Page 75 of All Yours

‘I just think he’s been through a lot, and it will take someone pretty special to break down those walls and help him move on.’

The conversation changed direction, switching to Robyn and her trip.

‘You must be counting down to Botswana, I bet,’ Rosie asked.

It had been funny to be lying in Fox’s arms the other night when he asked the same question. She was looking forward to travelling again, of course she was – she’d never get tired of seeing what else the world had to offer, or of experiencing new things. But at that exact moment when he’d asked, with his arms around her and her head on his chest, she’d had the strangest feeling of being right at home.

‘I am,’ Robyn agreed, putting the feeling down to the mind-blowing orgasm she’d just had.

The door opened with a dramatic bang and Isabella rushed in, her face tear-streaked.

‘The florist has cancelled!’ she stammered. ‘She’s double booked herself. What kind of business owner only works out she’s double booked a week before a wedding?!’ She sank onto the sofa between Robyn and Wren. ‘I don’t want to be a bridezilla, but I really do want flowers for my wedding!’ Her eyes brimmed over and tears rolled down her cheeks.

‘Has she recommended a replacement?’ Wren asked, but Isabella shook her head, causing fresh tears to fall.

‘And I’ve spent the last hour on the phone and can’t get another florist within thirty miles to do it at such short notice.’ Her lip trembled and she bit it, hard, to hold it still. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

Robyn leaned forward and squeezed her hand. Weddings might not have been her favourite thing in the past, but this was one that she could help go smoothly. She could help to create the happy ever after, even if she hadn’t had one herself. She wanted that, for Isabella. Her day deserved to be perfect.

‘I could help,’ she said hesitantly. Isabella glanced at her, questioningly, and Robyn stood swiftly and moved to the table, lifting the first of her prototype wreaths and holding it up. Isabella gasped. Robyn held up the second and the third. The long trailing ivy, mixed with variated holly. A few pine cones mingling with scarlet clusters of rowan berries and sprays of claret rosehips. Isabella’s eyes flooded with hope.

‘I know these are wreaths,’ Robyn said, placing them back on the table, ‘but it would be easy for me to adapt them into table decorations, to go around a candle. And I know you need a bouquet, but the trailing ivy could be wonderful.’ She stopped, waiting.

‘Would you really?’ Isabella whispered, standing to hold Robyn’s hands between them.

‘I’d love to,’ Robyn said and suddenly she realised it was true. She’d love to be more involved in Isabella’s wedding, part of the I Do Crew.

‘I could maybe also do something here?’ She lifted a strand of trailing ivy and twined it around some rosehips, then gently wound it around Isabella’s messy bun.

‘That’s gorgeous,’ Amber said.

‘Robyn to the rescue,’ Wren said.

Isabella threw her arms around Robyn.

‘Thank you, Robyn. Thank you so much.’

Robyn was researching how to hand-tie bouquets online when there was a succession of knocks and she turned to see Reggie and George with their noses pressed against the glass door.

They waved frantically and beckoned her to come quickly. She hurried over to open the door, dread in her stomach, and they both tumbled inside, pinning themselves to the wall.

‘We’re on strike,’ Reggie said, mutinously.

‘Never going back.’ George backed his brother up, crossing his arms.

‘We don’t like her.’

‘She makes me count my breath when I walk. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four.’ George marched on the spot to demonstrate.

‘She made me drink WATER!’ Reggie declared.

‘She made me eat peas.’ The last statement was enough to set George’s lip wobbling and Reggie threw a protective arm around his little shoulders.

‘Can you come back?’

‘And Willow?’ George sniffed, glancing around the room for the baby, smiling when he saw her.

Robyn knelt down and held her arms out and they scrambled onto her lap. ‘We miss you,’ Reggie whispered into her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut and held them tightly for a moment, before sitting them beside her on the floor.