Page 135 of The Bad Mother's Diary

Someone gave me a bottle of tropical Lucozade and a handful of Mentos.

And then, through the crowd, came Alex.

I thought I was seeing things at first. But no – it really was him.

He was in black running gear with barely a drop of sweat on him.

He pushed everyone out the way and said, ‘Juliette. Get up. Can you get up?’

I told him I’d hurt my leg and that I should probably just sit here until the marathon finished.

He told me not to be ridiculous.

I asked why he was here with all the slowcoaches.

The runners around me looked a bit annoyed then, and someone muttered, ‘Knowing your limits and setting a good pace is something to be celebrated …’

Alex said he’d been shadowing me to make sure I finished.

I said, ‘But you’ll get a shit finishing time.’

He said, ‘I’ve run plenty of marathons. Today it’s important you finish.’

I went all pink and said, ‘Thank you. For caring.’

Alex said, ‘I’ve always cared. That’s the problem.’

I said, ‘Listen. About Nick –’

Alex said, ‘Juliette. You have a family. Another man’s child. I’m not going to get in the way of that.’

‘You’re not in the way,’ I insisted.

But Alex just went all stony-faced.

He tried to help me up, but I really couldn’t walk. I mean, it was agony. I cried and told him I couldn’t do it.

He said, ‘Come on. You’re going to do this.’

Then he put my arm over his lovely, hard shoulder and half dragged, half carried me along.

Everyone was staring as we went down Piccadilly.

Alex looked so stoic and handsome and determined. When we crossed the finish line, everyone was cheering.

I was laughing and crying, ‘I did it! I did it!’

My family and Althea were waiting by the big Christmas Marathon lorries.

They looked pretty surprised to see Alex carrying me.

Mum said, ‘Have you run out of energy, love? Do you want a mini Scotch egg?’

Alex shouted at a steward to get me a chair.

I sat down and Mum put Daisy put on my lap. I burst into tears when I saw her.

I said, ‘I finished! I finished! I can’t believe it! Don’t ever let me do that again. Don’t EVER let me do that again.’

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