn’t often considered that her mother’s stubbornness could be such a positive trait.

‘Well, I’m glad she’s been helpful,’ said Minnie.

She could see Tara’s hands begin to shake; she was clasping them together so tightly her knuckles were turning white. ‘Please, we don’t want to overwhelm you, Tara, if it’s too much us being here,’ said Minnie softly.

‘Please stay,’ said Tara, ‘I need to push myself to do more.’ She blinked quickly, her eyes darting back towards the house. ‘Would you all have tea if I made a pot?’