by Sue Welfare
Suzie nodded and followed him outside. He was walking fast, looking horribly flustered and she struggled to keep up.
‘Hang on, Sam, wait for me. I can’t run in these shoes. Have you told Liz that they’re nearly here?’ said Suzie, trying to keep pace with him.
‘I’m not totally brainless, you know. I’ve just sent Megan,’ he said brusquely.
‘Sorry, I was just saying,’ said Suzie. ‘Liz will be livid if she gets left out. You know what she’s like.’
‘I wasn’t thinking of leaving her out,’ he snapped. ‘I just said Megan’s going to get her.’ They were almost at the kerb-side now. ‘If she can’t be bothered to get herself downstairs it’s hardly my fault, is it?’
‘The banner looks good,’ Suzie said in an attempt to placate him.
‘Yeah, right.’
Suzie stared at Sam. ‘What on earth is the matter?’
‘Nothing,’ he said.
‘Has Liz upset you?’ she said. ‘I didn’t think that she’d give you a hand with it.’ She couldn’t imagine Megan would have made him so angry, and he wasn’t usually the kind of person who would get this annoyed over hanging a banner up over the front door. And then Suzie’s heart lurched; maybe he had heard something about her and Matt . . .
‘What makes you say that?’ he said.
‘What?’ said Suzie, struggling to regain her cool. ‘About Liz? Well, like you just said, we all know what she’s like. You know how much she gets under my skin. I love her dearly but she can be the most irritating bloody woman on earth when she’s in one of her moods, and from what I’ve seen so far she’s in a beauty today. I think she’s nervous; she’s probably worried about us meeting this new man of hers. I’m sure she didn’t mean to—’
But Sam was way ahead of her. ‘Oh yes she did, Suzie. You know, that is the trouble – people are always making excuses for her. She is completely self-obsessed. The only person Liz ever worries about is Liz,’ Sam said with real venom. Suzie stared at him; she couldn’t remember seeing him so angry.
‘What did she do?’ said Suzie anxiously. ‘Sam, talk to me. What did she do?’
‘What’s that?’ said a familiar voice from behind them. ‘Talking about me again, are we?’
‘I was just saying that you would hate to miss Mum and Dad arriving,’ lied Suzie, her eyes still on Sam, who had a face like thunder.
‘I’d have made them drive round till I was ready,’ Liz said wryly, giving them a wink, while running a finger over her eyebrows. ‘I was wondering, Suzie, do you think you could do up the hook on the top of my dress for me?’
Sam grunted furiously.
‘Sure,’ said Suzie, but before she could move Megan began yelling from her vantage point upstairs at one of the bedroom windows.
‘Mum, Dad – they’re here, they’re here,’ she squealed. ‘Their car’s at the end of the lane.’
‘Come on down then, love,’ said Suzie.
‘Where’s Hannah?’ asked Sam, glancing over his shoulder, his tone prickly.
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen her for ages. I’m sure she’ll turn up sooner or later. Short of chaining her to the marquee I don’t know how I could have kept her here—’
‘She said she would help,’ Sam snapped back.
‘Play nicely, you two,’ said Liz.
‘Is she with that girl? You know, what’s-her-name?’ Sam continued, completely blanking Liz.
‘Sadie? I don’t know, but if I was asked to have a guess I’d say yes. Don’t you remember when your parents said keep away from something, anything at all, just how attractive it made whatever it was – drink, drugs, or in my case you, ’ Suzie said with a smile, trying hard to lighten the mood.
‘Yes, but—’
‘But nothing. Look, here are Mum and Dad.’
Which was exactly when Suzie spotted Peter Hudson and Mary wandering across the grass from the back garden. She groaned.
‘Please can you go around the back to the marquee?’ Suzie said, shooing them away, but they seemed totally oblivious, and it was too late to stop them now.
Megan ran across the lawn. Wide-eyed and giggling, she was practically jumping up and down with excitement. ‘They’re here, they’re here,’ she shrieked, as her grandparents’ car pulled up into the driveway.
