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‘The fact that Ben and I separated had nothing to do with me and Giles.’
‘You’re still sticking with that line, are you?’
It had been a long time since Holly could remember getting cross with her mother, but at that moment, she was biting down on her back molars and choosing her words very carefully. Her mother had developed a soft spot for Giles since he had helped tow their car out of a ditch many moons ago, but recently, she had started bringing him up even more. Perhaps it was because she thought he was the only man that might give Holly a second glance, now that she was a on her own with Hope.
‘You know me and Ben breaking up was the right thing to do. It had nothing to do with Giles at all. Anyway, none of that matters. I think I should stay. You know Hope’s due to start her next sleep regression any week now. The last thing Ben wants is to have to face that all on his own when he’s got so much work to do.’
At this, her mother turned around and faced her again.
‘You know, that sounds remarkably like an excuse.’
‘It’s not an excuse. It’s a very legitimate reason.’
Her mother’s gaze narrowed.
‘Fine,’ Holly huffed, then got back to her packing.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go away. Part of her was relishing the idea of uninterrupted sleep and actual lie-ins for the first time in eight months. Even on the nights when Ben had Hope, Holly still woke up early and found herself unable to get back to sleep. And getting to sleep without Hope in the room was harder than she’d anticipated. Though she was managing a lot better now.
Those first weeks after she’d moved into the cottage, she would roll over in her bed and open her eyes at random times in the middle of the night, only to bolt upright, panicking at the sight of the empty crib. Even when she realised where Hope was, she would have to fight the urge to text Ben and check everything was okay. Normally, it was an urge she lost, and no matter how amicably she and Ben navigated co-parenting, there was only so often she could text her ex-boyfriend at three in the morning to check on his parenting abilities and him not get annoyed.
Thankfully for Ben, she’d reined in the late-night texting now, but that was when she was in the same country. This was going to be a whole different kettle of fish.
‘I need you to send me lots of photos,’ her mother said, taking over the packing, re-folding various items of clothing that Holly had strewn over the bed. ‘Do you even know where this villa is yet?’
‘It’s the south of France.’
‘France is quite a big area, dear. And are you sure you’ve got enough money? Your dad and I can scrape together a bit to help you if you need.’
It was a lovely offer, but Holly knew exactly how much money her mum and dad had, and it was even less than her. Her father had upped his hours at the shop to help accommodate the time Holly needed to be off with Hope, but in contrast, her mother had dropped her hours cleaning to help with the babysitting. It had been a masterpiece of juggling, with Holly having Hope for two weekdays and one weekend, Ben cramming all the work he needed to do into four days a week so that he could have Hope for the extra weekday and the weekend and her mother filling in all the gaps. Somehow, they had made it work.
‘Thank you, Mum, but I’ve got this covered.’
‘Well, I’m sure we can help if you need. I don’t want you to miss out on anything because you’re worried about the cost. You need to enjoy this holiday. You deserve it after the last couple of years.’
It was true. Holly had been working flat out since taking over the sweet shop and having Hope, but this holiday was unlikely to be the lazy lounging on the beach her mother imagined.
Planning for Jamie and Fin’s joint hen and stag had started less than a month after Hope had been born.
‘Ben and I can’t both go,’ she’d told her former housemates when they’d proposed the idea of going on an adventure trip abroad. ‘Even if we’re getting on well, one of us needs to stay with Hope. It wouldn’t be fun for you guys having a crying baby on your holiday.’
‘We wouldn’t mind that,’ Fin replied graciously, but even if it was the truth, it wouldn’t be fair to the other guests.
‘I’ve already spoken to Ben about it,’ Jamie cut in. ‘And he’s not that keen on going. I mean, there’s going to be a lot of focus on water sports and you know what Ben is like with water.’
Holly knew exactly what Jamie was talking about. She’d found this out when she unknowingly booked their second date together at a water obstacle course, only to discover that Ben couldn’t swim and had to be rescued by a bunch of teenagers. Yes, she could easily believe that kind of holiday wasn’t his idea of fun. But that didn’t change the fact she’d have to leave Hope. And then there was the other factor.
‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do.’ She looked at both Jamie and Fin as she spoke. ‘I really do, but even if Ben has Hope, I don’t think there’s any way I can afford it. Not with the extra salaries I have to pay at the shop now.’
She had thought that would be the end of it. Her friends would have to accept she wasn’t going to be able to make it, but that’s when Jamie gave the real kicker.
‘It’s not going to cost you anything.’ She grinned.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Fin’s best man is covering the accommodation.’
‘What? You can’t mean for everyone? He hasn’t even met us.’
