46
EPILOGUE
March
‘The front page?’
‘The actual front page?’
‘Oh my God! Cover girls!’
Niamh, Laura and Deirdre are raising their glasses of champagne and hooting as I hand them each a copy of the April edition ofNorthern People.
No, I did not know that sneaky devil Grace Adams was planning on putting us on the front cover. She’d kept that to herself. Maybe I should’ve guessed when she had insisted on a professional photoshoot back in January, and we had been treated to hair and make-up when we arrived.
She invited me into her office earlier today to get my hands on the magazine ‘hot off the press’. I should’ve realised, perhaps, that’s not normal practice either but look, I’m learning. This is all still very new to me.
‘Now, I don’t want you to be mad,’ she’d said when I arrived and I immediately told myself to take a deep breath and not let my thoughts immediately spiral to some unholy place as is my usual habit. Dead-dog-gate being the perfect example.
‘Why would I be mad?’ I asked.
‘Well, personally, I don’t know. I wouldn’t be mad if it were me.’ Looking very shifty indeed, she’d handed me a copy of the magazine and I had gasped.
Right there, on the cover of the special edition to mark forty years ofNorthern People, were my friends and me, grinning widely, arms all linked together, with the strapline, ‘Welcome to your fabulous forties!’ across the cover.
I gasped. We looked good. Real. Not airbrushed beyond recognition. I was grateful for that. But good.
‘The cover?’ I’d asked, eyebrows raised.
‘It’s such a good piece, Becca. It speaks to all us women, no matter where life has taken us. It’s a positive representation of life as you age, without ignoring the challenges that come with it. Peggy is over the moon about it. Truly. She said to tell you that you’re welcome any time to go back.’
‘That’s very lovely of her. She’s a real star.’
‘She is,’ Grace said. ‘But so are you. This inspired me to sign up for the next retreat. And talk to my own friends about reclaiming our fun selves again. My friend Daisy and I have already booked for Paris. We’ve always wanted to go but never did. I read this and thought, “We’re not putting this off any longer.”’
I smiled. No, I grinned. I felt like I had just been given the biggest, brightest Star of the Week certificate at primary school assembly.
‘The girls will die!’
‘They seem like so much fun,’ Grace said. ‘When you manage to get your regular meet-ups going, let me know. I wouldn’t mind trying them out myself.’
I’d nodded. ‘I will. We will. We’ve lots of ideas and we’re just pulling them all together now.’
‘Great! I can’t wait to hear the details.’
* * *
I had practically floated out of her office and had FaceTimed Conal as soon as I reached my car.
‘I am going to enjoy telling everyone my girlfriend is a cover star,’ he’d said with a grin, ‘I might tear off the cover and stick it up on my bedroom wall with Blu Tac.’
‘You’re an eejit!’
‘Yeah, but you love me,’ he’d replied, and I smiled. Because I do. I do love him and he loves me too. I don’t doubt it. I don’t question it. And he’s helping me start to believe that I do deserve to be treated well.
My mother and Mrs Bishop have said they will buy a copy in every shop they find it in. I’ve made them promise not to make Uber trips just for that reason.
‘I’ll do what I want,’ my mother said. ‘I’m allowed to be proud of my daughter, you know.’
