by Lacey London
Watching him drop his head and begrudgingly make his way back to his bedroom, I rifle through my handbag to check for all the essentials. Pumpkin jumps to her feet and pads across the kitchen tiles, stopping to stretch out her legs as she goes. Opening the balcony doors, I give her a quick stroke and shoo her outside. The fact that our balcony is larger than most gardens is such a blessing when it comes to Pumpkin. Summer, our very lovely dog walker, takes her to the woods once a day, but out on the balcony is Pumpkin’s favourite place in the world. When she isn’t dozing in the sunshine on the plush furniture, she’s tearing around from one end to the other and throwing her mountain of toys in the air. I pause for a moment to watch her exploring the flowerbeds and find myself marvelling at how she really is the perfect addition to our family. The final piece of the Morgan puzzle.
Too busy staring at Pumpkin through the window, I almost don’t spot Noah when he reappears in the hallway, still very much in his crazy outfit.
‘Noah!’ I exclaim, taking an apple from the fridge and slamming the door. ‘I thought I told you to change!’
‘But, Gee-Gee said I could wear this.’ He adjusts his mask and pretends to fire web at the ceiling. ‘Take that!’ He yells, rolling around on the floor like a stunt double.
‘Oh, really?’ Resting my hand on my hip, I exhale sharply. ‘And what exactly did she say?’
Noah giggles and jumps to his feet. ‘She said… she said that you’re stupid and jeans are boring!’
Pursing my lips to stop myself from screaming, I calmly fasten his lunchbox and march him back into his room. After forcing him out of his costume and into a pair of jeans. I instruct him to wait in the living room and go off in search of Janie. Quickly finding her wrapped up in a duvet with a face mask over her eyes, she doesn’t even realise that I’ve come into her room. Deliberately kicking the door closed with a bang, I yank open the curtains and wait for her to come around.
‘What the…’ Sitting bolt upright, she tears off her face mask and scowls. ‘What the hell is wrong with you? Can’t you see I’m sleeping here?’
‘Why did you tell Noah he could wear a pirate costume to nursery?’ I hiss, folding my arms and taking a step towards her.
‘He’s going to nursery, Clara. Not a meeting with the damn Queen.’ Tugging her mask back on, she slips beneath the sheets and rolls over. ‘Give the boy a break!’
‘I don’t care where he’s going!’ I fire back, rage bubbling in the pit of my stomach. ‘And whilst we’re at it, do not call me stupid to my child ever again!’
Janie sticks a hand out from beneath the duvet and flips me bird. I am about to launch into an angry tirade when my phone starts ringing in the other room. Throwing my arms in the air, I swear under my breath and march back into the kitchen. Now sulking in his boring clothes, Noah is refusing to look at me. Digging my handset from the depths of my handbag, I let Pumpkin back into the apartment and usher Noah to the front door.
‘Hello?’ I grumble into the handset, taking Noah’s hand and heading for the stairs.
‘Clara?’ Eve’s familiar voice floats down the line and I brace myself for what I am about to hear. ‘It’s Eve…’
Eve never calls before work. Unless it’s to say that she’s having an emergency duvet day, which roughly translates to… I’m tying Owen to the bed in a desperate bid to fall pregnant. Throwing Noah onto my hip, I take the steps two at a time until I reach the next floor.
‘What’s up?’ I manage, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder.
‘I just wanted to tell you to skip breakfast.’ The line crackles and I wander over to the window for a better signal. ‘I’m at the deli on Smith Street.’
I pause for a moment, not being quite sure if I have heard her correctly. For one Eve lives in this building, so I have absolutely no idea why she’s at Smith Street which is way across town and second of all, Eve doesn’t exactly eat breakfast. Eve gets up at 5am for a yoga class and then tucks into a bowl of natural yogurt. Cream cheese bagels and bacon sandwiches aren’t exactly on her agenda.
‘OK…’ I respond slowly, beckoning Noah to knock on Gina’s door. ‘Thanks.’
Eve mutters something about the best bagels in town and ends the call, just as Gina throws open the door.
‘Hey!’ She smiles brightly and steps aside for Noah and I to come inside.
Still not happy at being forced to change out of his pirate outfit, Noah scowls at Gina and pushes past her.
