“Yeah, okay, but you’re going to love her. Jax is the best.” He starts describing her in great detail, all the funny things she does and the tricks he’s been teaching her. Fuck me, if I don’t adopt this dog, he won’t just be disappointed, he’ll be gutted.
Hailey raises an eyebrow when we walk into the kitchen. “I hear you’re getting a dog?”
“Thinking about it,” I mutter.
“Mhmm.” She glances at Joe, who’s got his nose in his phone again, and raises her eyebrows.
“I know,” I mouth.
She shakes her head like I’m a lost cause, then rubs the lower part of her back with a slight frown.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, fine. I just slept a bit funny I think.”
Now it’s my turn to raise my eyebrows. I’m no expert, but being eight months pregnant and getting back pain doesn’t screamfineto me. “Should we call someone? Do you want to go to the hospital?” That gets Joe’s attention and he glances from Hailey to me, a worried look forming.
“Mum?”
“Oh my god, Vic, I’m fine. Stop scaring Joe.” She glares at me before turning to Joe. “I’m carrying an extra person. I’m going to get a bit of backache now and again. It doesn’t mean I’m going into labour. It’s not my first go at this. I know the signs, for fu—flips sake.”
I hold my hands up. “Sorry. I just don’t want to take any chances.” I also make a mental note to find out where the nearest maternity hospital is.Just in case.Living out in the countryside surely means it can’t be all that close, and I can’t shake the shiver of worry that snakes down my spine.
I’ve never been able to hide anything from Hailey, and she reads me like a book. “Joe, honey, can you fetch me that last box of decorations from upstairs, please?”
He eyes us both like he knows it’s a ruse to get him out of the room, but he still goes.
As soon as he’s out of earshot, Hailey puts a hand on my arm and whispers, “I know it’s a little riskier this time round with me being older, but the midwife assures me that I’m as healthy as a horse and everything’s fine. My blood pressure’s normal, the baby’s in the right position, and all measurements are good. I have everything packed in a bag ready to go, and I promise if I get the slightest feeling that anything’s changing, we’ll go straight to the hospital.”
“You promise?” I ask because I can’t help myself.
She rolls her eyes. “Always such a fucking mother hen, but yes. I promise.”
“When’s Char coming back?” I must sound a little desperate because Hailey barks out a laugh.
“Don’t panic. She said she’d be gone a week tops. Then you can hand over the worry reins.”
I want to add that Char’s return won’t stop me worrying about her, but it’ll be easier with someone to share it. Someone whose job it is to help make all these decisions, so I can take a step back. Again it’s like she reads every thought running through my head.
“Thank you for worrying about me, but you need to trust that I know what’s best for me. Otherwise you’re going to drive me nuts with all your hovering.” Her voice drops even lower as we hear footsteps coming down the stairs. “Just don’t mention it around Joe. I think he’s worried too, and I don’t want him to be.”
I nod. That I can do. “Of course.”
Joe bursts into the room carrying a box and still wearing a suspicious expression. He glances between us. “We doing this now, or do you need me to disappear again so you can chat?” He sayschatwith far too much cynicism for a seventeen-year-old.
Hailey smirks but ushers us both towards the door and the pub next door. “We’re doing it now.”
Once inside, she puts on Christmas music and pours us all a glass of proper Buck’s Fizz, with a dry sparkling wine and some fancy orange juice. Well, Hailey’s wine is non-alcoholic, but me and Joe get the good stuff. I side-eye her as she gives Joe his—she’s giving a minor alcohol in a pub. Does it matter that it’s closed and he’s her son? I have no idea, so I keep any thoughts to myself and enjoy the moment.
We drink and chat as we unload the boxes of decorations and spread them out over the bar. Joe organises them by colour—reds, greens, and gold—then decides it’s his job to sit on a bar stool and order me about as I wind three sets of Christmas lights around the tree. Hailey joins him, the two of them laughing as I curse at them for making me do all the work.
There’s no heat behind my words, though, because I love every second of this. I don’t regret our divorce, Hailey and I were never meant to be together like that, but I do miss spending time with them both together. Especially at Christmas. I’m well aware this is only possible because Char had to go visit family, so I intend to make the most of every second.
More drinks are poured, and slowly the tree changes from lush but empty green branches to a twinkling array of colour and cheer. As Joe adds the star to the top, I take Hailey’s hand and pull her in for a slow dance, Nat King Cole crooning softly in the background.
Joe rolls his eyes as he turns and sees us, but there’s no hiding the smile that stretches wide. He’s happy,really happy,and I’m so fucking glad that me and Hailey managed to protect our friendship when it could so easily have got dismantled along with everything else.
She laughs as I dip her ever so slightly, and when I set her back on her feet, Joe comes over to join us. Hailey turns off the main lights and I switch on the tree lights before walking to drape an arm around each of them as we stand and take in our handiwork.
