Happily Ever After_ - Benison Anne O'Reilly [122]
‘We can’t all afford to live in waterfront apartments in Balmain, Alex. I need to make a few compromises in this price range,’ I said through gritted teeth.
Also the real estate agents kept referring to Alex as my ‘husband’, which was a bit embarrassing. I corrected this misperception a couple of times, but after the third one I stopped bothering. After all, how exactly was I meant to describe our relationship?
‘No, this is not my husband. This is my ex-workmate and former lover and possibly the father of my unborn child.’
Even more bizarrely, one agent referred to Alex as Isabel’s ‘father’. I mean, if any two people looked less likely to be blood relations.
After a morning where Alex found none of the properties we inspected satisfactory we decided to stop for lunch at a nondescript coffee shop on a suburban strip. All my will to live had dissipated by this time so I gave in to Issy’s request for hot chips rather than a sandwich.
She scoffed them all in a most unladylike manner and said, ‘Can I buy a Dora magazine? Please?’
‘There are no shops around here to buy one, dear.’
‘Yes there is - over there,’ she said, pointing at a newsagency. Trust her to spot it.
‘But Mummy is very tired darling. I just want to sit and rest.’
‘I can take her,’ said Alex. He turned to Isabel. ‘Is that okay?’
‘Yes,’ she said and took his hand.
I offered him some money but he waved it away. ‘I think I can afford it. But before I go, what’s a Dora magazine?’
‘Don’t worry, she’ll find it.’
Five minutes later they returned. ‘Look Mummy, Alex bought me a colouring book and pencils, too.’
‘Alex.’
‘What?’ he said, all innocence. ‘It cost me ten bucks total.’
‘Exactly.’
In the end I had to concede that the colouring in book was a good investment. It kept Issy occupied whilst we managed to locate a few more properties that were open that afternoon and talk in oblique terms about my upcoming custody battle.
‘You know,’ said Alex, ‘I don’t know a whole lot about these things, fortunately, but I’m sure most are negotiated out and rarely get to court. Hopefully he’ll calm down and come to see sense.’
‘I hope so,’ is all I could offer in reply.
At 3pm we all headed home, Issy and I still without the prospect of a new home. Alex parked out the front of my parent’s house. Mum was weeding in the front garden and Issy, spying her, undid her seatbelt and ran over to show Grandma the new booty before I could reprimand her for running off without me and for not shutting the car door. When would she ever learn?
‘Grandma, look what I got!’ she yelled.
‘That’s lovely darling, but Grandma’s hands are all dirty at the moment. Why don’t you take them inside to show Granddad and I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.’
‘Okay,’ said Issy and ran inside.
I reached behind me and shut the car door. ‘Do you want to come in for a cup of tea or something?’
‘No I can’t…I’ve arranged to meet Natalie at four.’
‘Oh.’
‘I’m going to end it with her, Eleanor. She was only ever a substitute. I’ve been angry with you, I know, but if you thought I was going to get over you that quickly…’
‘Alex, I’m not expecting…’
‘I know you’re not but it’s what I want. Listen to me - a few months ago I offered to take on you and Isabel. Nothing has changed since then except that you are having another child. And what’s another child between friends?’
‘A lot actually.’
‘I was joking. Did you completely lose your sense of humour in Hong Kong?’
‘But it may not even be your baby.’
‘Don’t you think I don’t know that? In fact I think it’s better to assume it’s not mine. I care less about that than you think.’
‘I get horribly fat when I’m pregnant.’
‘That’s all right, between you and me I quite fancy chubby girls.’
‘And then when the baby is born it will be terrible. It will cry all the time and you will get hardly any sleep and probably no sex.’
‘I know, I know, I know…’
‘No, you don’t know.’
‘Okay, I don’t know but give me a chance to find out will you…Are you finished now? Can I talk?’
‘Yes, I think so.’
‘Good, because I want to tell you