“I have already informed Henry of this news, but I also wanted to let you know so that you can be aware of the current situation.” I thank the detective and then hang up, mulling over her words and wondering just how much of a threat Richard poses to us. A big one, I am guessing if he has gone to all this trouble to make people think he was in Africa and then trying to get back into the country via people traffickers.
“Who’s that?” Taylor’s voice startles me out of my reverie.
“Detective Stanton,” I respond, already able to tell that I am going to make Taylor’s mood even worse. “Richard has been spotted in Calais. She thinks he is trying to make his way over with the migrants who come over hidden in the trucks.” I go onto explain everything she just told me and also let him know that she has informed Henry.
By the time I have finished Taylor’s features are hard and it feels like today can’t really get much worse. “Sorry,” I murmur apologetically. “I don’t want to make you mad.”
“I’m not mad at you, Abs,” Taylor says with a sigh. “Just not exactly the morning I had planned that’s all.”
“Sorry,” I say again feeling like shit. Taylor just waves it off and heads into the wardrobe to get dressed. A moment later, Taylor’s phone buzzes again and when I see that it’s Henry, I silently move across the room and hand it over before heading out of the bedroom.
My coffee has gone cold so I make myself a fresh one and then head into my little garden. The scents of the flowers in bloom calm me as I curl up in my chair. I breathe deeply trying to let go of all the negativity, focusing instead on the sounds of the street below me, the screech of the gulls overhead and, very faintly in the distance, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
I have just begun to feel a little more like myself when Taylor walks through to tell me he has to go up to London to meet with Henry. I give him a small smile and kiss him on the cheek when he bends down to give me a hug. It feels like we are parting on an argument and I hate how the butterflies are whirring around in my belly.
“Please, Taylor, don’t be mad at me. Okay?” I implore hoping to clear the air before he leaves.
“I’m not mad, Abs. I’m fine. I just have loads to do today, Okay?” Taylor responds, but his eyes don’t quite meet mine so I can tell he is lying.
“Okay,” I whisper and watch as Taylor disappears through the door.
.........................
This morning set the tone for the rest of the day and by the time I climb into bed at eleven I realise that Taylor hasn’t responded to any of my text messages or the couple of voicemails I left. I’m tempted to call Henry, just to make sure he is okay, but I rationalise that if there were a problem he would have called me already.
Nope, Taylor is probably still sulking about what I made him promise. I realise that it was a lot to ask but just knowing that he will make sure that Bean gets the best care and attention if the worst came to the worst makes me feel ten million times better.
I’m just drifting off to sleep when I hear the front door open and close softly and Taylor pad quietly up the stairs. As he enters the bedroom, I do my best to keep my breathing even and pretend to be asleep as he quickly strips off his clothes and then climbs under the covers next to me. Without a word, he turns his back on me, not even giving me his usual whispered goodnight. In moments his breathing evens out and I realise he has fallen fast asleep.
I lie there with silent tears cascading down my face wondering if this was maybe the one thing that could break us.
The Twenty-First
“Are you sure, Mum?” I ask, my nerves getting the best of me.
“Absolutely sure, sweetie,” my mum replies with a smile. “I have reconfirmed the menu choices with the venue, they have all the decorations ready to set up and I spoke to Kiri and Billy about the cakes this morning. Breathe, Abby. Everything is under control.”
I give my mum a wan smile. My belly is filled with nerves about Taylor’s party tomorrow; no matter how many times I go over my lists I can’t help but feel like I have forgotten something. “Seriously, Mum, what am I missing?”
“Nothing, darling,” she soothes. “This is just nerves. I promise everything is under control. All you need to worry about is that Taylor likes his present…” Mum trails off as I go pale.
Shit! Well, that’s what I have forgotten. I have been so focused on the party I somehow forgot to get Taylor a present. What the hell? How on earth am I going to pull something off now?
“You forgot to get him a present?” my mum asks with a knowing smile.
