I also understand things from Mia’s perspective because she was born to my sister when she was a newly-wed twenty five year old and within a month of her being born her father was killed in a car crash leaving them alone, and it took Bethy ten years to even consider a new relationship in the shape of Leo who she married a year ago after a whirlwind romance so I get why my niece feels a little pushed out having never shared her mother with anyone for the first ten years of her life.
“I think he likes you,” I say softly to Olivia as I reach across and stroke Jonah’s cheek. She briefly looks up and smiles but then turns her gaze back to Mia who is sulking silently.
“You can definitely come again,” says Paige, reaching down to take her son from Olivia, “but we have dinner plans tonight.”
Christian and Imelda appear to be rounding their kids up as they too prepare to leave but not before I raise the subject of that bloody sunroom.
“Christian, do you have a date for someone to come and redo the sunroom? Mum did pay for the design to be done to a certain standard.”
I watch him bristle before me but that is not my concern, my mother’s happiness and room is.
“We have a new designer starting the week after next so he might be able to slot you in quite quickly. Sean and Cathy have work crammed in and you don’t like Sloane,” he says as I wait for Olivia’s name to be thrown into the ring, but it doesn’t happen.
I am ready to throw her name in when she gently squeezes my leg as if to stop me.
“Mason said Olivia might be able to help,” my mother says, not knowing that my leg is going to have claw marks from my girl’s tightening grip if this conversation doesn’t end soon.
“If Olivia is looking to offer her services or take a private commission that would be up to her.” Christian picks up his youngest child and starts to walk out. “Charlotte, speak to Olivia and let me know if you need me to get the new guy to come and work with you.”
I stare at Christian’s back a little disbelievingly. He has just brushed my mother and my girlfriend off while everyone watched which is very un-Christian like because he is professional with clients if nothing else and my mother is a huge client, and family. Everyone else seems a little surprised too but he continues to walk to the door.
“Christian,” I call flatly as I get to my feet, preparing to follow him and I will be using a very different tone when I catch up with him.
“Mase, now’s not the time,” he replies, looking over his shoulder, “but no doubt I will speak to you on Monday.”
And then he walks out, leaving me standing agog. Now I know something has definitely gone down and I intend to find out exactly what that something is.
The journey home is quiet, but it’s unlike our usual silences because there is no comfort or familiarity in it, and it is making me anxious. I know something happened with Christian and I also know Dec has some knowledge of it, but that’s not all. The way Olivia acted when Leo and Mia were having their altercation worries me more, especially as she went out of her way to make my niece happy afterwards whilst almost cutting Leo dead even when he was trying very hard to talk to her.
I decide to try and break the ice with a very open, “Is there anything you’d like to do tonight?”
“Not really. I quite fancy a quiet night in after all of the activity this afternoon.”
“Do you want to pick up a take-away on the way back?” I realise I haven’t seen her eat since breakfast.
“I’d rather go home first,” she replies and then randomly switches conversation to the subject of Leo, but I am unsure if this will be a good or bad thing. “How well do you know Leo?”
“I dunno, well enough I suppose.” I think that’s essentially the truth.
“How well is well enough?” she asks me, and I wonder where the hell this is going to end up.
“He married Bethy a year ago after dating her for about six months. a whirlwind romance.”
“What about Mia, where does she fit in, her and her father?”
“Olivia, where is this going?” I pull into my parking space, my anxiety soaring at her near obsession with Leo and my niece.
“She didn’t seem to like him, was even a little bit scared of him,” Olivia says without actually answering my question.
“She didn’t like being told no, that’s what she didn’t like, not Leo himself. I love Mia but she can be a bit of a brat and she has had Bethy all to herself for a very long time and doesn’t always want to share her, but now she has to.”
“You’re sure he isn’t hurting her?” Her voice is a tired and frightened whisper that startles me as much as her question.
“Of course, I am. I wouldn’t sit back if there was even an inkling of that. Baby, what is this about?” I’m hoping my gentle tone might encourage her to open up.
She looks across at me and seems ready to speak but her phone suddenly makes us both jump.
“Sarah.” She looks down at the display before rejecting the call. “She’s probably having a bride crisis, deciding between lilies and dahlias or something. I’ll call her back later. Can we just go upstairs? I am really tired and would like to climb into bed for an hour.”
