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‘I knew what you meant.’ I rest my forehead on his chest and expel a heavy breath. ‘I suppose I have to. I just …’ I lift my head. ‘I really thought she’d love the pearls, but it was like I’d given her an Amazon voucher.’
‘No, more like … something painful. Something is not right with her, do you not think?’
‘Yes. Yes, I do think. Maybe it’s her hang-up about turning forty. Or maybe it’s the stress of helping plan the wedding and everyone being here … I mean, it’s been lovely but it’s also a lot.’
‘It is a large week,’ he says, meaning ‘big week’.
‘It is a large week,’ I echo.
He presses his lips to mine and I succumb to the deliciousness of the kiss. When it turns into soft pecks and ends in a forehead kiss, I return to reality. I need to seek out my sister so we can have a difficult conversation. On her birthday. Bollocks.
‘This place doesn’t look like much, but this food is incredible,’ says Jaelee, giving the trattoria a backhanded compliment as only she can do.
‘So good,’ agrees Lou, taking another bite of her bruschetta.
Sarah’s picking at her burrata and tomatoes. ‘Not hungry, Sez?’ I venture. By the time she and Jaelee returned from speaking with Bianca about the wedding venue, the others, including Mum and Dad, had shown up to the castle and the day’s plans had got underway. Like yesterday, we’ve split into two groups?we women are lunching in the sunshine and then going to a nail salon a couple of towns away and the men are heading out for lunch, then off to set up for Sarah’s party.
This means I still haven’t talked to her properly yet.
‘Um, not really.’ She smiles.
‘Well, a good thing too, because tonight?’
‘Mum! Will you please stop talking about Sarah’s party.’
‘Surely she knows it’s dinner, Catherine?’
‘I mean it, Mum. It’s Josh’s surprise.’
Mum tuts and rolls her eyes and I’m reminded (not for the first time) how alike we all are, the Parsons women.
‘It’s okay, Cat. Josh did say not to fill up too much on lunch.’
‘See?’ says Mum, pinning me with one of her aggressive-aggressive looks.
‘What evs,’ I say under my breath.
‘Oh, Catherine, must you talk like a twelve-year-old?’
‘But that’s all I know, Mum,’ says Sarah. ‘That it’s dinner, so … you know … maybe …’ says Sarah, signalling for Mum to shush. Even when things aren’t quite right between us, she’s still my biggest ally when it comes to Mum.
Lindsey chuckles softly throughout the whole conversation. She and Sarah have been best friends for years and Lindsey has been to a many a family gathering?she’s like my parents’ third daughter, only without the doses of motherly judgment?and she’s well versed in our familial banter. Lou and Jaelee are markedly silent and it occurs to me that both have strained relationships with their mothers. I look across at Mum, who is feigning indifference at having been shushed by her daughters, and feel awash with guilt. I am so fortunate to have her here for my wedding and even though our relationship is sometimes complicated, she’s here for me when I really need her.
‘Sorry, Mum,’ I say. It takes her by surprise, but I receive a grateful smile and she reaches across the table to give my hand a quick pat. I really do love my mother.
When we arrive at the nail salon, they’re actually expecting us, which surprises me a little as Jaelee made the arrangements?ha-ha. I direct the seating arrangements to ensure that Sarah and I are together and across the way from the others so we can talk privately.
We select our polishes?colour for our toes and clear for our fingers?and relax into the massage chairs. I can’t remember the last time we got mani-pedis together, but it would have been years ago in Sydney. I suppose if we lived in the same city, it would be something we did regularly.
Sarah fiddles with the controls of her chair, then moans as the chair starts pummelling her lower back. ‘Feel good?’ I ask unnecessarily. I select a more sedate rolling action for my chair as a woman pulls her rolling stool close to the foot spa and signals for me to lift one foot out of the hot bubbling water.
‘Mmm,’ says my sister. When I glance across, her eyes are closed.
‘Looking forward to tonight?’ I ask. Small talk. When you’re afraid to launch into serious stuff, start with small talk, right?
‘Mmm?’ she opens one eye, then closes it. ‘I … um … yeah. I mean, I have no idea what it’s going to be, but we’re in Tuscany and Josh goes all out for this sort of thing, so yeah, it’s gonna be great.’ I know my sister better than I know anyone and even I can’t tell if she’s bullshitting.
The woman doing my pedicure taps my legs, signalling for me to swap. I do. ‘Sez,’ I say, speaking loud enough for her to hear me above the water jets. I look over at the others to see if they’re listening in. They aren’t. Mum’s chatting to Lindsey and Lindsey’s laughing at something she’s said?I swear those two have a better mother–daughter relationship than Mum and I do?and Jaelee and Lou seem deep in a more serious conversation. All clear from an eavesdropping perspective, but now Sarah seems to have dozed off. ‘Sez,’ I repeat, louder this time.
