stay with
Dawn,” Sharni said eventually. “She has space now the kids have
left. And she’d love to mother you a bit.”
Helen was about to dismiss the
suggestion but paused to consider. Could she live with Dawn? It was
academic, she certainly wasn’t about to invite herself to stay.
Sharni was always one step
ahead. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask her.” Then, as Helen drew breath,
“And I won’t tell her n’owt. Only that you’ve come to your senses
and left Daniel and need a place to crash ’til your pad is free.
Her spare room has en-suite so she needn’t see you chucking
up.”
Helen wondered idly how Sharni
knew anything about Dawn’s spare room. It occurred to her that, for
all their closeness, she didn’t know much about her photography
group at all. Well, she couldn’t afford to be without friends now
however long she’d known them.
“If you can get it into the
conversation then that might answer. Mum’s happy to have me but she
has her own life to get on with and I can’t hide forever.”
“How long til you’re
showing?”
“Oh, months probably. Daniel’s
obsession with my figure has paid off for something – I’m so skinny
at the moment any weight I put on can be attributed to being
dumped.”
“I think you should be clear
that you left him , Helen.” Sharni sounded severe and
strangely prim. Helen was impressed – she rarely heard Sharni being
anything other than laddish.
“I suppose I did, really,”
Helen replayed the awful night in her mind. He had told her to
leave but she suspected he hadn’t really expected her to do it. She
was so in love with him that generally she did do as she was told.
At the time she had felt it was from a desire to make him happy. It
was starting to occur to her that maybe she had just been a
doormat. The thought arrived only to be pushed to one side – she
was suffering enough without feeling she’d been an idiot into the
bargain.
“Are you still there
Hells?”
“Yes, sorry, just thinking what
a sucker I’ve been.”
“Well, yes.”
Helen laughed. God bless
Sharni’s honesty.
“Sorry, lass, I don’t mean to
offend you but you let the tosser treat you like shit.”
“He was good to me, we were
good together.”
“Don’t defend him, he walked
all over you and you let him.”
“I was in love.”
“In lust more like.”
“Aren’t they the same
thing?”
“Nah, not at all.”
Helen wondered how Sharni
suddenly sounded so much older than her years. She had always felt
like Helen’s kid sister but it seemed, right at that point, she was
the one with the answers.
Helen released a gusty sigh.
“Maybe you’re right. Well, I’m getting my just desserts. There
isn’t going to be much lust in my future, is there? Just nappies
and sleepless nights and drudgery forever.”
“There are other men in the
world you know.”
“Oh yes, and they’re all
queuing up to date a single mother.”
“The right man won’t care. The
right man will love you and your baby.”
“You sound awfully certain of
that, Sharni. I wish I had your confidence. Anyway,” Helen saw a
chance to change the subject, “how’s your love life?”
“Oh, you know.”
“Not really,” Helen replied,
laughing. “Your love life is one of the country’s State
Secrets”.
“Ah, well, it’s complicated. My
folks, you know.”
Sharni’s parents wanted their
daughter to have a traditional marriage and had offered several
cousins for her approval. So far none of them had made any sort of
impression. Helen had a feeling Sharni only had eyes for one person
and, if her hunch was correct, she felt Sharni’s parents most
definitely wouldn’t approve.
“So, you do have your eye on
someone?”
“Both eyes, like a hawk. But
they’re not really noticing me back.”
Helen stopped idly pushing the
office chair round in circles and sat forward. This level of
sharing was new.
“Oh?”
“Promise you won’t tell?”
“Of course I won’t. You have
Dawn,” Sharni said eventually. “She has space now the kids have
left. And she’d love to mother you a bit.”
Helen was about to dismiss the
suggestion but paused to consider. Could she live with Dawn? It was
academic, she certainly wasn’t about to invite herself to stay.
Sharni was always one step
ahead. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask her.” Then, as Helen drew breath,
“And I won’t tell her n’owt. Only that you’ve come to your senses
and left Daniel and need a place to crash ’til your pad is free.
Her spare room has en-suite so she needn’t see you chucking
up.”
Helen wondered idly how Sharni
knew anything about Dawn’s spare room. It occurred to her that, for
all their closeness, she didn’t know much about her photography
group at all. Well, she couldn’t afford to be without friends now
however long she’d known them.
“If you can get it into the
conversation then that might answer. Mum’s happy to have me but she
has her own life to get on with and I can’t hide forever.”
“How long til you’re
showing?”
“Oh, months probably. Daniel’s
obsession with my figure has paid off for something – I’m so skinny
at the moment any weight I put on can be attributed to being
dumped.”
“I think you should be clear
that you left him , Helen.” Sharni sounded severe and
strangely prim. Helen was impressed – she rarely heard Sharni being
anything other than laddish.
“I suppose I did, really,”
Helen replayed the awful night in her mind. He had told her to
leave but she suspected he hadn’t really expected her to do it. She
was so in love with him that generally she did do as she was told.
At the time she had felt it was from a desire to make him happy. It
was starting to occur to her that maybe she had just been a
doormat. The thought arrived only to be pushed to one side – she
was suffering enough without feeling she’d been an idiot into the
bargain.
“Are you still there
Hells?”
“Yes, sorry, just thinking what
a sucker I’ve been.”
“Well, yes.”
Helen laughed. God bless
Sharni’s honesty.
“Sorry, lass, I don’t mean to
offend you but you let the tosser treat you like shit.”
“He was good to me, we were
good together.”
“Don’t defend him, he walked
all over you and you let him.”
“I was in love.”
“In lust more like.”
“Aren’t they the same
thing?”
“Nah, not at all.”
Helen wondered how Sharni
suddenly sounded so much older than her years. She had always felt
like Helen’s kid sister but it seemed, right at that point, she was
the one with the answers.
Helen released a gusty sigh.
“Maybe you’re right. Well, I’m getting my just desserts. There
isn’t going to be much lust in my future, is there? Just nappies
and sleepless nights and drudgery forever.”
“There are other men in the
world you know.”
“Oh yes, and they’re all
queuing up to date a single mother.”
“The right man won’t care. The
right man will love you and your baby.”
“You sound awfully certain of
that, Sharni. I wish I had your confidence. Anyway,” Helen saw a
chance to change the subject, “how’s your love life?”
“Oh, you know.”
“Not really,” Helen replied,
laughing. “Your love life is one of the country’s State
Secrets”.
“Ah, well, it’s complicated. My
folks, you know.”
Sharni’s parents wanted their
daughter to have a traditional marriage and had offered several
cousins for her approval. So far none of them had made any sort of
impression. Helen had a feeling Sharni only had eyes for one person
and, if her hunch was correct, she felt Sharni’s parents most
definitely wouldn’t approve.
“So, you do have your eye on
someone?”
“Both eyes, like a hawk. But
they’re not really noticing me back.”
Helen stopped idly pushing the
office chair round in circles and sat forward. This level of
sharing was new.
“Oh?”
“Promise you won’t tell?”
“Of course I won’t. You have
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