The Woman in the Pyjamas

by Sarah Pond

  'I do. It's just that...' Kate was searching for the right words. 'I think I still haven't got quite used to us being together. I can hardly believe my luck, and I keep thinking it's all going to end.'

  Daisy stroked the side of Kate's face, then pulled her close again, kissing her tenderly. 'Believe me, this is only because I want to keep things going with you. You said yourself, it would be better in the long run. The sooner Jess gets used to us being together, the better.'

  'Yes, I know, I was trying to be sensible. It's easier said than done, though!'

  'Well, in the meantime, we have a couple of hours before I have to pick Jess up. So I was thinking...'

  Kate didn't need to be asked twice.

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  Jess was washing up, whilst Daisy finished clearing up after dinner. They had eaten quite late that evening, and it was almost dark outside. 'Mum?'

  'Yes?'

  'I haven't seen Kate for ages.' Daisy's stomach involuntarily flipped.

  'Oh?' She wasn't sure what to say. She had avoided talking about Kate in the hope that things would settle down with Jess.

  'She hardly comes round anymore.' Jess stopped what she was doing, and turned towards her mum, soap bubbles on her arms glistening in the light. 'Have you two fallen out?'

  'Erm, no.'

  'Really? Cause it seems a bit odd. One minute you say you're together, now I never see her.' She still stood by the sink, the bubbles on her arms dispersing as they touched the air.

  Daisy looked at her daughter, looking so young and innocent, and at the same time she was growing up so quickly. 'Darling, everything's fine. It's just-'

  Jess cut across, 'Did you tell her I told you not to be together, and now she doesn't like me?'

  Daisy was shocked, 'Of course not! How could you think that, Kate adores you.'

  'Then why? I miss her.'

  'I miss her too.' The words were out before Daisy had realised she'd said them. She sighed, 'We were trying to spend less time together. It's been difficult.'

  'Why?'

  'Because we love each other.' Making this simple statement, a surge of love filled Daisy's heart, and she smiled.

  'Then she should be here.'

  Daisy was exasperated, 'But I thought you didn't want that.'

  Jess was direct, 'I want to see Kate.'

  'But you didn't want us together. And I don't know what to do. We want to be together, but I don't want to upset you.'

  'Mum, I want you and Kate to be happy.'

  'But I thought, you were so upset, I didn't know what to do.'

  Jess was thoughtful for a moment. 'It's not that I don't want you to be together. I was scared that it would go wrong. Like with you and Dad. Then I would lose Kate too.'

  'Oh, darling. Why didn't you say?' Daisy went over to Jess, hugging her tightly.

  'I just wanted things the way they were, with both you and Kate around.'

  Daisy's heart soared with a glimmer of hope. 'We can have that.'

  'But what if you two break up?'

  Daisy's stomach dropped heavily at the thought of not being with Kate. Eventually, she said, 'Well, no one knows what's going to happen. But in this moment, I do know that Kate and I love each other, and I can't not be with her just in case we don't end up together. Life is made up of beginnings and endings, and if we worried about the outcome of everything we did, no one would ever do anything in life.'

  Jess seemed to consider this for a while. As she hugged her daughter, Daisy was thinking how profound her words must have been to her daughter's ears.

  'If you do break up, can I still see Kate?' Okay, so maybe not then.

  'Of course.' Daisy couldn't help chuckling at Jess' practicality.

  Daisy couldn't wait to call Kate and tell her the good news. She could hear the happiness in Kate's voice. 'That's wonderful, I'm so pleased.'

  'I know, I couldn't believe it. I'm so happy. Do you want to come round now?'

  'You don't think it's a bit late?'

  'You can spend half an hour with Jess before she goes to bed, then at least we get a bit of time together. Only if you want to, of course.'

  Kate's voice beamed down the phone, 'I'll be there in five!'

  Daisy smiled to herself as she put her phone down.

  The three of them had a relaxed evening together, and as Daisy watched Jess with Kate, she couldn't have been happier.

  When Daisy arrived for work that morning, she noticed that everyone seemed very happy. That makes a change for a Monday morning, she thought to herself. A couple of the girls even did a little dance as she walked by them, giving a cheery, 'Morning!' as she walked by. Well, this is a welcome change, long may it continue, she thought to herself.

  'There she is, dancing queen!' Cheryl was beaming at Daisy when she arrived at her desk.

  Daisy looked up, smiling at Cheryl, 'Morning. What are you talking about?'

  'You know.' She gave a knowing look.

  'Know what?' Daisy's mind was elsewhere at the moment.

  Cheryl looked surprised, 'What, haven't you heard?'

  'Heard what?' Daisy was still distracted.

  'Your video.'

  Daisy sat back in her chair, 'Cheryl, I have no idea what you're talking about. What video?'

  'You must know. You Tube. You're a sensation!'

  Daisy was thinking that Cheryl was really losing the plot now. 'Right, I have work to catch up on.' She was stopped in her tracks by Cheryl plonking her phone down in front of her, and pressing play on the screen.

  The colour drained from Daisy's face as she realised what she was watching. Eve's dare, the night she danced on the table. Oh. My. God. How on earth had it ended up online? As the video ended, Daisy now saw the title, Single Mum Lets Her Hair Down.