There was a moment, a split second, when nobody moved and Suzie watched her mum reading the banner above the door and saw the surprise register on her face. Rose was barely out of the car before Megan had thrown her arms around her and whooped, ‘Grandma, Grandma, we’ve been waiting for you for ages – happy anniversary.’
Meanwhile Jack was taking his time climbing out of the car. He stood on the driveway, hands on hips, a big smile on his face as Peter Hudson and Mary came over to join in the group hug.
‘Well, well, well,’ Jack said, looking from face to face and then at the huge sign above the doorway as Megan rushed around to hug him too. ‘Will you just look at that,’ he said. ‘“Happy Fortieth Wedding Anniversary to Rose and Jack.” You and your mum and dad and Auntie Liz have been busy, Megan. Haven’t they, Rose?’ He grinned at Peter and extended a hand that turned into a hug. ‘Peter, wonderful to see you. We wondered where you were off to in such a hurry all dolled up to the nines.’
Peter laughed. ‘Mary and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, you know that,’ he said. ‘Congratulations, mate. Well done.’
Rose said nothing as Fleur got out of the car to join them on the driveway.
‘Well, what do you think?’ Fleur said with a smile.
‘Is that what today was all about?’ said Jack. ‘The trip out and everything.’
Fleur didn’t say a word.
‘So you’re not feeling sick then?’
‘No, I’m just fine, Jack. Just fine.’
Alongside them Rose remained silent, while Megan skipped around the garden like a spring lamb.
‘Happy anniversary, Mum and Dad,’ said Suzie, her voice crackling with emotion as she hugged first one and then the other. ‘Congratulations.’
‘You really shouldn’t have,’ Rose finally began, and then turned to confront Fleur. ‘Did you know anything about this?’ she said, but before Fleur could answer Liz stepped forward and caught hold of Rose by the hands.
‘Mum, you can’t blame Fleur. I thought, I mean we all thought this was just too important an occasion to let slip by, didn’t we?’ said Liz looking from face to face. ‘And we’ve got such a surprise for you,’ she said.
‘I’m with the ladies on this,’ Peter Hudson interrupted. ‘Although just between you me and the gatepost, we were a bit surprised really, weren’t we, Mary, you calling it your fortieth wedding anniversary on the invitations.’
‘Invitations,’ said Rose. ‘What invitations?’
But Peter was pressing on full steam ahead.
‘Bit of artistic licence there, eh? Papering over the cracks and all that. But who am I to say anything?’ Peter said with a wink. ‘I don’t suppose anyone minds these days, do they? Any excuse for a bit of a booze up, eh, Jack? Forty years of wedded bliss? That’s certainly gilding the rose a bit, eh? Geddit – gilding the Rose ?’ he laughed. ‘You know, like lily?’
Mary shot him a killer look. ‘Peter,’ she said sharply. ‘You said you wouldn’t say anything.’
Jack reddened. Rose’s face was a blank canvas.
Suzie stared at Peter, trying to work out exactly what he meant.
‘Well, not to anyone else, obviously,’ said Peter with a big cheesy grin. ‘But this is family and good friends, we all know the score.’
‘Actually we don’t, I’m not with you,’ said Suzie, aware of the tension now on her mum’s face.
‘Peter,’ Rose cautioned, holding up a hand to silence him, but he simply laughed.
‘Oh come off it, Rose, you don’t have to pretend with us, love.’ And then, turning to Suzie, he continued, ‘We’ve known Jack and Rose for donkey’s years. Since well before they got hitched and I’m just
saying that a lot of people haven’t got a clue that your mum and dad got divorced, and those who do won’t mind you being a little bit economical with the truth, will they? I mean, does it really matter these days if you’re married or not?’
There was a split second when the world went hot and still; Suzie felt her mouth fall open. ‘What?’ she managed in a gasp.
‘I mean, nobody bats an eyelid these days, do they?’ Mary said. ‘Not really, although I did say you weren’t to make a big thing about it, Peter, not today of all days.’ She looked around the stunned faces, ‘I did tell him he had to behave himself but you know what he’s like.’
Suzie’s gaze fixed on her parents’ faces. ‘You’re not married?’ she said.
Rose and Jack glanced at each other.
