The Catalyst | Joanne

Chapter 4

"Alf, could you grab the pillowcases for me?"

Zoe pulled the duvet straight on the bed in the spare room, making sure each side was even. Even though it was only her brother and his girlfriend coming to stay, she liked to make sure everything was perfect. Joe and Dianne had been to visit a few times before and, of course, her brother had been to stay many times on his own before the red-headed beauty had waltzed into their lives... and into his heart.

Zoe couldn't help but smile when she thought about how much of a journey Joe had been on over the past few months. She had always been proud of him and of his achievements but, as an older sister, her protective nature often took over when they were together. This time last year, when Joe had first begun the process of joining Strictly, she had been worried. She worried about what it would do to his profile. To his confidence.

Looking back, she needn't have spent so many hours fretting. Joe had taken everything in his stride and, with Dianne's magic touch, he had flourished. Their romance had come as no surprise; the two of them had a connection that spread far beyond the dancefloor. Dianne was just as quirky as Joe. Just as silly. She seemed to understand him in a way Zoe had worried no girl ever truly would. She brought out the best in him; he was brighter, as if she had lit a spark. It was incredible to see and, whatever the future held, Zoe would always be grateful that Dianne had given her brother a chance. A chance to grow. A chance to find out what love feels like.

"Pillowcases" Alfie dropped the small pile of folded bedding onto the sheets. "Are they the right ones?"

Zoe smiled. "Yep. Thank you." She quickly slid the pillowcases onto the pillows and arranged them neatly. "Did you have lunch yet?"

Alfie nodded. "Yeah. Well, sort of. I had some of that chicken from yesterday and then I had a banana. Sorry- did you want me to wait for you?"

"No, don't worry. I was only wondering."

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of a dog barking. Alfie walked quickly to the door. "I'll go and see what she wants."

Zoe nodded and continued busying herself in making the room look as nice as possible. She wanted Joe and Dianne to feel comfortable here. As comfortable as they would in their own home. She loved hosting people, loved making them feel special, and putting in a little extra effort was part of her process.

Walking over to the window to straighten the three potted succulents that sat underneath it, she took a moment to enjoy the view. Their home was in a beautiful location- quiet, surrounded by nothing but fields and farms. It felt safe, much safer than their old house, and Zoe felt like this was their forever home. When they re-modelled the house after they bought it, she and Alfie had designed the layout in the hope that it wouldn't always just be the two of them and their dog. One day, sooner rather than later, Zoe hoped that their 'spare' bedrooms would be transformed, first into nurseries and then into lovely, personal spaces for their children to enjoy- full of toys and laughter.

Alfie was out in the garden, throwing a ball for Nala who reluctantly chased after it a few times before growing bored. The garden was enormous. Currently, some of the space was taken up with ridiculous purchases Alfie had made over the last few years. Zoe hoped that, in the future, more of it would be for their actual kids and less of it taken up by Alfie pretending to be one.

Babies had always been on her agenda. She loved children and was getting to an age where she was feeling the pressure to have one or two of her own. Alfie was younger than her, but he was also great with children and they had talked endlessly about the future. The only worry that came into her mind as she watched her boyfriend kick the dog's ball against the garden wall was that her boyfriend would not be 'ready' until it was too late. It was one of the fears she kept quiet, not wanting to offend him or underestimate him, but she didn't want to be 40 and childless. She didn't want to be 35 and childless. She didn't want to have to wait much longer than she had already. At almost 30, she could feel the clock ticking.

Zoe shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought. She wondered if it was the notion of Joe and Dianne visiting that had brought it out of its box and back to the front of her mind. Her brother was dating someone her age; someone more mature. Joe was silly, but he showed his emotions more now. He was comfortable being in a relationship and it appeared as if the future wasn't a taboo subject for their pair of them. In fact, Zoe had noticed more and more comments between the couple about their 'future' on social media and on Joe's videos. The funny thing was, it didn't feel strange. In her heart, Zoe knew that the two of them would be happy together. That, probably within the next few years, her brother would be making this girl his wife and starting a family with her. They would be wonderful parents when the time came.

It made Zoe think. She and Alfie had been together almost seven years. The beginning of their relationship had coincided with a meteoric change in the world of digital media, throwing them both into a completely new kind of spotlight. They were young then, definitely still learning, and their relationship had become a safe haven for both of them. They made a choice, back then, to keep everything as private as possible. Over time, they had naturally shared more and more but it felt, to Zoe at least, as if talking publicly about their relationship and the way it was going was still such a taboo. It was a web they had woven for themselves and it was now far too complex to unravel.

Zoe knew that she had put very little of her personal life online in the beginning. Even now, huge parts of her day would never be documented or shared. Joe and Dianne, however, having started their relationship when Joe was already filming huge chunks of his life, hadn't had as much choice in the matter. The media were far more interested now, and better able to source information than they had been in 2012. Joe and Dianne had been thrust into this sphere almost immediately; it must have been hard. Zoe just hoped that- seeing how difficult it could be to hide and seeing how hungry and ruthless the media could be- Joe would find a middle ground where he and Dianne could both feel safe.

"Zo! They're here". Alfie's call and the rumble of tyres on gravel finally shook Zoe back from her wandering thoughts.

"I'll come down in a second!" she shouted, hoping Alfie could hear her two floors below.

Taking one last look at the room, Zoe nodded and closed the door. Walking downstairs, she grinned as she was greeted by the sight of her brother hand in hand with his girlfriend.

"Come here" she said, opening her arms for Dianne. "It's so nice to see you!"

"And you. Thanks for having us."

Zoe smiled. "Any time. You too, Joseph" she nodded at her brother.

Joe rolled his eyes. "You're only saying that because Dianne's here. Last time you wouldn't let me in without a password."

Zoe chuckled. "True, but I'm trying to keep Dianne on side. I don't care about you- you're family so you're going nowhere. But I like to make Dianne feel welcome"

Dianne smiled. "Thanks, Zo."

"Plus, you'd still be outside trying to figure out the password if it was up to Dianne" Alfie added, leaning around the side of the living room where he had put Nala to stop her running out of the open front door.

Zoe watched as Dianne took in Alfie's words, noting the flash of something across her face. Was it annoyance? Anger? Confusion? Zoe wasn't sure, but she was certain she needed to change the subject before things got awkward.

"Shall I put the kettle on?" she asked, gesturing for the guests to follow her to the kitchen. Dianne and Joe set down their bags in the hallway, giving Zoe a chance to speak to Alfie.

"What was that about?" she asked Alfie, whispering close to his ear. "Why did you say that to Dianne? She looked upset about it."

Alfie shrugged. "I thought she could take it. Anyway, it was just a joke. I didn't mean it."

Zoe sighed. "Right, OK. Well, can you just think a little more before you open your mouth next time?"

Alfie nodded, not saying anything more as Joe and Dianne walked into the room. Turning to them, he smiled. "Coffee?"