Page 128 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
“Ah, sure, what’s the point in leaving anyone out?” Miriam slipped her hands into her pockets, and seemed to think for a few moments. “Did I ever tell you how much I missed you when you went off to college at seventeen? Rosie was here, of course. She’s such a home bird, really. But I feel I got to know the adult Rosie, and I’m not sure I ever really got to know the adult you.”
Daisy wondered about the abrupt change of topic. “You were the one who encouraged me to go to Dublin, Mum!”
“Of course!” Miriam looked surprised. “It was what you wanted. But I missed you like mad.”
“Right.” Daisy felt a fresh onslaught of guilt. All those times she’d promised she’d come home for the weekend, only to cancel at the last moment because of Matt. “Dublin was just where I wanted to stay, I suppose.” She knew it wasn’t what her mother meant.
“We never got to know Matt either, did we?”
Miriam Devlin: mind-reader.“He was always a bit weird about meeting you guys.” Daisy flushed. “I should have seen it as a major red flag. To be honest, Mum, there’s been red flags with James too.” Shit, she couldn’t believe she’d let that slip! “Well, not really red flags, not at all, in fact,” she added hurriedly. “And it’s not the right time.”
Miriam arched her eyebrows. “Actually, it’s the perfect time, Daisy. Now, I’m glad you’ve managed to put Matt behind you. When someone hurts you like that, it leaves its mark. But I don’t think James is like him at all. You need to stop letting your experiences with Matt colour your decisions.”
Oh God, why had her mother picked tonight to start psychoanalysing her?
“Matt’s definitely in the past, Mum. I’ve finished his job and I’ve finished with him. Forever! I’m not even using his house as my award entry.”
Miriam nodded approvingly. “He’s not important! You and he were never meant to be together.”
Despite everything, Daisy started to laugh. “You obviously saw the signs before I did.”
Miriam shrugged. “He left you – that was the only sign I needed. Anyway, I wonder if you take those signs a bit tooliterally. They’re meant as a guide, not a rule book. At the end of the day, Daisy flower, your life is how you design it.”
Her mother was right. She’d wasted so much time wondering what she’d done wrong, and tried to find so many excuses for Matt when he’d deserved none.
“Now, I have a few of my own touches for this evening.” Miriam went over to the kitchen table and lifted two large, carved wooden bowls, filled with sweets. “Put these on the side tables, will you? I’ve told everyone that children are very welcome, not that you have to be a child to enjoy a few sweets.” She smiled. “Go on. Have a good look at the marquee before everyone arrives.”
Daisy took the sweets from her mother, grateful to have something to do, and relieved that Miram hadn’t pushed too hard to get her to talk about James. There’d be plenty of time to figure things out later.
CHAPTER 59
Daisy stepped into the marquee and took a moment to admire her surroundings. The tented room seemed deceptively larger than her parents’ garden, its high ceiling strung with hundreds of tiny, coloured fairy lights that threw rainbow colours onto the pale wooden floor.
Narrow tables, covered with bright, old-fashioned cotton cloths in florals and stripes, and dotted with jam-jars containing wildflowers and tealights, ran the length of the room. It was the perfect backdrop for their celebrations.
She was walking over to the trestle counters along the far wall to deposit the sweets, when the opening bars of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Lego House’, strummed on a guitar, filtered through the silence. As Daisy glanced around to locate the speakers, somebody started to sing, and it took Daisy a few moments to realise it was James. She spun, searching for him, and spotted someone in the far corner of the marquee. Was she hallucinating? Why was he here?Howwas he here?
He finished the first verse and stopped singing, but continued to strum through the chords.
“Hey.” He tipped his head to one side.
She swallowed hard, remembering the first time she’d heard him play the song.
“Hey, yourself.” Had Rosie asked him to come? Or her mother, maybe? Daisy had told him about Kayley but he hadn’t said very much. Alma had been the real fan, she supposed. “I haven’t heard you play that in years.”
“I know, yeah.” He shrugged. “I’m a bit rusty.”
“No, it sounded lovely. I don’t understand, though – I thought you had meetings about a new job?”
James’ mouth tightened. “There weren’t any meetings. Look, if you prefer, I can go.”
“No! You just got here.”
“Do you want me here?”
She was starting to feel exasperated. “Of course! I’m just confused: you said you weren’t coming.”
“Yeah, I know.” He put down the guitar. “I wanted to surprise you.”
