Page 20 of The 3am Shattered Mums' Club

She took down the gin bottle from the top cupboard and bent down to the lower cupboard to retrieve a can of tonic. She sucked her breath in at the sharp pain down below. When was it going to stop hurting?

She took out Jeff’s favourite heavy tumbler and placed it on the counter.

‘Loads of ice, babes!’ Jeff hollered. This time Sophy openly rolled her eyes. She opened the freezer and was startled to see the top section, which was a large space for trays of ice cubes, was almost spilling out with three, no, four, red, brown and blue boxes of crispy pancakes. Sophy let out a loud hoot and then put a hand over her mouth. She slid one box out and looked at it. Cheese and ham. She slid it back and found a minced beef one.

She put it on the kitchen counter, finished preparing Jeff’s drink with the ice and then ripped open the box and turned on the oven.

Twenty-five minutes later, with Max lying in his pod on the island, Jeff looked curiously at the funny-shaped orange breadcrumbed food on his plate – that Sophy had spruced up with a rocket and tomato salad – and then at his girlfriend, who was eating her dinner happily – smiling as though she were sharing a secret with herself.

* * *

3.46 a.m. – Mel:Does anyone know if this life-awakening thing, fourth trimester goes on for long?

3.51 a.m. – Aisha:You’ll have to ride it out, but if you want an enlightened child, hopefully for the rest of her life? ??

4.00 a.m. – Sophy:Just woken up with Max. He’s having a feed and I’m texting. Check me out multitasking!

4.02 a.m. – Mel:Why are you all so happy at this ridiculous hour of the morning?

11

AISHA

Aisha dressed the boys in orange, blue, green and pink romper suits. That would confuse the mums at the music group Sophy had booked them all into today.

Charley came into the lounge as Aisha was finishing packing the nappy bag.

‘All set?’

‘Just packing for every eventuality.’ Aisha zipped up the bag, which was bulging at all sides.

‘We should get a bigger bag, maybe? Order one if you like?’

‘Are you sure?’ Aisha said, the sarcasm was obvious in her voice.

‘Yes, Aish. The boys need it, you need it. You can’t keep squashing everything into that tiny bag.’

‘Okay! I’ll order one later,’ Aisha sang.

Charley seemed unfazed by Aisha’s continued irritation. She bent down to the sofa and kissed each twin on their little O-shaped mouths.

‘We’ll have to start watching them on this thing soon – they’ll be wanting to roll off!’ Charley said.

‘I know, but not yet they won’t. Few more weeks yet. That’s what the book says.’

‘The book isn’t always right, though, is it? These boys are both strong, aren’t you, babies?’

Aisha turned to Charley. ‘Are you saying I don’t know my own sons? I’m with them all day – I would think I would know when one of them is going to roll over.’

Charley sucked in her breath but didn’t rise to Aisha’s frustration. Instead, she leant in and kissed her softly on the cheek.

‘Have a good day.’

‘We always do.’ Aisha fixated on the rearranging Otis’s sock until she heard Charley leave the room.

She tucked the boys into their pram and navigated it carefully down the hallway and out of the front door, which were both only just big enough to fit the travel system.

Once outside in the fresh air, Aisha felt better. Despite her mood with Charley – she still wasn’t exactly sure where it had stemmed from, but it was there all the same – she decided it was going to be a good day. After the music group, the girls were going to have coffee, which took them up to lunch, then she planned to have a long walk in the afternoon.

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