The Perfect Stepmother

by King, Karen

  ‘I’m okay with wine, if that’s what the rest of you want,’ Seb said gallantly. Lily knew he would have preferred a beer.

  ‘Maria doesn’t drink often, but I’m happy to have a bottle of Merlot if you two are agreeable?’

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ Lily replied.

  Maria didn’t eat meat either. So they all had steak, except for Emma and Maria, who had fish and a fruit juice each. ‘We’re twins,’ Emma said to Maria as the waiter brought their plates over.

  Maria smiled at her. ‘Shall we see who can eat it up first?’

  Emma had lost her appetite when their mother had died, and both Gareth and Lily had been worried about her. She’d picked up a bit lately though, and Lily had thought it was because things were settling down. Now she wondered if it was Maria’s influence. As she watched her little sister chatter to Maria, saw the way Maria interacted with her, Lily could tell that they had spent quite a bit of time together. Yet Emma had never mentioned Maria’s name and Lily wondered if that was because she’d been told not to. She felt uneasy that her little sister had been told to keep secrets from her. And at how quickly Emma had got attached to Maria.

  ‘I hear that you’re a plumber, Seb. You must be very busy,’ Maria said, picking up her glass of juice.

  ‘It’s not too bad at the moment but it will get busier as the weather gets colder. I’m glad to be off for two weeks now though.’

  ‘Of course, you’re both going away next week, aren’t you? I think a holiday at this time of year is always nice – a bit of sunshine before the long winter months. I hope you both have a lovely time.’

  ‘So do I. You deserve it. You’ve both been a rock to me and Emma, and we really appreciate it,’ Gareth told them.

  Everyone else chatted easily for the rest of the meal, and Lily tried her best to join in, even though the sight of how close her dad and Emma were to Maria was eating away at her. How could he replace Mum so quickly?

  Then she realised that Emma was talking about school, and how much she loved her teacher. ‘I want to stay in Reception forever. I don’t want to go into another class and have a different teacher,’ she said.

  ‘Don’t worry, you have ages yet, and I’m sure that you will love some of your other teachers too, Emma. Loving one person doesn’t mean you can’t love another,’ Maria told her.

  Lily glanced at her sharply, wondering if that was in fact a coded message for her, reminding both her and Emma that just because their dad had loved their mum, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t love someone else – and also that loving Maria didn’t mean that he hadn’t loved their mum. Maria had her attention focused on Emma though, and Lily noticed that Gareth had his attention focused on Maria.

  He’s totally smitten with her, Lily realised in shock. And they looked comfortable together, as if they’d been a couple for quite a long time. Had this been going on when her mum was alive? The thought kept niggling at her, but she shook it away. Dad wouldn’t do that. He and Mum had adored each other. He’d taken up with Maria because he was lonely.

  ‘Maria used to make Mummy look beautiful,’ Emma said to Lily. ‘She was Mummy’s friend.’

  The way she just came out with it almost made Lily choke on her steak. She wondered if that was why Emma had accepted Maria so happily, because their mum had liked her.

  ‘Maria visits a lot of women who are ill and helps make them beautiful,’ Gareth said. ‘She does a lot of great things for charities too. You’re doing a charity run on Sunday, aren’t you, Maria? Emma and I are going to watch. Maybe you and Seb could come too, Lily?’

  ‘You’d be very welcome.’ Maria looked up, her gaze going from Lily to Seb. ‘I need all the cheering I can get. I really want to try to go fast because I’ve managed to raise five thousand pounds for the hospice. It starts at ten thirty, in the central park. Unless you’re too busy?’

  ‘Oh, please come, Lily!’ Emma begged.

  ‘Yes, do. Maria needs us to cheer her on. And it would be nice to spend the day together as a family.’ Gareth smiled at her.

  ‘Sure, we’d love to, wouldn’t we, Lily?’ Seb replied.

