by Helga Jensen
‘Because it wasn’t the right time.’ I smile. ‘Love is all about timing. It has to be the right time,’ I explain.
Rupert and Jasper are coming out of the blacksmith’s when they see us.
‘Mummy and Uncle Jamie are holding hands,’ says Rupert.
‘See, I knew they’d get married,’ says Jasper.
‘We’re not married,’ I quickly pipe up.
‘No, but you should be. Why don’t you get married today while you’re here?’ says Rupert.
‘Okay, enough, boys,’ I say. ‘We’re definitely not getting married today. We’re going to take things very, very slowly.’
‘Yes, we’ve waited over thirty years for this – we don’t believe in rushing things.’ Jamie laughs.
I look up at Jamie and laugh too. As I do so I notice that his mouth looks like the Joker, as my lipstick is all over his face.
‘You look so funny.’ I smile. ‘You should see your face.’
I go into my little clutch bag to find a tissue.
‘Here.’ I am moving to wipe his face when I spot some writing on the napkin.
I had forgotten this was in here. I suddenly remember that this was the bag I had used in the Japanese restaurant in New York. I had put the paper napkin in there to show Patrick what the fortune teller had written on it, but I didn’t get to tell him.
I stare at the words she wrote.
Your future husband is in New York… It took a long time to get together.
Nine Months Later
Chapter 47
Laugharne – one big happy family
‘Who wants pancakes?’ I ask.
Rupert and Jasper put their hands up. Jamie does too.
‘Okay, three pancakes coming up,’ I say.
‘Do you want to make some for Sian and Rob? They should be here any second,’ says Jamie.
‘Good idea, now she’s eating for two she doesn’t stop,’ I reply.
They are due over for breakfast shortly, something that is now a Saturday morning ritual. However, they expect to be a little later today, as Sian had her scan at 9am. At first she assumed she was nauseous because of the oysters at her hotel in Barbados, then, when she missed her period, she thought it must be the menopause. She made me go to the doctor with her as she was so scared.
‘What if I get more facial hair and I suffer from hot flushes?’ She had quizzed the doctor before he could even examine her.
Fortunately, Dr Johnson wanted to rule out pregnancy before answering any questions and made her pee into a pot. She later had blood tests, which also confirmed that she was very, very pregnant. I am not sure who was more excited, me, Sian or Ivy.
She will make an amazing mother, and Rob will be a great dad. I am so thrilled for them both. She will be the most fun mum ever, provided she doesn’t have a ditzy moment and forget her baby somewhere, like she always does with her sunglasses.
‘Did you see my last scan on Facebook? I just posted it on the way over,’ Sian says as she and Rob sit down.
‘No, I’ve been busy making the pancakes,’ I reply.
‘Have a look. I already got twenty-five likes on the way from the hospital to here. I wish bump would hurry up, though, that’s what I would like.’
I put the pancakes down on the table, along with the Nutella jar – which is half full. Now that Jamie is here, I leave it for the boys to enjoy. I can’t resist a tiny teaspoonful though; some habits are hard to break completely. However, thanks to my running and my mostly healthy diet my jeans finally fit and I don’t want to jeopardise that.
‘Boys, this isn’t a good example, okay. I really shouldn’t use my phone at the table, but it’s a special occasion,’ I say. ‘I have to look at Sian’s little baby in her tummy.’
However, the boys are far too busy eating their pancakes to notice anything I say or do.
Logging onto Facebook, I notice there is a message. I do wonder if I should open the message first but, as there is a baby scan involved, I head to Sian’s page and click ‘love’.
‘There you’ve got one more reaction now.’ I smile.
I check the message while I am logged in. It is in my ‘other’ folder, so nothing that can’t wait. In fact, I am not going to open it as I assume it is spam, but then something makes me look twice.
Hi Amelia,
I don’t know where to start…
A lady called Roxanne wrote a newspaper article a while back appealing for me. I was in Guatemala, helping turtles, at the time and only just got back to NY. My cousin showed me the newspaper upon my return. I remember the day we met. The shopping you left in the cab… (I won’t embarrass you!) and the moment I saw the most beautiful girl in the world. I hoped that you would call me, but you never did. I took this photo of you as you headed into Tiffany’s. I hope it brings back memories.
I no longer work as a calligrapher. I do a lot of volunteer work and spend most of my time overseas, so I never married or met anyone special. Unless you count Henrietta, the cutest Hawksbill turtle you ever did see! Did you know people are harvesting turtles and such species are becoming extinct? It’s heartbreaking.
Anyhow, I hope to hear from you soon, Amelia. I am so sorry it has taken you so long to find me. I always hoped we would meet again and felt, in my heart, that fate would one day bring us back together.
Love always,
Patrick x
I look at the photo he has sent. It has a crease in the middle where it has been folded. There is no denying that it is me. I sneakily look at Patrick’s profile; his teeth were perfect. So, he was perfect. Then I remind myself; nobody is perfect, Amelia. However, I can’t deny that he is very handsome, according to the profile picture of him holding a giant turtle.
