“Mummy!” My girls ran at me, tackling me to the ground.
“You were at work a really long time,” my eldest said.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m home now. Can’t miss the big day.” With harmonised squeals about the ‘big day’, they ran off to the house. They’d been excited about this for weeks.
Alfie raised his scarred brow at me. “Don't suppose we have time for a roll in the grass, do we?”
“Nope. Come on, birthday boy. It’s time for us to celebrate you.” He groaned as I pulled him up but I knew he didn’t mean it.
We made it up to the house just in time to hear Ada having a fit. “Flora and Eden O’Connell! Look at the state of your clothes!” Our daughters were indeed filthy but I never minded it. Ada insisted that we be tidy for dinner though and she rushed them off to change them into fresh things.
My best friend was perched on a stool by the kitchen island, nursing what looked like a rum and coke. She wore a crushed velvet corseted dress in deep red. Her brown hair was set in pinned curls. She looked gorgeous as always.
“You smell like dirt,” she said as she pulled me in for a hug.
“You smell like old money. What have you been doing?”
“Fucking old money.” She winked, glancing at Damien who sat opposite. “Happy birthday, Moneybags!” she called, raising a glass at my husband.
“You know that starts being hypocritical when you are wealthy too.” Alfie poured a whiskey and handed it to Damien.
I hadn’t seen them since their tie-the-knot celebration at their burlesque/fetish club in London a few months ago. Needless to say, it had been adult only. They had gotten married in secret after years of dating but threw a party to celebrate it, one that had Natalie blushing and Alfie reminiscing on his Never Tell days.
The Never Tell Club was but a relic of a memory now. Damien had decided to let it go and build a new place with Keira. Together, they lived a life of decadence and passion, with my best friend still showing off her designs on the many West End and Broadway shows that begged for her time.
“Have you heard Natalie is going to give us food poisoning?” Keira said. My sister spun around, wooden spoon in hand.
“I am not. I simply brought leftovers. Hi Lola,” Natalie waved at me, looking thoroughly exhausted but happy. I looked out the kitchen window to see Riley crawling around on his hands and knees playing ‘horsey’ with Polly, Niamh and Aisling.
“They’re growing up fast,” I said. Wondering how many more times Polly would want to play horsey. She was ten already.
“I know, don’t tell Riley or he’ll want another one. I’ve told him I’m officially out of business. You’d think three daughters would be enough for a man!”
Ada returned then with Flora and Eden and they ran outside to join the fun. Being only six and three, we still had a few years of them wanting to play with us. My dad followed them outside to supervise, volunteering to be horsey number two.
I ran upstairs to wash and change and by the time I returned downstairs, Ethan and Grace had arrived with their twin boys. They carried cards and balloons and ran into the kitchen to see everybody.
Eli and Maia were hot on their heels and I threw my arms around my friend, she held me tight before heading into the kitchen where I heard Keira exclaim, “Thank god! We were about to be outnumbered by children.”
“Good to see you, Lola.” Eli kissed me on the cheek. “Shame about Cas and Kal, I wish they could make it.”
“Cas will swing by when he feels like it and I’m not about to interrupt Kal's honeymoon.” It had taken him long enough to find the right woman, I wasn’t going to do anything to rock that boat.
I led him into the kitchen where he embraced Alfie and I set about fetching everyone drinks. We were going to have a full house this weekend which was exactly how I liked it.
“Dinner’s ready!” Ada called and in a flurry of activity, we helped carry plates and dishes through to the dining room. Not the gold ballroom where we hosted events for my company orAlfie’s foundation, but the private room off the kitchen just for family.
Just as we sat down to eat the roar of a motorbike rattled down the driveway, tires crunching over the gravel. I looked at my sister but she was already running for the door.
I followed her and as I stepped outside, the engine had already stopped. Ryan pulled off his helmet and bent down to hug his mother and accept a slap on the back from Riley.
“Auntie Lo!” He grinned when he saw me. I had to go on tiptoe for a hug, my twenty two year old nephew towered over me now. His skin was tanned, hair cut in a clumsy mohawk. “Uncle Alfie, happy birthday!”
“How was Australia?” Alfie asked him, giving him a one-armed hug.
“Hot. Lots of sharks. I broke my collarbone cliff diving and I got bitten by a spider! I don’t know which one but the fucker was big.”
“Language!” Ada admonished. “The girls will hear you!”
