The Perfect Stepmother

by King, Karen

  She leant forward, keeping her voice low. ‘I know it’s been hard for you, Dad, and that it’s probably been good to have someone like Maria, who’s familiar to you, to chat to, but please… don’t rush things. Just because you find her easy to talk to and you get on, it doesn’t mean that you love her. You’re missing Mum and looking for something to fill the hole she’s left. That’s natural. Give yourself time to grieve and get over Mum’s death before you move on.’

  He shook his head. ‘I know my own mind, Lily. I realise it’s happened quickly, and that you probably don’t approve, but I do love Maria and she loves me.’ He paused. ‘Your mother told me that if I ever found anyone else to love, I had her blessing to move on. I think she would be happy for me. And I was hoping you would be too.’

  Lily stared at him, wondering if her mother had said that because she had seen how close her dad and Maria were, if in her dying months she had watched her beloved husband fall in love with another woman. A woman she’d considered a friend. Lily couldn’t bear to think about it.

  Gareth raised his hand. ‘Before you say anything more, there’s something else I need to tell you.’

  Don’t say you’ve asked her to move in already, Lily thought as she anxiously raised her eyes to his.

  ‘I’ve asked Maria to marry me and she’s agreed.’

  2

  Lily

  Lily stared at her dad in astonishment, barely able to take in his words. He couldn’t be serious.

  Gareth reached out and placed his hand on hers. ‘I know this must come as a shock to you, love. I wanted to talk to you about it earlier but, well, I couldn’t find the words. I guess I was embarrassed. Your old dad falling in love again so quickly. But Maria, she’s wonderful and sweet and kind. She adores Emma. And she’s made me feel alive again.’

  His eyes were sparkling, a smile playing on his lips. He sounds like a teenager, Lily thought resentfully. It was almost as if he had forgotten how much he loved her mother. Her parents had been so tactile and devoted to each other. Childhood memories flashed across her mind: her parents walking along the street holding hands, giving each other a kiss on the cheek, putting their arms around each other’s shoulders. They’d adored each other; you could feel the strength of their love. And now, he had transferred all that love to Maria, as if her mother had never existed. She thought of her old school friend Paula, whose father had died suddenly, and within six months her mother had moved her new boyfriend in, desperate to fill the deep void left by her husband. It hadn’t worked out. They had split within a year. It had been the wrong person, too soon. Paula had said her mother had been lonely and grieving, hadn’t been thinking straight. That’s what must be happening to Dad. She had to try to persuade him to take it slowly. There was Emma to consider too. She needed time to get used to the idea of her dad being with someone else, of having a stepmother. Lily swallowed, trying to choose her words carefully.

  ‘It’s so soon though, Dad. There’s no rush to get married, is there? Why don’t you carry on dating, enjoy each other’s company for a while, give yourself time to make sure you’re doing the right thing?’

  ‘I know I’m doing the right thing.’ There was no mistaking the determination in her father’s voice. ‘I love Maria and she loves me, and we are getting married. Look, darling, I really want you to be pleased for us and for you to be there and celebrate the wedding with us. I know this is right for me and Emma, but… Well, if I have to get married without your blessing, I will.’

  So that was it. Cards on the table. She knew from experience how stubborn her dad was; when his mind was made up, nothing or no one would change it. If she was to argue with him on this, she could end up distancing herself from him and from Emma. And her little sister needed her more than ever if her father was going to bring a stepmother into her life. She had to be careful how she played this.

  ‘Of course I will give you my blessing, if that’s what you really want. But promise me you won’t rush this, Dad. Promise me that you’ll take your time, give Emma a chance to get used to Maria. It’s a big thing for her to have a stepmother and she’s gone through such a lot. Please don’t rush into it.’

  ‘Of course, Emma is my priority. I’d never do anything that would hurt her, you know that.’ Gareth fidgeted with his collar, his gaze still on Lily’s face, as if trying to assess how she was feeling.

  She tried hard to keep her face impassive.

  ‘Look, I understand this is a shock to you, and that you don’t really know Maria. To you, I’m marrying a stranger. So, let’s all got out for a meal on Friday evening, Seb too, before you leave for your hols. I’ve got no appointments booked for then. Emma can come along too, if we’re not too late, as there’s no school the next day. You can get to know Maria a bit better, and see how good she is with Emma, how well they get on. And what a lovely person she is. It will put your mind at rest.’

  It was the last thing she wanted to do but she nodded. She wasn’t going to let Maria drive a wedge between her and her family. And she might get a chance to warn the scheming woman off, tell her not to take advantage of her dad, remind her that her dad was still grieving. ‘That sounds good, thanks, Dad.’

  He smiled. ‘Good, that’s settled then.’ Picking up his cup, he swigged his coffee down. ‘Now I’d better go and let Maria know it’s all out in the open. And I have to collect Emma soon – she’s at Katie’s party so Maria and I grabbed the chance to have a coffee together.’ He leant over and kissed Lily on the forehead. ‘See you Friday, love.’

  Lily sank her head in her hands, her mind in a whirl, her holiday mood ruined. She had not seen this coming. She couldn’t believe that her dad was being so immature and selfish. After all, this decision affected Emma too, and her. She didn’t want a stepmother. Especially not Maria.

