Cassie wasn't stupid; she’d finished university just like me. She'd been to college afterwards; just like me. She completed her training contract; just like me; and she made her way up; just like me. In a lot of respects, we were equals, complete and utter equals. We’d both slept with the same bloke, both falling in love with him, and both wondered what would happen next, only she knew what happened next because she and Seph had ended, and that was the bit that I couldn't get my head around.
Seph and I were still together. He hadn't disappeared, or gotten bored, or become fed up with having a small child around, or become disillusioned with the fact that I needed to work and balance everything else with that - he was still there. So why had things ended with Cassie and not with me?
When I saw her in the chambers, she looked almost like she couldn't be real. She was gorgeous, of course, in a perfectly-fitted jacket, perfectly-fitted skirt; her perfectly-done make up made her look completely professional. If I was a man, I’d have certainly taken a second look, and as a woman I took one anyway.
Mainly because she was talking to Seph
I had no idea what they would have to say to each other; we were on opposing sides in the case, she was representing the other party and in a minor role, and Seph wasn't involved in it anyway, so he didn't need to speak to her.
But he was doing.
They had history; I understood that they had a past that was long and intense, and he had no idea that I was there witnessing it all, but I was.
It's difficult to compete with somebody's past, because there's nothing to compete with: it's already happened, it's been and gone, but it's still there and you still feel like you have something to prove. So what do you do when you see the man you realise that you're in love with talking to his ex, who he was with for a long time, but she's got nothing to do with him now, and you know that, and you’re sure of that, but you still feel panicked?
I think the biggest thing was that I realised that I was in love with this man. No questions asked. And I thought he might be in love with me. Only I’d thought that before about somebody else.
Every insecurity that I had manifested itself tenfold.
And every protective instinct I had towards my daughter increased like a snowball toppling over Everest.
Chapter Twenty-One
Seph
Maxwell:I’m pleased to announce you all have a new family member. Lucy Marie Callaghan was born at 6.38am.
Claire:Jesus. Congrats. But it’s 6.40am on the same day. Shouldn’t you be having you hand maimed by Vic at this point?
Maxwell:I’ve been told that if I don’t do something other than ‘fuss’ her, I’ll never get to hold Lucy or her again, so you lot are my distraction. Hope that makes you feel like you serve a purpose.
Claire:Weight? Length of labour? When did it start – because you failed to let us know. And congrats on a girl, by the way. Killian has confirmed his plans for the boarding school.
Marie:OMG. OMG. OMG. I love the name. How’s Victoria?
Callum:Is this is a good time to announce that Wren’s pregnant? I’m hoping we won’t have any fuss because of the name of Max’s daughter.
Ava:*dead*
Seph:It’s not even 7am and it’s a Sunday. Why are you all awake?
Claire:Baby. Feeding time.
Callum:Morning sickness. Wren’s – not mine.
Maxwell:New father. Just cut the umbilical cord. Not going to lie, that was both epic and vomit inducing. My daughter is loud.
Marie:I don’t know how to silence the chat, so it sometimes wakes me up.
Seph:Ava? Why are you up?
Ava:We just got home from a party. Why are you up?
Seph:Rose woke up with a nightmare. She woke me before Georgia.
Seph:Congrats Max. This is the best news ever, btw. And Callum. Equally best news.
Marie:Hang on.
