32. Louise

Sophie bustled around the kitchen making us all coffee and offering us healthy snacks. Clara was in the playroom watching a movie.

Julie wrinkled her nose as she took a bite of one of Sophie’s energy balls. ‘It tastes like dust and cardboard smushed together with a bit of peanut butter.’

‘They’re healthy and good for you,’ Sophie told her.

‘Do you eat these, Jess?’ Julie asked.

‘No way!’ Jess shook her head.

‘Any chocolate biccies in the cupboard?’ Julie asked.

Jess grinned. ‘Yes, actually. Mum has a secret stash of chocolate fingers that Robert and I raid all the time.’

Sophie smiled. ‘I noticed they were disappearing at a very fast rate.’

‘Thank God for that. I need some sugar. Harry and I were up all night bursting with excitement about the game today. I’m knackered now.’

Jess handed her a packet of biscuits.

‘How are you doing, pet?’ Julie asked.

Jess blushed. ‘I’m okay, thanks to you all having my back. Thanks again, Louise. Mum said you were unreal. I’m sorry that, well –’

‘Hey,’ I cut across her, ‘you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. You made a little mistake. We’ve all made them. Unfortunately yours was with a complete jerk. But he won’t be bothering you again.’

Sophie tucked Jess’s hair behind her ear. ‘Are you sure about going to the match today?’

‘Don’t do anything you don’t feel up to. But if you do come, you know we’re all there to protect you,’ Julie added.

Jess looked at her mum. ‘I want to go. I have to face him sometime and you’ll all be around me.’

Sophie gave her a side-hug. ‘We’ll be a force field around you. I’m very proud of how you’re handling this.’

‘We all are. You’re a fantastic girl,’ Julie said.

‘Hear hear,’ I agreed. My phone pinged: a WhatsApp from Zo?. She only left voice notes because she was too lazy to type. I found them very passive-aggressive. ‘This should be good. Listen to the crap I have to deal with every day.’ I pressed play.

‘Hey, Louise, so I just had a falafel sandwich from Pret and I feel really sick. Like, I’m dying here. So, I’m going to head home. I know you wanted me to finish that PowerPoint presentation for you but, like, I really think I’m going to throw up. I’ll do it tomorrow, if I’m feeling better. Have a great day.’

‘Wow, she sounds very perky for someone who’s dying,’ Sophie noted.

‘This is the crap I have to put up with all the time. I really can’t take much more.’

‘Surely you can fire her,’ Julie said.

‘I told you, she’s Walter’s goddaughter and he dotes on her. You should see her with him – she plays him like a fiddle. Why are sixty-year-old men so bloody stupid?’

‘How long more is she going to be with you?’ Julie asked.

‘Her internship is up in three months.’

‘Don’t let her get under your skin so much. Try to block her out. The end is in sight,’ Sophie said.

‘It’s a pain when I have to go over all the work I give her because she’s so useless and unreliable. It makes my job even harder.’

‘I’m good with PowerPoint. I could help you,’ Jess offered.

‘You’re so sweet, but I’ll figure it out. Thanks, though. Any word from Pippa? Her rehab ends this weekend, right?’ I wanted to change the subject. Thinking about Zo? raised my blood pressure.

Sophie nodded. ‘Yes. Jack says she seems to be sober on the phone and determined to get her life back on track. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I hope so, for Robert’s sake. He misses her.’

‘I hope so for your sake. It’s not easy for you either,’ I noted.

‘He’s a sweet kid and Jess has been amazing with him, but it does mean I have to do a lot of juggling.’

‘I think stepkids are a blessing. Honestly, I love Christelle so much. She just slotted into our family so easily that I couldn’t imagine anything different.’

Sophie bristled. ‘It’s different for me, Julie. Christelle was an adult when you met her, a well-adjusted, self-sufficient, independent young woman. She was amazing with the triplets and Tom. She enhanced your life. Robert is a little boy who is really upset about not seeing his mum and, judging by what we saw that day in the apartment, I’d say Pippa’s neglected him. He acts up a fair bit, which is understandable, but he needs a lot of mothering and minding. It’s a completely different situation from yours, and if Pippa doesn’t stay sober, I could end up raising him full-time. I love him, but it’s not always easy.’

‘I’ll help you more, Mum, I promise,’ Jess said.

‘You’re a huge help already, sweetheart.’

Sophie was right. Her situation was vastly different from Julie’s. Robert was a lovely kid, but he was very young and needy. You could see he was affected by having an absent mother.

Julie backed down immediately. She clearly did not want another argument with Sophie. ‘You’re right, it’s not the same. I think Robert is very lucky to have you. I hope Jack appreciates it.’