He was a calligrapher and not a journalist. It all makes sense. The beautiful writing, his pen…
‘Are you okay?’ Sian asks.
‘Yeah, fine,’ I say, touching the heart locket around my neck.
‘You don’t think there’s something wrong with my scan, do you? I’m so worried that I’m an older mum,’ says Sian.
‘No, not at all,’ I say. ‘It’s nothing. I’m absolutely fine and it’s definitely not to do with baby, okay,’ I reassure her.
I take a deep breath and look at Jamie across the table. He is ruffling Rupert’s hair.
‘Not long now until Mum starts school like you guys,’ says Jamie.
‘Yes, I’m so proud of Mum going to school when she is sooooo old,’ teases Rupert.
‘Mummy will make a great dementa nurse,’ says Jasper.
I can’t help but laugh at his pronunciation.
‘She will indeed, boys,’ agrees Jamie.
‘Aww, thanks, you lot, I can’t wait to get started in uni as a very mature student.’ I laugh. Thank goodness for student loans.
They move the conversation to the yurt trip we have booked next month. They are all so excited.
As they chat amongst themselves, I know immediately what I must do.
I happily press the ‘DELETE’ button and erase the memory of Patrick once and for all.
Like I have always believed, relationships are all about timing.
A letter from Helga
Wow, what can I say? I am unbelievably thrilled to be writing you this letter. Thank you so much for choosing to read Twice in a Lifetime. This is my debut novel that I started writing back in 2015. During this time, my life fell apart with deaths, illnesses, divorce and then a pandemic! Times couldn’t get much worse, but focusing on this book gave me something to look forward to. So, this book is for women everywhere who have faced difficult times and had no choice but to remain highly tenacious. It is also a book about decisions and how the choices we make shape our lives and the lives of those around us.
It has always been my dream to become a published author, and I can’t believe my dream has finally come true. Thanks to Hera, the reader will now meet Amelia, a mother who desperately tries to hold everything together whilst her life falls apart. Al
though she juggles school runs with falling apart, Amelia also has some funny moments along the way. The book also features a very handsome New Yorker, a Nutella and creme egg addiction, and Robson Green gets a mention too. I had lots of fun writing this as I laughed at some of the escapades that Amelia and her best friend, Sian, got up to. It also brought back many memories of growing up with my best friend and the perms and shell suits that we dared to wear.
Although I am now writing my second romantic comedy, this debut will always remain precious. I think it is special because some of the events are relatable to my teen years, and I hope this will also resonate with the reader.
I do hope that you will enjoy this book and my zany sense of humour. I would love to hear your thoughts in a review. I am also very responsive on social media, so please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can contact me via:
www.twitter.com/HelgaJensenF
www.facebook.com/helgajensenfordeauthor
www.instagram.com/helgajensenauthor
[email protected]
Once again, thank you so much for your support and for reading Twice in a Lifetime. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.
Acknowledgements
An enormous thank you to Keshini and Lindsey at Hera and the wonderful editors involved in bringing this story to the readers. None of this would have been possible without you.
Thank you to Nicolas Forzy and the many informative events held at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (EAFL) for teaching me all I know. The first chapter of this book was one of the winning entries in the EAFL Montegrappa First Fiction Competition in 2017, so I also have to say a huge thank you to Luigi Bonomi and the team for such a fantastic opportunity. Also, thank you to the very fabulous agent, Jonathan Lloyd, who I had the privilege of meeting at EAFL. Your words always inspired and motivated me.
A thank you must also be said to the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) and the reader who went through my early draft. The RNA is an excellent organisation, full of lovely writers.
Of course, I must say an enormous thank you to JK for being so wonderful when I’m working away in the study; and for the fish fingers that you randomly deliver to ensure I eat a balanced diet!
Thanks to my fantastic cheerleading team, my Gulf Air girls (particularly AB447), we struck lucky the day we all met.
To all my other fabulous friends who relentlessly support me, where would I be without you? Some of my writing inspiration may have come from the antics Sam Jones and I got up to growing up, but the less said about that, the better!
Suzie gets a special mention for being particularly amazing and putting up with my dramatic moments, love you.
To my lovely writing friend Jenny, your turn next.
Thank you to a very kind and generous English teacher, called Mrs Nicholas, for spending her time ensuring I got that English GCSE. I swore I would pay her back somehow. Not sure if this is quite what she would have imagined!
Also, thank you to a very supportive sea lion (long story!) and lucky trolls; everyone should have one!
On a more serious note, this is a special mention to those who sadly didn’t make it to see this book published. To my mother, Brian, and my beautiful friend Avril Scourfield, an extraordinary lady who will not be forgotten. Also, remembering Teddy and Tommy, thank you for all the joy you gave me over the years. Always in my heart.
Finally, a humungous thank you to my readers for giving up your valuable time and money to choose to read this book. I do hope you will enjoy it.
Happy reading!
xoxoxo
First published in the United Kingdom in 2021 by Hera
Hera Books
28b Cricketfield Road
London, E5 8NS
United Kingdom
Copyright © Helga Jensen, 2021
The moral right of Helga Jensen to be identified as the creator of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781912973590
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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