Page 23 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
“I’m sorry!” He sighed heavily. “And I wish this stuff would wait! To be honest, I really should have stayed at home.”
And after he’d finished, Alma could have cooked for him, before they snuggled up together with their Nintendo Switches. Her brain froze at the thought. Was that what had happened lastweekend when she’d been down to visit her parents? She dug her nails into her hand and took a deep breath.
She tried to see things from his point of view. Her family wasn’t James’ family. And after five years together, James still referred to her as his girlfriend, rather than his partner. He wasn’t that close to his family either, although his parents only lived in Howth. They were both lovely people, Daisy thought, but James had a stupid chip on his shoulder and couldn’t seem to get past the notion that he wasn’t living up to their expectations. He also seemed uncomfortable with the fact that his parents were wealthy, and had offered them help on more than one occasion.
All the more reason why he should embrace her family, Daisy thought. None of them were well-off. And, with the exception of Rosie, none of them were the least bit judgey.
“Just come and hang out with us for a while. Everyone needs time off!”
He shot her an apologetic look. “Just give me another minute?”
“Fine!” Daisy slipped out of the room.
Maybe she was asking too much of him. He’d told her he’d have to work this weekend, but she’d told him he needed a break and pretty much insisted he come with her. Maybe she’d become one of those needy, demanding girlfriends. And if she’d been the same with Matt, that could be the reason he’d left! Feeling a bit dizzy, she leaned back against the pale, cool wall, closing her eyes to breathe deeply.
As she walked back into the kitchen, she noticed it had started to rain.
CHAPTER 11
Daisy sat down at her parents’ big kitchen table that Sunday, and tried to ignore the fact that for the second weekend she was on her own.
James had taken the car and left shortly after the twins’ party the day before, but had suggested Daisy stay and catch up with her family.
Yesterday she’d been furious. She hadn’t said anything to James but the last thing she wanted was to be with someone who didn’t want to be with her. She’d found herself thinking again about Matt. One of her many theories about why he’d left was that after five years together Matt had felt stifled. His summer in New York had given him a taste of freedom, and he’d decided to embrace it. Now, she and James had been together the same length of time she’d been with Matt!
Daisy passed a bowl of peas to Annie. She’d be heading back up on the train to Dublin later on with all the college students. At this moment, sitting here with her parents, her older sister and brother-in-law and their four children, she felt exactly like the student she’d once been, coming home to visit at the weekend.
Not that she’d made a habit of it, she thought, a bit guiltily. In fact, she probably saw her family a lot more now than she had as a student. Or to be more precise, while she’d been with Matt.
“Isn’t this a real treat having you all here?” Daisy’s mother, Miriam, beamed around the table. “All the flowers in my garden.” She winked at Penny who carefully spooned some peas and gravy into her mouth.
“You only have two flowers, Nana: Mummy and Daisy. The rest of us have real names,” Penny said.
Daisy hid a grin. Their parents had been hippies in the seventies and had simply decided there was no reason to ever change.
As a result, Rosie and Daisy had enjoyed a laidback childhood which, Daisy guessed, was probably why Rosie had rebelled by becoming what their mother deemed ‘mainstream’.
She also knew that she was more like her mother than Rosie was. Whereas her older sister lived in a uniform of starchy shirts and well-designed, utterly boring trousers, Daisy had inherited Miriam’s love of colourful, vintage clothes.
Miriam chuckled at Penny’s remark, before turning to her eldest daughter.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do in September, Rosie?”
Rosie seemed to stiffen. “Not yet, Mum.”
Daisy shot them a confused look, and Miriam sighed. “Rosie’s five-year career break will be up then. She could go back to work as a physiotherapist.”
“Occupational therapist,” Rosie corrected, and Miriam gave a knowing smile.
“Exactly. You’re doing a wonderful job at home, loveen, but you don’t want to waste all those years of study. Not when you could be doing so much to help. Sure, isn’t there a fierce shortage of people qualified in your field?”
Daisy always found it strange that their own mother had stayed at home to paint but had strongly encouraged that both of them pursue ‘proper’ careers. Although Miriam always insisted that she was creative, and her painting was more than a hobby. In fairness to her mum, shehadsold a few of her paintings down the years, mainly to some of the local businesses, who liked to be seen to support one of their own.
Daisy just hoped she didn’t try to sell her latest project: a life-sized, nude self-portrait.
“I really haven’t decided anything yet.” Rosie looked over at Ben. “Ben, don’t eat so fast.” She turned back to her mother. “I’ve four children, I’m on two parent associations,andI’m chairperson of the Tidy Towns committee. I’m busy enough.”
“Maybe for now,” Miriam said. “All I’m saying is be careful before you completely throw away a career. It might suit you at the moment to be at home, but you’ve a great brain and it won’t be too easy if you want to get back in another few years. For a start, your age might go against you.”
