‘No way.’ Jay shook his head as he opened the carrier and carefully lifted the tarantula out. ‘Honestly? And are you sure you want me to do this? Now?’
‘Yes,’ Erin said firmly, willing herself not to feel even slightly queasy.
‘OK, but we’ll keep the door open. Feel free to run at any time. Now, Callum, what’s the problem with Tootsie?’
As Callum explained again about Tootsie’s broken leg, Erin stood back from the table beside Bella, while Jay examined the spider.
It’s a spider, Erin told herself. A humongous spider. And you’re not scared. Not at all. Not even a little bit.
Well, OK, not
that
scared.
‘Please,’ Callum whispered, ‘please don’t kill her.’
‘I’m not going to kill her, Callum,’ Jay said gently when he’d checked her over. ‘Tootsie will be absolutely fine. Look, here – do you see where the hinge of her knee joint is on her damaged leg?’
Callum nodded.
‘Well, inside there, on all her legs, there’s a little valve, and it will eventually close off, so there’s no more blood flow into the broken leg. OK so far?’
Erin had moved forwards
and was now shoulder to shoulder with Callum. Tootsie was sitting quite calmly on the table. Wow, Erin thought, I’m sharing my breathing space with a tarantula and I’m still alive!
Wow.
Callum nodded again. ‘And she isn’t in pain, like, hurting, is she?’
‘No. She’s in no pain at all. And,’ Jay said, his voice still wonderfully soothing, ‘eventually the closed valve will make sure the damaged part of her leg will drop off. Like shedding unwanted skin. Or she might even bite it off herself when it’s dead.’
‘And that’s OK, is it? It won’t hurt her? And will it grow again?’
‘Perfectly OK. And no, it won’t hurt her at all. The leg won’t grow again either, but she’ll be absolutely fine with seven and a half legs, and she’ll live happily to a ripe old age.’
‘Really?’ Callum looked wide-eyed at Jay. ‘She’s going to be OK? You’re not lying?’
‘I never lie. Tootsie is very well looked after. I know you care for her properly, and if you carrying on caring for her as you have been, she’ll live until she’s at least fifteen years old.’
Erin brushed away a happy tear.
Callum beamed as he carefully scooped up Tootsie and placed her lovingly back into her box. ‘Oh, wicked. Thank you. Thank you so much.’
‘I didn’t actually do anything much.’ Jay smiled. ‘But at least you don’t have to worry about her now, do you? Go home and get her back into her tank.’
‘I
will.’ Callum nodded. ‘You’re so cool, you two. Thanks, Erin. And you won’t tell anyone about, well, out there?’
‘Our secret.’ Erin beamed. ‘And Callum, thank you, too.’
‘What for? I didn’t do nothing.’
‘Oh, you did, believe me.’ Erin grinned. ‘I think you and Tootsie might just have changed my life. Now, do as Jay says and get her home.’
‘Yeah, cool. Thanks again. Both of you.’
Bella, trying not to laugh, left the surgery with Callum and Tootsie.
‘OK – now explain to me what exactly happened there?’ Jay pulled her into his arms. ‘Have I just witnessed some sort of miracle?’
‘Guess so,’ Erin whispered, pressing herself against him. ‘I just know I’ll not be needing that arachnophobia therapy thingy any time soon. I think I could do with some other therapy though.’
‘So could I,’ Jay said softly into her hair. ‘But aren’t we supposed to be joining my mum for lunch in the Merry Cobbler? Wasn’t that the arrangement?’
‘Mmm, it was, and it still is. But we didn’t actually fix a time, did we? And she’s with Kam and I’m sure they’ve got loads to talk about. And, ooh, yes –’ Erin grinned ‘– she said she’d spoken to Abbie at the Swan this morning, and apparently we’ve been in touch with her and made arrangements for the
mandap
. Have we?’
Jay shook his head. ‘Hell, no. Well, I certainly haven’t, and I’m guessing you haven’t either, because I sort of think you might have mentioned it to me. How very odd. Maybe Abbie was just being diplomatic.’
‘Yes, that’s what I thought. Anyway, we’ll talk to Abbie later. Let’s not mention it again to your mum because she’s currently
mandap
-happy.’
‘Fine. I’ll ring Abbie and find out what’s going on.’
‘Good idea. Just
not now. OK?’
‘Why – have you got other plans?’
‘Mmm, I might have.’
‘And are you going to share them?’ Jay nodded, kissing her. ‘Are they anything to do with how we can pass the next half an hour or so?’
Erin, now sky-high ecstatic because of Tootsie and Nalisha, curled her arms round his neck and giggled. ‘Well, you know that other therapy session we just mentioned …?’