  No, we wouldn’t! Lily wanted to scream. She didn’t want to play Happy Families with her dad and Maria but Emma was looking beseechingly at her and Lily could see that her little sister really wanted her to come along. Besides, Seb had already agreed, even though she was sure he knew that she wanted to refuse. It was easy for him to accept Maria – Gareth wasn’t his dad, she thought crossly. She didn’t want to look petulant though, so she nodded. ‘We could come along for an hour or two, but we do have a lot to do as we’re going away on Tuesday.’

  Emma beamed at her, and in that moment, Lily was glad she’d agreed. Her little sister needed her now more than ever. Emma seemed happy, but it must have been confusing for her to have another woman brought into her life so soon, and Lily wanted her to feel that she could confide in her if she needed to.

  * * *

  ‘I think the evening went well, don’t you?’ Seb said when they were finally home. ‘I know it must be difficult for you to see your dad with someone else, but he seems really happy. And Maria is great with Emma.’

  Lily had actually thought that Maria was too obsessive with Emma. The woman watched over the little girl like a hawk, checking her fish to make sure there were no bones in it that she could choke on, accompanying her to the toilet when Emma was perfectly capable of going on her own. She hovered over her, as if scared that if she took her eyes off her for one moment, something awful might happen. ‘She’s a bit over the top with her, don’t you think? I feel like she’s quite suffocating. She was by her side constantly.’

  ‘She’s probably a bit nervous about doing the right thing. She’ll relax when she gets used to us, and to looking after a child.’ Seb opened the fridge and took out a beer. ‘Want one?’

  ‘Thanks.’ Lily took the can off him and opened it, taking a long sip. ‘Maybe. I can’t say I fancy watching her run on Sunday though. I wish you hadn’t said we’d go.’ She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the sofa, taking another long sip of beer.

  ‘It’s awkward, I know, but it’s for a good cause, isn’t it? A charity that’s important to all of us,’ Seb reminded her. ‘Besides, Emma wanted us to go and I thought you’d want to spend some time with her, check that she’s okay about your dad being with Maria. She confides in you.’

  ‘I thought she did, but she hasn’t mentioned once about Maria coming to the house since Mum died, yet she obviously has by the way Emma is with her.’

  ‘She probably didn’t think anything about it – as far as she’s concerned Maria was a friend of her mum’s.’ Seb sat down beside her, picked up the remote and flicked on the television.

  ‘You’re right,’ Lily replied, feeling mean. After all, Maria was running to fundraise for a cancer hospice, to help people suffering with the disease her mother had died of. ‘Ignore me being a grouch. It’s just a bit difficult seeing my dad so happy with someone else so soon.’

  ‘That’s only natural, you’re still grieving for your mum.’ Seb hooked his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. ‘But surely it’s a good thing that he’s getting on with his life? He and Emma looked so happy tonight. The last few years have been tough for them both. And for you too.’

  For Seb too, Lily thought. Their relationship had pretty much had to take second place to her family. Seb was right: she should be pleased for them. Both her dad and Emma deserved some happiness. If only he’d fallen in love with someone who hadn’t been so close to her mum, maybe it wouldn’t feel so much like a betrayal.

  5

  Lily

  ‘Brrr! It’s freezing!’ Lily rubbed her hands together as they stood by the start line on Sunday morning, waiting for the race to begin. Lily, Seb, her dad and Emma were all dressed in thick coats, scarves wrapped around their necks; the others wore gloves but Lily had left hers in the car and didn’t want to go back for them as the race was due to start any
minute. Maria, dressed in navy blue running gear, waved to them as she jogged to the start line to join the other competitors. Despite the cold, there was an air of bonhomie among both the spectators and the runners.

  ‘Run, Maria, run!’ Emma shouted excitedly as the race started and the runners were off down the path. They had to do five circuits of the park.

  By the time Maria was on her second lap, Lily had got caught up in the excitement and was cheering on the sidelines along with Emma, her dad and Seb.

  Maria finished in a respectable time and was greeted by cheers and pats on the back from the watching crowd. While she smiled and thanked everyone, she didn’t stop to chat much, Lily noticed. She was friendly but not chummy. Almost as if she didn’t want to get too close to anyone.

  ‘You did really well,’ Gareth said, giving her a hug.