  * * *

  By the time she got home Lily was seething and couldn’t wait to offload to Seb, who was lying on the sofa, can of beer in his hand, watching a football match.

  ‘You’ll never believe what Dad told me today!’ Lily said, banging through the door, her arms full of shopping bags. She put them down on the armchair and turned to face Seb. ‘He’s been seeing that Maria – you know the woman who used to come and do Mum’s hair and stuff. And…’ She paused for effect.

  Something in her expression must have told Seb this was serious because he put his beer down and sat up. ‘What?’ he asked.

  ‘He’s only gone and asked her to marry him!’

  ‘Crikey!’ Seb looked as shocked as she felt. Match forgotten, he got up and put his arms around her, enveloping her in a big hug.

  Half an hour later, after a brandy and flitting between crying and raging, Lily managed to calm down. ‘I’m just so devastated that Dad could want to replace Mum so quickly,’ she confessed. ‘They’d been together forever. My whole life. It’s almost as if he’s forgotten about Mum.’

  ‘Of course he hasn’t, babe. But I guess he’s still got his life to live. I can understand you being upset, but look at it this way: your mum would want your dad to be happy, wouldn’t she? And for Emma to have a new mum to look after her?’ Seb said soothingly. ‘And, don’t take this the wrong way, but it might give you more time for yourself. You’re always so exhausted.’ He loosened his hug so that he could look at her. ‘I love Emma, you know I do, but you’re run off your feet half the time trying to look after her and help your dad around the house as well as working. As long as your dad and Emma are happy, that’s all that matters.’

  It was typical Seb, always so unflappable, nothing much riled him – apart from his team losing. But then, this wasn’t his dad and little sister, was it?

  ‘That’s just it. How do we know that Dad will be happy and that Maria will look after Emma? It’s all too soon,’ Lily protested.

  ‘They’re not getting married yet and Gareth obviously wants your approval. That’ll be why he’s been so nervous about telling you, and why he’s invited us out for this meal. Emma’s coming too whic
h shows that he knows Maria will be happy with that and not want Emma pushed aside.’

  ‘I don’t want to go for a meal with her. I can’t deal with seeing my dad all over another woman. Especially one who was so close to my mum.’

  Seb put a finger under her chin to tilt it up to face him. ‘I know but you need to play it cool, babe. Be supportive, encourage them to have a long engagement and let it play out. Chances are that Gareth will change his mind, but if he doesn’t at least it will give you time to get to know Maria, see how she is with Emma. Don’t make her your enemy. And definitely don’t make your dad choose between you. Because, awful as it is to say, you might lose.’

  She smarted. Was he saying that her dad would choose Maria over her? Then she remembered how happy her dad had looked and sounded. He was clearly besotted with Maria. Seb was only telling her what she had thought herself when her dad was telling her his news: she had to play this carefully if she wanted to talk her dad out of this ridiculous marriage without causing a rift between them.

  3

  Maria

  Maria had known from the shock on Lily’s face that she didn’t approve of Gareth marrying her. Not that she had expected her to. She herself was still stunned at how quickly things had moved with her and Gareth. She had always liked him – he’d been so gentle, attentive and caring with Ruth, massaging her shoulders, rubbing her feet, doing everything he could to ensure that she was as comfortable as possible. She’d liked Ruth too; she’d been so brave, always greeted Maria with a smile no matter what pain she was in, always thanked her for the beauty treatments she gave her, telling her how much better she felt after one of Maria’s visits. She hadn’t seen much of Lily, only a couple of brief conversations when Lily had popped in to get something or to take Emma out. She seemed nice, but Maria knew she wouldn’t be happy about her and Gareth seeing each other. It was too soon. So she had urged Gareth to keep it from her for a while, and he had.

  They’d admitted recently that they’d been attracted to each other instantly but had both tried to fight it, knowing it wasn’t right. Not with Ruth dying. Then Maria had bumped into Gareth at the hospice a couple of months after Ruth’s death and he’d looked so desolate that when he’d asked her to join him for a coffee she had accepted. Concerned, she had asked him how he was coping, asked about Emma – the little girl had only been four, so young to lose her mother. Gareth had confessed that he was struggling: Emma was missing Ruth dreadfully and had been acting up. ‘I know it’s only natural, but she’s so demanding and I’m exhausted. Lily’s doing as much as she can, but she’s also holding down a full-time job and she’s got her own place with her boyfriend, so I can’t ask for more.’

  Maria had listened, offered sympathy, her heart going out to him. When her coffee was finished and she stood up to go, Gareth had thanked her, told her how much talking to her had helped him. His eyes had held hers and her heart had fluttered, knowing he felt the same as she did. It had scared and delighted her at the same time. How she’d longed for someone to love her, for a chance of happiness, but that would mean letting someone close to her, and for the past ten years she had been too scared to allow that. She couldn’t see Gareth again, daren’t let him into her life, she vowed.

