I pulled on my dressing gown and walked to the kitchen, cursing him under my breath.
When I returned to the bedroom, he’d left to sleep on the couch.
Friday September 15th
Today I had to stealthily avoid being stalked and confronted by serial bore Sarah Ward-Wilson in the car park. You can totally tell that there will come in a point in her life where she’ll round up her offspring and utter the words ‘Kill for mommy’.
I also stepped on my iPod and now it’s broken. I’m raging. I hate using my phone for music; it drains the battery too much. Goddammit. I’ll just drop hints until someone buys me a new one.
Saturday September 16th
‘We’re going out tonight.’
‘Lucy, it’s half past eight in the morning. I’m still in bed. This is why we have text messaging.’
‘You’d take too long to reply and then come up with an excuse to stay home and be dull.’
It’s a valid point. ‘And where exactly are we going?’
‘I have no idea but I know that it will involve dancing. We’re going dancing.’
I switched the phone to my other hand and sat up in bed. ‘Lucy, I’m nearly forty. I am not going dancing!’
‘Well, THAT’S the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.’
‘But . . . thatthinghappens when you have kids,’ I insisted. ‘That mum dance disease. It happened to Hazel – she used to be down the Arches every weekend and now she dances side to side, clapping out of time.’
I could hear her laughing. ‘We’ll go somewhere age-appropriate – I have no desire to inadvertently get into a dance-off with a twenty-year-old. But I need this. YOU need this.’
I started to flashback to the many, many nights of clubbing Lucy and I had been involved in. The sheer fucking joy of it all – well, minus the idiot men we’d inevitably pull. But we had fun. So. much. fun.
‘I do need this,’ I conceded. ‘Oliver and I are still fighting. I need a break. Fine – find somewhere that won’t require arse implants for entry.’
‘I fancy that new eighties bar. I’ll meet you in town at eight tonight.’
‘Make it nine,’ I replied. ‘I’m going to need time to iron my face.’
Sunday September 17th
When I was in my twenties, seeing anyone over my age in a club was pitiful. These oldies, clinging to their youth, unable to grow old gracefully – it was sad to watch. But last night,Iwas that older person and I finally got to tell that twenty-something in me to fuck right off. When you’re twenty you don’t realise that you will feel exactly the same about fun when you’re forty. Or sixty, I’d imagine. Sure, different responsibilities mean you may have less time for it, but the need to go out with your mates and get lost in a song never leaves you.
By the time we got to the eighties bar, the crowd was a mixture of ages, ranging from all the single ladies to all the Tena ladies and the men hoping to pull them. It wasn’t perhaps as hip as we’d like but regardless we drank, we danced, and I still remembered all the words to ‘Whip It’ by Devo. Oh, and it turns out I still dance like a fucking legend. Result.
Wednesday September 20th
This morning, I took Molly to school and then went to see a morning showing ofITat the cinema. It was just me alone in the cinema with a cup of shitty coffee and the occasional jump scare for company. I loved it, even though I spent the whole time thinking that if Bill Skarsgård was inviting me down into the sewer, I wouldn’t need much convincing. I’d be halfway into the drain before he could change his mind. I’m such a weirdo.
It felt weird not having Oliver with me. We’d both been excited about the film coming out but we’re not even on speaking terms at the moment, except around Molly. God, I feel so sad even writing that.
Thursday September 21st
It’s the autumn school holiday, which means no class for Molly until Tuesday and no work for me until next Thursday. I’m glad my birthday falls on a Sunday this year; it’s bad enough that I have to age, without doing it in front of my work colleagues. Oliver reminded me that we’d booked an overnight in Aviemore tomorrow, some voucher deal he’d found online ages ago. Rather than cancel and Molly miss out, we’ve decided to go. They have an outdoor adventure playground, a pool, a spa and a room that I won’t be in charge of tidying. Who knows, maybe a weekend away will ease some of the tension.
Saturday September 23rd
We arrived back from Aviemore about an hour ago and it went reasonably well – lots of outdoor walks and we took turns taking Molly swimming so the other could have some time to use the rest of the facilities. I got three new spots on my face from the sauna and Oliver pulled his hamstring on the treadmill because he hasn’t been on a treadmill ever. We’ve gone from not speaking to being civilised, which is a relief but it’s still strained.
Predictably, we got stuck in traffic on the way back. Had three polo mint races with Molly, played two games of eye-spy and sang the entire soundtrack fromThe Little Mermaid. Oliver does an excellent Ursula. He’s such a dark horse.