‘Oh, no!’ Deena
gazed at Rose Boswell with ill-concealed horror. ‘Oh, no, darling. Definitely no.’
Rose giggled. ‘What’s wrong with it? Does it really look that bad? I thought it looked rather nice, actually.’
It was two days since her mum and dad had arrived in Nook Green, and Erin, perched on the edge of her parents’ double bed in Uncle Doug’s spare bedroom and watching, with Deena, her mum try on her wedding outfit, held her breath.
‘It looks, Rose, darling –’ Deena steepled her beautifully manicured fingers together ‘– frankly appalling.’
OK … Erin exhaled. Enough. Time to intervene. ‘I think appalling is a bit harsh, don’t you?’
‘Not at all, darling.’ Deena beamed. ‘Dear Rose is only going to be mother of the bride once in her life. It’d be a tragedy if she spent it looking frightful. Someone had to be kind enough to tell her.’
‘Yes, but as long as Mum likes it …’
Deena held up her hands in mock
horror. ‘No, Erin, listen to me. Please. Rose, darling, that frock and that hat are, well, awful. And those colours … they simply don’t go together, do they? They’re so wishy-washy on your skin. Everything is so faded and dull. So terribly unflattering.’
Rose Boswell laughed, and turned to look at herself in the full-length wardrobe mirror again. Erin sighed. Deena did have a point. The peach cotton dress and jacket were cheaply finished and hung badly. The washed-out blue-grey ostrich feather hat was slightly too big and smelled a bit strange.
But if her mum liked it, then she, Erin, wasn’t going to hurt her feelings. Never. Ever.
‘Mmmm, maybe you’re right.’ Rose considered her reflection. ‘Maybe it does look a little bit dreary. I thought the peach outfit would look nice and summery, but of course it’s not new and –’
‘Not
new
?’ Deena’s voice raised several octaves. ‘You mean … You mean, it’s
an old outfit
? You’re wearing
an old outfit
to your daughter’s wedding?’
‘Well, not exactly.’ Rose smiled sweetly. ‘It’s new to me.’
‘You mean …’ Deena looked as if she was going to faint. ‘You mean, it’s
second-hand
?’
‘Yes,’ Rose said brightly. ‘Most of my clothes are secondhand. I’m not really interested in clothes, as I’m sure Erin must have told you.’
Erin grinned and nodded.
‘But surely, for your
only
daughter’s
only
wedding …?’ Deena trailed away, clearly too shocked at this lack of maternal pride to continue. She looked at Erin. ‘Erin, darling, say something to your mother.’
‘Nothing to say. If Mum’s happy with that outfit, then so am I. I’m just ecstatic that she’s here for our wedding. I don’t care what she wears as long as she’s here and comfortable … and happy.’
And not interfering, she thought,
but didn’t say so.
‘Thanks, sweetheart.’ Rose smiled some more. ‘You know me so well. Honestly, Deena, I know you have my best interests at heart, but for me, an outfit like this is practically
haute couture
. I spent ages choosing it. And I’ve had it cleaned and pressed properly. And, truthfully, who’s going to be looking at me? Or you, for that matter? All eyes will be on Erin – as they should be – and she’ll be so stunning that no one will take any notice of the rest of us.’
Erin held her breath.
‘I think they might.’ Deena’s voice was ever so slightly frosty. ‘Indeed, I hope they will, because I have no intention of fading into the background. My wedding outfit is my statement of pride. My wedding outfit has been chosen to show my delight in my son’s marriage to the woman of his dreams.’
Rose smiled benignly. ‘Oh, that’s lovely. Quite poetic. I can’t quite say the same for mine, of course, but as I say, the outfit is new to me, and quite pretty. And I’ll probably get some wear out of it again. Not the hat, of course. I’ll probably leave that here when I go back to Sydney.’
Deena flapped her hands in despair. ‘But have you no idea how terrible those colours look? Both together and on you? You’re so pale-skinned and with that red-gold hair you need something to bring you to life, darling. Have you never taken advice from a colour consultant?’
Erin and Rose howled with laughter.
Deena looked affronted. ‘OK, I can see that drastic measures are called for. I’m going to have to take you shopping.’
‘Oh, please don’t. I mean,
do we have to?’ Rose said quickly. ‘I hate shopping.’
Deena looked shocked and horrified at this heresy.
Erin slid from the bed and hugged her mum. The ostrich feathers tickled her face. The hat really did smell very odd.