  'Look, it's had thousands of hits, and it's growing. You're going viral!' Cheryl was beaming.

  'Argh.' Daisy put her head in her hands.

  By the time she ventured out of her office at lunchtime, someone had Dancing Queen blaring out of their phone at Daisy. She blushed profusely, quickening her step towards the kitchen. As soon as she was back in her office, she phoned Eve.

  'Hi, how are you?'

  Daisy launched straight in, 'How on earth did my video end up on You Tube?'

  'Oh. That.' At least Eve had the decency to sound chastened.

  'Yes, that.'

  'Well, it's a funny story, actually.'

  'I'm sure it's hilarious.' Daisy's tone had as much amusement as a trip to the dentist.

  Eve went on to explain how she had used “a teeny tiny clip” of it to promote her wellbeing programme, and had no idea how someone had got hold of the whole video. Also, that she was very sorry. Also, she thought it was absolutely brilliant, and maybe she wasn't quite so sorry after all.

  'Eve, for goodness sake. Everyone at work keeps smiling and singing at me.'

  'That sounds amazing.' Daisy could just picture the expression on her face.

  'Find out who did it, and get them to take it down.'

  'There's probably not much point now, once people have seen it.'

  Daisy sighed heavily, 'Oh, I don't know why I'm even bothering.'

  Eve just chuckled down the phone at Daisy. Realising that she wasn't going to get anywhere at the moment, Daisy decided she may as well get on with some work. When it came to it, that was easier said than done, with all the interruptions, questions and messages from friends and colleagues about her video.

  As Daisy was to soon find out, this really was going to be the start of something big.

  ~~~~~~~

  Daisy could hardly believe her life now. From those little and often changes along the way, now life had really taken off. She and Kate were still madly in love, and Kate had moved in with her and Jess six months previously. It was the family life that they all wanted. Kate still had her gardening business, and Jess would help her out at weekends. Jess announced that she was going to have her own gardening business when she left school, pref
erably going into business with Kate! Kate was so touched by this, and would well up whenever Jess told anyone about it.

  Eve had been promoted again. Daisy's Dancing Queen video had done her career the world of good, and her bosses believed she would be able to get anyone to do anything! Daisy still hadn't gotten to the bottom of how the video had ended up online, and Eve seemed a bit vague about it all. Daisy became thankful for the viral video in time. It had led to her becoming a bit of a local celebrity and she had been headhunted to run her own wellbeing programme, with free reign to do as she wished. The company had offices worldwide, and she was being called on to run seminars around the world. So in the end, she couldn't thank Eve enough!

  Daisy explaining to her parents that she was in a relationship with Kate had been an interesting conversation, to say the least. It took them a while to get their heads around it, but they couldn't deny that Daisy was the happiest they'd seen her in a long time.

  Ryan found love with a fellow biscuit-loving lady called Ruth. He still eats the top layer of the custard creams first.

  Daisy still takes time out whenever she can to sit on the beach and relax. Remembering the day she had locked herself out, wearing pyjamas under her clothes, she would never have dreamed how her life was going to change for the better.

  THE END

  About Sarah

  Sarah lives to write, getting lost for hours creating a story. When she started writing her first book, there had been no plan, it just sort of happened!

  She also has a fondness of anything to do with pirates, dinosaurs and Star Wars (original trilogy, of course).

  Sarah lives not far from the sea on the south coast of England.

  If you would like to find out more, please visit

  www.sarahpond.co.uk

  Thank you

  Thank you for reading my book. I really hope you enjoyed it. If you did, I would appreciate you leaving me a review. If you didn't, please can you never mention it again. Thanks.

  There are many people who have been a part of my ongoing journey, for which I am grateful.

  I would like to thank my family and friends for your love and support.

  My deepest gratitude to Janet, words are not enough...

  My amazing sister Jaine Honeywell, the best sister a girl could have.

  I would also like to thank Heather Belding, Lucie Dankova, Bec Freeman, Florence Gauvin, Nina Kirby and Helen Reynolds.

  Other books by Sarah Pond

  CITRUS BLOSSOM

  She didn't know when it started, when things had changed. Had there been signs, and she had been too caught up in other things to see them… Maybe it was just a phase, or was she starting to lose it? Or maybe she was beginning to find herself. Perhaps she could just give in to it, let herself go…

  When Olivia moves from Cornwall to London to begin a new career, and meets her new boss, Jasmine, she has no idea how it's going to turn her world upside down. She had longed for the excitement of London, but what she hadn't expected was the passion and heartache when everything that she thought she knew about herself is questioned.

  In a world of expectation, including your own, following your heart can sometimes be the hardest thing to do.

  HIBISCUS

  When Rachel has her first holiday in years after starting her art gallery, she was expecting some time to herself to relax. She didn't expect to have a passionate affair, and would never have dreamed it would have been with a woman.

  Lea loves living in her quiet costal village. When she meets the woman staying at a nearby cottage, she thinks she's met the love of her life.

  Despite their connection, Rachel thinks it's just a holiday fling. Thinking that they'll never see each other again, fate has other ideas. But with such different outlooks and lifestyles, not to mention the distance between them, could a relationship ever work?

  Both available as ebook and paperback

  www.sarahpond.co.uk

  Nimbus

  (photo by Hope, the human owned by Nimbus!)