by Carrie Stone
He couldn’t help but feel temporarily unnerved. He hoped it wasn’t true.
Sylvia made herself another herbal tea and curled up on the sofa, with a blanket thrown over her feet. It was barely breaking dawn but she couldn’t manage to sleep another wink. She could already hear the birds chirping outside her living room window and for once she was grateful for their nesting spot in the roof guttering. It was pleasantly therapeutic listening to both birdsong and the soothing sounds of the rain gently falling outside.
The panic and angst that she’d felt all of the previous day had been replaced with a calm acceptance. Glenda’s wise advice had really helped her to see that there was a silver lining in her otherwise gloomy situation. The truth of her one night fling had finally been outed and any intentions of keeping it a secret from Phillip and even Fee had been removed. Nevertheless, it was better this way, she wouldn’t have to live in fear of a skeleton in the closet, waiting to be unearthed. If - and it felt a very big ‘if’ at that moment - Phillip was willing to see past the occurrence, past the strife and hurt and give her another chance, then the relationship could weather any storm.
It didn’t matter what people thought of her. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She had simply become the victim of a malicious money-driven action. She didn’t want to let that person get the better of her. Despite Fee’s insistence that she felt it wasn’t Dan who had sold the story to the newspaper, her own intuition was almost certain that it had been him. Why else would he be avoiding her texts and messages otherwise? If he was also an innocent victim, wouldn’t he be trying to defend his position and reputation? She knew Dan was the one to be held responsible.
Phillip’s message late last night had also given her fresh hope and a sense of justice. He’d called to say that his lawyer had taken a look at the proof of paternity and there was a strong case for libel against the newspaper for character defamation. It seemed likely that the newspaper would be running an alternative story from a more positive angle correcting their mistake - instead of taking the risk of being sued. The story would focus on the baby being Phillip’s and their dramatic reunite after the slanderous accusations. She didn’t mind that Phillip had asked her – on his agent’s advice - to pose for pictures mimicking a happy couple.
She was willing to do anything it took to make him look at her in a favourable manner. Deep down, she also hoped it would reflect onto reality.
She couldn’t think of anything more that she wanted than to be looked upon by Phillip in a special way again. She rested her hand on her stomach and thought of their baby, willing the unborn child to know that no matter what happened it would be loved by both parents.
Her phone beeped and she wondered who’d be messaging her at such an early hour. Throwing the blanket from her feet, she padded into the kitchen to collect it from its charging position by the microwave. The name beside the text made her gasp. Although she’d inundated him with outraged messages, she had given up on expecting a response.
Opening Dan’s message with trepidation, she hadn’t bargained for his reply to be so disclosing and sympathetic. She gasped in surprise.
Why hadn’t she realised sooner? Everything suddenly became very clear to her.
Felicity awoke a few minutes before her alarm clock sounded and abruptly got out of bed, heading straight to the bathroom to shower. She suspected she hadn’t much time before receiving news that Zara had given birth.
Her instinct proved to be correct. By the time she’d dressed and prepared breakfast, Glenda had already phoned with the good news. Zara had welcomed her baby boy at six pounds three ounces and surprisingly a Caesarean section hadn’t been needed.
Felicity wiped a tear from her eye, any previous judgements and ill feeling towards her best friend, long forgotten. She couldn’t wait to get to the hospital and give her a hug. She had promised to collect Glenda and the children on the way, so they too could meet their brother.
Zara looked down proudly at her baby son. He was perfect. Perfect and healthy, with a loud set of lungs and a small button nose – exactly like Daisy’s. Even though she was exhausted she couldn’t help but want to stay awake, just to keep on staring at him. It was hard to believe that so much had happened within twenty-four hours.
“You did well babe” Steve said looking at Zara and stroking baby Thomas’ face tenderly.
Zara smiled, too tired to respond. She was thankful the labour hadn’t gone on for too long and the birth itself had been relatively easy in comparison to her previous experiences.
“I’ve told Glenda and she’s on the way already with Fee and the kids. I can’t wait to see their faces.” Steve stood up and patted down his unruly hair. Zara noted he looked as tired as she felt. “I’m going to grab a coffee, do you want one?”
“No thanks. I’m ok.”
Steve left the room and Zara took the chance to close her eyes for a moment, trying to process all that had happened. The previous evening felt like a blur, even though it was only hours ago.
She couldn’t recall much of the conversation with Steve, all she really remembered was her feelings. The shock of learning that he’d been unemployed for almost three months. The shock of the huge debts that had accumulated without her knowledge; but mainly the hurt and dismay that he hadn’t told her sooner.
She had been alienated from the situation; left to fester in paranoia that he was cheating on her, whilst the entire time he’d been struggling with his own worthlessness and inadequacy. Yet he’d looked so jubilant and hopeful when he’d told her about his new position, she hadn’t the heart to dash his happiness and let him know her true feelings of disillusion and thoughtlessness. She felt it selfish and inappropriate to begin to try and make him understand that he hadn’t considered her feelings in the matter. He’d left her in the dark, in a lonely place where her mind had drawn her in to a tormented game of being rejected and abandoned.
