‘Normally I’d say yes but I can’t keep this in any longer. It’s about Leanne…’
‘Pregnant?’ Dad shook his head after I’d given them a brief overview. ‘And I’m Lady Gaga.’
‘Tim!’ Mum exclaimed.
‘Oh, come on, Kirsten. This is Leanne we’re talking about. She can’t stand babies – says they’re screaming, vomiting money pits. From being a tiny tot, she’s been vocal about never wanting them.’
‘Women can change their views on that. I know plenty of women who’ve sworn they don’t want children but they’ve changed their mind as they’ve got older. We’re not all tied to the opinions we have in our twenties.’
‘Absolutely! But Leanne isnotone of those women. Pregnant!’ He chuckled. ‘Got to hand it to her – she’s gone for the jugular here, although I have to say, I’m surprised it’s taken her until now to present a fake pregnancy. Probably ruled it out because she knew we knew how she feels about kids and would never fall for it.’
Mum glared at him. ‘Why are you so adamant it’s fake?’
‘Because it’s Leanne. She lies. It’s her thing.’
‘Tim Sanderson, when did you become so cynical? Nobody would be devious enough to make up a pregnancy.’
‘Nobody except Leanne. Sheisdevious and she’s proved it time and time again.’
I hung my head, hating that Leanne was causing them to bicker again.
‘It’ll be all about money, as usual,’ Dad added. ‘If we agreed to meet her, how long would it be before she mentions the must-have pram and the cot and the?—’
‘Stop it!’ My head snapped up at Mum’s sharp tone. Dad looked shocked too. Mum looked from Dad to me and back to Dad. ‘Yes. I’ve got doubts, but what if she’s telling the truth? What if we refuse to see her and miss the chance of having a relationship with our only grandchild? Could you live with that?’
Dad slowly shook his head and they both looked at me.
‘What do you think, Tara?’ Mum asked.
‘I’ve got to go downstairs but the quick response is that I wholeheartedly believe that Krystal is a changed woman but my gut tells me that Leanne isn’t. I know I’m biased and I’m trying hard to put that aside but, for me, it doesn’t feel right. Either Leanne isn’t pregnant or she is and she’s insincere about it. I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you want to hear, Mum.’
‘All I ever want to hear is the truth,’ she said, smiling weakly at me. ‘And I know we always get that from you. You go and do what you need to do. We’ll make a cup of tea and give Hercules a fuss and see you when you’re done.’
How guilty did I feel now? Mum was hurting and I’d made it worse. And what if Dad and I were both wrong? What if it was as Krystal had described – that falling pregnant had changed everything for Leanne? But even if it had, it didn’t change how I felt about her.
As I walked through the door to the café, my heart lifted at spotting Colin.
‘You came!’ I said, making a beeline for him. I’d seen him this morning but he’d been unsure about coming, saying that he rarely ventured out on an evening once he’d got settled at home.
‘I stayed in town after work because, if I’d gone home, I’d have never made it out again. I’ve always wanted to draw so the art class drew me in.’
‘And the scones didn’t?’ I teased.
‘No offence but I don’t actually like scones. As you’ve probably gleaned from my regular order, I’ve got a sweet tooth.’
‘No offence taken. It’s why we’re mixing up the sessions to appeal to different people.I’m glad you came.’
There were seventeen attendees this time – nine from last week and eight newbies. It was a shame that five from last time hadn’t returned but there could be many reasons for that and I couldn’t take any dropouts as a failure. I’d focus on the attendees as a success and feel particularly pleased that the two women I’d seen exchanging phone numbers last week had returned together.
I’d seen Jed working in his studio before but I’d never seen him in teaching mode and it was fascinating to observe. He was incredibly calm and explained everything so well that I wanted to join in myself. Having Skye there was really helpful as seventeen would have been a big group for Jed to support on his own.
They took a break after forty-five minutes and came downstairs for refreshments. I couldn’t resist meddling with Colin and Anastasia, using their jobs in retail as an excuse to introduce them.
‘I spotted you shooting Cupid’s arrow,’ Carly said as we loaded the dishwasher together when the class resumed. ‘And I think it might have hit its target.’
I grinned at her. ‘It had to be done. I think they’re perfect for each other. There was a definite spark when they were talking.’
‘I agree. Nicely played, Ms Porter.’
