Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) (3 page)

Some of the best gifts in life

are the ones that you least expect…

Tying a knot in the final balloon, I wipe my damp brow and let it drift up to the ceiling. One hundred balloons in every colour of the rainbow now fill the apartment. Splashes of red, green, yellow and blue cover the ceiling, like a very disorganised rainbow. There’s no mistaking what’s happening here today. Sliding off my chair, I stand back and admire my handy work. With Oliver keeping Noah occupied, it was down to me to put up the birthday bunting. To be completely honest, I
might
have gone a little overboard. The once minimalistic apartment is now decked out in more banners, balloons and birthday cake than I thought physically possible.

Satisfied that I’ve done enough, I wash my hands and make my way into the bedroom. A quick glance at my watch tells me that I have just thirty minutes until people are due to arrive. Diving into my wardrobe for a change of clothes, I settle on some black jeans and a pink shirt before reaching for my cosmetic bag. Before I had Noah, I could easily spend an hour applying layer after layer of powders and creams in an attempt to breathe some life into my tired face. These days my makeup routine can be completed in five minutes flat, three in the most extreme of cases.

A few dabs of my Beauty Blender and a quick coat of mascara later I am ready to go. Flicking off the light, I saunter into the playroom and take Noah from Oliver. Dressed in a pair of baggy jeans, some tiny Dr Martens and an adorable hoody, he looks too cute for words.

‘You look adorable!’ I clutch my hands to my face and lean down to tickle his tummy.

‘Let go!’ He yells between hysterical laughter, kicking like a happy kitten.

‘Did you speak to your mum?’ I ask Oliver, who is totally pre-occupied with Noah’s train set.

‘Uh huh…’ He nods, holding his breath as the train makes it around the track successfully. ‘Yes! Put it there, Noah!’ Holding his hand in the air for a high five, he falls about laughing as Noah cheers with glee.

Boys and their toys. Rolling my eyes, I wait for Oliver to tear himself away from the train set. ‘Well?’

‘Sorry?’ He looks at me as though he hasn’t heard a single word I have said. ‘What was that?’

I swear, sometimes I feel like I have two babies, not just one. ‘Did you speak to your mum?’ I speak slowly, ensuring that he’s aware of how annoyed I am.

‘Oh, yeah.’ He jumps to his feet and dusts himself down. ‘My parents are going to meet us in Orlando on Tuesday.’

‘Great! So, when do we leave?’ The intercom buzzes loudly and Noah struggles to get down, resorting to screeching like a hyena when he doesn’t get his own way.

‘Tomorrow.’ Oliver shouts over his shoulder as he races into the living room.

Leaving him to answer the intercom, I toss a few random toys back into the toy chest and try to coax Noah into helping. Clearly not wanting to tidy away his mess, Noah shoots me a frown before returning to his train.

‘That was your parents.’ Batting his way through the sea of balloons, Oliver grabs a cupcake from the stand and devours it in one bite.

‘Oliver!’ Slapping him on the arm, I shake my head furiously. ‘They’re for the guests.’

Choosing to completely ignore me, he grabs another and bops Noah on the head with a balloon. Before I have the chance to scold him again there’s a knock at the door. Straightening out my outfit, I have a final scan of the room before pressing my eye to the peep hole.

‘Hi!’ Swinging open the door, my mouth stretches into a smile as my good friends, the Lakes, hold out a bag of presents. ‘Thank you for coming!’

Eve throws her toned arms around my neck and plants a hot pink kiss on my cheek. ‘You’re welcome. Although we did have to come such a long way for this…’

Flashing me a wink, she hands me the gifts and squeezes inside. As the Lakes live in the apartment below ours, this is a joke I hear a lot. In a strange twist of fate, this isn’t the first time that Owen and Eve have been our neighbours. A couple of years ago, Oliver and I decided to give up city living and move out to the suburbs, which is where we met the Lakes. After a turbulent few months, we returned to London with our new friends in tow and over the past two years we have become closer than ever. Accepting a double kiss from Owen, I am about to shut the door when I spot my parents stepping out of the lift. My mum’s peroxide pixie crop is even brighter than it was the last time I saw her and clashes violently with her coral lipstick. Honestly, my mother must have had more hairstyles than Nicky Clarke himself. Raising my hand in acknowledgment, I purse my lips as she lifts her dress to reveal her horrendous new inking. Not surprisingly, the disgust on my face is clear to see.

