The Gift of Friends

by Emma Hannigan

  Danielle looked up into his face, and her heart melted with love. She was cracked about him, that was the bottom line, that’s why she was here and nowhere else. She felt unbelievably blessed.

  ‘No, I don’t,’ she said. ‘This place is amazing, and I’m sure I’ll get to grips with it all in time. And you’re amazing.’

  He smiled at her. ‘You’ll be great. In fact, those old biddies might prove very useful to you.’

  She frowned. ‘How?’

  ‘You know, when we’re throwing dinner parties and being cosmopolitan hosts, they’re the kind of women who would know all about that. Be good for advice and a bit of help. You said your mum never entertains, so I know that might be a worry for you.’

  Danielle felt her stomach lurch. The idea of being a host terrified her. She’d have no clue what to do, or how to cook fancy food or anything. She’d be useless. She’d grown up in a two-up, two-down terraced house with furniture from the local St Vincent de Paul. She’d never been at a dinner party in her life.

  ‘Do you really mean we’ll have to cook for people?’ she said, stricken.

  Justin laughed. ‘You look like I just asked you to do a striptease outside on the lawn. Without music! I only mean having friends over and showing them a good time. Enjoyable stuff, like.’

  ‘But I don’t know how to,’ Danielle said. ‘Cook, I mean. I’m no good at that. I couldn’t do a dinner party. I’d poison everyone and end up in prison.’

  He laughed. ‘Well then I can show you some stuff, and we can enrol you in a cookery class. You’ll be grand.’

  ‘I’m not like you,’ she said, feeling almost panicky now. ‘I didn’t grow up like you did, the big house and everything. I can’t be that kind of partner, you know. I’m just not . . .’

  He stopped her with a kiss. ‘You’re nearly hyperventilating,’ he said. ‘Calm down. I’m not trying to upset you, I’m just saying we’re going to enjoy this place and our life in it and sharing that with our friends. That’s all. I’m not expecting anything from you or demanding anything you can’t give.’

  ‘You’re just way above me in terms of . . . well, everything,’ Danielle said.

  Justin looked at her. ‘Don’t ever say that,’ he said seriously. ‘I love you for who you are. None of the rest of it matters. My name doesn’t make me a better person, you know that. Plus where you come from doesn’t govern where you’ll end up. You should know that too.’ He put his hand on her belly. ‘We’ve got a whole life ahead of us, Danielle, and I can’t wait to dive right into it. I want us to enjoy it, not worry about doing things for show, I hate that kind of thinking. I just want you, and this little one inside you, and I’ll be happy.’

  Danielle took a deep breath and nodded. ‘Me too,’ she said.

  ‘I can’t wait until we can tell everyone you’re pregnant,’ he said.

  ‘Your mam was adamant we had to keep it private for another month,’ Danielle noted.

  ‘She’s just superstitious or something,’ Justin said. ‘They’ll come round.’

  ‘At least she didn’t cry uncontrollably and tell me I’d ruined my life,’ Danielle said wryly, ‘like my own mam did.’ She shook her head. ‘I still can’t believe she took it so badly. It was so horrible. I knew she’d be disappointed about college, but I thought she’d be happy at the same time. She just kept saying the whole point of her life was to help me make a better one and not do the stupid stuff she’d done.’ She glanced at Justin. ‘Presumably I qualify as stupid stuff.’

  ‘Ah now,’ he said, rubbing her back. ‘Your mum just got a shock, that’s all. She’ll be fine in time. She just needs to get used to the idea. We’ll just keep reiterating that your law degree is only on hold, then she’ll be okay with it all. You’re only twenty, Danielle, it’s only natural she’s concerned about your choices.’

  ‘I know,’ Danielle said, ‘it’s just . . . how will we make it through all this, the baby and everything, without the support of our families? I’m not strong like you. I can’t take people on and fight them and all that. I just can’t.’

  Justin opened his mouth to reply, but there was a loud honking from outside. He stood up and looked out of the window.

  ‘Sofas,’ he said. ‘Come on, we’ll have to save the deep and meaningfuls until later. We’ve got an Italian leather sofa to welcome!’