‘Not exactly,’ said Jack sheepishly.
‘Not exactly? ’ Liz snarled at him before Suzie could respond. ‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’ she said. ‘How can you not be married? You are joking, aren’t you? Please tell me you’re joking.’
‘We can explain,’ Rose began, but Peter Hudson was on a roll.
‘We were really surprised the girls asked us round tonight – pleased though, obviously. I mean, your mum and dad are both fantastic people, we love ’em, don’t we, Mary? We both thought it was great that you were brushing over all that other business,’ he said.
‘What other business?’ Suzie said, looking from face to face, feeling as if someone had knocked all the breath out of her.
‘You don’t have to worry, pet. I’ll be brushing over it in the speech too, nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more . . .’ Peter said with a sly grin, tapping the side of his nose.
There was a moment of absolute stunned silence while everyone considered what Peter had said and Megan, oblivious to the tension between the adults, skipped by them.
‘I feel like I’ve woken up inside a bad dream. I don’t understand. Can you please explain what the hell is going on here? How can you not be married?’ Liz snapped. ‘It’s ridiculous. We’ve got the photos. I’ve made a film about the two of you and your life together. About us. I’ve had your wedding certificate blown up. Have you got any idea how much it costs to have something blown up to twelve feet long?’
‘Well yes, it is true, we did get married,’ said Rose looking increasingly uncomfortable. ‘We did get married but we also got divorced – it’s years ago now . . .’ She glanced at Jack for support.
Jack was nodding. ‘Years ago,’ he echoed. ‘I mean, does it matter in this day and age? Lots of people live together. Other people do it all the time.’
Liz stared at him. ‘This isn’t about other people, Dad, this is about us. About me. How could you not have said something?’
‘Well, it was a long time ago, now. It must be, what? Probably thirty-two? Maybe thirty-three years,’ Rose said, biting her lip and trying to work it out on her fingers. ‘I can’t remember exactly now.’
‘Probably closer to thirty-six,’ said Peter Hudson helpfully.
‘No, it can’t be thirty-six, Liz is thirty-four,’ said Rose.
‘I said that,’ said Mary, eager to chip in with her two-penn’orth.
The four of them were so caught up working out the maths that they seemed completely unaware of the impact the news had had. Suzie could see her dad also trying to work it out.
‘What year was it?’ he asked lightly, almost con versationally.
‘Do you mind? What do you mean, what year? How come you don’t remember?’ wailed Liz. ‘And does it matter what bloody year it was – how come you’ve never said anything? How could you? Why didn’t you say something before? When the hell were you going to tell us?’
‘All those years,’ said Suzie, almost to herself. It seemed amazing, impossible.
‘All those anniversary cards . . .’ said Liz.
‘But you and Dad went away on your twenty-fifth,’ said Suzie.
‘That’s right, we did. We wanted to avoid anyone throwing us a surprise party,’ said Rose wryly.
‘And what about the trip to Rome on your thirtieth?’ said Liz.
‘Same reason,’ said Jack.
‘I assumed that you both knew,’ Peter said to Suzie.
‘I told you that I didn’t think they knew,’ Mary said to Peter. ‘I said, didn’t I? I’m so sorry,’ said Mary. Turning back to Peter she snapped. ‘I told you, you and your big mouth.’
‘The thing is, does it really matter?’ said Rose gently. ‘People live together all the time these days. Let’s be honest, it’s no big thing. You know your dad and I love each other,’ she said, smiling up at Jack. ‘I’m sorry – we should have told you, but least said, soonest mended.’
‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’ growled Liz.
Peter shrugged haplessly. ‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I just assumed—’ At which point Megan skipped over and cut him off mid-sentence.
‘Are we going to have the surprise now?’ she said.
Suzie stared at her younger daughter; she suspected the consensus was that they had probably had enough surprises for one day.
‘What surprise, sweetheart?’ asked Rose gently.
‘I can’t tell you. You have to close your eyes, Grandma, and you’re not to look. And you too, Granddad.’
‘Do I?’ said Jack. ‘And why’s that then?’
Megan giggled. ‘We can’t tell you – it wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it?’