“Yup,” I respond suddenly feeling like the worst wife ever.
“Stop stressing, Abby. You have a whole day. I’m sure you will come up with something. So leave the rest to me; I have it all under control.”
There is nothing else I can do but trust that my mother is going to pull this off. Tomorrow will be the culmination of weeks of hard work and all I can hope is that it will be the perfect evening for Taylor. My husband has done so much for me and I just want to give him the birthday he deserves.
I give my mum a hug and she promises to give me a call in the morning to run over any last minute details before heading out the door. I sink back onto the couch and look around my living room hoping that inspiration will strike. Two hours later I am still sat there fighting the urge to pee and not any closer to coming up with the perfect present for Taylor.
Lacking inspiration, I take to The Lanes, a crazy maze of narrow, winding streets that form a quirky part of Brighton filled with shops of every description. I have no idea of what I’m after so I simply wander around, looking in windows and popping into the shops if I see something that intrigues me.
Taylor’s behaviour last night still hurts but I’m doing my best to put it to one side and not let it get to me. It doesn’t help that he was gone before I woke this morning and still isn’t responding to my messages. A couple of hours later my feet and back are aching and I am incredibly frustrated and annoyed. I am half tempted to say to hell with it and not get him anything but I would never be that cruel or spiteful.
Instead, I persevere and am rewarded when a glint of something catches my eye in the window of one of those ‘pre-loved’ shops that seem to be springing up all over the place these days. Instead of being full of tat like so many of them are, this one boasts rare finds from all over the world. As I peer closer to the window, I realise that what caught my eye is, in fact, a watch. A really interesting-looking watch.
I make my way inside, the bell above the door announcing my presence with a gentle tinkle. A middle-aged woman comes through from the back a moment later and asks if I need any assistance. I ask if it’s possible to see the watch and she gives me a smile, telling me that it’s one of her favourite pieces. As she hands it over to me, she tells me that she hasn’t had it long, that the watch came from an estate sale but she couldn’t resist the intricate design. The strap is clearly brand new as it still has a kind of stiffness to the leather so when I ask about it, she explains that the watch has been fully serviced and a new strap added because the old one was falling apart. What really grabs my attention, though, is the fact that you can see all the cogs working through both the front and the back of the watch. It truly is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and I just know that Taylor will love it.
I decide there and then that I’m unlikely to find anything better so I give the lady a bright smile and tell her I will take it. She nestles the watch in a lovely leather presentation box before popping it in a small bag as she completes the transaction. Leaving the store, I promise her I will be back; this place is a veritable treasure trove of amazing goodies.
Back home I disappear into my office to dig out some wrapping paper and a card I had found a couple weeks ago for Taylor’s birthday. By the time I have wrapped the box and attached all the various ribbons I am feeling exhausted. My clock tells me it’s only three p.m. but my body feels like it’s midnight so I drag myself through to my bedro
om and curl up on the bed for a little nap.
The Twenty-Second
Somehow my nap ended up being an epic fourteen-hour sleep. How I slept through the whole evening and the night, I haven’t got the foggiest but when I woke at five a.m. to find Taylor snoring beside me, I felt like I had had the best night’s sleep ever. I think the fact Bean’s movements have slowed down quite a bit over the last couple days have definitely helped but at the same time I can’t help but worry that something might be wrong.
She gives me a quick kick in the underside of my ribs to reassure me and I can’t help grin as I rub at the sore spot. “Thanks for that, Bean,” I murmur quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. Slipping out of bed, I pad through to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea before heading for my favourite spot, my garden. I take a sip of my tea, the warmth spreading through me to ward off the slight chill in the early morning air.
Today is going to be perfect, I decide. I don’t care how pissed Taylor is with me, there is no way I’m going to let anything ruin his day. Too many people have worked too hard to make this evening happen and I can’t let it all be in vain.
