AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Taking hold of the drink and croissant, she looked past him, hoping that perhaps Naomi might be there, ready to swoop in and take his attention. But instead, their group was on their feet and looking through the arrivals door.
‘Please tell me these are for us,’ Naomi gawped.
A group of three men were walking directly toward them. Three men who made Evan look averagely attractive. If they had been chosen for a magazine advert, then every straight woman’s taste had been accounted for: dark hair, blond hair and a redhead. Two with bulging biceps, the other gorgeously geeky, and each with straight white teeth that couldn’t possibly be natural.
‘Please, Holly, please.’ Caroline sidled up next to her and whispered in her ear. ‘I have to live vicariously. Please, give me something. Don’t let this all go to waste.’
‘Finley! Dude.’ The one with the red hair was first to speak and he must have stretched each syllable out for a full five seconds as the three hurtled towards them, arms wide open. The closest one ducked down into a rugby tackle pose and a second later, he struck Fin squarely in the waist and lifted him up, as if they were on a sports pitch, not in an airport surrounded by various people pushing trollies loaded with luggage. Not to mention children.
‘Jamie,’ Fin said when he finally regained both his footing and his breath. ‘Meet the guys. Tyler’ – he gestured to the blond one, then the redhead – ‘Eddie’ – and finally to the dark-haired man – ‘and Spencer.’
With his arms once again wide open, Tyler went straight for Naomi, ready to pick her up in the same fireman’s lift he had given Fin before Fin corrected him.
‘Wrong one,’ he said, then pointed at Jamie.
A series of loud shrieks and rugby tackles followed. The type that would have left Holly wholly embarrassed, but Jamie could handle herself just fine, although by the time the boys had put her down, one of the headband penises was bent at a very painful-looking angle.
Stepping forward, Evan shook the gents’ hands before addressing the rest of the group.
‘As much as I know we all want to catch up, the minibus is waiting for us outside.’
‘Woohoo,’ Spencer said, fist bumping one of his friends. ‘Time to check out this villa we’ve heard all about.’
12
For Holly, the word minibus evoked memories of school trips. Grey seats with holes in and bits of chewing gum stuck down the side of the chairs. Not to mention the aroma of sweaty children and packed lunches. Though as they stepped outside and into the warmth of the day, it became clear that this minibus was nothing like that.
Leather seats, ample legroom and cup holders filled with chilled sparkling water awaited them.
‘This is fancy,’ Zahida said, as she popped a headband on the top of a headrest.
‘Very fancy.’ Slipping off her own headband, Holly dropped into a seat. While compared to Caroline, Holly was concerned she had over-packed, seeing Zahida and Naomi’s suitcases had put her mind at ease. Naomi’s in particular looked big enough for a family of four to travel for a full week.
‘Are you okay?’ Caroline slid into the chair next to her. ‘You look stressed. Please don’t tell me you’re worrying about Hope already. You know she’ll be fine.’
‘No, it’s not that…’ Holly paused. She didn’t know how to word it without coming across as ungrateful, but she was sure Caroline had to feel the same way. It wasn’t as if she and Michael were rolling in money. ‘I’m worried about how much this is costing. And who’s paying for it all? Even if the village is only a thirty-minute drive away, a van like this is going to cost a fortune. Has Jamie mentioned money to you at all?’
With the rest of them having piled in, the car door slammed shut. Caroline lowered her voice.
‘I’ve already brought this up with Jamie. She knows Michael and I are on a tight budget. And she’s fully aware of your situation too. She wouldn’t put us in a position that made us feel uncomfortable, neither would Fin. You have to trust them.’
As Holly fixed her belt in place, she tried to take comfort in what Caroline was saying. After all, Jamie and Fin were two of the most generous people she had ever met, and it wasn’t like Evan had even let any of them see the bill at the champagne bar before handing over his credit card. But there were several trips and activities involved in their getaway, and trips cost money.
‘You are allowed to enjoy yourself this holiday.’ Caroline squeezed her hand. ‘I know what it’s like with the mummy guilt. It’s hard to let go, but you deserve to have some fun. You’re still your own person, even if you are a mum now, too.’ Instinctively, Holly cast her gaze down at her phone and the screen saver of Hope chewing on her favourite plastic giraffe. Something tugged behind her sternum at the realisation Caroline was right. It was guilt that had been churning away at her, not just today, but for months. Ever since she’d agreed to go on this trip. Guilt not just because she was going away from Hope, but because she needed this time. She needed time without nappies and nap schedules, so she could hear herself think again. And it made her feel like the worst mother in the world. Tears pricked behind her eyes.
‘We all need time to recharge every so often.’ Caroline squeezed again. ‘But think of it this way: if you don’t enjoy yourself, then – and don’t take this the wrong way – there’s no point you being here. It won’t take long for the others to pick up on how you’re feeling, so you need to make a decision now, before we get to the villa. You need to decide to enjoy yourself. Please.’
There was more than just a prick of heat behind Holly’s eyes, and several stray tears escaped. Before she could even sniff the rest away, Caroline had a tissue out.
‘You’re right.’ She took the offered tissue and mopped up the rest of the tears. ‘Of course you’re completely right. This is Jamie and Fin’s time, and I’m not going to let anything ruin it. Including me.’
‘That’s my girl.’
‘And I deserve this time.’
‘You do.’
She took a deep breath in, trying to fill her lungs with Caroline’s confidence. There was no way she was going to let her feelings interfere with Jamie and Fin’s break. She was about to assure Caroline that she was fine one last time when Spencer’s voice blasted out from the front of the minibus.
