Page 137 of The Bad Mother's Diary

Ankle much better.

Feeling very festive and Christmassy.

Brandi and I went to Starbucks and bought ourselves gingerbread lattes in red cups.

Then we went home and wrote out all our Christmas cards. Well – I did. Brandi got bored and persuaded Dad to do it for her.

Dad loves anything tedious, so he was more than happy.

We had a nice afternoon together, drinking tea, eating Christmas shortbread and envelope stuffing.

Decided to text Nick re: Daisy Christmas arrangements.

Nick texted back saying he might be going ‘somewhere sunny’ this Christmas, and couldn’t take Daisy on a long-haul flight. Apparently Sadie is being ‘mental’ and he needs to get away.

As if I’d let him take Daisy for more than an hour anyway! He can’t even do up the poppers straight on her baby gro.

Wednesday December 16th

Morning

I can’t believe it. I absolutely CANNOT believe it.

I’ve lost a stone.

I’ve spent all morning turning sideways in every mirror, lifting up my top and admiring my tummy region.

Brandi said, ‘Wow, I didn’t know your stretch marks werethatbad.’

I considered celebrating with a white-chocolate Christmas Mars Bar, but NO! I am going to maintain.

Maintain, maintain, maintain.

I called Althea and she said, ‘Right. We’re going to get you some new skinny girl clothes.’

I told her I had other financial priorities.

She said, ‘Didn’t Nick say he’d buy you new clothes if you finished the marathon?’

I told her Nick never honoured his bets.

She asked if I still had Nick’s credit card.

I said, ‘Yes. But it doesn’t seem fair to use it.’

She said, ‘Maybe he’ll have to cancel his flight to “somewhere sunny”.’

I told her the credit card was for emergencies.

She said, ‘No offence, but your wardrobeisan emergency. If you wear that big grey woolly elephant dress again I’m going to throw up.’

I started talking about doing the right thing and being the better person, and she said, ‘Nick made a bet with you. So now he has to pay up. He cheated on you and left you alone to bring up a baby. What are a few clothes after everything he’s put you through? You’ve been totally humiliated.’

She is right, I suppose. I mean, I can’t even buy a Kit Kat in Great Oakley without the checkout lady saying, ‘Go ahead love. You deserve a little treat after everything you’ve been through.’

Finally, Althea persuaded me by saying, ‘Look, you’re going to need new clothes when you start working again. Think of it as an investment. No one is going to hire you in those stained old leggings of yours.’

Thursday December 17th

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