The Mothers' Group (7 page)

The kettle in the kitchen began to whistle.

‘Better take that off the stove,' said Daniel, rolling out of bed. ‘Don't want the house burning down.'

Ginie listened to him walk down the hall, muffled voices in the kitchen. Rose squawked, impatient for milk.

After several minutes, Daniel popped his head around the bedroom door.

‘Hey, why don't you go down to the beach for a jog?' he said. ‘Nicole's got it all under control here. Clear your head.'

Ginie smiled, grateful.

‘Is anyone else getting up five times a night?' Pippa's tone was flat. Heidi lay sleeping beneath the sun-proof canopy in which her pram was permanently covered.

Ginie glanced sideways at Pippa. She often had an unwashed look about her, but today was worse than usual. Her oily hair was uncombed, and her chin was dotted with small red spots. In fact, Ginie swore she could detect an odd, stale smell about her. Ginie shifted in her seat, edging ever so slightly away from Pippa. Whenever she could, Ginie always tried to sit next to Cara or Miranda. But she'd arrived late today, and she'd had no choice. Now she was marooned between Pippa and Suzie, the women she liked least in the group.

‘Heidi's more than three months old,' continued Pippa. ‘All the books say she should be waking up no more than twice a night. But sometimes she wakes five, even six times. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.' Her eyes darted in Cara's direction.

‘Oh, don't be too hard on yourself,' said Cara, her tone sympathetic. She brushed her honey-coloured fringe out of her eyes and rocked Astrid's pram with the other hand. ‘Astrid wakes
at least
three times a night and disturbs poor Richard, who has to go to work the next morning. So I just keep pulling my boobs out to
make
her quiet. I wonder what the books would say about
that
?'

Everyone laughed, even Pippa. But that was Cara, Ginie thought. Always putting the group at ease.

Apart from Cara, Ginie felt most drawn to Miranda. She'd had a successful career in arts management before Rory arrived, and her husband worked in finance. Ginie had seen their house, perched on the southern cliffs of Freshwater beach, and was struck by how similar it was to her own. Architecturally elegant, a simple rectangular prism with a slatted facade, oriented to a dramatic waterfront view. They were clearly aesthetes, moving in social circles similar to hers. And despite being permanently tired, Miranda always managed to look stunning. Her long limbs, pixie ears and intense green eyes gave her an otherworldly quality that drew the eye.

As for the others in the group, Ginie often struggled to make conversation. For starters, she could never tell if Made understood her properly, so she'd given up trying. And when Made had revealed her age—just twenty-two years old—Ginie couldn't quite believe it. Under no other circumstances, apart from this mothers' group, could she imagine socialising with an Indonesian woman almost twenty years her junior.

Suzie, on the other hand, was just plain irritating. She wore long earrings that jangled and figure-hugging clothes in psychedelic colours, inevitably overemphasising her curvaceous figure. If I had a bum like that, Ginie had thought on more than one occasion, I wouldn't be wrapping it in bright green batik. And she didn't know when to stop talking, often hijacking the group's conversation with inanities. Last week, it had been a ten-minute tirade on the benefits of pawpaw ointment: it was all Ginie could do not to yawn.

As for Pippa, Ginie couldn't work her out. She was educated, with a degree in psychology, but always seemed so prickly and uptight. She was thin-lipped, pale and never laughed out loud. Ginie had tried to engage her on several occasions, but Pippa had never kept the conversation going. It was like having an undertaker in the group, Ginie thought, solemn and lingering at the edges.

Cara looked at Pippa. ‘If the night waking's getting to you, maybe you should take a break. Do you have any family nearby?' she asked. ‘Someone who could take Heidi during the day, maybe?'

Pippa shook her head. ‘My parents are frail, I couldn't leave Heidi with them. Robert's parents are pretty much unavailable. He's the youngest of seven kids, so they're always busy with everyone else's children.'

‘Maybe you should consider a nanny?' Ginie suggested. ‘It's made such a difference to me. If Rose cries in the middle of the night, the nanny handles it. When I'm at work, I know she's in safe hands. Don't get me wrong, Daniel's great. But you know what men are like. They're just not as thorough.'

