Page 76 of Someone Like You

‘That good, huh?’ asks Shaz with a grin.

‘How wouldyoudescribe it, darling?’ he asks.

‘It was about as festive as a trip to the gynaecologist.’

Shaz coughs out a laugh and Tristan sniggers.

‘Wow,’ says Lauren, ‘sounds painful. Well, you’re here now.’

‘On that…’ I say. I wriggle, trying to get comfortable, but no luck. ‘This dress is strangling me.’ I throw a pleading look towards Shaz.

‘Help yourself,’ she says, waving her arm in the direction of their bedroom.

I leap up and return to the lounge room a couple of minutes later, wearing a pair of Shaz’s trackies and a T-shirt.

‘Much better,’ I say, plopping down next to Tristan.

He’s regaling Shaz and Lauren with the sole amusing anecdotefrom the party: his father’s former business partner and recent widower cornered Helen under the mistletoe and kissed her on the mouth.

‘Oh my god! Helen would havedied,’ exclaims Shaz, one of the few people Helen has ever warmed to, having succumbed to Shaz’s charms at our wedding.

‘I had to remind myself where the smelling salts are kept,’ he quips.

‘Shedidlook like she was about to faint,’ I say through a mouthful of cheese and crackers.

Lauren, who has never met Helen – lucky thing – chuckles. I’m pretty sure she’s convinced we’re exaggerating. If she ever does meet Helen, it won’t take her long to discover that we’re not.

‘Oh, I totally forgot,’ says Shaz, ‘Jass and Ravi told us their news. How exciting, eh? A little bubba on the scene.’

‘I know. I can’twait,’ I reply. ‘And confession time: I’ve been trawling baby websites for presents. Everything’s so little and cute,’ I coo.

Tristan laughs. ‘If you buy every item you’ve shown me in the past couple of weeks, Ravi and Jacinda will have to move into a larger home.’

‘But I want Baby Sharma to have everything their little heart desires,’ I say.

‘Yeah, that’s what aunties are for, Tris,’ Shaz agrees, ‘spoiling their nieces and nephews.’

‘Sooo…’ says Lauren, who’s sitting on the rug cross-legged. She looks up at Shaz, who nods at her, smiling, then turns back to us. ‘We’reactually talking about it.’ She takes a sip of wine, eyeing me over the rim of her glass.

‘Having a baby?’

‘Yep!’ She breaks into a wide grin.

‘Really?’ I ask excitedly. ‘So, which one of you…?’ I look between them.

‘Hah – not me,’ says Shaz. ‘Can you imagineme pregnant?’ She takes a swig of wine to punctuate her point.

‘So,you’llcarry the baby then, Lauren?’ asks Tristan, ignoring Shaz’s crass outburst.

‘That’s what we’re thinking.’

‘When?’ I ask.

‘Oh, we haven’t even found a fertility clinic yet. We’re going to do that in January.’

‘New year, new beginnings…’ says Shaz wistfully. She’ll make a great mum – they both will – and I amsohappy for them.

We’re all quiet for a long moment and in the silence, that question pops into my mind again, aboutushaving a child. I look over at Tristan and he appears contemplative. I wonder if his thoughts have gone to the same place mine have.

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