I’m halfway through my second cup of tea when Stix pads into the garden, her thin frame clad in baggy pyjama bottoms covered in butterflies and a loose vest top. “Hey, Abs,” she greets before asking if I want a drink. I tell her the kettle isn’t long boiled so she heads back to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea before coming back to join me. “Are you okay?” she asks as she folds herself up into a chair. “You were really conked out yesterday!”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just wore myself out, I think. Your brother is not the easiest guy to buy for and stupid me had completely forgotten to get him anything until yesterday. I’m such an idiot.”
Stix chuckles. “Well, I think you probably had reason to be a bit distracted with everything that’s been going on.” I am not entirely sure whether she is referring to planning the party, growing a baby inside of me or the Richard situation but I’m not going to spoil things by talking about him so I just give Stix a wide smile.
“At one point we had to double check you were breathing. You were so quiet and still I think you just about gave Taylor a heart attack.” I have this vision of the two of them leaning over me and checking my vitals; it would probably be hilarious if Taylor and I hadn’t had that conversation a couple days ago.
“Oh jeez, I’m really sorry if I scared you guys,” I say quietly.
“It’s all good, Abs. It was quite funny really. Taylor was leaning over you with his ear against your mouth and then suddenly you gave a thunderous snort. I don’t think I have ever seen Taylor jump so high in his life.” Stix chuckles at the memory and I can’t help the grin that spreads ago my face.
“What are you two giggling about?” asks a masculine voice from the entrance. We whip our heads around in unison and cry out ‘nothing’ before dissolving into a fit of giggles.
“Happy birthday, big bro,” Stix cries out as she jumps up from her seat and rushes over to give Taylor a big hug. “Ooh, pressies,” she says before rushing from the room.
“Can you grab mine from my desk when you come back?” I call after her as I struggle to stand up. Taylor quickly moves across to help steady me, his arms lingering around my shoulders.
“Are we good?” I ask peering up from underneath my eyelashes. “I really don’t want to spoil your day.”
“We’re always good, Abs,” Taylor murmurs planting a kiss on my hair and pulling me even tighter against his hard frame. “How are you feeling? You were pretty conked out when I got home at five and we were really surprised when you didn’t wake up during the evening.”
Before I can respond, Stix comes bounding back in with a pile of garishly wrapped gifts balanced precariously in her arms. At the very top sits my lone gift and I suddenly feel like maybe I haven’t done enough.
“Sit, sit,” Stix commands Taylor, pushing him across the room and into a chair before dumping the pile of presents in his lap. Before he has a chance to grab mine off the pile she quickly snatches it back and hands it over to me with a wink.
Taylor begins to unwrap the boxes and I’m soon sensing a theme here. Superhero Lego, a Batman hoodie and lastly a couple of Nerf guns. I stare at the presents in amazement wondering if I’m missing something here. I never knew Taylor was into any of this stuff. In the nine months I’ve known him, I’ve never once seen him play with stuff like this. Sure, we have watched the Marvel films but not in a capacity that would have encouraged me to get him a superhero hoodie.
“You like?” Stix asks Taylor suddenly looking nervous.
“This is awesome, baby sis,” Taylor responds pulling her into a big hug. “Thanks so much!”
“Right, someone needs to explain this,” I say as curiosity get the better of me.
Taylor lets out a chuckle but it comes out a little hollow and forced. “When we were growing up, Richard and I were generally given presents that we could both play with. Anything really good Richard would claim for himself and if I dared touch it, I would get punched. Anything else would generally be destroyed by him within a couple of weeks in fits of rage. Everything that is apart from the Lego, which is pretty much indestructible. Sure he could destroy what I had built, but at the end of the day I could just rebuild it.”
Blimey, this sounds like a metaphor for Taylor’s life. “And when Stix came along it was more of the same. He would pull the heads and arms off her dolls, rip up her colouring books and generally be as destructive as possible, all the while blaming it on her so that my parents eventually got fed up and stopped buying her stuff.” Jeez, my heart is breaking all over again.