Pippa didn't meet her gaze. ‘We can't afford it.'

Ginie said nothing. It was hard not to feel superior. No one else in the group had been as proactive in getting hired help, and now they were all sleep-deprived. Except for Suzie, who claimed she was getting ten hours a night by co-sleeping with Freya. Which only served to confirm how crazy she was.

‘So the nanny's working out for you then, Ginie?' asked Miranda, leaning forward to check on Digby, who was worming his way under a nearby table.

‘Absolutely,' she replied. ‘We're going away together next weekend. I couldn't bring myself to leave Rose behind, so we're taking Nicole along to babysit.' Ginie glanced about the table, trying to contain her glee. ‘It was Daniel's idea, actually. It'll be the first time we've had a whole night to ourselves since Rose was born.'

‘Oh, lucky you,' said Cara, her smile wistful.

Suzie pushed her blonde curls behind her ears. It was another grating habit of hers. ‘Gosh, I wouldn't be
brave
enough to leave Freya alone with someone I didn't really
know
,' she said, all wide-eyed and earnest.

Ginie bristled. Over the past two months of mothers' group meetings, her initial lack of interest in Suzie had morphed into active dislike. She was always mouthing some platitude about positive parenting, or trying to save the world one eco-nappy at a time.

‘Nicole's a professional with nursing qualifications,' said Ginie, her tone even. ‘She's more equipped to look after babies than anyone else I know.'

Suzie pursed her lips. ‘But Nicole hasn't had any children of her
own
, has she?'

Ginie could feel the anger rising, constricting her chest.
We're not all
hand-holding hippies like you
, she wanted to say. Instead, she drained the last of her skinny latte. ‘Well, she's done a great job of looking after Rose so far. She's worth her weight in gold.'

‘Oh, that's good to hear.' Suzie's smile was beatific. ‘Because I can't imagine how
awful
you must feel, leaving Rose every morning.'

Ginie blinked. The truth of Suzie's words stung. The first day she'd returned to the office, leaving Rose in Nicole's arms, she'd cried all the way to work. She'd been forced to redo her makeup in the car park and talk sternly to herself.
It's all for the best. I'm doing the right thing. Daniel's there
for Rose too.
Later that night, she'd returned home and scooped up Rose, hugging the baby so tightly that she'd squealed her objection. Nicole had politely suggested that, in future, Ginie refrain from texting her quite
so
much in one day.

Ginie glared at Suzie, seething. Then she lowered her head and pretended to check her iPhone.

The awkward silence was broken by Astrid, who suddenly farted loudly on Cara's lap.

‘Oh, lovely,' said Cara, rubbing Astrid's back. ‘What a delicate little flower you are.'

Cara had a knack for defusing tension.

They went to the Central Coast for the weekend. Ginie organised everything online—two apartments, each with a laundry and kitchenette. The resort-style complex was set in rainforest hinterland, and had a heated pool, sauna and tennis court.

Nicole gave them all the privacy they needed, entertaining Rose in her room or by the pool. Precisely the conditions they needed for sex, Ginie thought. But when they'd arrived on the Friday night, they'd just collapsed on a couch and watched a DVD. Months ago, it would have worried her. But now she was secretly relieved.

‘Nicole's amazing,' said Ginie as they lazed by the pool on the Saturday afternoon.

Nicole had purchased a pink polka-dotted swimming costume for Rose and was wading with her in the pool. Ginie only wished
she'd
thought of buying it.

Rose gurgled with delight as her feet skimmed the surface. ‘Rose is becoming so much more interactive now, isn't she?' Ginie remarked.

‘Mmm,' said Daniel. He was lying on a banana lounge in board shorts and black sunglasses, a sheaf of papers stacked next to him. He was supposed to be working on his novel, but he sounded half asleep. ‘Makes me want to have another one.'

‘Another weekend away?'

‘Another baby, bozo.'

Ginie flinched. This was the second time in as many months that Daniel had raised the prospect of having another child. They'd talked about it at length the first time, with Daniel admitting that his desire was based, mostly, on his experience of losing his parents.