She vaguely remembered him explaining his reasons for not wanting to worry her and she understood those reasons. The pregnancy, the stress, the debt…. But he was her husband. Her life partner. The one who was supposed to share everything with her. It was hearing about Fee that had really tipped the scales for her; to know that Felicity had confronted Steve on her behalf and had kept it from her.
It had been the only way she could deal with the situation; it seemed rational at the time to direct her anger at Fee. To unleash all of the frustration and pent-up emotion on the one person who had always been her support; but it was only after her harsh words that she realised she’d taken it out on the wrong person. Steve was the one she had been bitter at. Not Fee. Her best friend had only had her best intentions at the forefront of her mind.
Besides, how could she blame Fee for interfering when she herself had recently done the exact same thing. She pushed the thought away, her stomach churning…
Thomas let out a small cry and she reached her arm into his bassinet, placing her hand on his tummy. Although she didn’t want to consider it too heavily, she was mindful that the stress of Steve’s revelation and her argument with Fee had most likely triggered the early labour. She gave silent thanks that Thomas was ok. She wouldn’t have been able to live with herself if her actions had caused him any consequences.
The door opened and Steve came into the room carrying a coffee in one hand and Daisy in the other. Glenda, Fee, Lexi and Abbey followed excitedly behind him.
“Oh Mummy - it’s a baby!” Daisy said, letting out a squeal of delight.
Zara laughed, feeling overwhelmed at the look on her daughters’ faces as Steve carefully picked up their baby brother to show them. Glenda and Fee stood back, watching with warm smiles. It was only as Zara turned her head to face Felicity directly that they caught one another’s eyes.
Felicity rushed forward to kiss her friend on the forehead. “I’m so sorry about last night.” She wiped a tear from her eye, as Zara did the same simultaneously. She grinned, looking across at Thomas. “He’s so perfect. Look at him �
�� he’s got your eyes. And cute little chubby legs.”
Glenda noticed the lingering smiles that seemed to pass between her daughter and Zara and wondered what Fee’s comment referred to. Whatever had happened was clearly forgotten about as Zara took the baby from Lexi’s firm hold and passed him gently to Felicity.
“Hello baby Thomas. I’m your auntie.” Felicity said in a baby voice, pleased that he’d been given a traditional and classic name. Glenda smiled at the sight of her daughter holding the tiny baby. Strangely enough, it suited her.
Fee felt fresh hope cradling the adorable Thomas in her arms as Zara watched with a sleepy grin. All was back to normal. Her best friend was no longer angry at her. That alone gave her a fuzzy, delighted feeling.
“Here Mum, you have a hold.” She passed the baby to Glenda and caught Steve’s eye as Zara busied herself with the girls. He was smiling at her. She winked in return.
It had taken a long time to realise but finally she could see him for the man he really was. A great father and a great husband. It didn’t matter that he didn’t always get it right. Nobody did.
He looked so proud and content as he smiled from his son, to his wife to his daughters. She only hoped that one day she could be as fortunate in meeting someone so family orientated.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Glenda looked around Bill’s kitchen and admired her handiwork. He was always on at her to stop fussing over his home with excessive cleaning but she couldn’t help herself. On the rare occasions when she found herself staying at his for the night – for they usually ended up in her flat instead – she liked to leave his place looking spick and span. Today was no exception. She was certain he’d appreciate her efforts once he arrived home from work.
She picked up her coat and handbag from the hallway and walked towards the front door. As she opened it, the postman was standing on the landing sorting through a pile of envelopes.
“Morning, Tony.” Glenda smiled at him and shut the door behind her, locking it with the spare key Bill had had cut for her. She thought ever so highly of Tony, it was rare to see such a young lad doing a postal round. She suspected his father had pushed him into it; he was quite a force to be reckoned with was Robert Jones.
“Morning, Mrs Harroway. Oh I have something here for the gent in number eighteen.” He nodded at Bill’s flat, rifling through the red Royal Mail bag on his shoulder and pulling out a small box. “It needs signing for.” He held a pen in her direction.
“Ah, ok. Bill isn’t in, so I suppose I’d better sign for it.” She squiggled on the delivery note and took the box from his hands.
“There’s a couple of letters here as well. Sorry about this one – seems to have been opened.” He passed Glenda two white envelopes, the top handwritten one ripped along its entire edge. “That’s what the red sticker is for. The mail service’s idea of an apology.” He chuckled. “Whoever sent that had better hope there wasn’t money inside. That’s usually why they get ‘accidentally’ ripped open in the sorting room.” He winked.
“Oh dear. Let’s hope not.” Glenda looked at the envelope curiously, noting the lined handwritten paper just visible from inside. “Thanks, Tony. I had best pop these back inside before I go home.”
She turned around, putting Bill’s key back in the lock and opening the door.
“Bye, Mrs Harroway.” Tony was already walking off down the landing.