‘Oh, lighten up, Clara!’ She laughs heartily and squeezes my arm. ‘It’s just a
tattoo!
’

Not wanting to cause an argument on Noah’s birthday, I decide to keep my opinions to myself. I still blame Janie for all this. From the very day that my mum was introduced to my mother-in-law, everything about her started to change. Slowly but surely, the woman that I grew up with transformed into a garish and dare I say it, rather glamorous grandma. Honestly, when I think back to my childhood, the memories of my mother couldn’t be more different to the woman that stands before me today. Believe it or not, Rosemary Andrews was a twinset and pearls kind of lady. Not a day went by that her nail polish didn’t match her handbag. Hard to believe now, isn’t it?

Allowing my dad to pull me into a bear hug, I choose to ignore my mother’s remarks and usher them inside.

‘G-ma!’ Noah yells, taking a running jump at my mum, his little face alight with joy.

No matter how annoyed I get with my mother, seeing her with Noah always makes my heart melt. I never had that kind of emotional connection with her as a young girl, so I’m secretly overjoyed that at least Noah can benefit from her personality transplant. Excusing myself to get drinks for the adults, I slip away whilst Oliver entertains our guests. It might be only midday, but it’s never too early for a Mimosa in my book. Let’s face it, it is wine o’clock
somewhere
in the world. Digging out the bubbles, I watch my family rejoice happily and take in the scene in front of me. A gorgeous husband, a loving family, fabulous friends and a beautiful, bounding baby. Happy birthday, Noah Morgan.

*   *   *

‘I can’t see anything!’ Lianna yells. ‘Don’t you
dare
blow out those candles without me!’

Fiddling with the iPad, I let out a cheer as Li’s familiar face flashes up on the screen. Her long blonde locks are twisted up into a messy bun on the top of her head and her once pale skin has an incredible tan. I hate to admit it, but she looks absolutely fantastic.

‘You look amazing!’ I shout above the noise of the party, straining my ears to hear her response.

‘Well, duh!’ Pursing her lips, she winks cheekily and moves out of the sun’s glare. ‘Where’s the birthday boy?’

With two dozen kids running around the place it sounds like a zoo at feeding time. Taking hold of the iPad, I squeeze through the rabble of children and scoop up Noah. Not being too happy at being dragged away from his friends, he lets out a scream before breaking into a smile when he realises who’s on the screen.

‘Li-Li!’ He screams, grabbing the device and planting several sloppy kisses on the monitor.

‘Happy birthday, Noah! Did you get lots of presents?’

Nodding furiously, he proceeds to show Lianna his collection of new toys. From Lego sets to books and cuddly bears, I think it’s safe to say that he now has half a toy store piled up in his playroom. Just as I thought, the dinosaur went down a treat. I don’t actually think I’ve seen him without the cute little thing since he tore the wrapping paper off it earlier. Dodging a flock of hyper kids, I scoop up Melrose, Gina’s youngest, as she trips over a pile of gift bags and lands on the floor with a bump. Quickly rubbing her knee, I hand her over to Gina before she can let out an almighty scream.

After showing Lianna every gift twice over, Noah hands me back the iPad and points to the cake animatedly. Right on cue, Oliver whistles loudly and the room falls into silence.

‘Alright, guys!’ Dimming the lights, he proceeds to light the huge number two candle as a buzz of excitement rushes around the room.

Gathering together the children, I place Lianna on the work top and get my camera ready. Not one to shy away from the attention, Noah claps his hands together and allows Oliver to lift him up to the cake as the rest of us burst into song. His little face turns red as he tries and fails to blow out the candle. With a little help from Oliver, he finally manages to defeat the flame and the room falls into darkness. Letting out a cheer I snap away with my camera, not stopping until I have captured a shot of each and every guest.

