“Lottie is already showing a flare for art. They say she is showing a real eye for detail at nursery,” said Deb proudly.
“Who is Lottie?” asked Celia curiously, but Tasha already knew the answer.
“My niece,” said Deb awkwardly.
Celia looked as uncomfortable as the younger woman when she replied with a single, “Oh.”
“Sorry,” said Deb, sensing everyone’s unease.
“Don’t be,” began Tasha, needing to end this conversation once and for all. “It’s not like you were my best friend who screwed my boyfriend, got knocked up and then had the audacity to give your child the name I’d chosen.”
Everyone was beyond embarrassed now, except for Jim who seemed cross again, but Tasha continued talking to Pippa across him. “I’m coming back here for the second week of July and bringing Lizzie with me, you should come and stay, you’ll like Lizzie,” she said and meant it.
“When do you break up for summer?” asked Jim.
“Middle of July,” replied Pippa.
“If it’s okay with you,” he said, gesturing to Celia and Paul, “Pippa could always fly back out with Tasha and Lizzie if she wanted to.”
Pippa clapped and pleaded with her grandparents, “Please, can I?”
“If it’s allowed, legally,” replied Paul, unsure if there’d be any legal implications of the residency order.
Tasha pulled out her phone and sent a text to Jerome Stewart.
She was rereading the text when Jim leaned over and whispered with irritation, “Mr Stewart and lose the kiss.”
She amended it accordingly. “Better?” she asked as she hit send.
“Much,” he replied then turned to Dan. “You’d be welcome too, Dan.”
“Thanks.” Dan looked at Deb.
Not on your bloody life thought Tasha who nipped her brother’s thoughts in the bud.
“Yeah, I’m sure Deb will manage to survive for a couple of weeks without you Dan.” She laughed, but was no way amused at the idea of Kara’s sister, who she really didn’t know spending any more time with her than was necessary. “I can let you have the dates and if they fit in with you, I’ll book the tickets,” she said as her phone beeped twice.
The first message was from Lucy.
Tasha smiled as Jim whispered, “Seriously hot, eh?”
She looked up at him to see him smiling back.
She checked her other message.
She closed her phone and put it away quickly.
“I will call with all the details Grandma, but we should probably be going, we’re going out with Lucy and Ryan tonight,” she explained.
Tasha promised to visit the following weekend and as they left Celia and Paul seemed to have genuinely warmed to Jim, which made her ridiculously happy. Pippa was on a high about a trip to L.A. and although she felt slightly mean for excluding Deb, she wasn’t family, but she was hopeful Dan would join them.
