Things seem a little better at home. Maybe my night out helped to clear the air because Harry’s been a lot more attentive and I’ve tried my hardest to get things back to normal.
By the time Saturday comes, I’m feeling much better and text Isabel and Karen to come over to allow Harry a night out with Tom.
I make sure I dress up though and take considerable care in making us some nice food to nibble on and stock up on Prosecco.
Briefly, I wonder if Karen will feel uncomfortable around Isabel, but I can’t dwell on that. She needs friends and proved a good one to me when I needed it, so it’s the least I can do. I’m not sure why, but I’m looking forward to seeing Isabel the most. Maybe it’s because she’s a calming presence in turbulent waters, which is why I’m drawn to her.
The doorbell rings interrupting my thoughts and as I answer I see Karen standing behind an excited Jack and she raises her eyes.
“Someone’s been looking forward to this evening all day.”
Jack says quickly, “Where’s Jamie?”
As if on cue, Jamie bounds down the stairs two at a time and Jack says loudly, “I’ve got Extreme Action, Jamie. Do you want to play?”
Jamie grins. “Cool. Come upstairs, I’ve got it set up already.”
As we watch them go, Karen laughs. “I could do with some extreme action myself.”
Giggling, I head towards the kitchen and reach for the Prosecco. “Maybe if you have enough of this, the extreme action may be on the menu later.”
“Here’s hoping.”
As we sip our drinks, I say with interest. “So how, are things with Tom lately? You both seem a different couple from what you were a few months ago. What’s your secret?”
Karen smiles mysteriously. “Sex. Lots and lots of lovely toe-curling, basic, dirty sex and then the rest follows.”
I almost spit out my drink.
“You lucky bitch, how have you gone from tired Tom to sex beast Tom? Tell me at once so I can use it on Harry.”
She shakes her head and looks thoughtful. “You know, it’s since he was mugged. It took a good few months before he would even touch me again, although that wasn’t unusual. As you know, we were walking a fine line before that night. He was away a lot and always tired and irritable when he was home. However, I think the mugging made him see things differently. Now family comes first, whereas before he never even appeared to want one.”
I nod sympathetically. I remember the endless evenings spent dissecting their marriage. I was shocked to learn that Tom had never wanted children. Jack was a lovely surprise, to him, anyway. Karen always thought it was her pregnancy that glued them together because Tom was so angry with her when she fell pregnant. However, he was also a man who watched the pennies, and the thought of handing half of everything he earned over to her was obviously a less attractive option than staying and going through the motions.
Karen soon found out it was the worse thing she could have done because Tom wouldn’t touch her after that. The only time they had sex was when Tom decided it was ok. Looking at her now, it’s as if that happened to somebody else, because I have never seen her looking so radiant.
The doorbell rings and she looks up in surprise. “Are you expecting anyone else?”
Feeling slightly guilty, I say apologetically. “Yes, Isabel.”
I don’t miss the worry flare in her eyes and feel bad as she says, “Oh, I didn’t know you were that friendly.”
As I head to answer the door, I say quickly, “We weren’t until the other night. I’ll fill you in later.”
When I open the door and see Isabel standing there, something stirs within me. She looks so pretty, soft and shy and maybe it’s the mothering instinct in me, but I want to wrap her in cotton wool and protect her.
She smiles sweetly as I step forward and kiss her on the cheek. “Hi, Isabel, you look lovely. What’s that scent you’re wearing, it’s amazing?”
She laughs softly. “It’s one of those you make yourself. I went to a store with Eddie and we had it made.”
A shadow passes across her face and she says in a small voice, “We were always doing things like that. You know, little days out that had meaning and made memories to cherish.”
Feeling bad for her, I pull her close and hug her gently. “I’m sorry. It must be so hard.”
She nods. “Yes, but evenings like this help, so thanks for inviting me.”
Grinning, I pull her inside. “Think nothing of it. Karen’s through here and has a glass of Prosecco with your name on it.”
Karen looks up as we enter the room and smiles brightly. “Hi, how are you?”
Isabel smiles and sits beside her on the barstool at the kitchen counter.
“Fine thank you, Karen. I hope you don’t mind me crashing your party.”
Shaking her head, Karen pushes a drink towards her. “It’s not my party, it’s Tina’s, and you’re more than welcome. It should be fun.”
My heart settles a little as I see they appear comfortable with each other and I say brightly, “Ok, let me feed those two hungry gamers upstairs and then we can get down to the serious business of having a good time.”
* * *
As the evening wears on, I discover just how much fun Isabel really is. After her earlier shyness, the Prosecco does its job and brings her out of her shell. She has Karen and me in fits of laughter with stories of life as a teacher and I suppose as evenings go, this one could be classed as a success. I do a good job of putting my problems behind me until Isabel says innocently, “Hey, did you know that Marsha Bennett’s expecting twins?”
It’s like a hammer to my heart and I reach for the glass beside me and take a long gulp, before saying brightly, “No, I didn’t.”
Karen looks at me with concern and says softly, “That’s nice. Oh, Tina, did you see that Take That are in concert next month, do you fancy going?”
She smiles at Isabel. “Do you like Take That, I could get us all tickets if you’re up for it?”
Shaking her head, Isabel says gratefully, “I’m not a fan, to be honest. I like classical music and opera but thanks for asking.”
She looks at me with interest. “Do you like opera, Tina? If you do, I have some amazing DVDs I could lend you.”
Maybe it’s because the only thing I can think of is Marsha Bennett and her babies, it doesn’t strike me as odd that she snubbed Karen so quickly. I don’t even register that Karen seems a little put out as I say sadly, “I wish I was Marsha Bennett.”
Karen laughs, “Well, I don’t. Two babies will be hard work. Think of it, Tina. It may seem like the dream but I’m guessing it’s one dressed up in a nightmare.”
I’m not sure why, but the tears start to fall and I say emotionally, “It’s a dream to me.”
In a flash, Isabel is beside me, taking my hand and squeezing it reassuringly. “I’m so sorry, Tina. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Karen says tightly, “Tina’s quite vulnerable at the moment, especially on this subject.”
I say through my tears. “I’m sorry guys. I didn’t mean to ruin the evening and maybe it’s the alcohol but it doesn’t take much to set me off these days.”
Isabel strokes my back and says soothingly, “You know, it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Karen shakes her head and throws her a hard look. “Isabel, it is this way for Tina. She has to learn to accept this and move on.”
A hint of steel creeps into Isabel’s voice and she shakes her head. “I disagree, Karen. You see, there are many options available to Tina and Harry. I think you’re forgetting we have more choices than ever now and the fact that Tina isn’t able to produce eggs doesn’t necessarily mean she won’t be a mother again.”
There’s stunned silence, and I look at her in shock. “What do you mean?”
Turning to face me, she takes my hands and looks at me with such a kind look it takes my breath away and then her words knock me for six. “I can give you a baby, Tina. I’ll be your surrogate.”