The Guest List (24 page)

She’d come over to Betty and Mick’s to drop off a box of the aforementioned cupcakes, the ones that had caused all the trouble. The girls had dedicated the previous evening to baking the treats and had made their mother promise to put some aside for Nanna and Grandad. Kim had agreed to drop them off this morning as she was passing by Greygates on her way to an appointment with a client.

Indeed, she realised she could have just left them in the stockroom at work and watched them disappear, or even eaten them all herself (which she had come dangerously close to doing), instead of engaging on the errand over here, but Olivia had a mind like a steel trap, and was likely to remember to ask after them next time she saw her grandparents.

She got out of the car and walked up the steps. Already she could hear raised voices from inside, and she wondered what she was voluntarily walking into. Her stomach churned again and she paused, trying to regain her composure. She hoped to avoid confrontation today, with either her mother-in-law or Heidi. She just wasn’t in the mood for it and unfortunately it was with these two women that Kim was always most likely to find it.

She tapped on the door lightly. ‘Hello?’ she said, trying to inject easy-going positivity into her voice. She let out a quiet burp and paused, hoping that air was all that was coming up.

‘Betty, hello?’ Kim called out again.

Standing at the doorway, she looked through to the kitchen. The first person she saw was Heidi, who (unsurprisingly) had her face set in a scowl. She turned in Kim’s direction and the scowl deepened. Clearly, Heidi was as excited to see her as Kim was to see Heidi.

Betty quickly walked into view.

‘Oh Kim, hello. I didn’t know you were coming over. Oh, what do you have there?’ her mother-in-law asked as she hustled forward to help Kim, who was struggling to balance the tray of cupcakes and open the front door at the same time. ‘Here, let me take that box from you.’

‘We were making cupcakes last night and the girls insisted that I bring some over for you and Grandad,’ Kim replied with a smile. Her stomach let out another dangerous sounding groan, and she quickly – and thankfully – handed the tray of goodies off.

‘Ah lovely,’ Betty said, smiling. ‘Are you feeling all right though? Your stomach sounds like you just ate a bear. I bet it’s the morning sickness. Such a problem, such a problem, but all worth it of course. It’s the natural way after all. Oh and Heidi’s here. We were just discussing Cara’s wedding.’

Uh-oh, Kim thought, so
that
was the ticking time bomb she was walking in on. She tried to plaster on a smile as she followed Betty into the kitchen. Maybe she could make this visit a quick one.

‘Hey Heidi, how are things?’ she said, waving a greeting.

‘Hi,’ Heidi replied shortly, and Kim immediately deduced by her tone that her sister-in-law was still in a mood with her. But then again, when
wasn’t
she in a mood?

‘So yes, I’m sure you have heard all about it of course? Cara’s plans, I mean,’ Betty asked. Kim tried to gauge the feeling in the room. She knew that what she had just been asked was a loaded question. How did she answer?

‘Yes, Cara called me the other night,’ she said simply, offering no additional information.

‘Heidi and I were just discussing how we needed to be excited for Cara, support her and show a united front,’ Betty continued.

Well, that’s interesting, Kim thought, momentarily wrong-footed. Betty had just pulled a complete one-eighty turn in her opinion, judging by what Cara had told her about her mother’s initial response to the news about the beach wedding.

For Cara’s sake she was relieved that Betty had finally come to her senses; Cara adored her mother and Kim knew her parents’ reaction had really hurt her.

‘Well, I’m sure that Cara will be delighted that you want to be involved.’ She also knew that Cara certainly needed the support, judging by the negative reaction she and Shane had also received from his parents. Poor thing had rung Kim in tears the other night after their visit to the Richardson house.

Heidi up to this point had been quiet, but her pointed gaze had not failed to be noticed by Kim. Her expression was hawkish to say the least.

‘So I suppose that you are fine with all of this nonsense about going to St Lucia to get married? Even though we will both be in the last trimester? You do realise that don’t you?’ Heidi said pointedly. It was less a question and more an accusation.

‘Only barely in your case, but yes, of course I know that Heidi,’ Kim said, shrugging. ‘It’s not that big of a deal to me.’

Heidi rolled her eyes. ‘So you don’t care if your baby is born a St Lucian?’

