Fallen From Grace

The Baby Shower

Today was the day of the twin baby shower, and it was held on Saturday this week. It was a bright, warm day, and I arrived in style with my sunglasses on top of my head with knee cut off shorts and a camisole top. I had just picked up a bottle of Fanta from the shop on route here (and bumped into a family friend just by the shops), and now I picked up my two extra large presents from the car.
Annie chose what she wanted from Argos already two weeks ago to have two little bouncy seats for her twin boys, in light grey, with little baby elephants. Even though I didn't get to choose her presents I took great pride in placing what looked like the biggest presents she'd received to her collection of presents in the living room. The wrapping paper was actually ordered off Amazon, which was a mistake in itself because it arrived in three quite small roles, and I had my husband going....

"How are you going to wrap those big presents with these?"

I took the rolls off him collecting the sellotape and our black scissors from various places at the time and muttered...

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

So, what if I had wrapped one side first and then another?

It still looked fine.

I took lots of photos of the house with all its glorious decorations, even the decorations outside, like on the garage door and our front door. Mom had out done herself with baby blue balloons and banners down the staircase. She'd even taken her curtains off in her dining room to brighten the room up, which in here were tables lined with white tablespreads and there was one table for cakes and cupcakes then there was  tables filled with cocktail sausages, platters filled with egg mayonnaise and tuna and cucumber rolls. There was a collection of green and red grapes and a massive salad bowl. I had my contribution to the table, which was homecooked sausage rolls so at least there were somethings I felt I could eat not like an insainly health kick party where I'd regrettably look at the table thinking there was nothing to eat.

Annie's friend Danielle was already here with her mother, Janet. Janet was very stunning herself in black leather trousers and her open white shirt, and she was very interested in me. I didn't mind. She asked all kinds of thoughtful questions. I had more conversation out of those two at the start of the party, and Danielle gave me a glass of proceso as I chatted and kept filling it up. After my third glass, I'd had enough. My inner body had warmed up, and I was ready for a softer drink. Any more of the proceso my head would have started spinning. Thankfully, there were softer options. I saw these pink cans, I didn't know what they were exactly, but I decided I would crack on them and to my delight, they were both tasty and nice. I opened them and put it into a pink tinted wine glass. It wasn't long before Annie arrived at the house with both her handbag and bag full of makeup and said hello to us three in the kitchen.

"You look nice, Kim."

"Thank you."

Then she disappeared upstairs, saying she needed to put on her face and then nearly ruining her makeup when she came down again as she was moved to tears.

"This was just what I wanted. I can see how much Mom's made the house look like this..."

Very small drops of tears then began running down the corners of her eyes as she stared out the kitchen window. I never liked seeing her cry and moved by my desire to comfort her, I placed a hand over her shoulder, whereas Danielle, on the other hand, decided to make her laugh.

Bit by bit, Annie's friends arrived, there was Sarah who arrived with a platter of prawns, and then she had to explain what the other bits were on the platter. Claire, she arrived with something else (these were friends of hers I had been introduced to before) and then there were people who I knew by face but couldn't for the life of me remember their names. Then, there were also others. A light brunette with a very fitted blue dress on, and she looked stunning as there was no traces of fat on her. A very light blonde with a small frame, she wore a small print flowery dress who wore a leather jacket on top of that. A lot of these girls were quite taller than me as well as stick thin, and with me losing five pounds and feeling glamorous, I felt I fitted in. That was until I saw myself in my own photos posing with Annie's friends and then tried telling myself there was always faceapp on my phone and could edit my hips by trimming parts off. I managed to have a couple of photos with my sister, but now my body was back to feeling hot and getting hotter by everyone in the same room. I only had to walk a step or two, and I was in someone's way and then moving out of the way with girls with drinks from the corner. I ended up going into the garage where any friends of Annie's who smoked grouped there. I didn't, but then wondered why I didn't buy a packet to bring here because I sure as hell could use one, but I wasn't going to smoke menthol cigarettes. It was the menthol taste that put me right off them. It was something you'd find in a mouthwash or something, but at least with a mouthwash I have the option to spit it out.

I must admit I didn't expect there to be a massive crowd today. I think we all had to move and spread out. The in-laws came from my brother in-laws family and we had different conversations going in different rooms. I remember being sat down in the room with Janet and a few of Annie's friends as the present section just before the fireplace was piling.

"Is she going to open her presents?" Zara asked.

"Yeah," Janet said. "I thought we'd watch her."

"I don't think so," I responded. "Annie already got moved to tears earlier on. Opening all of these might overwhelm her, and she wouldn't want to cry in front of everyone."

Zara accepted that as an answer. Janet grinned at me from the couch then, asking if there was alcohol in my drink and realising very quickly she wanted a yes answer I replied with...

"Vodka."

She winked at me like I was a good woman and keeping the spirits up. She didn't have to know it wasn't. It wasn't long before Mom announced it was time to eat, and I knew a few people had their eyes on the egg and mayonnaise rolls, so because I knew I was able to move quickly, I grabbed three of them because if I didn't I wouldnt get fed and then helped myself to some cocktail sausages and two sausage rolls. I just snacked on grapes as I listened to chars going around the room. Annie's Mother in law was talking to my Aunty Rita from down south, and they had a conversation going . The other women shaped in a triangle up the far right of the room had theirs. This was all until the cake was cut, and then I opted for a cupcake that Mom's friend had made. Then I nearly choked on it just because of the light yet soft crumbly base of it went either down the wrong way or the crumbs just activated a cough. So I went from room to room to the downstairs loo trying not to draw attention to myself. Annie saw me at one point with half my face stuffed into a tissue up the corner by the refrigerator and asked if I was suffering with hay-fever so that was easier to admit than having not long had a bad cough where everyone here could potentially be affected. Still, I had her sympathy, and she left me to it a little bit. Mom, actually knocked on the downstairs door asking...

"Are you alright, Annie?"
When I finished my cough attack, I said, "No, it's me, Mom."

As I parted the door a little to see her and hopefully some assistance, it was just to find out she didn't hang around, so she wasn't there, and it felt like a bee had stung my heart and left its stinger inside of it. All in all, this was a really nice enjoyable event despite that little moment. After several hours, Tommy and Bernie came because they wanted to come see her, and I rang Andy telling him to come and as the weather was bright and sunny I told him to bring Penny even though he was a tad reluctant to bring her. I couldn't wait for Annie to start opening presents now as I would get to see everything everyone had bought, I settled into the arm chair as I looked upon her presents as Tommy starts saying.

"I like this present," he points to the blue present I'd wrapped. "And this one."

I told him immediately they'd come from me. It was long at all before the weather had changed again, so gutted, I knew I couldn't bring Penny not even into the kitchen with Annie here so I knew I would have to say bye to people quickly. When I saw Penny by the door watching the rain splash over her, I picked her up.

"Change of plan," I said. "Let's go home."

I was gutted I didn't get to stay, but I had made a decision quickly without thinking, and now, as I held Penny I brought her back to the car out from the rain, I followed my decision through.