  Then a few weeks later someone had come into her salon saying Gareth had recommended her to them and they had booked an expensive beauty package. She had phoned to thank him and they had once again slipped into their easy chatter. Gareth was still struggling to cope and she wanted to help him. He’d told her that he had finally found the strength to go pack up Ruth’s clothes and taken them to a local charity shop and that there were a couple of her beauty products Ruth hadn’t used so he’d drop them into the salon. He’d popped in with them a couple of days later just as she was about to close the salon and they’d had another coffee. It was almost as if fate wanted them to be together. Each time, they’d talked so easily, she’d felt as if she had known him for years.

  ‘You don’t know what these chats mean to me. They’re the only thing getting me through,’ he’d told her as he left. After that, Gareth would pop into the salon now and again; they’d have a coffee together and talk, and gradually they grew closer. She had tried so hard to fight her feelings for him, to look on him as a friend. Then a few months ago, Gareth had confessed that he had feelings for her and asked if they could date properly. She’d been in such a conflict: she really liked Gareth, more than liked him, but could she risk getting close to him? She had been so careful not to get close to anyone. He’d persisted, though, and she had finally agreed.

  He was a wonderful man, kind, considerate, a good lover. He made her feel safe, cherished, and Emma was an adorable little girl, if a bit difficult, which was only to be expected in the circumstances. When Gareth had asked her to marry him yesterday, Maria had been surprised, delighted – and scared. Married, with a home and a family. It was a life she thought she would never have. One she wasn’t sure she deserved. She’d decided to accept his proposal, to seize this chance of a new, wonderful life and to stop living in the shadows of the past. Lily wouldn’t approve, she knew that, especially as it was little more than a year since Ruth had died, but she was sure that once Lily realised how much Gareth and Maria loved each other, how Maria would take care of her father and little sister, what a happy little family they would be, Lily would back off and be happy to start living her own life.

  Everything would be perfect. She would make sure of it. There would be no mistakes this time. She’d paid the price for what she’d done. She deserved to be happy.

  4

  Lily

  I’m really not looking forward to this, Lily thought on Friday evening as she changed into a pair of houndstooth trousers and a black polo neck top, wanting to look smart but be warm. Thank goodness they were going to a restaurant in town and not the local Italian restaurant where her parents always used to go for a meal; she definitely couldn’t have handled that. She wondered if Dad ever took Maria there, then pushed the thought out of her mind. She and Seb had talked about it a lot this week. Seb was sure that Gareth was just trying to fill the void left by Ruth passing away, and that the relationship would more than likely fizzle out. If not, Lily had to accept his decision or risk having a rift with her dad – then not being able to be there to support him if things did go wrong. So she had decided to give Maria a chance. Like Seb, she was sure her father would want a long engagement – he was always careful, cautious; he wouldn’t rush into things. She had to stop worrying and trust him to do the right thing.

  ‘Ready?’ Seb asked, coming into the bedroom.

  ‘Almost.’ She slipped her black, heeled shoes on, turned around then whistled. Usually dressed in a T-shirt, jeans and trainers, Seb was now wearing a pair of light brown chinos, a white patterned shirt and actual shoes! He looked very smart.

  ‘Spruce up okay, don’t I?’ he said with a grin. He ran his eyes over her. ‘You look gorgeous.’

  ‘Thanks. I’m dreading this,’ she confessed.

  ‘It’ll be fine. Just look on it as a meal with your dad, one of his friends and Emma. It’s not a big deal.’

  Lily nodded. Seb always did have a calming influence on her.

  * * *

  They were already at the table when Lily and Seb arrived, Emma in the middle of her dad and Maria. The little girl was chattering away to Maria, who had her head bent listening to her attentively. They looked like a family out for a meal together, Lily thought, realising with a jolt that Emma had already accepted Maria.

  ‘Lily. Seb.’ Gareth stood up as they approached, then Maria looked up too. She smiled at them but her eyes seemed wary.

  Emma’s face broke into a grin. ‘Lilyyyy!’ She got up and rushed around the table to hug her big sister.

  ‘Hello, darling.’ Lily hugged her tight. Emma moved on to hug Seb, who tickled her under the chin and said, ‘Hello, Munchkin.’ Munchkin had been his pet name for Emma since the first time Lily had brought him home when Emma was tiny.
And her mother had still been alive.

  Lily and Seb both pulled out their chairs to sit down and Emma returned to her seat.

  ‘I’m so glad you both could join us,’ Maria said with a bright smile. ‘It means a lot to us, doesn’t it, Gareth?’

  Us. That sounded very possessive and very sure of herself, Lily noted, and the look Maria gave her father was warm and loving. They looked serious about each other. Lily felt awkward and resentful, seeing the three of them in a row opposite her, Emma in the middle. She’d expected Maria to sit on one side of her dad and Emma on the other, so that he could talk to the little girl, reassure her. It was Maria who was talking to Emma though, filling up her glass of water, checking on her. It was as if she had already replaced Ruth. Her beautiful, brave mother seemed to have been completely erased from everyone’s memory, Lily thought, trying desperately to fight down her tears. As if sensing how she was feeling, Seb took her hand in his and held it tight. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

  ‘What would you like to drink?’ Gareth asked. ‘Shall I order a bottle of wine or do you fancy a beer, Seb?’