Sam in the Spotlight (19 page)

An important-looking man with a clipboard came bustling over to the car and when we showed him our passes and said we were there to do the flowers he rushed us through a side entrance, quite a way from where the other guests were going in. I said goodbye to Aunty Mags and the man led me down a grand corridor with shiny floors and old-fashioned portraits, all the way along to where Mum was waiting for me in the main dining room.

I stood in the doorway with my mouth hanging open. It was the most romantic room I'd ever seen in my life. There was a huge chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, dripping with thousands of tiny crystals. The light shimmering through the glass made a pattern of sparkly dots on every wall – kind of like a giant disco ball. I was dying to take a picture and send it to Ellie and the others – they wouldn't believe it.

Mum was busy sorting out the table arrangements. She'd used bendy wire and delicate red flowers to create the shape of two entwined hearts. There was also a flickering red candle sitting in one of Crystal's candleholders on each of the tables. Of course Mum didn't have the slightest clue that Crystal had made the candleholders, but the overall effect was stunning.

“The tables look amazing, Mum,” I said. “How did you ever get the idea?”

Mum smiled. She was probably relieved I wasn't giving her the frosty treatment. “Well, Sophia finally decided that she wanted the theme to be love hearts and I thought two hearts would look much prettier than one. Lavender told me there were going to be candles, so I tried out all different ways of arranging the hearts around the candle and I thought this way would be best.”

“Have you seen Lavender yet?” I asked as casually as I could. “Or anyone else?”

Mum shook her head. “They've pretty much left me to it. The band have been in and out, setting up, but I haven't seen Lavender.”

It was crazy. Tyler had probably walked straight past Mum – maybe they'd even said hi – but because she'd always been so set against meeting him properly, neither of them would have had a clue.

“Are you going to give me a hand then, Sam? Myra and Keeley were fantastic this morning but they had to get back to the shop to do the normal Saturday orders.”

“What was it like at the church?”

“I didn't see the service or anything. We'd finished before Sophia or any of the guests arrived and then I came straight here to start the tables. Listen, why don't you pass me the wire and cutters as we go around? I'm so nervous it's taking me twice as long as I thought it would.”

I was nervous too. Very. My hands were slippy on the cutters and the butterflies were back in my stomach but a hundred times worse than this morning. What if Crystal didn't show up
before
the wedding? What if they never actually came face-to-face at all? I didn't know whether to tell Mum about the candleholders or just wait and see what happened. My whole plan to get them together suddenly seemed rubbish. It wasn't a proper plan at all. A door banged down the corridor, and then another. My stomach lurched, but no one came into the hall.

We worked on for a bit and then Mum stood back to check the table we'd just finished. “Do you think the hearts look obvious enough?” she said. “I didn't want to go too over the top, so I've tried to make them as dainty as possible but…”

“The hearts look brilliant,” I gushed, “
and
the candleholders.” I
had
to say something. I had no idea where Crystal was and time was ticking by. “They're beautiful as well, aren't they?” I held my breath, waiting to see what she would say.

“Yes, they're lovely,” she agreed. “I might actually ask Lavender who made them – it would be great to get some to sell in
Everything's Rosy.
They'd look a treat dotted around the shop.”

This was my chance. “Well, you'll never believe it, Mum,” I started, forcing the words out before I lost my nerve, “but I actually know who…” There was a sudden noise by the door and we both swung round. It was Crystal. She was standing there with her hands on her hips and her chin jutting out.

“I made them,” she said. “The candleholders are mine.
I
made them.”

Mum dropped the flower she was holding and literally stepped back in shock. She looked from me to Crystal and back to me again. I could just imagine what she was thinking.

“What's going on?” she said in the end. “Did you know about this, Sam?”

I suddenly realized I was still holding my breath. I couldn't believe I actually thought this was going to be a good idea. I must've been mad.

“It's got nothing to do with Sam,” said Crystal, jutting her chin out even further. “Sophia Malone asked me to make the candleholders for the tables, but I didn't know
you
were doing the flowers.”

She spun round and started to walk out of the room.

“Wait!” said Mum. “Let's talk…can't we just talk, Crystal,
please?
”

“What's left to say?” said Crystal. She turned back, her eyes glittering. “I'm pretty sure you said everything you wanted to say to me on the night of my birthday.”

Mum took a step towards her. “Look, I know you're upset, Crystal, but I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that I had all these dreams for you…”

Crystal shook her head. “But it wasn't about
my
dreams, was it, Mum? It was about yours. It was about me coming along eighteen years ago and ruining all
your
dreams. I was just One Big Mistake, wasn't I? Isn't that what you said? That you didn't want me to make the same mistake you made.”

“But I didn't mean
you
!” cried Mum. “You and Sam – you're my special girls…”

“
Special,
” spat Crystal. “You didn't make me feel very special that night, did you? What do you think it feels like when your own mother says she wishes you'd never been born?”

Mum lurched towards Crystal. “I
didn't.
..” she gasped. “
I
…” Her voice broke and she started to cry.

“Look, this is stupid,” said Crystal, but her eyes were bright too. “They're going to be bringing the guests in soon and you haven't even finished the flowers, and anyway I've got to get back to Tyler and the guys. If you've got something to say to me, it'll have to wait.”

“What do you mean, Tyler and the guys?” croaked Mum.

