Page 20 of Ask Another Day

‘Happy to, me and your brother are looking forward to the party,’ Hannah said as she pulled her denim jacket tighter, fending off the March chill. The sun was lovely after the dreary skies they’d had lately, but it was still cold.

‘How are the wedding plans coming on?’ Holly asked, interested to know the answer. Hannah and Luke were getting married in a few months, but both seemed so chilled about it all. Holly was certain there was supposed to be more stress involved with planning a wedding.

‘Good,’ she replied with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Holly knew the lack of stress was in large part due to the size of their wedding - it was just for friends and immediate family, at St Stephen’s church in the Bay and then food and drinks at their parents’ pub afterwards. Holly had hoped for a more extravagant affair, but she knew deep down that wasn’t their style. Hannah wasn’t even having bridesmaids - something that bothered Holly greatly. She was nearly 21, and was yet to be a bridesmaid. At primary school, she’d been so jealous of her friends when they’d come into school with the photos of themselves in that coveted role. One friend had even been allowed to bring the bride’s bouquet in for Show and Tell when they were all in Year 2. Of all the memories Holly had forgotten over the years, all the things she’d been taught in school had slipped away, that memory of Sarah Mayhew proudly holding a bouquet of cream and pink roses and telling the whole class, in minute detail about her day as a bridesmaid, was locked in tight as a core memory.

The Loxley extended family was a small one, with both of her parents only children, so her younger self had never got the opportunity to play that precious role in a wedding. And now, a cast iron chance was being taken from her. Luke, fed up with Holly’s moaning, had barred her from talking to him about this topic, but he hadn’t specifically said she couldn’t speak to Hannah. And it was this thought that prompted her next question.

‘Are you sure you don’t want a bridesmaid?’

‘I’m sorry, Holly, we want as simple a wedding as possible,’ Hannah winced, ‘I know you’re disappointed.’

‘It’s fine,’ she lied. ‘What about the reception then, are you sure you want to have it at our pub?

Hannah laughed, ‘Your dad would never forgive us if we changed venues now. And besides, I can’t think of anywhere more perfect than the place I fell in love with your brother.’

‘They’d get over it - especially once you’ve given them a grandchild,’ Holly ploughed on, resisting the urge to fake retch at such a soppy turn in the conversation. She wasn’t quite sure how much she could tease Hannah yet. And then she noticed it. A slight, but clear flush to Hannah’s face.

‘Hannah,’ there was a warning tone to Holly’s voice now, ‘is there something you need to tell me?’

Now Holly thought about it, they had planned this wedding very quickly.

‘No. No,’ she repeated more firmly at seeing Holly’s scepticism. ‘We thought I was pregnant, in the summer,’ she clarified, ‘but I wasn’t. It did make us realise we wouldn’t have minded though. So it seemed like a sign to make an honest man out of Luke.’

‘I still don’t get what you see in him,’ Holly teased. ‘He’s nearly always covered in grease, and he’s so grumpy.’

As if being summoned by her words, as they turned the corner, Holly spotted her brother walking towards them.

‘All done?’ he asked, before pulling Hannah in for a quick kiss.

‘Eugh, please!’ Holly groaned, ‘I’d like to keep my breakfast down, thank you very much.’

Luke shook his head, and then looking his sister squarely in the eyes, went to kiss his fiancée again. Hannah dodged him though.

‘Come on, Luke. Don’t annoy her.’

‘But it’s so easy to annoy her. It’s one of my little pleasures in life - seeing how cranky she gets.’

‘I’m only cranky, when I have to witness you two slobbering all over each other.’

‘Slobbering? If guys are slobbering on you, Holly, they aren’t doing it right.’

‘Na na na na na na, not listening,’ she trilled out with her fingers in her ears, ‘I am NOT taking kissing advice from you.’

‘Leave her be, Luke,’ Hannah laughed, as she grabbed his hand and tugged him back the way he’d come to his car parked up the street.

Holly watched them walk ahead, and for all her teasing, it made her heart swell just a little to see them both so happy. Luke and Hannah had always felt inevitable. Holly struggled to remember a time they weren’t together. Her brother could be the most annoying human being in the room, but she knew at his core he was also one of the best people she knew. The knowledge that they’d found each other, warmed her soul and gave her hope in her own happily ever after.

Chapter 7

Focus and Seek Your Answer Another Time

The end of May brought Holly’s sixth swimming lesson. A lesson that came at the end of a week with Natalie’s nursery being closed for half term. This would usually have brought a level of stress and worry Holly had always found hard to contend with. When she’d first had to ask people to help her out, she’d hated it. But now? Now, it was a necessity she couldn’t escape. Luke was her de facto childcare when the nursery was closed, and although she had been ready to drop Natalie off at the garage, Seb had offered first. He’d requested leave as Danny was home for the week. Danny loved Natalie, and the feeling was mutual. When Natalie heard there was the option of spending the week with Seb and Danny, she’d leapt at the chance - not allowing any alternative arrangements.

Unbeknownst to Holly, Danny had a new piece of equipment. After their first day together this had exponentially added to Natalie’s enjoyment of spending the rest of the week with him. A charity donation had equipped Danny with an Eye Gaze, and he’d been showing off his skills at every opportunity. With just the use of his eyes, he could now speak. And his new favourite word was shit. Once Natalie had discovered it wasn’t a word she should be saying, she’d squeal with delight every time he said it… which made him say it more. Instead of being annoyed at this casual use of profanity around her daughter, Holly had reveled in it. Natalie was old enough to understand some words were ones adults said, and she thankfully wasn’t repeating it. And Holly loved that Danny could say the words he wanted to say now, instead of choosing what people offered him to say.

This morning, Natalie was all set to spend the day with Rose though. She had, however, very apologetically cancelled at the last minute. Luke had wanted to take her somewhere, and Holly had understood; she didn’t want her daughter getting in their way of their time together. When Rose had messaged Holly in the early hours of the morning with the news, she had been prepared to cancel the swimming lesson. Eleanor, her back up baby sitter was feeling the effects of a nasty cold, so she wasn’t a viable option. And Seb had been looking after Natalie all week, so Holly couldn’t ask him again. But someone, and Holly highly suspected this was Rose, must have been keeping him in the loop. As she was typing out a message to Owen, her phone vibrated in her hand with a text from Seb. And like he always seemed to do, he stepped in to help her out.