ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 1

Alana was going to make them late as usual. She looked at her watch then turned back to the mirror that sat on top of her dressing table to hurriedly apply a coat of pink lipstick. She could hear her husband, Noah just outside in the hallway, pulling some trousers on, making an attempt to look decent for their first night out together in way too long. The familiar sound of him tripping over Cooper the cat and cursing loudly made her smile.

She ran mascara over her lashes and heard the doorbell ring, then Noah scrambling down the stairs before opening the front door to welcome Jess, the babysitter. There was a delighted squeal as Snow, her six year old daughter, saw who was at the door. Snow loved Jess, more than any of the other babysitters they had tried. She would happily stay with Jess all evening, no tears. A big reason for this was the fact that Jess always cooked pancakes and there was hardly anything Snow loved more than pancakes, especially when covered in chocolate and strawberries. Jess also made this special creamy sauce which she always poured on top.

Alana rose from the chair, checking her watch again, then threw the last bits of make-up into her handbag. She took a final look at herself in the mirror, fluffing up her curly blonde hair and wiping a little excess eye-shadow from her brow. Not terrible. Not as glamorous as other girls her age but at least she liked the way her eyes looked more cat-like when she wore eyeliner. Eyes the colour of grass, Noah always said. Her husband liked grass, he cut their lawn every weekend.

She didn't wear eyeliner often, it took too long to go to all that trouble but this evening she was making an effort. Riley, her best friend, the one who was dragging them out tonight, would probably say she wasn't dressed up enough for live music but the simple olive-green dress she wore was her favourite, and it was comfortable, and one of the only dresses in her wardrobe she actually wanted to wear. It showed off the slight tan on her shoulders and tonight, that would have to be enough for Riley. She wasn't about to squeeze herself into a tiny dress in some weird attempt to feel sexy.

Alana wasn't used to going out for nights on the town - Snow had always been too young to leave at home, until recently. Even now she felt a pang in her heart to let someone else tuck her little girl in at bedtime, to let them read four or five different stories before finally being allowed to turn the lights out, to let them be the one to stroke her hair back from her face until she fell asleep. Plus it made Alana feel a bit like an old woman whenever she did go out. It was hard to know what to do, how to behave, everyone else seemed so much more clued up and besides, a night in, curled up with Noah, the cat and popcorn was enough for her, most of the time.

But ever since she told Riley that sometimes, just sometimes, she wondered if she ever missed out on any fun, her best friend had never let up. After that it was constant invites and badgering to get them out the door and last week Alana had relented and agreed to this evening. It was live music, which she loved and wished she could see more of. She had promised Riley that they would make the effort and there were no more excuses she could think of.

When she got down the stairs, handbag clutched under her arm, teetering in her heels, she was greeted by Snow, running towards her, arms wide open, pig tails bobbing.

'Mummy, you're so pretty,' she said, clutching the arm of her favourite teddy bear.

She pulled her mother's arm down until she was crouched on the floor beside her, then firmly planted a kiss on her cheek. Alana's heart melted, as it always did in these moments. She looked up to see Noah looking down on them, grinning.

'Come on, dear,' he said, pulling her to her feet. 'We're late but Jess is here now so there's no turning back.'

'Don't call me dear,' Alana replied. 'You know I don't like that.'

Something else that made Alana feel way older than her 22 years. Noah gave her a big smile, the way he always did when he was teasing her, the waves of his ash blonde hair hanging over his face. She relented, returning his smile and rolling her eyes, following him to the door. She knew he would much rather curl up in front of a film but tonight, for once, he had agreed to leave the house.

She noticed the way his t-shirt hung from his wide shoulders and his jeans clung to his thick thighs, then felt his arm wrap around her shoulders, warm and familiar like a favourite scarf in wintertime. They turned as they got to the door, and in a flurry of "I love you's" and blown kisses they said goodbye to their daughter who was holding onto the cat with one hand and Jess with the other.