Page 2 of One Month's Notice

“Hey little man!” Nat carefully extracted her hair from Louis. She kissed him on his head, inhaling the calming scent of baby shampoo. “It’s so good to see you. Thanks so much for letting me come and stay.” Nat took Lucy’s hand and squeezed it gently.

“It’s no problem at all. We’re really happy to help.” She leaned in closer to Nat. “Happier than you will ever know.” A look of understanding passed between them. A shared acknowledgement of the challenges of living with Simon and his very particular ways. “Why don’t you take Louis into the kitchen? I’ve set his highchair up ready with his dinner.”

Nat lifted her giggling nephew from Lucy’s hip and tickled his ribs. He squealed with laughter and slapped a soggy hand on Nat’s cheek.

“Lovely!” Nat grimaced and wiped the saliva with her sleeve. Lucy picked up Nat’s rucksack and made her way towards the house.

“We’ll take your things up to your room and then we can then sit down and eat together. We could maybe have a glass of wine to celebrate the arrival of our new housemate.”

“Becoming homeless is hardly something to celebrate, is it?” Simon said. Lucy and Nat turned and stared at him, their mouths wide open. “Oh, sorry. That came out wrong,” he muttered, trying to rectify the situation with an apologetic smile.

“For someone so bright, you really can be quite dumb at times.” Lucy glared at him. “As punishment, you can open one of the expensive champagnes.”

“Now that sounds like my kind of welcoming party!” Nat’s eyes lit up as she followed Lucy into the house. Simon reluctantly conceded defeat and carried in the suitcase, trailing behind the two women as they chattered.

Later that evening, with her head somewhat hazy from the wine, Nat stood in the en-suite bathroom and wiped a damp cloth across her face to remove the dirt from the day. She leaned into the mirror, pressing at the puffy skin underneath her eyes, and studied the green of her irises. With the sun catching them at the right angle, they were usually a vibrant jade with flecks of gold. Today they reminded Nat of pond water. Her hair, a rich brown emphasised by natural chestnut highlights when styled, hung limply around her face like dark curtains ready to shut out the world.

Nat finally climbed into bed, utterly exhausted and mentally drained from the day. She propped herself up onto the pillows, struggling to get comfortable and knowing that sleep would not come easily to her. Even the faint aroma of lavender from her pillow spray did little to settle her. Although she had slept in this room many times before, the circumstances of her being there created a sensation of uncomfortable unfamiliarity.

The only light in the darkness came from her phone as she scrolled through photographs, torturing herself with memories of happier times. On holiday in Rome, noses almost touching as they attacked an enormous gelato. Out for dinner on Valentine’s Day, hands held together in a heart shape next to the soft glow of candlelight. Dressed up for a Halloween party, matching vampire costumes with fake blood dripping from cheesy grins.

She tapped into her messages and read the last one he sent her a few weeks ago.

I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I wish things hadn’t ended like this xx

Nat had tried to respond at the time, but never found the right words. Her clumsy fingers always tripped themselves up as she typed, hitting delete every time until there was just a blank space. What do you say to the person who broke your heart and walked away with barely a backward glance?

It wasn’t that their relationship had ended in a big argument. Maybe that would have been better. For Joe, their time together had run its course and whatever Nat offered, it just wasn’t enough for him. She wasn’t enough. He faded into the distance, shrugging off his feelings for her like a tatty coat that didn’t fit any more.

She began to type.

I miss you…

Delete. Delete. Delete.

Chapter two

Tuesday 5th April

“One, two, three, go!”

Nat and Lexi flipped their heads back and downed shots of tequila, slamming the empty glasses onto the bar. They both shuddered as the amber liquid burned their throats and warmed their insides. The cocktail bar, tucked away in a corner of Croydon, was a hidden gem and one of Lexi’s favourites. Shelves full of bottles shimmered behind the bar, where a hipster bartender meticulously lined up polished cocktail glasses.

“That’s my girl!” Lexi pulled Nat in for a drunken hug. “See, I told you everything would feel a lot better after a few drinks.”

“They won’t feel so great in the morning with a massive hangover.” Nat groaned as she steadied herself against the bar. “And I promised Lucy I would have Louis tomorrow so she could go shopping.”

“You deserve to blow off a bit of steam, even on a school night.” Lexi signalled to the bartender. “You’ve been through a rough time.”

“I don’t think Simon would agree.” Nat sighed and rolled her eyes. “He keeps emailing me boring jobs I could apply for, even though I said I wanted to keep going with my interior design business for a bit longer. I just wish I had more experience so I could get the contracts that paid more money.”

“Well, that sums up Simon perfectly. Boring with a capital B. Captain of the boring brigade. King Boring.”

“Don’t be mean!” Nat jumped to his defence, even though, deep down, she agreed with Lexi. “He’s my big brother and he’s looking out for me. Although, I was hoping he would give me a bit of breathing space before he started with the nagging. I’ve barely been there a week.” She slumped down into her seat.

“Maybe your mum put him up to it?” Lexi suggested, turning to order two more shots of tequila.

Nat thought for a moment. It wouldn’t be the first time her mum had gone behind her back. She could just imagine her talking with Simon, dissecting each disaster. If only she knew how much her interfering made everything worse. Nat already felt like a failure, and her need to get involved all the time just proved her mum thought the same.

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