‘Blimey!’ Gina raises her eyebrows and holds out her hand for Noah’s lunchbox. ‘Someone got out on the wrong side of bed this morning!’
Smiling apologetically, I let out a sigh and scratch the tip of my nose. ‘He wanted to come as Spiderman today. Well, Spiderman slash Jack Sparrow…’
Gina widens her already huge green eyes and laughs. ‘Been there! Melrose refused to leave the house yesterday without her fairy wings and tiara. I had to sit with the bank manager whilst she threw fairy dust over our accountant.’
I let out a giggle and shake my head. ‘Kids! Who’d have them?’
Gina laughs along and winces as a high-pitched scream erupts from the living room.
‘What’s going on in there?’ She hollers over her shoulder. ‘Remember, Melrose, you’re on your last warning!’
Trying not to laugh, I glance at my watch as Gina’s eldest, Madison, appears behind her.
‘MJ threw orange juice on my backpack!’ Scrunching her pretty face up into a frown, Madison tosses her black curls over her shoulder and stamps her feet furiously.
Sensing that a whole world of chaos is about to erupt, I plan to make my escape when a thought suddenly hits me. ‘Before I forget, Eve did fill you in about Friday, didn’t she?’
Gina nods animatedly, her hoop earrings jangling as she ushers Madison back into the living room. ‘She did and I cannot wait!’
‘Me neither. I’ll see you later!’ With a quick wave, I zip up my coat and head back down the hallway to the stairs.
Taking the steps two at a time, I make it to the ground floor quickly and push my way out into the real world. Joining the lines of marching people, I make a mental note to pick up Oliver’s dry cleaning on my lunch hour. A frisson of annoyance runs through me as I picture Janie lounging around whilst I rush around like a headless chicken. She’s never been maternal, Oliver is the first person to admit that, but I never imagined she could be so bloody bone idle. In the time that she has been with us, I don’t think I’ve seen her lift a finger once. She hasn’t ever offered to help with the dishes, she turns her nose up when I ask her to accompany me to the supermarket and to say that she’s untidy would be the world’s biggest understatement.
A pang of sadness hits my chest as I picture the state of our spare bedroom. The once immaculate space now resembles something from a disaster movie, with the remnants of the catastrophe strewn around for the world to see. Knickers hang from the beautiful chandelier, empty bottles of Jack litter the ornate dressing table and things that I can’t even repeat hide beneath the Egyptian cotton sheets. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I’ve attempted to clear away her mess, only for Oliver to scold me for invading her personal space. How can I possibly invade her space when she is already invading mine?
Dodging a couple of tourists who are snapping away with their long lens cameras, I dig my lip balm out of my pocket and apply a thick layer to my chapped lips. Our one saving grace with the demise of Janie’s marriage, is that Oliver’s dad, Randy, is now blissfully happy. When they first went their separate ways, Randy struck up a relationship with a bubbly young blonde thing named Courtney. At first we were all rather cynical, but time keeps ticking by and they are still going strong. After spending their first few months together travelling the Bahamas, Randy and Courtney settled in Austin, Texas and they’ve been wrapped up in each other ever since. Oh, how I wish Janie would bugger off to the Caribbean for a while. I’d even buy her a ticket. One way, of course.
Coming to a stop outside
Floral Fizz, I spot Eve through the glass and raise my hand in acknowledgment. Her blue eyes sparkle as her perfect pink pout stretches into a model worthy smile. If I didn’t love Eve, I could so easily hate her. Only Eve could pull off gym wear and pink trainers without looking like an extra from a Little Britain sketch. I look down at my black trousers and white shirt and shake my head. No, I’m definitely more Vicky Pollard than Victoria’s Secret.
In my rush to get into work on time, I never pause to take in just how stunning Floral Fizz actually is. Unlike most florists, the exterior of the shop is almost as beautiful as the interior. When Owen purchased this place it was pretty much derelict and Eve spent months designing each and every detail. Not satisfied on making it gorgeous on the inside, Eve went above and beyond ensuring that the entrance was equally as spectacular. Taking inspiration from a classic wedding arch, the doorway to the shop is situated between two ivory pillars, which have been adorned with stunning paintings of lush green ivy, pretty butterflies and bright flowers. I’ve lost count of the number of people who stop in their tracks to take photos as they hustle along the street. It’s fair to say that Floral Fizz has become somewhat of a landmark here on Teller Street.