“Oh sorry, I forgot to mention,” said Crystal. “My
loser
boyfriend is playing a gig at the celebrity wedding of the year…guess he's not such a loser
after all!
”

“But she doesn't think he's a loser!” I cried out in desperation. I couldn't keep quiet a second longer. “She fell in love with a musician herself. Didn't you, Mum?”

Mum froze.

“What the hell are you talking about?” said Crystal.

“It's true,” I said, the words tumbling out. “Dad used to play in a band and Mum came to see him in a gig and they fell in love and that was way before he got a job in a bank. Tell her, Mum. Tell her it's true.”

“What a load of rubbish!” snapped Crystal.

“Come on, Mum. Tell her about Stevie and the Stingrays. Dad was in a band, just like Tyler, and it didn't stop you falling for him.”

But Mum just stood there, speechless.

“I don't know what you're on about, Sam,” said Crystal, “but whatever it is, I really couldn't care less. I know you're just trying to help, but it's too late!” And she flounced out of the room, just like she always does when she wants to get the last word.

“She's right,” sobbed Mum. “It's too late.” She sank down onto a chair and put her head in her hands.

“Come on,” I said, before she lost it altogether. “Crystal's right, let's get the flowers sorted, at least.”

I managed to get her up and we worked really hard together until the tables were finished. I could see her hands shaking like mad as she clipped and shaped the flowers, and every few minutes a huge tear ran down her face, but she didn't say a word. We were just packing up when Lavender came in.

“Oh darlings, it's absolutely stunning,” she cried. “And who would've thought the little candleholders and the flowers shaped like hearts would come together so perfectly. They're quite simply a match made in heaven.”

In hell, more like,
I thought, as I texted Ellie and the others that everything had gone completely wrong.

Lavender ushered us into a sort of small waiting room near the hall. She said she needed to bring some forms for Mum to sign and she hurried off down the corridor.

We'd been sitting there for about fifteen minutes when the music started. I went to stand by the open door and peered round so I could just about see into the hall. All the guests had arrived. The room was packed full of beautiful women, and men in their smartest suits, all sipping champagne and looking outrageously glamorous. The Garlic Pickers were standing on the stage at the far end. Tyler was right in the middle and he was singing directly to Sophia Malone. The lyrics were quite simple, but it was such a romantic song.

“He wrote it for me,” said Crystal, coming up alongside me. “It's called ‘Precious Girl' and he wrote it for me when I moved in with him.
He
thinks I'm special even if my own mother doesn't.”

“You are special,” said Mum quietly, coming out of the room. She held her hands out to Crystal, pleading. “You're my precious girl and if I
ever
made you feel that you weren't wanted then I am so, so sorry. I'd do anything to take back what I said that night, Crystal. You've got to believe me.
Anything.
”

Tears started to run down Crystal's face. “But you
said
you didn't want me,” she sobbed, crumbling suddenly. “You said giving up your place at university was the biggest mistake of your life – and we all know why you had to give it up…”

“But I didn't mean—”

“You did!” cried Crystal. “You gave up everything for me. I ruined your life. That's what you meant when you said—”

“No,” said Mum firmly, pulling Crystal into her arms. “That's
not
what I meant. Having you was the best decision I've
ever
made in my life and I couldn't love you more or be prouder of you. I think you're incredible.”

I started crying as well then, it was just too much.

And then Lavender arrived with the forms. “Oh darlings,” she gasped, looking a bit flustered. “Does anyone need a tissue?”

Mum was very quiet on the way home. I kind of thought she'd be over the moon, but I guess six months of upset and rows don't just evaporate into thin air.

“I'm so tired,” she said as we drew up outside the house. “I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life.”

“Well, Mum, you have just done the flowers for Sophia Malone's wedding
and
made up with Crystal.”

I was so fed up with hiding things – I wasn't about to pretend the big teary scene had never happened.

“Yes,
and
made up with Crystal,” said Mum, and she didn't even seem cross that I'd brought it up. “I'm grateful, Sam; so grateful that I got the chance to say sorry. I should've listened to Crystal
and
to you.”

“Do you mean that?” I said, grinning in the dark.

Mum nodded. “You're both clever and you're both creative and just because Crystal hasn't taken up her place at university doesn't mean she won't do well for herself.”

“So does that mean I don't have to leave Star Makers?” I said, hardly able to believe what I was hearing. “Are you going to ring Mrs. Raja?”

“Hang on!” said Mum, shaking her head. “I'm not going to decide just like that. Mrs. Raja is a fantastic tutor, one of the best. We'll talk about it in the morning when I've had a proper chance to think things through.”

I hardly slept all night. At some point I texted Ellie to say
Wedding okay but crisis not over yet.
I suppose I must've fallen asleep in the end, because I had a terrible nightmare that I was onstage acting my part in
The Phantom Face
when suddenly I realized I was stark naked in front of the entire audience
and
Adam. I woke up, my heart racing, and lay there in a state of terror until the morning.

Mum came in quite early. She drew my curtains and sat on my bed. She had such a serious look on her face I felt like crawling under the covers before she'd even said anything.

“I've had a long chat with Dad,” she said in the end. “You know, about everything…” I nodded, hardly able to breathe. “He thinks it's very important that I let you follow your dreams and I think he's probably right.”