‘Bloody hell, Andrews!’ Marc shields his eyes from the bright flash and shakes his head in an attempt to regain his sight.

Andrews is my maiden name and even though Oliver and I have been married for years, Marc refuses to call me anything else. From making fun of my dating disasters to helping me home after one too many vodka shots, Marc really is the big sister that I never had. Turning the camera around for a selfie, I pull him towards me and ruffle his perfect comb over, which I know grinds his gears more than anything else. Yes, Marc is one of those modern metrosexual men who spend more time in the bathroom than us girls. Snatching the camera out of my hands, Marc pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and frowns at the screen. Taking it back before he can delete it, I stick my tongue out and run away.

The birthday boy is being passed from pillar to post and I can’t help but notice that Lianna has been handed to my mother, who is delighting in revealing her new tattoo. In true Lianna fashion, she makes all the right noises and nods approvingly. Deciding to save her from my mother for fear of what she will show her next, I smile apologetically at my mum and take the iPad. Sneaking into the sanctuary of the bathroom, I close the door behind me and perch on the edge of the huge roll top bath.

‘What the
hell
was that?’ Lianna clasps her hands to her face as her jaw drops open.

‘Exactly what it looked like!’ Raising my eyebrows, I shake my head and frown, feeling more than a little embarrassed at my mum’s behaviour. ‘She might think it’s cool right now, but just give it a few years and she’ll regret it. I know she will. Can you imagine what that thing will look like when she’s old and wrinkly?’

‘She’s already old and wrinkly!’ Lianna fires back, not missing a beat.

Letting out a snigger, I put my finger to my lips in a bid to keep her voice down. ‘I’ll tell her you said that!’

Li lets out a giggle and turns the screen around to reveal the incredible Barbados beach that I know and love. Letting out a jealous whimper, I stick out my bottom lip and take in the amazing backdrop. The fabulous Caribbean sunshine bounces off the water, creating a dazzling display of light. Looking out at the grey London sky, I remind myself that I am flying to Florida tomorrow and a frisson of excitement bubbles in the pit of my stomach.

‘So, what’s new with you?’ Li’s voice pops my thought bubble, bringing me back to reality with a thud. ‘Any gossip?’

‘Actually, there is…’ I flash her a cheesy grin and wag my finger knowingly. ‘We’re going on holiday tomorrow!’

She gasps and drops down onto the sand. ‘Since when?’

‘Since Janie sent us tickets to Orlando…’

‘That’s amazing!’ Her tanned face breaks into a huge grin. ‘Awwh! Noah will love it! Make sure you take a million pictures. I want to see everything!’

‘I will, don’t worry.’

After discussing her latest celebrity sightings in The Hangout, I promise to send her photos every day and say my goodbyes before slipping back into the party.

‘Where have you been?’ A very flustered Oliver asks as he chops up cake and distributes it into printed napkins. ‘Can you give me a hand here?’

Taking the knife from him, I slice up the remainder and proceed to hand it around the room. A dozen sticky fingers jump up at me, each one demanding to get the biggest slice. Within seconds the plate is empty and the kids scurry away to devour their sweet treat like a pack of hungry wolves. Glad of the peace and quiet, I abandon the plate and check if anyone needs a refill. Hosting really isn’t as easy as Nigella makes it look.

‘Anyone for a top-up?’ Popping my head into my circle of friends, I flash them a smile and squeeze onto the couch.

‘I’ll take another.’ Eve holds out her glass and winks, her blue eyes sparkling like the huge diamond on her finger.

‘Me too.’ My mother pipes up, downing the last of her Mimosa in one rather unladylike gulp.

Collecting their glasses, I push myself to my feet and walk into the kitchen, not realising that Gina is behind me with birthday cake down her leopard print shirt.

‘What happened?’ I ask, handing her a tea towel.

‘Melrose…’ Rubbing at the stain furiously, Gina lets out a few curse words and slumps against the fridge with a sigh. ‘I need a holiday.’ She grumbles, running her fingers through her tangled black hair.