Page 50 of Amazing Grace

‘Dinner is ready!’ Vinnie announced. ‘But before we start the food and the evening’s entertainment, I want to make a toast to Grace. A few months ago, I’d never even met this amazing lady. And now, I feel like she’s always been in my life. She’s made me happier than I thought possible. I hope you love your new garden, Grace. I just wanted to do something nice foryoufor a change as you seem to spend your time making everyone else’s lives better. So, ladies and gents, please join me in raising your glasses to Grace.’

‘To Grace,’ they chorused, and the kids cheered. Then from the karaoke machine, Pink started singing ‘Get the Party Started.’

Grace was insistent that she wasn’t going to sing, saying that she had never done karaoke before in her life and did not intend to start at the ripe old age of thirty-seven.

Vinnie thrust a flute of Bollinger into her hand as the kids decided to kick off the singing and were dancing along to the music. Becks had plonked himself under the food table, just in case anything dropped onto the floor and he was required to hoover it up with his mouth.

Belinda came over and slung her arm around Grace’s shoulders. ‘Grace, I’ve never seen you look so happy. I had a feeling that day when Vinnie turned up that he was going to be someone significant in your life and I couldn’t be more delighted for you. I used to worry about you so much, in the house on your own; I always wished that someone special would come along and show you that there was more to life than sitting around and waiting for your son to come home. I’m so pleased for you, my love.’ Tears sprang to Grace’s eyes as she hugged this beautiful lady that she was so lucky to have living next door.

Grace looked around at her friends and took in the scene. She thought that she had never seen Archie look as happy as he did right now. She’d always wished she’d had more children. She and Archie adored her sister’s kids and missed them dreadfully now they were in the US. He was certainly in his element with his new friends, who felt like family already.

Ruth had had a couple of huge G&Ts by this point and decided that she would sing ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry. It was certainly a very different version from the original and she really didn’t care. Mike looked like he couldn’t have been prouder when she hit the high note at the end, even if she didn’t quite get there.

None of them tried in any way to get Grace to have a turn. They knew and appreciated how she felt and didn’t try to do that ‘oh go on’ annoying thing with her. Because of this and how much fun they were all having, and how easily those G&Ts were going down, Grace asked whether there were any songs by The Carpenters on the machine.

Nobody commented, they just looked for the track she wanted. When Ruth asked her who was going to sing it, Grace said, ‘You, Monica and me, Ruthie! That’s who!’

There was a big cheer and when ‘Top of the World’ started playing, the three ladies sang at each other rather than looked at the screen. They all knew the words off by heart and sang a fairly acceptable rendition. When they finished, Vinnie flung his arms around her, and gave her a great big hug. ‘I’m so bloody proud of you, Grace,’ he said. ‘I thought you didn’t do karaoke.’

‘I don’t and I never have and I never thought I would. But right here and now, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more comfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more myself. And you’re the reason for that, Vinnie. You’re the one who makes me feel like I can do anything I want to. Like nothing is out of my reach. You’re amazing, Vinnie, do you know that? I… er… love… the way that you make me feel.’ She had come dangerously close to telling him that she loved him but she didn’t want to scare him off. She thought it was too early for that, but she knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before those words came out of her mouth.

They spent the rest of the evening pretending to be The Sugababes, Little Mix and One Direction and they had a complete whale of a time. She couldn’t remember when she had enjoyed herself so much. It was soon midnight and she realised that Archie was starting to get really tired. It was a good job it was school hols so he could have an easy week and some lie-ins to make up for it. A late night once in a while was OK; and tonight had been a special occasion.

* * *

Darling girl, I hid tonight behind that angel in your garden. I don’t know why because I know that you can’t see me. I am apparently allowed, once and only once, to be seen by you. I am saving that moment for a time when you really need me because it really will be the last time that you ever see me. Tonight though, my love, I was so proud of you. So proud that you have turned your life around. So proud that you have made such wonderful friends. People that you deserve in your life and who deserve you. And I’m so pleased that you have someone like Vinnie, who I really do think will treat you exactly how you are meant to be treated. Someone who will do everything in his power to make you happy, which is what love should be all about. I’m so happy for you, my darling.