‘Dad thinks Mum’s amazing with Robert. He’s always saying so to her.’ Jess jumped in to defend her dad.

‘Good, because she is,’ I said.

We heard a baby roaring.

‘Gavin’s here.’ Julie giggled.

Gavin came into the kitchen with a howling Lemon, her little face all scrunched up. ‘I need to feed her.’ Gavin reached down for his hemp bag, which looked like something you fed horses from, and pulled out an odd-looking bottle.

‘What’s that?’ I asked.

‘It’s a biodegradable baby bottle from this new company.’

‘Is it made of cardboard?’ Sophie looked shocked.

‘Some kind of cardboard, yeah. Remember my friend Forest?’

We all burst out laughing.

‘Who’s Forest?’ Jess asked.

‘Forest, a.k.a. Brendan Smith, was Gavin’s friend from our baby brother’s brief stint as an eco-warrior. Gavin brought Forest home for dinner one time and he smelt so bad Mum got the air freshener out and sprayed all around his chair.’

We cracked up at the memory of Forest drowned in lavender-scented Glade.

‘His smell lives on in our noses.’ Julie chuckled.

‘I mean, surely eco-warriors are allowed to use soap?’ I added.

Gavin began to pour milk from a carton into the cardboardy bottle.

‘Ha-ha. Anyway, Forest has started this company that makes really sustainable, biodegradable, climate-friendly stuff.’

We watched as the milk began to seep out of the bottom of the soggy bottle. Lemon roared to be fed.

‘Mmm. Forest may need to rethink his new career.’ I pointed to the milk dripping all over Sophie’s countertop.

‘Does he have a plan B?’ Julie giggled.

‘Gavin!’ Sophie got a cloth to wipe the spilled milk.

‘For fuck sake,’ Gavin hissed as Lemon tried, in vain, to suck the milk down from the soggy teat.

‘Jesus, will you give the poor child a proper bottle before she has a complete meltdown?’ I ordered him.

‘Fine.’ He put the bottle down and handed a very cross Lemon to Julie, who cooed at her, while he rummaged around in his hairy bag. He pulled out a regular baby bottle. ‘Shania made me pack this, just in case.’

‘Shania is the best thing that ever happened to you,’ Sophie remarked.

‘I know,’ Gavin agreed. He poured the remaining milk into the new bottle and held the teat to Lemon’s lips. She guzzled it, making happy baby grunting and sucking noises.

We were enjoying the peace when we heard loud thumping on the kitchen door. ‘JULIE!’

We all jumped. Harry was standing outside the kitchen door, red-faced. ‘We need to go! This is a very big day for our sons.’

‘Hi, Harry, how are the nerves?’ Sophie opened the door.

‘Not good. I’ve been awake since three a.m.’ Harry rubbed his eyes. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous.’

‘Don’t worry, Harry. With Liam back on the team they’ll be unbeatable,’ Jess said.

‘That’s sweet of you to say, Jess. I hope so, but the opposition are strong. Their out-half has a ninety per cent kicking success rate.’

‘You’ve lost me now, Harry.’ Sophie laughed.

‘Harry, the boys have done you and all of us proud, no matter what happens today,’ Gavin said. ‘And as far as I’m concerned, you’re a legend for having raised triplets. I’m struggling with one kid.’

Harry patted Gavin on the back. ‘It’s not easy, mate, but you’re doing a great job. It does get easier.’

‘I don’t know. I think it gets harder,’ Sophie said.

‘Me too,’ I added.

‘Jeez, thanks, sisters, kick a guy while he’s down.’

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, you have a beautiful, healthy child and a wife who is taking over the global fake-tan market. Stop moaning.’ I refused to indulge his whinging.

‘No wonder you’re having problems with your intern if you talk to her like that.’ Gavin held Lemon on his shoulder and burped her.

‘Oh, please, I can’t look at Zo? sideways without her mental health being affected when really she’s as tough as old boots underneath her snowflake bullshit.’

‘Much as I’d love to stay and debate how Louise handles her minions at work, I’d like to be on time to see my sons play in the most important match of their lives.’ Harry rattled his car keys. ‘Julie, will you for the love of God get into the car?’

‘Keep your hair on. We’re not going to be late.’ Julie grabbed her woolly hat and scarf and the cashmere coat Sophie had made her buy. As ‘mother of the captains’, Sophie had told her, she had to look respectable and her old puffer jacket was not suitable. I agreed completely.

We all left, me to the office with Clara in tow, while the rest of my family piled into Harry’s huge seven-seater car and headed off to the big match. To be honest, I was glad of the excuse not to go, I found rugby boring, plus it was cold and windy. Besides, I now had that bloody PowerPoint to add to my never-ending list of things to do.