  He hauled Danielle to her feet and she did her best to shake off the feeling that there were rocky times ahead. Deep down, she felt scared of everything – making a home in this massive place, letting Justin down, being judged by everyone, including her own mam, failing to achieve the one thing she had set her heart on – becoming a lawyer – and having a baby. That one was so huge, she had to just not think about it or she’d drown in fear. A baby at twenty – was she absolutely mental?

  Chapter 6

  BETSY HUMMED TO HERSELF AS SHE PUT THE finishing touches to the small guest room. She figured it would be the best one to put little Arnie in while they were here because a large strange room might seem too scary. With that in mind, all she’d put in was a cot and a chest of drawers. Freshly painted a lovely shade of cornflower blue only a couple of months previously, it complemented the pristine crisp white bedding she’d bought in the mother and baby store. In Graham’s day there weren’t so many lovely things to choose from. But then, everything was different back then. The doctors had discouraged breast feeding and thought nothing of it when women smoked in the labour wards. These new ways of doing things were probably for the best, she thought with a smile.

  She went in to check on the room she had prepared for Graham and Tasha. She felt her nerves go taut every time she thought of Graham’s wife, but she was holding on to the hope that marriage and motherhood had softened Tasha and they could get on this time. Their room was next door to Arnie’s, but it was large and spacious, with a king-size bed, a chaise longue at the foot of the bed and a big wardrobe that had belonged to Noel’s parents. It would be plenty big enough for both their clothes. Betsy had bought a lovely print in the local gallery – a watercolour of the beach that was about twenty minutes away. She admired it again, wishing she had put it in her own room. But then, guests deserved the very best. She wanted any visitors to her house to feel truly at home. She had scrubbed and vacuumed and dusted until the bedroom was spick and span. She looked around once more before closing the door, happy that Graham would feel welcomed and comfortable and cosy once he got here.

  Betsy made her way back downstairs, to check that everything was perfect. The kitchen was spotless, and she had set the table for coffee and snacks once they arrived. She checked the clock: one o’clock. Noel would be standing in arrivals, waiting for them. She was so excited every time she thought of the baby, and she knew Noel couldn’t wait to hold him, too. They were due to land at a quarter-past, so it wouldn’t be long now.

  Noel had been so nervous before leaving.

  ‘Do I look okay?’ he’d asked her anxiously. ‘I don’t want our Graham walking through the arrivals doors and being ashamed of me.’

  ‘Why on earth would he be ashamed of you, love?’ she asked, filled with concern. ‘You’re his father and you’re a wonderful man.’

  ‘Thanks, darling,’ he said. ‘But it’s been a while, and I’m sure I’ve aged a lot.’

  ‘Haven’t we all. Time tends to do that to a person,’ she said with a warm smile.

  ‘How do you think Tasha will be?’ he asked for the umpteenth time.

  ‘Don’t allow that woman to make you feel uncomfortable,’ Betsy said. ‘With a bit of luck, she’s grown up and mellowed out. And besides, she’s on our turf this time, so if she has anything between her ears, she’ll behave.’

  Betsy really hoped Tasha didn’t cause any trouble or disharmony. She badly wanted this to go well. If it didn’t, would they ever see Arnie again? The Tasha they’d met in Australia would cut them out without a second thought, she knew that much. That’s why it was essential they all made an effort to get on.

&
nbsp; It had been a horrible experience when they’d flown out to Australia for the wedding three years previously. Graham and Tasha had made them feel so unwelcome, and her family was even worse. They didn’t so much as invite them for a cup of tea. They’d gone out there for three weeks, expecting to spend time with their son while they got to know their new daughter-in-law, but that simply hadn’t happened.

  They’d made the most of it, of course – booked tours and taken in as much of the area as possible. But they’d only seen Graham a couple of times and each time Tasha was there, ready with a put-down or a snide remark about his bourgeois parents. She was insufferable. Being a polite and reserved man, Noel hadn’t wanted to argue with her or take her to task. Betsy, on the other hand, was used to speaking her mind and telling cheeky young ones like Tasha where to go. But for some reason, she’d decided to keep her mouth shut after the first altercation. Graham and Noel had both looked pained and she knew any further arguments would only upset them. So she’d resolved to keep quiet. It had been incredibly hard, but she’d done it.