Despite her dodgy stomach, Kim almost burst out laughing. ‘Excuse me? What are you talking about?’

‘Oh, I think Heidi might be a bit worried about either of you going into labour while over there,’ offered Betty weakly.

‘So how would my baby be a St Lucian if I went into labour on the island?’ inquired Kim innocently. She had to hear this.

‘Well, you are Irish if you are born in Ireland, you are American if you are born in America. So if my baby is born in St Lucia, it will obviously be St Lucian.’ Heidi rolled her eyes as if she was explaining the nuances and intricacies of citizenship to a child.

Kim pressed her lips together. She had to say, her sister-in-law was really something. She could only conclude that Betty must have dropped her on her head when she was a baby and had been feeling guilty about it ever since. Why else was her behaviour so readily indulged?

‘Actually Heidi, I’m not sure if that is exactly how the laws of citizenship work. You might want to look that up.’

‘Really,’ Heidi replied sardonically, but Kim could tell she was annoyed. ‘Still, you going into labour early would put quite the crimp in your plans, wouldn’t it?’ she added. ‘Seeing as you would much rather have some doctor do all the work for you, rather than going to trouble of having the baby for yourself. Too posh to push and all that,’ Heidi added nastily.

‘Yes Kim, Ben mentioned something about that.’ Betty chimed in. ‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, actually. What’s all this nonsense about a planned C-section? It’s a disgrace. You do know that such a thing completely goes against the laws of nature? Childbirth is meant to be painful, that is a woman’s burden. After all, Eve had to go through it, so should the rest of us.’

OK here we go
, Kim thought, infuriated. She was almost sorry now that she and Ben had been so open about their plans, given that so many people were determined to shove their oar in. But at the same time, it was no business of anyone else’s and there was no way she was going to hide the decision, or act as though it was something to be ashamed of.

Still, she was becoming sick to the teeth of having to justify it, and now the last thing she wanted was a debate with her pious when it suited her mother-in-law about religion.

‘Actually Betty, our plans in this regard are personal and entirely none of your business,’ she said, working her hardest to bite her tongue. Her stomach moaned again and she felt bile rise in her throat. She really needed to get out of here – fast.

‘I would think the approval of the family would be important to you on this matter. After all, it is my grandchild too,’ said Betty.

Kim looked to from Betty to Heidi, who wore a maddeningly self-satisfied expression, knowing that she had essentially tossed Kim to the wolves.

‘Betty, approval has nothing to do with it. I’m the baby’s mother and given my experiences with the two girls, I know exactly what I’m getting into. Which is why this time, I get to call the shots.’ She gave Heidi a withering glance. ‘As for too posh to push, let’s see how you get on yourself before you start casting judgement on anyone else.’

‘I’ll be just fine thank you. I have a detailed birth plan and I already know exactly what—’

Kim chuckled. ‘A birth plan? Good luck with that. I don’t want to scare you Heidi, but take it from me, once labour really gets going, any plans or notions you might have will have to go straight out the window. Which is exactly why I’ve decided not to leave anything to chance this time round.’

She thought she saw Heidi blanch and was beginning to feel guilty when her sister-in-law muttered, ‘Drama queen.’

Kim’s mouth dropped open. ‘How dare—?’

‘I don’t see why you are still persisting with this silly business of yours either,’ Betty put in, quickly changing the subject. ‘It’s not right being a working mother with three. You need to be there for your—’

‘Persisting with my silly business?’ Kim couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Now she was getting the working-mother guilt trip! And as if Blissology was some tiny backroom set-up, instead of a thriving enterprise with an enviable turnover. ‘Betty, if I remember correctly what Ben told me, you too worked after your children were born. And it’s not as though what I do is some frivolous hobby that I can abandon at a moment’s notice. Not that I want to. And not only do I love what I do, but my having a career has no bearing whatsoever on my ability to be a good mother – if anything it complements it.’

Betty opened and closed her mouth and Kim knew that she had made her point. But as ever, Heidi decided to jump in with her tuppence worth.

‘Really Kim, I can’t see how what you do fits into the definition of a “good mother.” I mean, it’s your kids who are going to pay for your so-called career. I would much rather choose to have well balanced children than be going door to door like some kind of insurance salesman. Really, when the new baby arrives, I think you should re-examine your priorities’.

