“I thought they were suggestions.” She frowned at him and thought emails and texts would allow her to watch over her son for a while longer.
“No, baby, they were your choices really. I'll fix something to eat for us both and then after Connor has been fed again we'll catch us some zzzz's, deal?”
“I should just say yes, right?”
Connor began to cry before his father could answer his mother's question but his smile confirmed Tasha's thoughts.
Chapter 17
About a month later, after her family had gone home and Jim had returned to work full-time things were returning to normal for everyone except Tasha. She found that her nights consisted of going to bed early, waking to do night feeds, changing Connor and settling him again then trying to go back to sleep for a couple of hours before doing it all again and the sleep deprivation really was like nothing she had ever known. Jim was brilliant and took his turn, but as she was the milk machine she still needed to be involved, although she had woken a couple of times to find her husband placing Connor between them in their bed so she literally just had to offer him her breast which he always eagerly accepted.
Her days were similar in that they revolved around Connor's routine of feeding, changing and sleeping, but he was beginning to stay awake now and liked to be talked to, sung to and enjoyed looking around at his surroundings. She was enjoying being a mother, but she was struggling to adapt to the loss of independence.
Sandra was becoming the one person she saw the most of, and that was okay, she liked Sandra and the older woman was brilliant with Connor, often giving Tasha a break, if only to grab a shower in peace. That just made her realise that her role as a mother was overshadowing everything else, but she assumed that was normal.
She still hadn't got around to getting an agent in L.A. and hadn't needed one because once she discovered she was pregnant Jim had pretty much vetoed everything work wise including the movie project with Jon, which yet again had seen her role recast which ultimately meant she was still being solely represented by Angie in London. Angie had kept in touch as a friend but had been quiet professionally so when her phone rang and she saw it was her, Tasha assumed it was a friendly chat she was calling for.
Adjusting her position so Connor could contentedly feed, she answered her phone as Sandra appeared with a cup of tea and a snack which she always did around this post breakfast feed time. Tasha smiled up at her and thought this was probably similar to what other young mothers experienced in normal families with a normal mother of their own.
“Hey Angie, how you doing?”
“Bloody marvellous, you? How's your gorgeous husband and the sprog?” As always she made Tasha laugh.
“Good. We're all good, thanks.”
“Well, it's about to get a whole lot better,” Angie teased. “I had a call after you did that interview at home with Katy Myers last week where you were all mother earth crossed with yummy mummy.”
“Right.” Tasha’s laughter made Connor gaze up at her causing her to smile down at him and blow him a kiss.
“Robbie Newman has been given a TV show; celeb, fashion, gossip, magazine type show and they want you to be their face from The States. The remit is that you will do some features on what's hot over there, but they want the mummy focus too, so as well as the weird and wacky beauty treatments side of things they want to see what it's like being a celebrity mum and a celebrity baby. Knowing Jim, he won’t allow you to take off to film around the world with or without his baby so I thought this may suit you.”
“I dunno Ange, you're right about Jim, but I'm unsure whether he'll agree to anything involving Connor.”
“I’ll send you the full details and the numbers for Robbie, who is executive producer with Mel Riley who remembers you from one of the pantos you did with her so speak to Jim and call them if you're still unsure. It might be the kind of thing you can slot in with being in L.A. and having a new baby.” She made complete sense, but whilst considering Jim’s reaction, Connor began to cry, while Angie laughed with a slight cackle thrown in. “And I think your son may have just agreed with Auntie Angie.”
“Send me the details and I’ll look at them because if I’m honest I think I may need more in my life than being a wife and mother, even if I do love Jim and Connor more than I knew was possible.”
Connor's crying grew louder and after shaking her head at Sandra's offer to take him from her, Tasha ended her call with Angie. “Ange, I have to go, but I'll call you in the next couple of days with a yes or a no, but can you let Mel and Robbie know I have their offer and am seriously considering it and thanks. I love you.”
“Hey, you soppy cow, it's my job, and I love you, too. Kiss Connor and tell him to shut the fuck up when Auntie Angie calls.” She hung up while Tasha laughed, got to her feet and threw her son up onto her shoulder where she patted his back gently.
“Auntie Angie sends you a kiss, and, well, I can't actually tell you what she said.” Tasha turned to face two big brown eyes staring at her, two dark brown eyes that were just like his daddy's and laughed as she imagined ever being able to tell him what Auntie Angie said. “Don't go accusing me with Daddy's eyes, Connor James Maybury,” she told him as Sandra reappeared smiling.
“I still can't believe you got both of your names in there and none of Jim's.”
With a short laugh, Tasha replied, “Apparently, Connor grew on him but the James took considerably more convincing and those two may have been my choices but my golden ticket seemed to be that as a boy he would always be a Maybury and would never have anything of mine, not that I would ever want him to be associated with my parents, but I think it suits him.”
“It does.” Sandra smiled, leaning in to look at the little boy with nothing but warmth and affection. “May I? Before I go and iron your clothes, little man.” She stretched out her arms towards him.
“Sure, he likes you, which is fortunate as we're the two main women in his life,” said Tasha handing him over.
“Glad to be in the top two because I think I fall a little more in love with him every day.” Sandra smiled down at the baby warmly as she cradled him in her arms.
“Do you regret not having children of your own?” Tasha thought she was crossing into seriously personal information now.
“Sometimes, like when I watch you with Connor, but I'm not you. Mike isn't Jim and it would have been hard for us, for me and Mike to manage and I like my life, so occasionally, short regrets, but I have the best of both worlds now. I get to see this handsome boy every day, but when he cries I can hand him back, which I'm going to do now because I think he may need a clean nappy.”
“Thank you so much,” Tasha said with a grimace as she took her son back from the other woman. “And thank you for saying nappy and not diaper,” she added using a very over-exaggerated American accent for the worddiaper.