Glenda closed the door behind her; still eyeing the mystery letter. She flipped it over, noticing a return address on the back. How odd. The return address was Bill’s name with a Cambridgeshire address. Why would Bill be sending handwritten letters to himself? And why did he have an unfamiliar Cambridgeshire address? It certainly wasn’t the same area as the rental property they’d signed up for a week previously.
Glenda puzzled, staring down at the messy handwriting. Strangely it didn’t seem familiar to her. Didn’t Bill loop his g’s and y’s? She turned the envelope sideways, running her finger under the torn edge. There was more than enough room to carefully remove the inner letter without anyone ever suspecting.
She quickly placed the letters down on the hallway bureau, annoyed at herself. She wasn’t one to snoop through another’s belongings. What was she thinking?
She reminded herself that curiosity had recently got Felicity into hot water with Zara and Steve’s relationship. Her daughter had been more than regretful at the incident, explaining that it could have cost them the friendship, had the baby not come early and been an ice-breaker.
“Let that be a lesson” she said quietly to herself, fishing in her pocket once again for the door key.
She stopped just as she reached the front door, a thought occurring to her. Surely if she was giving up her life in London to move to Cambridge and begin a new life with Bill, she had the right to know anything that might affect her? The letter was quite obviously something to do with the move.
Before she could change her mind, she found herself back at the bureau, gently pulling open the envelope tear and retrieving the small lined piece of paper inside.
Unfolding it slowly, she gasped. Nothing could have prepared her for what she read next.
Sylvia patted another smudge of foundation against the middle aged man’s cheek trying not of focus on the nausea fighting it way upwards. She tried to concentrate on the news presenter’s chatter.
“We all really felt for him at first. But then once the public apology had been made by the paper – it was clear you hadn’t been having a sordid affair like they’d originally suggested.”
Sylvia wished he’d stop speaking so she could work a bit faster at prepping. The man didn’t seem to notice her lack of response.
“It’s one thing to be reading out these things on the TV, but certainly another to find yourself as the main topic. We all think you’ve coped with it amazingly, given the circumstances. Both you and Phillip. It’s a shame these rumours get out of hand.”
She smiled gratefully. It had been over ten days since the scandal had hit and although the newspaper had chosen to run an apology and corrective story after Dan had made a public announcement, she couldn’t have imagined the amount of support they’d both received. Phillip especially seemed to be benefitting in unexpected ways. His profile had increased even more as a result and the offers of endorsements and work were flooding in. Although there were still the odd few that weren’t as receptive towards her, on the whole she hadn’t suffered in the way she’d expected.
She still couldn’t believe Dan had chosen to step forward. It had been a shock to find out that Stacey had been the one to sell the story to the newspaper. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it sooner but once Dan had told her, it was more than obvious. She’d since learned through him that Stacey had been aware of his cheating with various women for quite some time.
She still couldn’t get her head around the idea of the small, dizzy girly girl she’d met at the hospital, doing something so vengeful and nasty. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her though. She too had been duped into believing him and Stacey weren’t a couple when they’d ended up in bed together. It seemed Dan had made a habit of making Stacey disappear when it benefitted him.
But despite his lie and choosing to keep quiet about the new life he’d started in Thailand, she was grateful that he had had the courage and decency to correct the story, setting straight that she and Phillip had been separated at the time of their one-off tryst. It had seemed to do the trick. The papers had finally stopped running stories and life had resumed a sense of normality.
She finished applying a generous coat of bronzing and setting powder to her client’s face and dusted her hands onto her pinafore.
“There we are. All finished.”
He admired himself in the large lamp-lit mirror in front of him. “Wonderful. Thank-you.” He stood up and before he could chat further, a member of the production team appeared requesting his presence in studio four and steering him out of the dressing room.
Collecting her make-up brushes from the dresser, she wondered how long it would take until he’d begin to open up to her again. She’d always appreciated her single days; doing as she liked, when she liked. But now at three months pregnant and with a new attitude to life, she was beginning to realise that the support and love of someone you felt secure and safe with was by far the biggest blessing. She just had to find a way to make Phillip realise that too.
Zara sat on the sofa feeding Thomas whilst Daisy played nearby. She had a long list of things she needed to organise – namely the girls’ presents and putting up the Christmas tree. She couldn’t imagine how she’d find the time in the next two weeks, not to mention with Steve working extra hours.
He’d seemed to really have taken to his new role since they’d given him the permanent contract. He’d been coming home for over a week now happily relaying stories and office gossip. It was hard to believe her self-taught builder husband even knew how to use a computer, let alone a database. It was also amusing to see him leaving the house looking so smart and businesslike. She’d taken a little while to get used to it.
However, she’d decided she had to let go of the feelings of betrayal that she’d felt in the first instance of hearing about their lifestyle changes. She’d come to see just how much Steve’s confidence had been rocked by the events of the last few months and she was relieved that he’d found a career change to start rebuilding it again. Overall he seemed more like the Steve she knew and loved, than the man she’d recently come to mistrust. Their relationship had certainly been tested to the limit over the years but the latest development had proved that they only needed to be more honest and open to overcome things.