Thanks!
Steve and Miranda were coming over for dinner.
"Do you think they will be angry?" Bridget asked Declan anxiously, picking things up and putting them down again. "They will, won't they?"
"Calm down." Declan gently took her hands.
"Easy for you to say!" sighed Bridget.
"They'll be fine. They've always supported you when it comes to Joanna."
"Dad did. Mum paid her to stay away, for pity's sake. She was never happy about it. I don't think she ever will be," Didge finished sadly.
"Well, it's your life. You can't not do things just because they'll upset her."
"She's my mum!"
"And you're an adult. You're not being selfish. She might not be happy but it's not her decision – she should support you on it."
"It didn't end well last time."
"Well, this isn't last time." He kissed her on the cheek.
"What's not last time?" India wandered in holding her teddy by the leg.
Bridget and Declan glanced at each other and Bridget, not knowing what to say, told her,
"Just something that happened before you were born."
"What was it?"
"Something grown-up. Did you know you were in my tummy when it happened?"
"Was I?" India sat by her mother, eager to hear more about that and Bridget felt guiltily relieved.
"Are you going to tell her?" Declan asked Bridget after she had left the room and Bridget shrugged helplessly.
"I will one day. I was planning to tell her a year or so later – I don't know how to explain to a six-year-old."
"She knows something's up and if Joanna's going to be in our lives I think you should tell her."
"I know. I'll tell her. Maybe not right now though."
"But they're coming over tonight, Didge."
"I know!" said Bridget somewhat irritably. "I'll have to tell them after dinner."
"You don't have to tell her tonight," said Declan. "I just think we should at some point."
"It should be soon. You're right – if Joanna's back in our lives India should have some idea of who she is."
Bridget resumed tidying.
"Don't do that, sit down for a minute. Let me." Declan took the papers she was arranging from her and Bridget smiled in gratitude – those were the little things that made her love him.
"Hello darling!" said Miranda a few hours later. "We're not late, are we?"
"No, you're fine," Bridget smiled. She looked over her mother's shoulder and was surprised to see Riley.
"I didn't know you were coming!"
"I've decided to stay a little longer."
"Lovesick," Steve whispered to Bridget as he and Miranda passed. "Marie's at her mother's for longer than she originally thought."
Bridget laughed but she thought it was very sweet. Her brother had never been serious about anyone really before, apart from when he was fourteen and claimed to be in love with a girl from his year, which didn't really count. He had nearly killed Bridget after she had told the girl all his childhood stories.
"Nan!" India came running out in her purple dress and threw herself into her grandmother's arms.
"Hello sweetie!" Miranda gave her a kiss. "Don't you look pretty?"
"Daddy said I should I wear a dress," said India, taking Miranda into the front room by her hand. "I don't like it!"
"Well, you look very pretty."
"Hmmm." India ran into the kitchen to nag her father.
"She's a funny thing," chuckled Miranda, sitting down.
"Reminds me of someone," said Riley, "who deliberately destroyed all her dresses!"
"They were horrible," said Bridget in defence. "And you can't play footy in a dress – what was the point of them?"
"You looked sweet in a dress!" her mother said fondly and Bridget wrinkled her nose.
They ate chicken for dinner.
"How much longer are you staying for Riley?" Bridget asked, helping India cut up her food.
"A week or so."
"Lovesick," announced Steve and Riley went red. "Completely lovesick!"
"Don't listen to him Riley," said Miranda. "It's great that you're both so happy."
"He's still lovesick," said Steve and winked at Bridget.
"What's
lovesick?" asked India.
"It's where you like someone very much so you feel bad when they go away. Like how a mummy and daddy like each other."
"Ugh," said India honestly and Declan grinned.
"Don't you like boys Indy?" asked Miranda.
"No. Only Jamie. I want to marry him."
Everyone burst out laughing except Declan whose grin faded.
"And why is that?"
"He plays footy with me. But I wouldn't kiss him because kissing's yucky."
Everyone laughed again and so did Declan this time.
"Well, you're too little to get married anyway," he told India.
"How's Rachel?" asked Miranda, changing the subject.
"She's fine. Great. She loves England but she's happy to be home for a bit."
"Good. She was such a nice girl."
"She still is."
"I know. Any more plans with her?"
"She's coming over for dinner tomorrow night."
"I want to see Auntie Rachel now!" India demanded.
"Well, you can't," Bridget told her. "Auntie Rachel is seeing her family tonight so you'll have to be patient."
India looked sulky.
"What did you do this afternoon?"
"We went for a coffee - her, me and Donna – and then -" Bridget went red, "she took us shopping."
Steve, Miranda and Riley started laughing.
"Bet you loved that Didge!"
"How did she get you shopping? I was only able to do that if I forced you!"
"Don't be offended Mum, I was basically dragged with them. It was fun though, looking at Donna's designs."
"I can't believe you found shopping fun," said Riley.
"Shopping's yucky," India announced.
"Yes," agreed Bridget. "It absolutely is!"
After dinner Declan took India to get ready for bed early so Bridget could have a chance to talk to her family alone.
"Is there any other news?"
Bridget's felt terribly nervous and she cleared her throat.