“But we always had Lego so when it was her birthday I would always get Stix some kind of kit and we would build it together and, once she got old enough, she would do the same for me. It was like our way of defying Richard because no matter how horrible he was and how destructive he could be, we would just sit down together and rebuild it. I think that was one of the things that also drove him crazy; it was something that was just ours and we never included him which made him jealous as hell. It was our one little act of rebellion that made it feel like it was possible to survive the hell that was our childhood…” Taylor trails off and I make a concerted effort not to get emotional; nothing is spoiling our day.
“And the Batman hoodie?” I ask, forcing myself to smile.
“Taylor is my hero, Abs. He protected me as much as he could as I was growing up. He wasn’t some pansy superhero, though; I’ve always thought of him as the Dark Knight.” Taylor's eyes glisten at Stix’s words but I see him holding himself together for his sister’s sake.
“Come here, you,” he says giving his sister another hug before lightening the mood by rubbing his knuckles over her scalp.
“Hey,” she squeals in protest shoving Taylor away.
“Sorry,” I say handing my small parcel over to Taylor. “My present seems a bit crap and boring now.”
“Don’t be silly, Abs,” Taylor remarks. “I’m sure I will love it.” Taylor spends a good few minutes tackling the various ribbons and bows before he is finally able to rip the paper open.
I hold my breath as he opens the lid of the presentation box, praying that he likes the watch. His expression is curiously neutral as his picks it up and examines the face of the watch before turning it over and looking at the back critically.
“Sorry, it’s not new,” I mumble. “Well the strap is, but the watch is second-hand. If you don’t like it, I’m sure I can take it back.” I feel crestfallen that Taylor doesn’t like his gift.
“Abs, I don’t like my present,” Taylor says as I hold my breath. “I love it!” he exclaims his eyes lighting up and a broad grin spreading across his face.
“Seriously?” I gasp in surprise.
“Seriously, Abs,” Taylor reassures me. “This watch is amazing. I don’t care if it’s not new. You can see just how stunning the craftsmanship is. Abs, this is such a special present, thank yo
u.” Taylor stands up and wraps his arms around me.
“You git,” I say into his chest. “I really thought I had gotten you a crap present.”
“Sorry, Abs,” he murmurs. “I will always love anything you get me, even if it’s a pair of socks.” I chuckle and then we break apart as Stix demands to see the watch. She examines it carefully before declaring it ‘super awesome’.
A little while later we all pop down to the café where we are treated to a scrummy breakfast. Everyone is doing a fantastic job at avoiding any mention of the party. As far as Taylor knows, he is having a late afternoon meeting at the hotel in one of the meeting rooms, but he has reassured me several times already this morning that he will be back in Brighton in time for his dinner at eight p.m. It will be up to Michelle to get him to the ballroom for the actual party with some kind of subterfuge, something she says she is working on as we speak.
I still have plenty to do before the party so it is actually a relief when Taylor checks his watch—yes, it went straight on his wrist—and declares that he needs to head off. As he finally heads out the door, it’s like a collective sigh of relief descends over the place. Bea double checks that he has definitely gone before pulling me it to the kitchen to survey Kirri and Billy’s masterpieces.
I clap my hands in delight when I see all the pieces laid out ready for assembly at the hotel. I can already imagine how it is going to look in my head. All my staff are practically family so we are closing the café and bakery at lunchtime so that everyone can get up to London with their partners and check into their rooms at the hotel, my treat to them for being so amazingly awesome.
With everything seemingly in place, I let everyone know that I am heading up to London and arrange when I will meet them. I am halfway up the motorway when a call comes through on my phone. Henry is asking me to meet him at the hotel to discuss security. With all the excitement of the party somehow the threat of Richard seems to have slipped my mind.
Book Four: Thirty Days, Book 4 Page 11