  That first taste of Tasha’s unique way of behaving had occurred when she didn’t want them to go for dinner at the restaurant they’d booked. ‘For crying out loud, guys! What’s the point in sitting around like old fogies in a nursing home when we could be on the beach with a whole pile of great people who’ll ensure we get some fun out of the night too?’

  So they’d found themselves on a beach, in the dark, with a gaggle of drunken louts who were smoking joints, drinking their body weights in beer and behaving like savages. It was an ordeal Betsy never wished to repeat as long as she lived.

  ‘I can’t do this,’ said Noel after half an hour. ‘Graham, your mother and I are leaving. We’d really love it if you and Tasha would come with us.’

  ‘Gray, if you leave, don’t come back,’ Tasha had warned. ‘I’m not going to be dictated to by them. Your life is gonna be with me from here on in, so it’s up to you, mate.’ She’d stood with her hands on her hips, challenging him to do what she wanted.

  Much to their horror, Graham chose Tasha, putting his arm around her as she swigged out of a beer bottle and grinning at them.

  ‘Cheerio then, folks,’ she shouted. ‘Catch you later, right.’

  The three-week holiday they’d been so looking forward to turned out to be a lonely time for them. They were forced to come to terms with the fact that their son had pretty much dumped them for this demanding and rude woman who clearly disliked them and didn’t want them there.

  The wedding was a shambles. Betsy shuddered to remember it. There was a makeshift ceremony followed by another dreadfully unorganised event at the beach. Nobody was introduced to them and anyone they attempted to make conversation with cut them short and walked away. Tasha’s family didn’t go and so there was no in-laws’ introduction made either. They’d ended their trip with heavy hearts and a horrible sense of loss as they said goodbye to their only child for good.

  Since then, they had been the ones who’d pushed to stay in touch with Graham. They Skyped him once a week and had the same brief, one-way conversations each time. Tasha never spoke to them, and for the past year or so Graham hadn’t even mentioned her. They’d begun to hope that maybe a divorce was in the offing, but that obviously wasn’t on the cards.

  Betsy tutted at herself – such a terrible attitude! She shouldn’t be wishing divorce on her Graham. No, it simply had to be the case that Tasha had grown out of her nasty ways. Babies had a habit of changing a girl to a woman. Come to think of it, they had a habit of changing a boy into a man, so perhaps she’d meet a much more grounded Graham, someone capable of standing up for himself – and for them. She’d love to see him gain confidence and forge a more equal relationship with his wife. Imagine! Graham was a father. She felt overcome with emotion every time she thought of it. Please God, this trip would bring about healing and a new beginning for them as an extended family.

  The sound of Noel’s car crunching onto the gravel outside made her gasp with excitement. She rushed to the front door to see Graham already out and taking the baby out of the back seat. Betsy could hear him crying and she assumed the poor little mite was fed-up of being shoehorned into a seat.

  ‘Hello, love,’ Betsy called as she approached the car, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

  ‘Hey Ma,’ said Graham. He beamed and rushed to hug her. She was taken aback momentarily, forgetting his Aussie accent, which was thick and so different from the way he’d spoken growing up. It was fine on natives, but she found it so odd to hear her son speaking that way.

  Graham held up the car seat. ‘And this is Arnie,’ he said. ‘This is your grandma, mate.’

  ‘Oh hello, love,’ Betsy said, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She touched the baby’s soft cheek. ‘I’ve been living to meet you, Arnie.’

  Much to her surprise, the little boy was extremely big for five months old and went to her with no sign of making strange. He settled in her arms immediately, sticking his thumb into his mouth and resting his head against her chest. That gesture made her feel sky-high with happiness.

  ‘Hello, my little sweetheart,’ she said as he lay there, hiccupping as if he’d been sobbing for hours.

  ‘Oh thank God,’ said Graham. ‘He’s whinged the whole way across the world, haven’t you, mate? The entire plane hated us by the time we changed over and I kind of thought he’d give up, but no, he kept on going like a broken record.’