‘Maybe if we all went together to look for something, Mum? Three heads would be better than one. We could all go. You, me and, um …’
Erin paused. There was always this dilemma of what she should call her future mother-in-law to her face. She couldn’t call her mum – that would be too ridiculous for words – and saying ‘Jay’s mum’ sounded stilted, and Mrs Keskar was far too formal.
She tried again. ‘So, yes, why don’t we all go shopping for a new outfit together? You, me and, um, Deena?’
Deena – there, she’d said it.
Whoa, she thought, Jay is going to be soooo proud of me.
Deena beamed. ‘What a wonderful idea, Erin, darling.’
Brownie points all round, Erin thought smugly.
‘Well, maybe,’ Rose said reluctantly. ‘But we’ve only got a little over a week now before the wedding. Aren’t you going to be frantically busy with all the last minute things, Erin? And what about your work? Will Doug be able to spare you? I mean, is there going to be time to go shopping?’
‘Oh, there’s always time for shopping, darling.’ Deena clearly sensed victory. ‘And I know very well that Erin and Jay have got everything for the wedding organised perfectly. I think some retail therapy would do us all good. A nice bit of relaxation before the Big Day.’
Shopping with Deena would, Erin thought, be anything but relaxing. However, for the sake of peace and harmony and, more importantly, to stop Deena ever repeating to anyone that she’d seen Erin naked and in Jay’s bed, she’d agree to anything.
‘Well, Dad’s happy as a lark
working in the shop with Uncle Doug, so I won’t be needed there, and I haven’t got anything desperate to do for the wedding today, so I’m up for a shopping trip. But are you OK with that, Mum?’
‘Yes, actually –’ Rose still looked slightly doubtful ‘– I think I am. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Reading. Well, obviously – I’ve been out of the country for two years. Everyone says it’s changed out of all recognition. I always loved shopping in Reading.’
‘Oh, me too!’ Erin laughed in delight. ‘It’ll be like when I was little, and we’d go in on the bus and have lunch at Lewis’s and –’
‘Reading? We’re not going to Reading.’ Deena’s eyes flashed. ‘We’re off to London. In the morning.’
Erin gazed up and down Southall Broadway in
open-mouthed amazement. Surely this couldn’t be London? Well, almost-London, anyway? She’d been to London many times. With and without Jay. She’d never been to Southall Broadway.
How could this colour and crowd and noise and bustle and exotically scented Eastern-ness have been kept a secret for so long? Why had she never been here before?
Standing between Deena and Rose, she jigged with excitement.
Rose laughed at her. ‘It’s just like taking you shopping when you were a little girl, Erin. Only not in Reading. Oh, it’s so lively and different. I love it.’
‘Good.’ Deena had suddenly turned into a tour guide. ‘Now, we don’t want to waste any time, do we? So let’s just visit the shops I know will have exactly what we’re looking for.’
‘And what exactly are we looking for?’ Erin ventured, as they were bumped and jostled by the loud and colourful three-abreast crowd who all looked like they’d just stepped out of a Mumbai travelogue. ‘Do you have something in mind, Mum?
Mum
?’
‘What? Oh, I have absolutely
no idea.’ Rose was still gazing in wonder at the multiple shops, their windows all crammed with haughty Asian mannequins in vividly hued saris and sari silks draped in multicoloured swathes, and the street-vendors, cooking and selling sweet and savoury snacks, and the market traders, with their wares tumbling out on to the pavement from their stalls, and the jewellers, with simply gazillions of bangles and necklaces and earrings all glinting in the sun like a hidden treasure mountain. ‘I’m leaving it to Deena.’
Deena shook her head. ‘But you must have some idea of what might suit you?’
‘None at all,’ Rose said cheerfully. ‘Never have had. You have a blank canvas to work with, Deena. I’m in your hands. Only I suppose we shouldn’t match or clash – so you’ll be able to work out the colours … Oh, and something nice and comfy, of course. A nice elasticated waist – nothing that shows any bumps and bulges or needs me to keep sucking my tummy in.’
‘But you’ll be wearing a body-shaper, surely?’ Deena raised both her voice and her eyebrows as they scooted diagonally across the road, narrowly avoiding the non-stop traffic in one direction and the wave of shoppers in the other.
‘What’s a body-shaper?’ Rose shouted back as they leaped on to the relatively safety of the opposite pavement.
Erin could have sworn that Deena uttered a profanity.
As Rose and Deena stood side by side, Erin smiled at the contrast. Deena, looking as always groomed and elegant in her smoky-grey body-con dress – which on anyone else on a day when the temperature was in the eighties would be totally unsuitable – and matching silver-grey heels, and Rose in baggy off-white linen trousers, a droopy orange T-shirt liberally splattered with faded butterflies, and ancient ballet flats.