Snapping out of my musing, I tug my handbag onto my shoulder and release the door handle. The familiar twinkly chime rings loudly as I use my hips to push my way inside. Letting out a squeal, Eve steps out from behind the counter and pulls me towards her with gym honed arms.
‘Have I got a treat for you!’ Her eyes glint manically as she drags me across the shop floor.
‘OK…’ I mumble cautiously, confused as to what could possibly await me.
Allowing her to lead me into the store room, my eyes widen as I take in the scene in front of me. An incredible selection of bagels, pastries, fruit and muffins cover the worktops, creating a rather yummy looking breakfast buffet.
‘Ta-da!’ She exclaims, jumping up and down on the spot like a giddy child. ‘Well, what do you think?’
‘I think… I think that’s a lot of food…’ I manage at last, taking a sideways glance at Eve and wondering what on earth is going on. ‘Do we have an open day today that I’ve forgotten about?’ My body momentarily freezes as I rack my brains frantically. ‘Is there a wedding party coming in?’
Eve lets out a dainty giggle and shakes her blonde bob. ‘No, nothing at all. This is just my way of saying thank you for being such a fabulous member of staff and above all, a truly wonderful friend.’
Feeling a little shell shocked, I manage a stunned smile as she pulls me towards her and squeezes tightly. I attempt to remove her hair from my lip balm and get a waft of her eye wateringly expensive perfume.
‘That’s so nice of you…’ I gush, still not sure as to why she bought so much food. ‘Although I think you may have gone a tad overboard on the bagels...’
Eve shakes off my comment with a laugh and pulls out two chairs. ‘Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in!’
Shaking my head at her bizarre behaviour, I tug off my jacket and hang it on the back of the seat. The smell of freshly cooked bread makes my mouth salivate as I try to decide what to go for first.
‘How did you get on with the baby making yesterday?’ I ask, selecting a poppy seeded bagel and smothering it in cream cheese.
A flash of sadness hits her eyes before she covers it with a smile. ‘Well, we gave it three goes and then I spent the rest of the day in a very uncomfortable Yoga pose…’
My mind flits to my Yoga manual as I try to picture exactly which Yoga pose she is referring to. If I was to take a guess, I would imagine it is something that involves contorting her uterus a hundred and eighty degrees. Taking a sip of my coffee, I offer her a sympathetic smile and reach for a napkin.
‘How long has it been now?’ I ask cautiously, not wanting her to get upset like she did last time.
‘Twenty-two months.’ Eve adjusts her sports leggings and sticks out her bottom lip. ‘We must have had sex hundreds of times. I just don’t get it. You have sex and you make a baby. Why isn’t it happening?’
I lean over and place a reassuring hand on her incredibly toned thigh. ‘Don’t beat yourself up about it. It will happen for you, I know it.’
‘But when?’ She laughs hysterically and twists her giant bridal set around her finger. ‘It’s just so unfair. Look at you and Oliver. You weren’t even trying to get pregnant.’ I open my mouth to speak, but Eve carries on talking regardless. ‘And Gina, she keeps popping them out like peanuts. I mean, what’s wrong with me?’
‘Nothing is wrong with you!’ I exclaim, dropping my bagel into a napkin and sliding over to her. ‘Look at you. If anyone was built to make a baby, it’s you.’
The fact that someone like Eve is struggling to conceive really is a total mystery to me. Her fitness routine is enough to make most personal trainers squirm and not a crumb passes her lips that doesn’t provide one health benefit or another. She really is the perfect example of someone who treats their body like a temple. From sunrise jogging sessions in the park to colonic irrigations and enough vitamins to feed a football team, Eve puts more care and attention into her fitness than most people put into their children.
To add salt to the wound, ever since she put her mind to having a baby, Eve upped the ante on her already extreme regime. Gone are her famous champagne nights, gone are the seven course taster meals and her once platinum locks are now a good few shades darker than they were a couple of years back. As only Eve could, she didn’t feel comfortable with polluting her body with hair bleaching chemicals when she was trying to form a new life. On her mission to conceive she has followed all the rules, read every book and hasn’t strayed from the guidelines once. It’s actually incredibly sad.