  ‘Thank you.’ Maria’s eyes darted around. ‘Where’s Emma?’ There was an edge of panic to her voice.

  ‘Over at the hot dog van with Seb,’ Lily told her, surprised at Maria’s overreaction.

  Maria immediately spun around to look for the van, visibly relaxing when she saw Emma with Seb.

  A stout woman with dark hair joined them. ‘Thank you again for the money you’ve raised, Maria.’ She looked at Gareth and Lily. ‘That’s the third race she’s entered this year, you know? She organises fundraisers too. She’s raised thousands for our cancer hospice. This woman is a saint.’

  Maria’s face flushed as the woman gave her a big hug. ‘Nonsense. Fiona, you do far more work for the hospice than me.’

  ‘Ah, but I don’t hold down a full-time job too. And on top of that treat cancer patients completely free for one day a week,’ Fiona told her. ‘Now, we do just need you to come and say hello to the hospice director, love. He’s dying to meet you.’

  ‘Of course.’ Maria gave Gareth a kiss on the cheek. ‘Be back soon.’

  ‘Fiona’s right, Maria is a saint. Nothing is too much trouble for her and she does so much work for charity,’ Gareth said, his gaze on Maria’s retreating back as the two women walked away. ‘I know this isn’t easy for you, love.’ He turned his head, his eyes on Lily now. ‘But please give Maria a chance. She really is a wonderful woman. She’ll never replace your mother, of course, but Emma and I, we have to move on with our lives.’

  So soon? Lily bit back the angry retort as she nodded. ‘You and Mum were together so long and were so happy so I can understand you wanting to find that happiness again, but I’m begging you, don’t rush anything, Dad. Take your time. Promise?’ she said softly. ‘Make sure you really get to know Maria and give Emma time to adjust. It’s such a big step.’

  ‘You know that I never make rash decisions and Emma is my number-one priority, always,’ Gareth assured her.

  Seb and Emma joined them then, their hot dogs already half-eaten. ‘These are delicious. You sure you don’t want one?’ Seb asked.

  ‘No, but I could do with a hot drink to warm me up. I think I’ll go and grab a hot chocolate. Anyone else want one?’ Lily asked.

  ‘Me!’ said Emma.

  ‘And me!’ said Seb.

  ‘I’ll give you a hand with them,’ her father said.

  As they both walked over to the refreshment tent, Lily felt her doubts fade away. It was obvious that Maria made her father and Emma happy; she was pleased about that. And it meant that she and Seb could go on their holiday Tuesday with peace of mind. She was silly to worry – Dad would take his time, make sure they all got on well before doing anything as serious as getting married. She remembered her mum telling her that she and Dad had gone out together for over two years before getting married, because neither of them believed in divorce and wanted to make sure they were really compatible before marrying. Dad would probably be even more cautious now.

  To Lily’s surprise she really enjoyed the day, and when Gareth suggested they all stop off at a local pub for a late lunch, Lily was happy to agree. It was evening before Lily and Seb went home to pack for their holiday.

  ‘You’re not going to be fretting about your dad and Emma all the time we’re away, are you?’ Seb asked as they got into bed that night.

  ‘No. I have to admit, Maria seems nice and I had a talk with Dad today and he’s promised to take his time before setting a date.’ Well, he’d actually said he never made rash decisions, but it was the same thing. ‘I feel a lot easier about things now. We’re going to have a great holiday.’ She turned onto her side and kissed him. ‘No fretting, I promise.’

  6

  Maria

  ‘Well, how did the meal on Friday go? Does Lily still hate you?’ Amanda asked as soon as she walked into the salon on Monday.

  Maria paused from unpacking the shipment of face creams that had just arrived and glanced up at her friend and colleague, smiling. When Gareth had first asked her out, Maria had been wracked with doubt and guilt and had confided in Amanda one evening when they had both been working late. Amanda had been so understanding and encouraging. ‘I think that if you get a chance of happiness, you should take it, as long as you’re not hurting anyone,’ she’d said. Maria had told Amanda about Lily bumping into her and Gareth last week too, and how nervous she’d been about the family meal Gareth had arranged for Friday.