‘I just don't ever want to leave Rose alone in the world, without a sibling,' he'd argued. ‘It's not fair to have just one child, if you can have more.'

It had taken all of Ginie's powers of persuasion to convince him to defer the discussion. But she resented having to revisit it again so soon, on their weekend away.

‘You
know
we can't consider another baby yet,' she reminded him. ‘Not in the current climate. We don't know when this financial crisis will end. Look at Jonathan.'

It was her trump card. Only last week, her brother had been forced into voluntary redundancy, along with thousands of other workers in the finance and investment industries globally. The flow-on effect was becoming evident across all professional services, especially legal and accounting firms, even in Australia. Coombes Taylor Watson was the quietest it had been in years. If
she
was made redundant, they would lose their home, their lifestyle.

‘But I'm happy to consider it when the crisis is over,' she added. ‘When we're on a firmer financial footing.'

‘That's if you're still, you know . . .' Daniel trailed off.

She knew exactly what he was referring to: her age.

She flicked through the pages of her book, trying to suppress her irritation. She'd hoped to rekindle their sexual spark, but this conversation was an instant turn-off. It was all very well for
him
to hanker after another child so soon after the first. But
she
was the one who'd have to put her body through another pregnancy and deal with the career disruption. Not to mention the effect it might have on their relationship. Why did he want to complicate things so quickly after their first?

She'd had enough of this discussion.

‘I'll go over and give Nicole a break.' She nodded towards the pool.

‘No, I'll go,' said Daniel, sitting up and stretching. ‘You've had a busy week.'

He picked up the pile of papers next to him. ‘Maybe you could have a read of this? I've almost finished. Dominic reckons it's ready for submission. He's talking an advance of ten, maybe fifteen thousand. Publication in May or June of next year, if we're lucky.'

Ginie sighed. ‘Can't Dominic do any better?'

Her only meeting with Dominic had left her wary of literary agents. Too much talk and not enough action, as far as she was concerned.

Daniel looked wounded. ‘Dominic works hard. He knows a lot of people in publishing. He's the best chance I've got. No one makes any money out of writing, you know. Unless you're J.K. Rowling.' He stuffed the manuscript under the banana lounge.

‘Look, I'll just finish this chapter.' She waved a copy of
Eat, Pray, Love
in his direction. ‘I'm doing the hard yards here. For the mothers' group book club, remember? Then I'll start on your novel, I promise.'

Daniel shrugged.

She reached over and touched his face, a conciliatory gesture. ‘It's good to get away with you.'

He stood up and tightened the drawstring of his board shorts. ‘I'll go keep the nanny happy.'

He ran towards the pool.

‘Rosie,' he yelled, spraying Nicole with water as he jumped in.

She laughed and splashed water back in his direction.

Nicole could lose some weight, Ginie thought.

Daniel held out his arms and Nicole passed Rose to him, fussing over her rash vest and hat. She clearly wasn't going to let Rose out of her sight, even in Daniel's presence. Ginie found this extremely reassuring.

We'll definitely do this again, Ginie decided. A few more trips like this and we'll be back on track.

She closed her eyes, resting her book on her lap. She felt as if she might sleep for days.

Ginie grimaced at the sign on the door, penned in Pat's girlish handwriting:
Fathers and Partners—Welcome!

‘This could be gauche,' she whispered as they pushed the glass door open.

‘It's okay,' Daniel whispered back. ‘I chose to be here, remember?'

For a moment, she saw what the others would see as Daniel walked into the room.

Tall and muscular, handsome in a dishevelled kind of way. He grinned at her, that mischievous smirk of his, and her stomach fluttered. He could still do that to her, even now.

Suddenly she felt so much better about the upcoming session, which she'd been dreading. She was sick of Pat and her solicitous advice, however well-intentioned it might be. She smiled to herself to admit it, but she much preferred the group's informal meetings at Beachcombers on Friday mornings.

‘Hello!' called Pat, all teeth and clipboard as usual. ‘Ginie and . . . ?'

‘Daniel,' he replied, grinning as if she was a long-lost friend.

Pat cocked her head. ‘I've seen you before, haven't I?'