Or else comforting his wife. Her mind, which clearly couldn’t stop dwelling on Joe, conjured up that cosy scenario despite her determination not to go there. ‘That’s right,’ she agreed, sighing inwardly.
Ringing the doorbell, she pulled herself up. This was Ollie’s day, and she was going to be cheerful for his sake. After what Steve had told her about Laura, she felt she could relax a little more around her, which was some weight off her mind.
‘Hi,’ she said, her smile back in place as Laura opened the front door. She was a little taken aback, though, when she noted Laura’s pallid complexion. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked. ‘You look a bit pale.’ She actually looked quite poorly. Also tearful, disconcertingly.
‘Yes. Sorry.’ Appearing to shake herself, Laura smiled and stepped back to allow her in. ‘My mother’s here, being her usual charming self,’ she said, as Sarah glanced past her up the hall.
‘Ah.’ Sarah nodded, understanding, as Laura indicated the kitchen with a despairing roll of her eyes. ‘I gathered you two were having a few problems when she first, um …’
‘Invited herself in?’ Laura finished, evidently guessing that Sarah had drawn her own conclusions about her mother’s bolshie behaviour. ‘We are. More than a few, I’m afraid.’ She sighed despondently, then bent to address Ollie. ‘Hello, birthday boy,’ she said more brightly, beaming him a smile. ‘Are you looking forward to your garden party?’
‘Yes,’ Ollie assured her, remembering his manners, bless him. His hesitant expression, though, told Sarah he wasn’t quite sure what a garden party was. ‘Is Lucas coming?’ he asked.
‘The little boy next door,’ Laura elucidated for Sarah’s benefit. ‘He is,’ she said to Ollie. ‘He’s looking forward to playing on your lovely new garden toys with you.’
More new toys? Sarah arched an eyebrow. Laura missed it, her attention diverted as Steve appeared from the kitchen. ‘Hiya, mate.’ He gave Ollie a wink and a smile. ‘Ready to get this party started?’
‘Yes!’ Ollie bolted delightedly in his direction.
‘Urgh.’ Groaning theatrically, Steve swept him up into his arms. ‘You’re growing so fast I can hardly lift you.’
‘That’s ’cos I’m a year bigger,’ Ollie informed him importantly.
‘You certainly are.’ Steve laughed, turning back to the kitchen.
‘Don’t forget his sunscreen,’ Laura called after him.
Steve glanced back over his shoulder. ‘I won’t,’ he said, unsmiling. Sarah couldn’t help noticing that Laura’s face seemed to be set in a scowl as she glanced after him. It looked as if they might have had words. She immediately felt bad. She hoped it was nothing to do with her seeming to be interfering in their lives.
She was surprised when, hanging back in the hall as Steve headed off, Laura confided in her. ‘I found them talking about me,’ she said, her expression somewhere between embarrassed and furious. ‘Sherry and Steve. I came down from upstairs and heard them colluding together.’
‘Colluding?’ Sarah blinked at her. Steve wasn’t the secretive sort. He’d certainly never been the sort of man who condoned gossip, and would actively avoid a particular mutual friend who loved nothing better than to rubbish other people.
‘Well, maybe not colluding so much as arguing.’ Laura smiled half-heartedly.
Sarah looked at her askance. ‘What on earth about?’
Laura hesitated. ‘You know I sleepwalk?’
‘Yes. Steve did mention it,’ Sarah said, feeling uncomfortable as she realised that she was confessing to colluding behind Laura’s back too.
Laura’s smile was wry. ‘I guessed he might have.’ She took a breath. ‘They were discussing whether I should have therapy, because of my sleepwalking and my stress levels generally. Steve was for. Sherry was against. Suffice to say they didn’t bother to ask what my thoughts were, which is why I’m a bit miffed.’
Hell. Now Sarah could see why they’d had words. Steve meant well, she was sure, but he really should have known better than to be discussing something so personal with Laura’s mother. And her mother should surely have thought twice before having such a conversation in earshot of her daughter. But then from the way she’d heard the woman talking to Laura, she wasn’t surprised to hear she’d been talking about her. Somehow Sarah felt that tact wasn’t high on her list of attributes.
‘The thing is …’ Laura faltered. ‘You know about my brother?’ she asked, that look in her eyes that put Sarah in mind of a frightened kitten.
‘Yes. Steve told me about that too,’ she admitted, her heart wrenching for her. ‘I’m so very sorry, Laura. That must have been awful for you.’
‘It was.’ Laura’s gaze flicked down and back. ‘I had therapy back then, after J-J-Jacob …’ She stopped, breathing deeply and squeezing her eyes closed.
Sarah waited, allowing her some time.
‘I had the lot,’ Laura went on, more composed after a second. ‘Psychotherapy, counselling, speech therapy – which helped, as you might have gathered.’ She laughed self-deprecatingly. ‘It couldn’t bring him back, though, could it? Could never take the pain away. I don’t think I’ll ever stop having nightmares, however much I’d like to stop inconveniencing others.’
Did Steve imply she was inconveniencing him? Sarah couldn’t quite believe that. He’d been upset for Laura when he’d spoken to her, not for himself.
‘I can’t change who I am, Sarah.’ Laura looked so downcast, Sarah felt dreadful for her.
‘Oh Laura, I’m sure Steve didn’t mean—’ she started, only to be interrupted.
‘Laura? Do hurry up, darling,’ her mother shouted through from the kitchen. ‘Steve’s doing a marvellous juggling act out here, but he does only have one pair of hands.’
Sarah’s mouth dropped open. Did the woman not realise how intimidating she sounded? And Laura was intimidated, it was clear. She looked like a woman who wanted to disappear inside herself.
‘Talk of the devil and she shall appear,’ she joked wanly, then visibly braced herself and headed off to obey her mother’s command.
What an absolute cow the woman was. Aware of what she had gone through – Sarah couldn’t imagine how anyone would survive losing a child – she felt bad for thinking it, but the fact was, she was unbelievable. It seemed as if she were deliberately trying to stir up trouble between Laura and Steve.
Thirty-Five
There actually weren’t that many guests: just a few neighbours, along with herself and Sherry, who seemed to be dominating the conversation with tales of her fashion assignments abroad. ‘Well, I said to Stella, that’s going to make headlines, but for all the wrong reasons,’ she was telling one of the mothers, who was doing her best to look fascinated while attempting to placate her little boy, Lucas, who was desperate for another go on the slide.
‘McCartney, and I doubt she’s ever met her, let alone talked to her,’ Laura whispered cynically as she headed past Sarah to take Lucas by the hand and lead him away. The mother smiled gratefully, but Sarah was sure she’d much rather Laura led Sherry away.