THE NINETEENTH
Today is officially a washout, I’ve decided. The weather has been stormy all day, reflecting all our moods. Even the ever-cheerful Bea seems to be affected by the grumps today. In an effort to be helpful, I popped down to the bakery to see if I could help with the day’s baking and was told in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t needed and to go back upstairs.
I feel like I am almost invisible these days. Even Stix has barely spoken to me since the weekend. At dinner last night she pretty much kept her head down and dodged joining in the conversation. And today she has just avoided me altogether.
Letting out a sigh, I try not to let it get to me. People are busy, I reason to myself. Everyone is flat-out pulling together everything for Taylor’s party so really I am the least of everyone’s priority. Feeling listless I pull out my phone and dial my mother. It goes straight to answerphone and I throw the device down in frustration.
Oh sod it, I think to myself. I stalk through to our bedroom and root around in my bedside table until I unearth my trusty MP3 player. It has been ages since I have listened to my ‘angry girl’ music but today I just feel the need to vent some frustration. I shove my earphones into my ears and crank up the volume. As Limp Bizkit begins to rap wanting to ‘break stuff’, I find myself singing along at the top of my voice.
Several songs later I am starting to feel a little better, like I have released the valve on a pressure cooker. I am halfway through my rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger when I suddenly sense a presence behind me. My head whips around to find Stix standing there smirking at me.
“What?” I snap, feeling embarrassed at being caught out.
Stix looks at me nervously, “Um, Bea sent me up. Said she could do with some help after all.”
“Fine,” I respond wearily. “I’ll come now.”
Slipping on a pair of comfy pumps, I follow Stix down the stairs and through the back entrance. I barely register that it’s kind of dark as I continue down the corridor and through the doorway that comes out beside the kitchen. It’s only when I step out into the bakery that I begin to notice something is amiss.
The regular queues of people lining up at the bakery counter are missing and the usual hum of activity from the café is noticeably absent. “Hey, Stix? What’s going on?” I ask turning towards her.
Just then a movement in the corner of my eye grabs my attention and I turn to see that the café is filled to the brim with people, people I recognise. “Surprise!” calls out Stix and is followed a second later by a chorus of people joining in. Jeez, if anything would send me into labour it would be a bunch of people jumping out at me, but, fortunately, I catch on quickly.
“Wh…what’s all this, guys?” I ask nervously, wondering why on earth all these people are here.
My mum steps forward with a twinkle in her eye. “Welcome to your baby shower, Abs,” she says.
“Sorry for being so weird these last couple of days, Abs,” Stix whispers into my ear. “I was so excited I thought for sure I was going to give it away.”
I let out a chuckle, “You guys really fooled me!” I am definitely going to have to grill Stix later to find out how they pulled all of this off without me having a clue.
I am suddenly surrounded by friends and family all wanting to say hello and give me hugs. After a few minutes, my mum claps her hands to get everyone’s attention and asks everyone to help themselves to drinks and some food. I turn to the bar to see glasses of mimosas have been set up and on the opposite wall, there is a large buffet of sandwiches, an intricate fruit sculpture and a stand piled high with cupcakes, cupcakes that are decorated with tiny pink feet. I am swiftly feeling completely overwhelmed.
“Come on, Abs,” my mum says grabbing my elbow gently and steering me towards a chair that has been placed in the centre of the back wall surrounded by pink helium balloons. I settle into the chair and am handed a glass of orange juice and a small plate of food.
Stix plops herself down next to me. “You aren’t mad at me, Abs, are you? I know I have been a complete cow the last few days.” She looks so worried I rush to reassure her.
“Of course not, Stix. You are completely forgiven. Especially if you grab me one of those amazing-looking cupcakes over there.”
“Sure thing,” she says eagerly as she gets up and heads across to the buffet table.
“Hello, my darling girl,” Genevieve says coming to stand in front of me. There are so many people here I hadn’t even noticed her in the crowd.
“Genevieve!” I exclaim happily. “Thank you for coming.” I look her up and down; her makeup and hair are impeccable as usual but she hasn’t been able to disguise the dark circles under her eyes. I attempt to get up to give her a hug but she pushes me back gently and tells me firmly to stay seated. Stix quickly brings a chair over for her grandmother and she sits down carefully on it before taking a sip of her drink.
We chat quietly for a few minutes as I watch everyone mingling and eating. I am amazed that so many people have turned up today. My mum moves through the crowd making sure everyone is happy and helping themselves to food, the consummate hostess.
A sudden bang startles me but I find my mouth stretching into a wide smile when Michelle rushes in full of apologies about being late. She drops a quick kiss on my cheek before saying she needs to talk to my mother about something and then rushes off when she catches sight of her talking to Sarah, my friend from the tattoo store.
For the next half an hour, I chat away with friends, both new and old, as we eat and sip at our drinks. As my mother clinks a cake fork on her now empty glass, people begin to settle into the chairs dotted around the room. She steps forward and I can feel my cheeks heating up in anticipation of what is probably about to happen.
“Thank you so much, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come and help us celebrate today,” Mum begins. “In a couple of weeks, our lives will be made all the richer by the arrival of a special little girl. As you all know, Abby has been through so much over the last nine months but here she is, still smiling. I know she is going to be the most amazing mother…” My mum trails off for a moment as she wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and a lump appears in my throat.
“Sorry,” she continues. “My baby girl is having her own baby girl and I couldn’t be prouder of the amazing young woman she has become. Bean is so lucky to have such a strong, compassionate and kind mother in her life. She is truly blessed.”
The tears are openly falling down my face at my mother’s words. I get the impression that some of her emotion is not just about me and this is confirmed when she continues, “Abby, your Nonna would be so proud of you as well. As you move into this new chapter, I would like us to raise a toast to you and Bean, and wish you both the wonderful future you deserve.”
Glasses are raised in my direction and I do my best to wipe away the tears. I mouth ‘Thank you’ at my mother not really knowing how else to express my gratitude.
“Right, pressies,” squeals Stix excitedly, breaking the tension in the room and I let out a chuckle at her enthusiasm. A towering pile of gifts suddenly appears in front of me and I swallow hard.
“Really guys, this is too much,” I say, my belly swirling with emotion. “Just having you all here today is enough!”
Everyone pooh-poohs me and one by one they bring over gifts for me to open. I am flabbergasted. Cute little outfits, blankets and socks end up being piled beside books, lullaby CDs and even one of those harnesses so that you can carry your baby on your back. Paper in every shade of pink you can imagine litters the floor and I briefly feel guilty for all the mess I am creating.
I have just finished up opening Genevieve’s gift, an antique silver rattle that was hers as a child when something tickles my senses. I glance up to find Taylor leaning against the bar nonchalantly watching me with a grin on his face.
“You knew?” I squeal at him and he just laughs before coming over and dropping a soft kiss on my lips. A couple of people go ‘aw’ and I suddenly feel a little embarrassed by our public display of affection, even if it was most definitely PG-rated.
The rest of the afternoon passes in a social whirl that is both completely exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. By the time I fall into bed a while later, I have a grin on my face and a feeling that the day was not quite the washout I thought it would be after all.