Please think carefully about what Mark has suggested, about bringing together your family for Archie’s sake. And make the right decision. I’m right here beside you all the way, whatever you decide. I love you, Mumxxx

25

A week later, the time had arrived for the first meeting of Busy Bodies. There had been a little response to the Facebook posts and a few people had put their name down on the list that Ruth was keeping on a clipboard at the café. To support Grace in her new venture, Belinda had very kindly offered for Archie to go to hers for tea, which he was really excited about, so Ruth and Grace had been at the café since five that evening setting up everything, and Ruth had spent the day making low-calorie snacks in the hope that people might like to order some. The start time on the poster was seven thirty and at seven fifteen the doorbell tinkled and two ladies popped their head round the door asking if they were in the right place. They introduced themselves as Gill and Maureen.

Grace took down their details while Ruth got the scales ready. She asked Gill to pop on first while Maureen went to the ladies’, and when she’d finished it was Maureen’s turn. Maureen was about to get on the scales when she shrieked ‘Wait!’ and proceeded to take off her earrings, her necklace, her glasses and her jumper. They all laughed when she said how she’d definitely weigh less without them. Gill muttered, ‘Perhaps if you hadn’t just shoved a jam doughnut in your face when I came to pick you up, that might have helped too.’ Ruth and Grace grinned at each other.

Their weights were written on their record cards, which were then stored in a lockable box. By this time, Beryl and Alma, two ladies who looked to be in their early seventies, had trickled through the door and joined the queue. They all said how delighted they were at how quickly they were weighed and their details taken. A young man, who introduced himself as Ben, was the next to sheepishly come through the door, asking if he was in the right place for the slimming club, followed by a married couple, Dawn and Dave. The last lady who entered the café had a figure to die for and Grace couldn’t understand for the life of her why she was even there.

Everyone seemed really friendly and after the weighing, Ruth went round the group, offering the healthy snacks. There were murmurs of ‘delicious’ and ‘this can’t possibly be slimming’ and ‘oh my God, I need the recipe for this’.

Ruth tapped on the side of her glass with a spoon to get everyone’s attention.

‘We just wanted to say thank you for coming along tonight to our little club. Grace came up with the idea, I had a venue and we both wanted to lose some weight so it was the perfect combination. Our promise to you is that it won’t be painful; you won’t have to queue for ages while other people get weighed, because we don’t have the room for massive numbers. You can come and be weighed and leave straight away if you want, or you can stay for a group chat about anything we’ve tried that might help others. You won’t get told off if you’ve eaten something you shouldn’t have.’ She looked at Maureen at this point and raised her eyebrows. ‘Youknow you’ve done it, so you don’t need someone else to tell you.’ Everyone in the room laughed and visibly relaxed.

Grace spoke next. ‘This is a club that we want you to enjoy coming to, not dread. So if there’s something you think would be a great addition, do let us know.’

The slim lady coughed and raised her hand. ‘How about those of us who want to maybe go for a group walk? I’d love to go out for a walk in the evenings but feel daft and not particularly safe on my own. I’m Bev, by the way.’ She had one of those faces that completely transformed when she smiled.

‘What a great idea. We’d definitely be up for that, wouldn’t we, Dawn?’ Dave asked his wife, and she nodded.

‘Definitely, I’d love that. What if we all shared recipes for something we’ve cooked that we think would be worth sharing with the other people here too?’

‘Another fabulous idea,’ agreed Ruth. ‘And if you wanted to, I could even cook us something for tea on the night of the club which you could either eat here or take home for just a small charge.’

Again, there were oohs and aahs all round and lots of nodding heads.

‘And what if you set up a Facebook private page that we could all be in, so that we can all support and motivate each other and share recipes and ideas?’ Ben suggested. There was a unanimous nod of heads.

‘I always feel awful at this type of group,’ explained Bev. ‘Because I’m reasonably slim, people wonder why I’d like to lose weight – but it’s not about how you look, it’s about how you feel inside. Perhaps this group would benefit from doing some things to help us raise our self-esteem and confidence? Maybe we could ask some guest speakers to come along to help us.’

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