Rose’s gaze moved from face to face.
‘Oh come on. It’s hardly rocket science, Mum. Just close your eyes, the pair of you,’ snapped Liz.
‘Go on, Mum, it’ll be fine,’ said Suzie. She glanced up at Sam who just shrugged; after all, what was there to say?
‘All right, but just mind this paving – if I fall over . . .’ Rose was saying warily, finally doing as she was told.
‘You won’t, you won’t, I promise,’ said Suzie, gently taking hold of her mother’s hand while Sam and Megan took hold of Jack’s hands. ‘We’ll lead you, won’t we, Liz? Just don’t peek. Promise?’
‘It’s not a barbeque, is it?’ asked Rose, as they led her carefully across the lawn and through the side gate. ‘Only if it is we’ve still got those things in the freezer—’
‘No, it’s not a barbeque, Mum, just mind your step here,’ said Suzie as they guided her in through the open flap of the marquee.
‘What the hell are we going to do?’ hissed Liz in a whisper – as if by closing their eyes, her parents had suddenly been rendered deaf as well as blind.
‘I don’t know,’ said Suzie, through a forced smile. ‘We’ll sort something out. Let’s play it by ear.’
Liz glared at her and shook her head.
Rose tipped her head to one side as if trying to pick out the change in the sound. ‘Where are we?’ she asked, sounding suspicious.
‘You can open your eyes now,’ said Suzie as Megan and Sam brought Jack to stand alongside Rose.
As the two of them opened their eyes the whole tent erupted into cheers of ‘Surprise!’ and ‘Happy Anniversary!’ There were great whoops of pleasure, with cameras flashing and people clapping and cheering and stomping as the surprise was sprung.
‘What a bloody mess,’ growled Liz in an undertone as the crowd bayed and clamoured with delight.
Rose’s face was a picture. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes widened. ‘Oh my goodness,’ she began. ‘Oh my . . . oh, I don’t believe it. I had no idea . . .’
‘No, me neither,’ grumbled Liz.
Ignoring her sister, Suzie felt her own eyes prickle as she saw Rose’s eyes filling with tears. Jack slipped his hand around Rose’s waist and, pulling her close, kissed her gently on top of her head.
‘Will you just look at all this? Isn’t this amazing? Fancy you doing all this. Rose, look at all the photos of the wedding. Oh, and just look at the cake,’ he murmured, all joy and smiles.
‘Did you know anything about this?’ Rose asked, looking up at him.
Suzie could see her father’s eyes misting over too.
‘I really don’t know what to say, girls. How on earth did you sort all this out without us knowing?’ he said.
‘It’s been a real feat,’ Suzie said. ‘We’ve tried to invite everyone who was there first time around, and a few more besides, obviously. There are still a few people yet to arrive but a lot of them wanted to be here to surprise you.’
As people started to come over to congratulate them, Rose turned to Fleur. ‘So did you know about all this?’
‘Yes and no,’ says Fleur.
‘What sort of answer is that? Why didn’t you say something?’
‘Because it wouldn’t have been a surprise then, would it?’ Fleur laughed. ‘And besides, I could ask you the same question, couldn’t I? Why didn’t you tell me you were divorced?’
Rose frowned. ‘Not now, I’ll tell you later.’
‘Well you better had,’ said Fleur. ‘You’ve got no idea how hard it’s been to keep all this lot quiet I can tell you. Suzie and Liz rang me over Christmas, and said if I was coming over this year, could we work it so I was here for what I thought was your anniversary,’ she added archly.
‘I thought you were ill,’ hissed Rose, reddening furiously.
‘I certainly was sick to death today – all those bloody plants,’ Fleur said looking heavenwards. ‘I’ve never been so bored in all my born days.’
‘I was really worried about you,’ said Rose.
Fleur sighed. Sisters, eh? Stepping forward, she hugged first Rose and then Jack tight. ‘Seems to me there are a lot of things we need to talk about, you and I. To be honest I have no idea how Jack puts up with you.’
At which point Matt stepped forward with a tray of glasses. Sam took one of the glasses of champagne and held it aloft while Matt passed the others around.