183 Times a Year (49 page)

The front door opens again and Freddy drags Dad through it followed by Mum, Sean, Natasha and Summer. Freddy spots Romeow sprawled across his usual step on the stairs and begins barking incessantly. Romeow's look is one of utter contempt. He watches Freddy for a moment, mildly amused, mildly intrigued, before closing his eyes again.

‘
Stupid bleedin dog,' Dad shouts. ‘Salocin,' Mum responds.

‘Sorry.'

My phone pings. It's a text from Ruby.

‘Simon, Ruby's here, on the drive. She needs some help?'

‘On my way,' Simon replies.

Ruby walks in with a sleeping baby Andrew in his car seat. I wipe my hands on a tea towel and take the seat from her.

‘Oh my god Ruby, he's grown so much already. And he looks soooo like Andy.' ‘Doesn't he?' Ruby frowns. ‘Poor little sod.'

‘Wait till he's running around like this one,' someone calls behind us.

‘Pheebs!!' Cassie screams as a shy little Nancy toddles in, clinging to the side of Phoebe's leg.

‘Room for a few more?' Jodi shouts above the noisy and overcrowded kitchen that, moments ago, was completely quiet. Two reluctant teenagers, two enthusiastic toddlers and a rather tired looking Rob follow her.

I step back for a moment and observe the commotion unfolding before me. A wonderful, noisy hullabaloo as Moby continues to sing out his
Perfect Life.

It's not a perfect life. If it were Andy would still be with us. The truth is life can often be about suffering and pain. As we go about our daily struggles of job losses, pay cuts, divorce, inflation, the loss of a loved one, life seems to be about fear, frustration, disappointment, embarrassment and anger. The trick is to live each day at a time, to capture those moments that truly are important, the little things as well as the big. And don't just see them. Feel them. Experience them. Live them.

True wisdom comes from compassion, for yourself and others. If you spend your life craving the seemingly perfect life of others, wanting what others have, you are in serious danger of missing what you actually have. Wanting deprives us of
contentment
and happiness. Dad always says that out of bad things comes good.

Love and be willing to be loved right back. And remember … IT'S NOT A LIFE, IT'S AN ADVENTURE!!!!!

Eva is a published writer of several short stories and debut novel
183 Times A Year.
Eva has always had a love of books and reading and really got the writing bug when she received a first for her dissertation, which looked at The People's War during World War II, whilst studying for a degree in English and History.

Eva lives in a small town in Cambridgeshire with partner Steve and three of her four children, who are a constant source of inspiration! Eva's career has been varied, including working in a Women's Refuge and more recently at the city library. However, storytelling through the art of writing is her true passion.

It is the women in her life – including her mother, daughters and good friends – that inspired Eva to write her debut novel, a modern day exploration of domestic love, hate, strength and friendship set amongst the thorny realities of today's divided and extended families.