"There was something I wanted to talk to you about," she said and they all looked curious.
"Joanna saw me the other day," Bridget said, decided that the best thing was to go into it head-on. "We've met up a few times and have decided to stay in contact."
Miranda and Steve looked shell-shocked.
"Why?" Miranda cried when she had recovered speech. "You told me you wanted nothing to do with her!"
"I know I did," said Bridget, trying to tread carefully and say the right thing. "But Mum, it was hard on her, what happened. She doesn't want to influence me with anything or make me feel like to have to know her – I just wanted to get some answers. It's not like I feel that I'm missing family, I have all the family I need already. It's already complete."
"Why then?" Miranda repeated helplessly.
"I wanted to know what life was like before the home," said Bridget. "And I met her daughters."
"Your half-sisters."
"They're such nice kids Mum," said Bridget. "They want to know me too."
"Josie and Clara?" asked Riley surprisingly and Bridget turned to him.
"Yes. They're ten and twelve. Are you all okay?" she asked anxiously.
"We'd always understand this Didge," said Steve roughly, but not unkindly. "Of course you want to know."
"Why didn't you tell us before?" asked Miranda, who sounded upset.
"I didn't know how to," Bridget said honestly. "And I thought it would be better to tell you face-to-face."
"Where does she live?"
"A few streets away."
Miranda looked a little bemused but she finally said,
"We should probably get back."
"Mum!"
"I'm not angry or upset," she said quickly, though Bridget sensed that she was a little, and certainly for the last part, "but it's getting late. I'm glad you've told us anyway. Thanks for the lovely dinner."
Bridget knew things were bad when her mum started talking formally.
"Mum, it doesn't mean anything. I only wanted answers and to meet her children."
"I know," Miranda said faintly. "I'm really not angry. But we should go."
Bridget couldn't stop them and so said her goodbyes.
"Would they meet me?" asked Riley whilst he and his sister were alone in the room. Bridget stared at him.
"I know I didn't want to meet them before," he said quickly. "But I want to know stuff too...I think I'm going to try and put the hurt aside and find out."
"Oh, Ri." Bridget gave him a hug.
"I'm going to try."
"Josie and Clara will be happy. They want to meet you too. They kept asking about you and what you were like."
"I guess they're my half-sisters," he said doubtfully.
"They are," Bridget said. "They're sweet girls, you should give them a chance. Clara's a bit moody but she's okay."
"I'll come then," Riley decided.
Before Miranda left Bridget caught her into a hug.
"She's not my mum. You know that."
"Yes."
It felt like Miranda was the child and Bridget her mother.
"You're my mum. You could never stop being my mother."
"I know." Miranda pulled herself away and managed a smile. "Goodbye, darling."
Bridget waved sadly from the doorway as they drove away.
"Mummy." India was suddenly at her leg in her rabbit pyjamas.
"Hello Indy-pants." Bridget scooped her into a cuddle.
"Who's
she?""What do you mean?"
"I heard you talking to Nan. You said,
she'll never be my mother.""Were you listening at the doorway? You shouldn't do that."
India's look of guilt said it all.
"No..."
"Don't lie. I'm not angry, but you shouldn't lie."
"Okay. I'm sorry. But who was she?"
"Okay." Bridget guessed it should be now and so she took India through to her bedroom and sat by her on the bed.
"You know Nan is my mummy."
"Yes."
"And you know Nan is a special mummy to me, because I wasn't born from her tummy? And she chose me?"
India nodded.
"Well...I was born out of someone else's tummy."
"A different mummy?" India looked very confused.
"In a way." Bridget pulled her onto her lap.
"Her name was Joanna and she had me and your uncle from her tummy, but when we were little she got ill. She wasn't able to look after us so she gave us to Nan and Grandpa Steve to look after because she knew they should be our mummy and daddy and she was right."
"What kind of illness?"
"A special, grown-up illness."
India trembled.
"Will you get it?"
"No, sweetheart, no. I promise I won't."
"How do you know?"
"I just do." It sounded empty saying that but Bridget couldn't bring herself to think that anything so horrible could happen to her.
"I promise you Indy."
"Okay." She looked reassured.
"Anyway...I met Joanna. My first sort-of mummy. And she's not ill anymore and she has two more little girls and so I've gone to see her. But that doesn't mean that Nan isn't my mummy anymore and Joanna is. Nan's still my mummy."
"Okay." India still looked confused. "Two little girls?"
"Well, they're a bit bigger than you. Ten and twelve."
"Nearly grown up!" India exclaimed and Bridget laughed at her.
"I don't think they're nearly grown up."
"How long is it until I'm nearly grown up?"
"A very long away," Bridget said thankfully. "You're a little girl."
"Will I be a big girl when the baby comes?"
"Yes, but not nearly grown up. You'll still be my little Indy."
"When will the baby come?"
"July, after you're seven."
"That is nearly grown up!"
"I promise you that's not!" Bridget said laughing, and that was one thing she was very positive on. "Now go to sleep."
"Will you stay with me?"
"Okay." Bridget stroked her hair and Declan came in and they smiled at their little daughter and stayed until she was fast asleep.