There was a second of shared knowledge where she knew that her sister, like her, was thinking that it had ended for Jonathan, a reminder there were no guarantees.
‘Second,’ Angela continued, ‘the idea that things are set in stone, or that we have anything other than the smallest of control over how events turn out, is bonkers. Life is full of incidents, surprises, trip hazards and one-way streets! We don’t ever know what’s around the next corner, good or bad, so how can we picture a life that is an unwritten book?’
‘I guess you’re right.’ It helped, a little, to think of it in this way, adding hope to a situation that only minutes before had felt hopeless. ‘It’s been a strange couple of days, that’s why I needed to see you.’
‘What’s happened, my love?’ Angela asked softly, the older sister falling into the role of matriarch as she always had.
‘Holly’s pregnant.’
‘No!’ Angela gasped.
‘Yes.’
‘Wow! Oh my God!’ she yelled. ‘I don’t know what to say! Really?’
‘Yep, she and Jen came into the office to tell me. I had to break it to Aiden. He’s seen her and they have made some kind of plan.’
‘Jenny never said – mind you, she’s gone a bit quiet on me.’
‘She’s got a lot going on.’ Enya decided not to divulge the whole sorry unfriending conversation and the dismissed letter, believing in the phrase ‘least said soonest mended’, and not wanting to affect Jenny and Angela’s relationship any more than was necessary. She loved them both too much to allow them to experience the punch to the throat that Jenny’s words had left her with.
‘Oh, Enya.’ Angela closed her eyes, acknowledging the less than perfect timing.
‘I know.’
‘Is Holly okay?’
‘Not really, she’s distraught, it’s horrible to see. She’s ten weeks, her hormones must be going haywire as well as having to deal with what’s happened. Her whole world is spinning.’
Something she understood too well.
‘And Aiden?’
Enya liked that Angela registered it would be impacting him too.
‘Shocked, putting on a smile, planning the wedding and I think trying to figure out which way is up.’
‘What did Iris say about it?’
‘I don’t think he’s told her yet.’
‘Do you think it’ll affect the wedding?’
‘I don’t honestly know.’ She pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘Dominic, Iris’s dad, came over earlier,’ she whispered, understanding the level of subterfuge it implied and all the connotations of it.
‘What do you mean, he came over?’ Angela’s tone and confused expression said it all.
‘I mean he turned up! I opened the door and there he was!’ She pointed towards the hallway. ‘He wasn’t going to come in, but I just...’
‘That’s odd, you have no contact and what, he appears suddenly like ta-dah!’ Angela fanned out her fingers dramatically.
‘Well, we have had some contact.’ She hated the flush of guilt about her face.
‘What kind of contact?’ Angela held her eyeline.
‘Just a couple of calls.Hecalled me, both times, just before bed.’
‘Wow!’
