Page 25 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
Daisy shifted uncomfortably at the table. Laura and Brian had married at just twenty-four, the same year her relationship with Matt had ended.
The timing had been terrible, and Laura had even offered to delay the wedding, but Daisy had known how unrealistic that was. The hardest thing she’d had to do was to be there as Laura’s bridesmaid, without Matt. But she’d done it. And, somehow, she’d moved on.
Miriam poured herself a second glass of wine, took a large gulp and swirled it around her mouth before swallowing.
“Do you think they’ll have their own chicks?” she said.
“Ah, Mum, I don’t know,” said Daisy. “Maybe not.” Laura had never hinted that she and Brian were trying, nor had she shown the slightest interest in children.
Miriam gave a thoughtful nod. “Well, if I were her, I’d be getting my eggs checked.”
“Jesus, Mum,” Rosie muttered.
“And what about you and James? Miriam continued. “Pity he couldn’t stay, by the way. Anyway, no harm in getting yours checked too, Daisy flower.”
“Checked?” Daisy echoed.
“Maybe get some frozen. I went into menopause at thirty-seven, remember? I was always fierce sorry not to have any more chicks.”
Miriam gave her husband a wistful smile, as Séan went bright red, and all four children gave her confused looks.
Finally, Penny spoke up. “Does your friend keep chickens too, Daisy?”
Daisy smiled brightly at her. “She does, Penny. Lots of them.”
“So, what’s really going on?” Rosie asked, as she drove Daisy to the train station later that afternoon.
Daisy glanced across. “How do you mean?”
“With you, Daisy. You were pretty quiet at the table. You don’t seem yourself. You and Mum are usually giggling away about something when you come down.” When Daisy said nothing, she added more gently, “Is it James?”
Daisy felt her chest tighten. After the hurtful remarks Rosie had made the day before about her weight, the last thing Daisy wanted was to admit she was upset with James. She wished he’d stayed the night. They could have gone out for dinner in Galway city and had a few cocktails – maybe even caught a session in one of the pubs – before getting a late taxi back to her parents’ house. They were young, and they’d no kids to tie them down, but in the last year – two if she were being honest – the passion and the romance had almost completely disappeared. She was pretty sure that wasn’t normal after five years together. But they seemed stuck.
She’d always thought it was only married couples who found themselves stuck. People who’d been married for years, maybe. Or couples with kids, who were so stressed by parenting and holding everything together at home, as well as hanging onto their jobs, that they hardly had time for each other. But Rosie and Séan seemed happy, even if Rosie was a bit of a dose sometimes.
She’d thought she and James were happy too.
Buying the house together had felt like a real commitment. The only downside had been having to rent out the spare room, and they’d assured each other it would only be short term. But Alma had been living with them for what felt like forever, and their little home – that she’d so carefully designed and decorated – felt more like a student house share. One where she felt she didn’t belong.
“It just feels weird being down two weekends in a row.” Daisy took refuge behind the half-truth, and tried not to think about James driving back home to Alma.
Whoreallyknew what anyone would do, she wondered. James seemed ... stressed. Which was probably why he was taking refuge in computer games all the time. Or maybe he was just bored.
Had Matt become bored with her too? And if Matt could leave, why not James? She couldn’t risk missing the signs again!
“Daisy?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?”
Rosie looked so concerned that Daisy found herself caving. She might as well tell Rosie the truth now – she had a habit of extracting information one way or another.
“Matt’s home.”
The car swerved slightly, as Rosie took a moment to right the wheel. “Your Matt?”
“He’s notmyMatt! He hasn’t been my Matt in a long time.” Daisy looked over at Rosie. “Don’t tell Mum and Dad. They claim to be pacifists, but I wouldn’t put it past Dad to hire a hitman.”
