Time Changes

Part Twenty Nine - the end

Alexis was always being rushed, what happened to taking your time, savouring life? She finally found her shoes, tucked under some boxes in the bottom of her wardrobe. Sliding them on, she felt a little easier. But not much.

As she made for the bathroom to double check her makeup, the phone rang. Groaning she returned to the bedroom and located her mobile, still in the pocket of the jeans she’d taken off half an hour before.

                “You ok?” It was Peter, it was always Peter, and his voice still had the power to turn her insides to mush.

                “I’m fine! I’d be better if people didn’t rush me, and then didn’t keep disturbing me getting ready!” She snapped a little more aggressive than was necessary.

He laughed though, he wasn’t perturbed, “It’s YOUR birthday. If you want to cancel all this then we can!”

He was taking her out to dinner, a night on the town to celebrate her thirtieth birthday. The past seven years had flown by in a whirlwind, and the day that she turned thirty had seemed a long way off. But it had come around far quicker than she was ready for. Sighing she replied, “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. There’s a taxi booked. My mother was late getting here...”

He laughed, “I’m not going to dine without you. I’ll wait in the Lounge for you. There’ll be a martini waiting, come when you’re ready.” He paused, “are you sure you don’t want me to come collect you?”

He’d flown in from Geneva that afternoon, and had intended to come home before the evening, but there was a problem at his new London office so he’d had to go straight there. She’d sent his clothes around an hour earlier so that he could change there. Yet another thing she’d had to do before having time for herself.

                “I’m sure you’re shattered, stay where you are. By the time you get here I’ll be gone...honest, as long as you give me time to finish getting ready!”

He chuckled again, “are you hating that they’re away?”

                “No! Now go!”

With that she hung up.

Was it the fact that their children were spending their first night away from them with her parents that made her so tense? She sighed as she thought about Amelia and Elijah. After three miscarriages she’d got pregnant with twins, and the thirty two weeks that she managed to carry them had been hell. She’d been ill, bled, every complication known to man...or woman. They were born early, spent time in hospital, trauma from day one. Since Oscar her sister had had three more children, all without a problem, and she fought not to feel resentful.

Saying that her two toddlers were amazing, beautiful, healthy and so happy, despite their terrible start. No it wasn’t the fact that the two year olds were spending their first night out of the house that stressed her, it was the hint that she might...just might...be pregnant again.

She slumped onto the stool at her dressing table. Peter would be furious, he’d told her in no uncertain terms that there was no way he’d see her go through it all again, two children were enough. But she didn’t agree, she’d always wanted more. And now she had her wish. She was late, and this morning the smell of coffee had made her nauseous. She could pretend, but she was lying to herself.

She stood and looked at herself in the mirror, age had been kind, she still had the curves of ten years ago. Her waistline had changed after her pregnancy, but she could still turn heads. In her red dress, clinging to her in all the right places, yet floating around her thighs, and her black spiky heels, she felt good. Reaching for her jewellery box, she found the locket Peter had bought her for her wedding day and secured it at her throat.