‘Hmm. I think it would’ve been more likely to propel a Boeing 747 than cool her scalp down. Still, hopefully it’s the thought that counts.’
‘Exactly. I’m sure she feels like she’s got an ally,’ Rose continues. ‘And it’s good that we can talk about the menopause openly these days. My mother never even mentioned it when I was growing up. It was like a dirty secret. You just had to get on with things.’
‘Oh, mine never stopped talking about it,’ Jeff says. ‘She went through a phase of constantly losing her car keys – we found them in the freezer behind some peas once – and she would say, “Oh, this is it. It’s happening. It’sThe Change!” I was only about nine and very worried about what the hell she was going to change into. A lizard?’
I laugh, as Rose decides to return to a subject she is far from finished with. ‘So tell me about Zach, Lisa. Is he good at his job? By which I mean . . .myjob?’
‘Not as good as you,’ I tell her. ‘So don’t be worried, because you have no reason to be.’
‘You don’t think he’d try and keep it, do you?’ she asks.
‘Absolutely not. One hundred per cent certain. I’ve already told him I would have to kill him if he tried to do that.’
‘Well, if that’s the case then I think you should go on a date with him.’
Jeff sniggers.
‘It. Was. Not. A. Date,’ I say, looking up just in time to witness her winking at him.
‘My car is up there, so I’m going to head off,’ Jeff says, turning to Rose. ‘Give me a hug, you brave woman. Now, I know you keep saying there’s nothing we can do for you while you’re having your treatment, but there must besomething.’
She shakes her head. ‘There isn’t.’
‘Oh,come on. I’m sure you can think of something. Let me run an errand for you,’ he says.
‘I don’t have any errands that need to be run.’
‘Well, let me make you a lasagne,’ he insists. ‘Or a shepherd’s pie. Go on, please.’
‘You’re vegan,’ I laugh.
‘I know but turning up on the doorstep with a tofu stir fry doesn’t have the same ring to it.’ He looks down at Pascal. ‘Does it, my little chickadee?’
Pascal raises his eyes, lifts his leg and promptly empties his bladder.
Chapter 23
From: [email protected]
Hi Andrea,
Sorry for the short notice, but I’ve got a doctor’s appointment today so am going to work from home. I’m due to hold a meeting with the team producingMy Teenage Bombsite, but they would prefer to do it on Zoom anyway. Do shout if you need me.
Best wishes,
Lisa
I technically could have waited a couple of weeks before my HRT review, but this way I kill two birds with one stone: tick an important task off my to-do listandavoid Zach after Friday night.
As I step into Dr Willoughby’s room at the surgery, it’s nice to be able to give her some good news.
‘My symptoms have definitely eased,’ I tell her.
‘Oh good!’ she says, delighted.
Dr Willoughby is a couple of years older than me and one of the new GPs at the practice where I’ve been registered for over a decade. I’d only seen her once before – when Jacob had tonsillitis. But when I finally got round to booking an appointment about my perimenopause symptoms back in March, she told me she had a particular interest in this field and was hoping to set up a specialised clinic for it.