  ‘Oh dear. Lots of babies and small children hate flying and the sore ears, so we can’t blame him,’ said Noel.

  ‘Lots of adults hate flying,’ Graham said, ‘but they don’t scream the whole time! Oh and I’ve said it to Dad, but I go by Gray now, Ma. If you wouldn’t mind going with that too?’

  ‘There are a lot of things you’re going to have to try and get used to,’ Noel said as he walked past her towards the boot. ‘I’ll help Gray in with the luggage if you want to go on in with the baby.’

  ‘Sure. Where’s Tasha?’ she asked.

  ‘She’s following in a taxi,’ said Graham.

  ‘Don’t ask,’ said Noel. ‘I’d stick with that little man if I were you.’

  More than happy to do as she was bid, Betsy cradled her precious grandson and carried him into the house.

  ‘Look Arnie, this is your nana and grandad’s house! You’re going to have a lovely holiday here with us I hope.’

  She brought him into the small TV room, where she had set up a baby paradise. Noel had tried to restrain her, but she’d bought a few things to entertain him. ‘We haven’t so much as a toy car here for him, Noel,’ she’d argued. ‘I don’t want him to be here and bored out of his mind.’ Eventually, Noel had gone into the attic and found a large box of Graham’s favourite things, but only after she’d gone to the shops and bought a pile of stuff.

  Now there were all sorts of toys and books waiting for Arnie, from a robust car garage to building blocks to a small work bench with tools, all of which they agreed he was too small for, but they figured that maybe they could be posted to him in a box when he was a bit bigger. The board books with either a furry animal or a squeak to press would be just right to read to him, Betsy mused. She could just picture the two of them, Arnie nuzzling her neck, sitting in front of the fire having a lovely story together.

  They’d never believed in allowing Graham to smash things or ruin his toys, so everything he’d owned as a little fella was perfect. They’d had a great trip down memory lane as the toy aeroplane was found. It had little people and a pilot. It even had a hostess trolley with a little lady pushing it. ‘Not very PC these days,’ Betsy had laughed to Noel, ‘but sure, what harm?’

  Betsy had also bought a playmat with a baby gym over it, with dangling toys that were meant to keep him happy while he lay there. But now that she was holding him, Betsy realised that Arnie was a lot more advanced than Graham, or Gray, had made out.

  ‘Look Arnie, there are some gifts for you to open,’ she said with excitement in her voi
ce. He looked up at her and smiled. She set him down gently on the floor, sitting behind him in case he wasn’t able to sit up alone. As she rightly guessed, he was pretty sturdy on the floor and well able to stay sitting upright.

  He looked around a bit and back at her and sighed. He twirled both his hands as if his wrists were wound up. The mannerism made her cry instantly. Graham used to do the exact same thing when he was a little baby. He did it for toys and his dinner!

  Arnie took a present from her and smiled. He was dribbling like a little tap and one of his cheeks was red. No wonder he’d cried so much, the poor little fellow was clearly teething madly. The distraction of the present meant his mind was taken from being in pain. As soon as he opened the new toy pick-up truck with little chunky people to sit in the cab, he squealed and clapped.

  ‘Good boy!’ Betsy said, clapping too. He grinned and tried to free the toys from the packet, but when they wouldn’t come out immediately he began to cry again, rubbing his eyes. The poor child was utterly exhausted and needed some painkillers. Hearing the men clambering into the hall and straight up the stairs she walked into the hall.

  ‘Graham, have you anything to give the baby for pain? He’s teething like crazy and he’s worn out.’

  ‘Ah nah, we don’t go in for drugging him,’ he said. ‘Tasha and I feel really strongly about people giving their kids over-the-counter drugs.’

  ‘But he’s so sore and he needs some sleep. He’s not going to lie down and rest when he’s in this much pain.’

  Graham thundered down the stairs and peered out the front door. He looked around at her nervously. ‘You really think he needs something?’

  ‘I’m not into giving babies lots of drugs myself,’ Betsy said, ‘but sometimes it’s necessary. And I really think he’s in a lot of pain.’

  Graham looked out again. ‘Well look, there’s no sign of Tash, so maybe lob something into him quickly, yeah?’