Ginny took off her mask again. She cradled it in her lap and glanced at Nico, appreciating how his eyes were so caring and calm.
“You were a child and they were adults,” Nico said. “It wasn’t your responsibility.”
“But, still...”
“And now you keep doing the same thing, trying to help other people fix their lives?”
Ginny paused and blinked hard. She hadn’t made the connection before and it was perceptive of Nico to notice it. “I suppose I give out advice to strangers to try to stop a situation like mine from happening again. My biggest regret is that I couldn’t stop my own parents’ marriage from disintegrating. They now live at opposite ends of the country with their new partners.” She sighed. “Perhaps people are better off without my input.”
Nico placed a hand on top of hers. “Everyone needs kindness,” he said.
“When Mum and Dad split up, I promised myself that if I ever got married, I’d make it work,” Ginny said. “I looked for a partner who shared the same values as me, and I thought Adrian did.”
“People can change,” Nico said with a small sigh.
Ginny thought how being with him felt so familiar and secure, even though she hadn’t known him for very long. She liked how he smelled of sunshine and citrus, so different from Adrian’s musky scent. It was comfortable to sit beside him, even in silence.
When her phone suddenly rang, piercing the serenity of the garden, Ginny fumbled in her bag and saw Phoebe’s name on the screen. “Sorry,” she told Nico. “My daughter’s calling.”
She didn’t get to the call quickly enough and it ended.
A text message arrived within seconds.Mum, can you talk?
Ginny messaged Phoebe back. It’s a little tricky right now. Can I call you later? x.
Now’s better x
“My daughter.” Ginny smiled apologetically to Nico.
He stood up and indicated that he’d look around the garden. He walked toward a display of roses and bent down to smell them.
Ginny phoned Phoebe back. “Is everything okay, sweetheart?” she asked.
Phoebe’s voice had an unusual waver when she spoke. “I’m not sure...”
Ginny frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Mum,” she whispered hoarsely. “I’m pregnant.”
Ginny slow-blinked and her surroundings seemed to evaporate into thin air. Her heart felt like a helium-filled balloon that might make her body float away. “Gosh,” she said, trying to absorb her daughter’s news. She wriggled her toes to try to ground herself. “Congratulations, darling. That’s brilliant.”
“I’m in shock...”
“I’mdelightedfor you. Are you pleased?”
“Well, yep. I mean, I wanted kids one day, but this is...unexpected. Right in the middle of our wedding plans, too,” Phoebe said. “We had the first scan today and everything looks fine.”
Ginny closed her eyes, and tilted her face toward the sun. Was it possible to feel any happier than she did now? “That’s great to hear. How far along are you?”
“Fourteen weeks!Thatwas a bit of a shock. I thought I was more like eight. You’ll be a gran in less than six months’ time.”
“Wow, I’m so pleased for you both.” Ginny paused for a second. “Um, does your dad know?”
“I wanted to tell you first.”
Ginny felt a shot of smugness about hearing the news before Adrian. It was soon overtaken by her guilt about being so far away from her daughter. “Thanks, that’s sweet of you.” She blew up into her hair. “I wasn’t expectingthis.”
“We didn’t either. We’re thinking of tying the knot sooner, so I’m not waddling down the aisle.”