Kim had been trying desperately to bite her tongue, but she was tired and nauseated and had had just about enough of her husband’s spoilt little sister. ‘Heidi, I really don’t think you can consider yourself an authority on anything motherhood or indeed career-related. It’s not as though you successfully climbed the corporate ladder. And as for being a good mother – again, let’s just see how you get on.’

Heidi’s face flushed bright red, but she didn’t dare reply.

‘Anyway, I’d better get back to selling “door to door” as you put it,’ Kim continued, abruptly turning to leave. ‘Like such a bad mother, I simply wanted to drop off these cupcakes as a favour to my daughters; I didn’t expect to get lectured.’ Her stomach churned again and she knew she needed to get out of there ASAP.

‘Nobody was lecturing you Kim, we were merely pointing out our concerns about the baby,’ admonished Betty. ‘I’ve already said it to Ben, and I’ll say it to you now: what you’re planning is not right and I do hope you will come your senses and—’

‘Betty, I’m sorry but it’s really none of your business,’ Kim shot back, sick to the gills of interfering in-laws. ‘The decision is made, I am having this baby whatever way I like and what’s not right is you trying to interfere. You’ll just have to get used to the idea. Just like you will with Cara’s wedding.’

She pushed down on the door handle. ‘And Heidi, for the record, if by any chance you did go into labour on St Lucia, I wouldn’t be worrying so much about its nationality, I’d be worrying over the fact that it would be dangerously premature. In any case, I suggest you put on your big-girl pants and realise that this wedding isn’t about you, it’s about Cara. Therefore, your only role is to sit down, shut up and for once put a smile on your selfish face. All right?’

With that Kim walked out of the kitchen and through the house to the front door. Once she got outside, she broke into a controlled sprint to the car.

She was just about able to control her nausea until she pulled the vehicle around the corner, whereupon she threw open the door and promptly purged the two cupcakes that she had eaten before her visit to Betty and Heidi.

The problem was, she thought afterwards, that she wasn’t sure if it was the baby, or the conversation with her bloody in-laws, that had made her sick.

The following Saturday morning, Cara ran up the steps of the bridal dress shop just off Grafton Street. She had to admit, she was incredibly excited about this, especially in view of her recent stress concerning the wedding and, in particular, Shane’s parents.

Regardless of anything else that was going on in the background, she knew today was going to be a great day. Kim was meeting her and they were going to look at wedding dresses, as well as bridesmaid dresses. A total girls’ day out, just what she needed.

However, when she walked into the salon, she was completely unprepared to see her mother and Heidi. They were flanking Kim, who gave her a helpless look and mouthed ‘sorry.’

‘Mum, Heidi, what are you doing here?’ Cara questioned, caught completely off guard by their presence.

‘Heidi and I were out shopping for some baby things this morning. We stopped by Ben and Kim’s to say hello, and we happened to catch Kim on her way out. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, pet,’ Betty said, looking hurt. ‘As if I would miss out on shopping for your wedding dress with you.’

However, it was clear from Heidi’s sullen expression that she was greatly put off from having a shopping day related to her and baby things redirected towards Cara and her wedding dress.

Cara smiled, pleased that Betty seemed so eager and positive; a huge change from the last time she’d seen her. She’d been so deflated about not having her mother along today to help choose her wedding dress – an important ritual she’d always anticipated sharing with her – but she just hadn’t been able to face any more negativity. It had seemed easier all round to go with someone who was supportive of her wishes. But now Betty seemed genuinely happy about the prospect. Should she give her the benefit of the doubt?

‘Fantastic. And great that you’re here too, Heidi.’ She hadn’t spoken to her sister since Heidi’s angry phone call shortly after she and Shane announced their plans.

Heidi, who had been staring at the ceiling, locked her gaze on Cara’s face. ‘Why’s that?’ she asked.

‘Well, because if you do decide to join us in St Lucia, naturally I’m hoping that you will be one of my bridesmaids,’ Cara said with a smile. ‘I would have asked you before now, but the time didn’t seem right, and the last time we spoke . . .’