Lottie and Brad pulled out the first slice of cake. Grace could clearly see the blue sponge inside. Lottie held it up in the air.
‘It’s a boy! We’re having a boy!’
Grace had a little tear as the couple danced around together and hugged everyone present. She looked up to the sky and blew a kiss.
‘Now we know, Phil. It’s a boy, a little grandson.’
‘Mum? Mum, are you there? And Flo?’
The screen had switched to a three-person call.
‘Yes, darling, I’m here.’
‘Me too, sis.’
Lottie’s face was wreathed in smiles.
‘Did you see? It’s a boy! I’m having a boy. Dad would have loved to have had one of those in the house to stop us ganging up on him, wouldn’t he?’
‘He would, sweetheart.’
Grace was able to talk much more normally about Phil now without being overwhelmed by the gut-wrenching grief she’d felt in the first couple of years following his death. Greece had certainly helped with that.
After some more baby talk, Grace noticed Flo’s eyes narrowing.
‘Where are you, Mum? That doesn’t look like your room.’
‘It’s a long story, sweetheart. I’m helping out a friend who’s unwell.’
At that moment, Will appeared behind her on the stairs, with just a towel wrapped round his waist. Oh, great. She hadn’t realised that the angle she’d chosen allowed watchers to see that far.
Lottie let out a low whistle.
‘And who…. is that?’
‘That’s the friend I was telling you about.’
Flo was chiming in now.
‘Some friend. You were giving us the impression it was a little old lady… And you’ve gone red.’
‘Yes, Mum, you’ve obviously got plenty to tell us.’
Grace put on her best schoolteacher voice.
‘Lottie, you need to get back to your guests. I will explain everything to both of you tomorrow, I swear. I’ll set up another call for the three of us, but for now I have to go. I love you both very much.’
Go, Mumwere the words still echoing in Grace’s ears as she switched off the computer. She could hear Will moving around upstairs.
‘Grace? Are you coming up? I’m still waiting…’
‘Just give me a couple of minutes. There’s something I’ve got to do first.’
‘Do you want any help?’
‘No, thanks. It’s something I need to do on my own.’
It had been seeing the girls that had helped her slot in the last piece of the jigsaw.
