THE TWENTY-FIRST

“Are you sure, Mum?” I ask, my nerves getting the best of me.

“Absolutely sure, sweetie,” my mum replies with a smile. “I have reconfirmed the menu choices with the venue, they have all the decorations ready to set up and I spoke to Kiri and Billy about the cakes this morning. Breathe, Abby. Everything is under control.”

I give my mum a wan smile. My belly is filled with nerves about Taylor’s party tomorrow; no matter how many times I go over my lists I can’t help but feel like I have forgotten something. “Seriously, Mum, what am I missing?”

“Nothing, darling,” she soothes. “This is just nerves. I promise everything is under control. All you need to worry about is that Taylor likes his present…” Mum trails off as I go pale.

Shit! Well, that’s what I have forgotten. I have been so focused on the party I somehow forgot to get Taylor a present. What the hell? How on earth am I going to pull something off now?

“You forgot to get him a present?” my mum asks with a knowing smile.

“Yup,” I respond suddenly feeling like the worst wife ever.

“Stop stressing, Abby. You have a whole day. I’m sure you will come up with something. So leave the rest to me; I have it all under control.”

There is nothing else I can do but trust that my mother is going to pull this off. Tomorrow will be the culmination of weeks of hard work and all I can hope is that it will be the perfect evening for Taylor. My husband has done so much for me and I just want to give him the birthday he deserves.

I give my mum a hug and she promises to give me a call in the morning to run over any last-minute details before heading out the door. I sink back onto the couch and look around my living room hoping that inspiration will strike. Two hours later I am still sitting there fighting the urge to pee and not any closer to coming up with the perfect present for Taylor.

Lacking inspiration, I take to The Lanes, a crazy maze of narrow, winding streets that form a quirky part of Brighton filled with shops of every description. I have no idea of what I’m after so I simply wander around, looking in windows and popping into the shops if I see something that intrigues me.

Taylor’s behaviour last night still hurts but I’m doing my best to put it to one side and not let it get to me. It doesn’t help that he was gone before I woke up this morning and still isn’t responding to my messages. A couple of hours later my feet and back are aching and I am incredibly frustrated and annoyed. I am half tempted to say to hell with it and not get him anything but I would never be that cruel or spiteful.

Instead, I persevere and am rewarded when a glint of something catches my eye in the window of one of those ‘pre-loved’ shops that seem to be springing up all over the place these days. Instead of being full of tat like so many of them are, this one boasts rare finds from all over the world. As I peer closer to the window, I realise that what caught my eye is, in fact, a watch. A really interesting-looking watch.

I make my way inside, the bell above the door announcing my presence with a gentle tinkle. A middle-aged woman comes through from the back a moment later and asks if I need any assistance. I ask if it’s possible to see the watch and she gives me a smile, telling me that it’s one of her favourite pieces. As she hands it over to me, she tells me that she hasn’t had it long, that the watch came from an estate sale but she couldn’t resist the intricate design. The strap is clearly brand new as it still has a kind of stiffness to the leather so when I ask about it, she explains that the watch has been fully serviced and a new strap added because the old one was falling apart. What really grabs my attention, though, is the fact that you can see all the cogs working through both the front and the back of the watch. It truly is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and I just know that Taylor will love it.

I decide there and then that I’m unlikely to find anything better so I give the lady a bright smile and tell her I will take it. She nestles the watch in a lovely leather presentation box before popping it in a small bag as she completes the transaction. Leaving the store, I promise her I will be back; this place is a veritable treasure trove of amazing goodies.

Back home I disappear into my office to dig out some wrapping paper and a card I had found a couple of weeks ago for Taylor’s birthday. By the time I have wrapped the box and attached all the various ribbons, I am feeling exhausted. My clock tells me it’s only three p.m. but my body feels like it’s midnight so I drag myself through to my bedroom and curl up on the bed for a little nap.