Page 26 of That Secret Something

Yet.

Oh god. Is it a ‘yet’?

Could Rebecca and I really happen?

We didn’t end up sleeping until gone 4 a.m., staying up, texting each other stupid messages and flirting. I woke up with my phone on my chest, followed by a smile on my face as I re-read her last message.

Rebecca: I can’t wait to see you

I was going to take a stab in the dark and say, yes, this was actually happening. Time to get my fancy playsuit on and shave my legs.

Eleven

Having to console Mrs Lawson in the car park of Lacey’s Blushing Bridalwear was not what I’d expected to happen this weekend, but at least there’d been no fires, stampedes, or cake fights this time—not yet, anyway.

Lily, Rebecca, and their two teen cousins, Shay and Amy, had gone to the corner shop for some snacks between appointments, leaving me to talk Sally down from her emotional ledge, while my mum hovered awkwardly nearby.

Sally sucked in a loud, snotty sniff and exhaled, shaking her head sadly. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead let out another choked sob. I patted her shoulder, and she pulled me into her, wrapping her arms around me like a vice.

I grunted into her sleeve, feeling like an emotional stress ball.

“You’re just all growing up so quickly. Where have my little girls gone?” She squeezed tighter, and I grunted again, catching Mum’s straight face over her shoulder.

Mum returned her attention to the street behind her, where people were busying themselves shopping. She was probably as surprised as me at being invited.

Well, isn’t this perfectly lovely and awkward?

“Oh, Eileen, isn’t it sad?” Sally’s attempt to coax my mum into sharing her emotions was futile. She was more likely to make us all daisy chains and sing than open up about her feelings—and my mum hated anything resembling jewellery (and had pretty severe hay fever.)

Mum mumbled something in response, and I sighed at her lack of emotion.

“Next thing you know, we’ll just be memories in your mind,” Sally continued. “Time waits for no one, does it?”

Jesus Christ. This is going from bad to worse.

I glanced at Mum, hoping for some pearls of wisdom, but she wasn’t even facing this way. She didn’t have time for these sorts of things. We’d never been the type to open up about our feelings—my coming out was evidence enough of that. Working long hours left my mum drained most of the time, and I usually had conversations about anything difficult with my grandma. Since she passed last year, me and Mum were still trying to find our balance.

Sally finally let go of me and her blue, tear-filled eyes looked back at mine.

My own mother, having the emotional capacity of a cheese-grater, hadn’t exactly prepared me for dealing with these situations. Poor Sally’s make-up was long washed away; she’d spent so long crying in the first bridal shop, the receptionist thought somebody had died. Lily had been too embarrassed to say otherwise.

More tears welled and spilled down Sally’s cheeks.

Say something, Jess. Anything!

“They might be getting older, Sally, but they’re still your babies at heart. That’ll never change.” I offered her a crumpled tissue, and she accepted, dabbing her swollen eyelids.

“It’s like I’m losing them. Lily is getting married and will soon have kids of her own. And Becca…well, Becca is Becca. I’ve no idea when she’s going to grow up.”

I felt a flare of something in my mind and wanted to step in and defend her. But it didn’t feel like the right time. “You’re their mother. You’re not going to lose them. No amount of time can change that. Plus, Lily only lives down the road.”

Sally enveloped me in another hug, crushing the breath from my lungs. “And Becca still lives in our house. I know I’m being silly, but they’re my babies.”

“They always will be,” I mumbled, trying not to choke on her perfume.

I should start charging extra for emotional support.

“Oh god, Mum. Please tell me you’ve got it together now.” Lily appeared with the others, a carrier bag of goodies in her hand.

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