Page 31 of The Best Friend
The Lanes must have been here since about eight o’clock this morning decorating the room. The table is laid with divine mini cupcakes, tiny triangle sandwiches, crisps and individual soda bottles. Thepiece de resistanceis a giant 3D cake in the shape of a white leather football, which appears to have been signed by the whole of the Bournemouth football team in icing – How the hell did Darcy manage that? Again, Tyler’s name is emblazoned across the top. My Marks and Spencer pre-bought football cake is going to look absolutely pathetic sitting alongside that work of art.
‘Did you want to hang out Joe’s banner and balloons?’ Darcy asks.
I turn to her, my face flushing red with embarrassment and anger that I’m desperately trying to keep in check. Jared is blithely unaware of my humiliation, already deep in conversation with his new best buddy, Mike. And Joe and Tyler are charging around the room, playing keepy-uppy with a few stray ‘Tyler’ balloons.
‘I have some balloons and streamers,’ I say. ‘But they don’t have Joe’s name on… I didn’t think we were—’
‘Oh.’ Darcy pouts as if she’s surprised. ‘That’s a shame. Do you need any help putting them up?’
‘I didn’t realise you were getting named decorations,’ I say, ‘or I would’ve—’
‘Didn’t we discuss all the decorations atFlora’s?’ she asks, frowning. ‘I thought we went over all that?’
I know for a fact that she absolutely did not mention named decorations. My heart rate has doubled, and I feel a deep pull of disappointment in my gut. Is this woman trying to outmanoeuvre me? Is Darcy playing some subtle game of one-upmanship? But there’s a niggle of doubt in my chest. Why would she do that? What would be the point? She’s the woman with everything. I can’t even begin to compete with her. I must be mistaken. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m overreacting. Seeing things where there’s nothing to see. Imagining malice where there is none. I need to snap out of it.
Thirteen
I can’t let any of these trivial things get to me. Whether Darcy is playing some kind of game with me, or not, I won’t let it ruin Joe’s day. As long as my boy is happy, that’s all that matters.
‘You know what?’ I say brightly. ‘You’ve made such a good job of decorating the room, I don’t think I need to add anything else. It’ll just be overkill. Why don’t we have a coffee while we’re waiting for everyone to arrive.’
‘Good idea,’ Darcy replies, relaxing her face.
‘Let me just put Joe’s cake out,’ I say, determined not to let its puny size make me feel like an inadequate mother. It’s a normal-sized cake, for goodness sake.
I stroll over to Jared and take the box from his hands. ‘Hi Mike,’ I say. We kiss on the cheek and I walk back over to the table.
‘I thought Tyler could sit at this end and Joe could sit at the other,’ Darcy says.
‘Perfect,’ I reply, extricating Joe’s small, circular football cake and placing it on the table opposite Tyler’s monstrous creation. ‘Amazing cake,’ I say, trying to be nice about it.
‘Thanks. We got Ty a signed Bournemouth kit for his birthday, so we decided it would be cool if the pastry chef copied out the players’ signatures in icing.’
‘Great idea,’ I say. Honestly, I never knew smiling could be this hard.
As Joe and Tyler’s friends begin to arrive, and we make our way over to greet them, it becomes abundantly clear that no one else realises that it’s Joe’s birthday party either. So, I can safely assume that Darcy didn’t email the other parents to let them know it would be a joint party. They all bring presents for Tyler. Only one other boy has a present for Joe, too.
Darcy has started talking to an official-looking woman by the door so I make my way over to see what’s happening.
‘If you could introduce me to Tyler,’ the woman is saying to Darcy, ‘then we can make sure the players and the coach know that he’s the birthday boy. Here’s a birthday rosette to pin on his shirt.’
‘Hi,’ I say to the woman. ‘I’m Louisa Sullivan, Joe’s mum.’
She smiles blankly at me.
‘It’s Joe and Tyler’s birthday today. I’m Joe’s mum.’
‘Oh.’ Her face drops. ‘A joint party?’
‘Yes, Darcy will have told you last month about it.’
Darcy doesn’t speak.
‘I… uh.’ The woman pulls at the ends of her hair and bites her bottom lip. I take pity on her as I’m pretty sure Darcy must have forgotten to mention it.
‘It was a last-minute change,’ I say. ‘So can we get a rosette for Joe?’
The woman’s shoulders drop with the relief that she hasn’t messed up. ‘Yes, of course. Give me a minute. I’ll be back with one for your son, too.’
