suppers, so they could all eat together as a family. Her days were busy; she figured the kids were perfectly fine without her pitching up at school all the time.
Her friends tended to be other mothers who were equally laid back. They let their kids ride around the neighbourhood on bikes; they pushed the children out through the back door telling them to play, not worrying about them, nor giving them a second thought, until they came home because they were hungry.
Sure enough, on the day of the playdate Alanna went home on the bus with Skylar, and Gabby took Olivia to dance, only remembering that she had meant to find a sitter when her mobile phone rang, at 5.02 p.m., her own home number flashing on the screen. Her heart plummeted to her stomach.
She’d forgotten to book a sitter.
‘Mom? Where are you? Skylar’s mom just dropped me home and there’s no one here.’
‘Oh, honey. I’m sorry. The sitter must have forgotten. I’ll be home in five minutes. I know Skylar’s mom has tobe somewhere so tell her to leave you. It’s only five minutes.’
Gabby listened while Alanna relayed this to Trish, who then came on the phone.
‘Gabby? Hi. There’s no sitter here.’
Was it Gabby’s imagination or was there judgement in her voice? A wave of defensive panic washed over her.
‘I don’t know what happened. But I’m literally five minutes away,’ she lied, knowing she was twenty-five minutes away. ‘Just leave her. She’ll be fine for five minutes. I know you have to go.’
‘I’m not leaving her by herself,’ Trish said. ‘I’ll just wait for you.’
‘No, really. I’m so close and I know you have to take your son to basketball. Alanna’s fine.’
‘I’m not leaving a child on her own,’ Trish said. ‘We’ll wait.’ She didn’t sound happy.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Gabby said again, now feeling sick, knowing she’d be caught out. There was no way in hell she’d be home in five minutes, or anything close.
In the end, she phoned her neighbour and begged her to run over so Trish could leave. She did, but Gabby knew Trish knew she’d lied, and there was no more talk of another playdate, nor did Gabby reciprocate.
It was, as she said to Claire at the time, too much pressure.
She is happy to be friendly at social events, but they will never be friends; of that, she is certain.
Scrolling through Facebook keeps her distracted until Elliott comes back up to bed. On a normal night, she might well curl up in bed and read a couple of pages on the Kindle before going to sleep, leaving Elliott’s bedside lamp on for when he comes up. But tonight she needs to make love with him, needs to erase, finally, the evidence of her mental infidelity – and thank God it was merely in her head – and the only way to do that is to feel him inside her.
‘You’re still awake?’ He crawls onto the bed, pleasantly surprised.
‘I told you we had unfinished business,’ she replies, and smiles, pulling him to her and kissing him deeply. Her concerns for Alanna can wait.
Their lovemaking has become a well-worn routine. Tonight Gabby pulls out all the stops. She pushes him back on the bed and climbs on top of him, feeling a passion for her husband she hasn’t felt in years.
She closes her eyes and moves on top of Elliott, sighing as she gives into the temptation of fantasizing that it isn’t her familiar husband underneath her, but the smooth, strong body of a thirty-something; it isn’t her husband moaning as she kisses his neck, but Matt.
Chapter Seven
This house was not a house they were ever supposed to have looked at when they were wanting to upgrade to something bigger. They had a long list of houses to visit, mostly fifties and sixties ranches and splits – all that was affordable given Elliott’s new residency at Norwalk Hospital.
Their realtor, flapping and stressed, announced they would have to make a quick pit stop at a house where she needed to check the back-door key.
Elliott was in the
Her friends tended to be other mothers who were equally laid back. They let their kids ride around the neighbourhood on bikes; they pushed the children out through the back door telling them to play, not worrying about them, nor giving them a second thought, until they came home because they were hungry.
Sure enough, on the day of the playdate Alanna went home on the bus with Skylar, and Gabby took Olivia to dance, only remembering that she had meant to find a sitter when her mobile phone rang, at 5.02 p.m., her own home number flashing on the screen. Her heart plummeted to her stomach.
She’d forgotten to book a sitter.
‘Mom? Where are you? Skylar’s mom just dropped me home and there’s no one here.’
‘Oh, honey. I’m sorry. The sitter must have forgotten. I’ll be home in five minutes. I know Skylar’s mom has tobe somewhere so tell her to leave you. It’s only five minutes.’
Gabby listened while Alanna relayed this to Trish, who then came on the phone.
‘Gabby? Hi. There’s no sitter here.’
Was it Gabby’s imagination or was there judgement in her voice? A wave of defensive panic washed over her.
‘I don’t know what happened. But I’m literally five minutes away,’ she lied, knowing she was twenty-five minutes away. ‘Just leave her. She’ll be fine for five minutes. I know you have to go.’
‘I’m not leaving her by herself,’ Trish said. ‘I’ll just wait for you.’
‘No, really. I’m so close and I know you have to take your son to basketball. Alanna’s fine.’
‘I’m not leaving a child on her own,’ Trish said. ‘We’ll wait.’ She didn’t sound happy.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Gabby said again, now feeling sick, knowing she’d be caught out. There was no way in hell she’d be home in five minutes, or anything close.
In the end, she phoned her neighbour and begged her to run over so Trish could leave. She did, but Gabby knew Trish knew she’d lied, and there was no more talk of another playdate, nor did Gabby reciprocate.
It was, as she said to Claire at the time, too much pressure.
She is happy to be friendly at social events, but they will never be friends; of that, she is certain.
Scrolling through Facebook keeps her distracted until Elliott comes back up to bed. On a normal night, she might well curl up in bed and read a couple of pages on the Kindle before going to sleep, leaving Elliott’s bedside lamp on for when he comes up. But tonight she needs to make love with him, needs to erase, finally, the evidence of her mental infidelity – and thank God it was merely in her head – and the only way to do that is to feel him inside her.
‘You’re still awake?’ He crawls onto the bed, pleasantly surprised.
‘I told you we had unfinished business,’ she replies, and smiles, pulling him to her and kissing him deeply. Her concerns for Alanna can wait.
Their lovemaking has become a well-worn routine. Tonight Gabby pulls out all the stops. She pushes him back on the bed and climbs on top of him, feeling a passion for her husband she hasn’t felt in years.
She closes her eyes and moves on top of Elliott, sighing as she gives into the temptation of fantasizing that it isn’t her familiar husband underneath her, but the smooth, strong body of a thirty-something; it isn’t her husband moaning as she kisses his neck, but Matt.
Chapter Seven
This house was not a house they were ever supposed to have looked at when they were wanting to upgrade to something bigger. They had a long list of houses to visit, mostly fifties and sixties ranches and splits – all that was affordable given Elliott’s new residency at Norwalk Hospital.
Their realtor, flapping and stressed, announced they would have to make a quick pit stop at a house where she needed to check the back-door key.
Elliott was in the
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