‘I feel like I’m being punished…’ She whispers, dropping her head and letting out a little sob.
‘Punished?’ My brow furrows into a frown as she erupts into a series of mouse like cries. ‘What on earth could you be punished for?’
Eve brings her eyes up to meet mine and I spot a tear rolling down her cheek. ‘For you know… my past.’
I exhale slowly and shake my head in response. If you aren’t already aware, Eve’s life hasn’t always been quite as glamorous as it is today. Born in a rather unfortunate part of town, Eve had to beg, borrow and steal her way through her teenage years in order to survive. One wrong turn led to another and before she knew what she was doing, Eve got involved with a rather bad crowd. As a means of funding the lifestyle that she wanted, Eve turned to the rather seedy world of escorting. I know, it sounds terrible, but she wasn’t a prostitute, I would like to make that quite clear. All she did was accompany rich men to corporation dinners and prestige events. Hardly the biggest crime in the world. In fact, it’s not a crime at all from a legal perspective, but not everyone was as quick to forgive Eve for providing such services. Needless to say, Eve wishes she could erase this portion of her past and has never been able to fully forgive herself for it.
‘Don’t be silly!’ I exclaim, grabbing a napkin and dabbing at her damp eyes. ‘We’ve all done things we wish we could take back and some a lot worse than what you did…’
Eve grabs a tissue and nods slowly. There’s absolutely nothing worse than seeing your friends beat themselves up. I’m about to tell her to stop kicking herself about things she can’t change when the antique clock on the wall chimes loudly. Immediately jumping to her feet, Eve shakes away her tears and grabs an apron off the rack.
‘I’ll go and open up.’ She pulls a tiny compact mirror out of her pocket and quickly tops up her makeup. ‘You stay back here. Enjoy the breakfast and I’ll give you a shout if we get busy.’
Flashing me a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes, Eve slips into the shop, leaving me feeling rather emotional. Poor Eve. Life can be so unfair sometimes. I take a sip of coffee and my mind drifts back to Janie. Way to go, Clara. Here I am grumbling about my slothful mother-in-law when my dear friend is breaking her heart about possibly being infertile.
Suddenly feeling a little guilty, I put down my paper cup and start clearing away the food. As I wrap the remaining muffins in tinfoil, I get to thinking about just how good a friend Eve has been to me over the past few years. Apart from a slight misunderstanding at the start of our relationship, Eve and I have never had a cross word. If my time on this planet has taught me anything, it’s that good friends are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget.
Hearing voices on the shop floor, I poke my head around the door and watch Eve serve an elderly woman. Ever the professional, all evidence of her mini meltdown has disappeared and in place of her tears is a bright smile. To look at her now you would never believe that just five minutes ago she was crying into a kale and mint smoothie. I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody as strong as Eve in my entire life. Throughout all the heartache and tears that have brought her to where she is today, Eve has never complained once. Never has she used her past to her advantage and in all the years I’ve known her she hasn’t ever felt sorry for herself.
Deciding to make it my mission to put a spring back in her step, I grab my apron and tie it around my waist. After a final sip of my coffee, I take a deep breath and march out onto the shop floor. Flicking on the radio, I scour through the channels for something upbeat. Feel good music fills the room and inevitably catches Eve’s attention. Tapping my fingers on the counter, I pretend that I haven’t noticed and replace the till roll.
‘I love this song!’ She squeals excitedly as she waves goodbye to her first customer of the day.
‘Really?’ I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly and spin around to face her. ‘I had no idea…’
Hitting me on the arm, she hums the lyrics happily. ‘You know this is one of my favourites!’
Bopping around on the spot, Eve grabs a single rose and holds it between her teeth. I can’t help but laugh as she sashays back and forth, attempting to sing along with her lips clamped around the flower stem. Turning on her heels, she runs towards me and begins to spin me around the shop floor. I let out a giggle which quickly develops into a full on belly laugh. The throngs of people buzzing along the street outside stop and stare at the crazy women who are dancing around to cheesy classics before 9am. Not giving them a second glance, I throw back my head and shout out the lyrics like we are completely alone. Eve closes her eyes, losing herself in the music and for those few minutes… she is free.
