Chapter 6

 

It wasn’t until it was too late that Lara remembered that she’d invited Millie and Elliot over. They’d arranged it a couple of days ago but of course, she had no recollection of the conversation until it all came flooding back. Each chime of the doorbell left her feeling a little bit sick. Then again, maybe a visitor would be a good idea because at least she’d have something to take her mind off things. And it wasn’t fair on Millie if she blew her off now. When she was actually waiting on the doorstep.

 

Lara stood in the hallway swaying for what seemed at least 5 minutes while she listened to Alex clattering around upstairs, probably not even dressed yet, until she realised that Millie and Elliot couldn’t walk through walls. Or doors.

 

Leaping to open the door, she bashed into the table and felt something move in her abdomen. Was it the baby? Or had she just bruised her stomach?

 

No time to think of that now. Millie was coming through the doorway with Elliot in tow and Lara had to use her smile she used when dealing with difficult clients at work and she had PMT.

 

“Sorry we’re late. This little man forgot his ball.” God she looked dreadful.

“Wanna play football.” The small boy held up a Bob the Builder ball and Lara could see something brown on his fingers. She hoped it was chocolate.

 

“Well Alex is just getting his shoes on. I’m sure he’ll play with you. Shall we go and wait for him in the kitchen?” They must’ve noticed that she was faking the smile. Her cheeks were hurting.

 

Elliot protested but Lara managed to lure him into the kitchen with promise of a biscuit. She didn’t think they had any in actually. This was not going to bode well with an excitable toddler.

 

Luckily Alex came down and Elliot was distracted and so went out to play football and forgot all about the biscuit. She could see that Alex did not want to go out and play but he’d have to get over it. He wasn’t exactly great with kids. He’d better learn quick. He was going to be a father. Still sounded odd. She was going to be a mother. She hadn’t thought of it like that yet and the sickening feeling returned and left her rocking slowly back and forth on the spot, holding on to the counter to prevent herself from falling to the floor in a very unladylike heap.

 

“I know that feeling…” S**t was she showing already? It’d only been a few hours.

“You’re in debt aren’t you?” Cheeky mare. She was most certainly not in debt. She was f*****g pregnant. Not £2000 in the red.

 

At least she didn’t know the real truth. Maybe this was better. Or maybe not. Whichever was right, the following conversation was going to be excruciatingly painful.

 

“Yes. We’re in debt. Alex spent it all…gambling.” Lara’s eyes were darting around the room so much it must have looked like they were made of iron and someone was running a magnet across the ceiling.

 

“I know how it feels,”

“You do?”

“Yes. Just after Elliot was born, Steven and I got into an awful lot of bother, financially, when I found out he’d been spending all of our savings on… a service that I couldn’t offer.”

“Prostitutes?”

“They were after dark damsels in distress and he was their knight in shining armour.” She looked down at her hands. Was she crying?

“Of course as soon as I found out he packed his bags and left. I haven’t seen him since and Elliot still has no idea who is father is.”

 

That, Lara did not expect. She had always thought that Steve had left her because she started wearing ‘comfortable’ clothing, not that he was picking up hussies left right and centre. Poor Millie. This made Lara feel about 2ft tall and really put her silly little problem into perspective. She was pregnant. Not dying. She still had her husband and as far as she knew, he was still hers.

 

She couldn’t think of anything sensible to say and so just got up and put her arm around the sobbing, greasy woman. It was at that moment that Lara vowed that whatever happened, she would always wear makeup, she would always wash her hair and she would hold on to Alex with all the strength she had.

 

Lara still had her arm around Millie and it was getting a bit too awkward for her liking but, as if by magic, Lara’s mobile began to ring and she very quickly unhanded Millie and answered her phone, all in one fluid motion.

 

It was Jude.

 

“Jude, hi…yeah I can meet you…Millie’s here right now so how about later… two thirty sounds great…okay I’ll meet you in the café later then...bye”.

 

He had got her message. They were meeting later. That was going to be just about as awkward as just a moment ago when Millie had poured her heart out and she went over and hugged her for two whole minutes. Saturday sucked.

 

Before Millie had a chance to ask ‘what all that was about’, her son burst through the door asking where the toilet was.

 

This was something that Lara would leave his mother to deal with.