  Amanda was right, she wasn’t hurting anyone; she was helping. Gareth was really struggling with his grief and looking after Emma, who had been very demanding since her mother had died. The little girl was lovely but needed firm boundaries, Maria privately thought. Probably the whole family had given in to her a little to compensate for her mother being ill, then dying. Well, it was nothing love and a little understanding and firmness wouldn’t resolve.

  ‘It went better than I expected, especially after Lily’s reaction when she saw us together last week,’ Maria told her. ‘It’s obvious that she still doesn’t much like the idea of us being together, but I don’t know if it’s me she doesn’t like or whether she thinks it’s too soon. Either way she’s masking it well and was perfectly pleasant. She and Seb even came to the charity run yesterday to support me.’

  ‘That’s great. She’s bound to be resentful at first – her mum and dad were married for a long time. Seeing him with someone else must be a big shock to her. But life goes on. She’ll come to terms with it. I bet this time next year you’ll both be clothes shopping together.’

  ‘I hope you’re right. There’s nothing I’d like more.’ Maria took another couple of creams out of the box and put them on the shelf. ‘And how was your weekend?’

  Amanda had recently split up from her long-term boyfriend and was now determined to enjoy the single life. ‘Brilliant, actually! The girls and I went to that new club in town. You should come with us sometime, let your hair down a bit.’

  ‘Thanks, but I think I’m too old for all that,’ Maria said with a grin. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than dancing to loud music into the early hours of the morning then rolling out of a club so drunk she could barely stand, which was what Amanda – who was ten years younger – and her friends seemed to enjoy doing. ‘All that alcohol is no good for your body, you know.’

  ‘It’s only once a week. I think my body will cope, Mum,’ Amanda replied teasingly. ‘Now do you want me to help you unpack those or shall I make us a cuppa?’

  ‘Oh, a cuppa, please. Chamomile,’ Maria replied, taking out more of the pots of cream. She almost always drank herbal teas and decaffeinated coffee. Looking after her health was important to her.

  The chimes rang as Olivia, Sophie and Candice walked in, chattering away together. Olivia and Candice had worked with Maria since the beginning, the very day the salon had opened, whereas Sophie and Amanda had only joined them a couple of years ago but had fitted in immediately. ‘I tell you I’ve got the worst of both ages: hormonal teenagers and toddler tantrums,’ Olivia said. ‘I can’t wait to come to work to get away from it all. I swear I’ll be totally grey in a few more months.’

  Maria smiled. Olivia frequently entertained them wi
th stories of her children’s antics, as did Candice; although her son was away at university now, he still often phoned home with some drama he needed bailing out of. She had envied them their happy, if chaotic, households, knowing that she would likely never have a family of her own. Until now, when miraculously she’d been offered the gift of a ready-made family. It was a dream come true and one that she was going to snatch with both hands.

  ‘Talking about tantrums, Emma had a right paddy yesterday,’ she said as the girls came into the back of the shop. ‘All because her favourite dress wasn’t washed.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I had just done a 10k run and was shattered! But anyway, I finally managed to persuade her to wear another one by bribing her with painting her nails in rainbow colours. Gareth was tearing his hair out.’

  ‘Listening to you lot, I’m glad I’m single and kid-free,’ Amanda retorted.

  ‘Ha, you’ll soon have another fella on the go. You’re never single for long,’ Olivia told her and they all laughed.

  7

  Lily

  Lily arrived back home after ten amazing days of swimming, sunbathing, sightseeing, lazy mornings and romantic evenings feeling relaxed and rested but anxious to see her dad and Emma. She’d messaged them a few times while she was away and had been assured everything was fine, so, as she had promised Seb, she had stopped fretting and thrown herself into enjoying every moment of their holiday in the sun. She was dying to give her little sister a hug though, and tell her dad all about the holiday, so she decided to go straight round and see them before Emma went to bed – the little girl was always allowed up later on a Friday.

  ‘I’m going to take Dad and Emma their presents. Do you want to come?’ she asked Seb.