AllFreeNovel
Share Us
3. Working with celebrity clients in an upmarket beauty salon.
4. Enjoying regular gourmet meals and great conversation at award-winning restaurants.
5. Travelling with my husband and children to beautiful places around the world.
That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?
Of course, she had to somehowfind the ideal husband, hope she’d be able to conceive, drop a couple of dress sizes, graduate from Beauty College, and earn enough money to eat out and travel regularly – or hope that her husband did. But Liz had said not to dwell on the ‘how’, but to trust in the power of the universe to show the way. All we had to do was discover our passions (check), have a clear picture of what we wanted from life (check), and make decisions in favour of our passions (check– well, sort of.That was an ongoing process, and eating a family size block of chocolate twice a week didn’t exactly favour passion number two, but itdidmake her feel fantastic, which hopefully cancelled out the calories?).
Because she’d be moving out soon, Miranda resisted the urge to display her passion cards in shiny silver frames around the flat, so she settled for more portable locations. A small one in a credit card slot in her purse, a laminated one attached to her cosmetic bag, one Blu-Tacked to the sun visor in her new (old) car, and one as a bookmark for each self-improvement book she was currently reading.
Aha!As she took a sip from her water bottle, Miranda thought of another idea.
She wrote out her eighth (or was it ninth?) passion card, this time on a piece of paper, and wrapped it around her water bottle. Then she trapped it with layers of clear packing tape she’d been collecting for the impending packing-up-house adventure.
Unless she stopped drinking water (probably not, but she could always fill the bottle with diet coke), using credit cards (impossible), wearing make-up (totally impossible), driving, and reading self-improvement books, her top passions would always be visible.
‘So, which one first?’Sue Sheppard asked her daughter as they got into Miranda’s recent purchase; a 1998 Toyota Corolla, complete with vintage cassette player, wonky air conditioning, wind-up windows, peeling paint, and a slight dent on the left side. Appropriately, the letters on the number plate read: ‘LOL’. It was all she could afford, and it seemed in good condition with low mileage, plus, it wasalmostsilver. More of a pale metallic blue, but close enough.
‘This one.’ Miranda pointed her manicured finger to the print-out of a small but modern two-bedroom brick house; a manageable distance from work. Once settled she could search for a housemate to halve the costs. Or hope her future man would manifest and either move in with her or she’d move to his. Anything was possible! Excitement rippled through her body. The Club had already given her a boost of confidence. ‘The open house starts soon. If it’s the one, I might not even need to see the others!’
‘Of course you will, darling. For comparison,’ Sue stated, as they pulled onto the road, sun warming their skin through the windows.
‘I wish man-hunting was as simple as house-hunting. Just make an appointment to see them, check out their good points and problem areas, and walk away if they’re not right!’
‘Miranda! You shouldn’t be so fussy,’ Sue lectured.
‘I’m not fussy. I just haven’t found the right one yet.’
‘All I’m saying is, keep an open mind ... watch it, slow down!’ Sue shielded her face as Miranda stopped too close for comfort to the car in front.
‘Mum, I’m used to driving in the city, give me some credit!’ Miranda sighed.
‘Anyway, as I was saying,’ Sue continued, ‘you don’t want to wait too long before ... you know.’
‘Before I have children?’
‘Well, yes. You know what happened to me.’ Sue lowered her chin, eyes looking up at her daughter, the way she did whenever they discussed ‘The Issue’.
‘I haven’t forgotten, Mum. And anyway, my six-monthly blood tests showed that everything’s in working order.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Sue softened. For a moment. ‘Miranda!’ Sue was thrust sideways, her knuckles going white, holding onto the sides of the seat as Miranda swerved round a corner.
‘Relax, Mum.’
‘I wish this car had airbags.’ Sue took an audible deep breath. ‘Do you think you should ask the doctor to test your hormones more often, now that you’re almost thirty?’
‘I don’t think so, surely he’d tell me if that was necessary?’
‘Oh, you never know with doctors today, they don’t have enough time or energy for thorough assessments, let alone write legibly.’ Miranda knew her mother wasn’t the biggest fan of the medical profession. ‘I was devastated when I couldn’t give you a brother or sister, and more so when I told the doctors the same thing happened to my Mum, and they said it might affect you too.’
When Miranda first found out she may develop premature menopause, she thought, ‘Yippee! I won’t have to have periods forever!’. But when the reality sunk in, she realised the implications. Sue Sheppard was twenty-nine when she had Miranda, and tried to get pregnant again two years later. By thirty-two she was officially ‘post-menopausal’. While her friends were off having babies galore, she was getting hot flushes.
‘Well, Mum, I guess if it’s meant to be,it’s meant to be. I’m not about to tie down the next eligible man I meet, I’d rather it feelright, you know?’
‘Yes, I know,’ Sue whispered.
‘You can let go of the seat now Mum, we’re here.’ Two other cars were parked by the curb, the sleek black Audi obviously belonging to Rebecca, the ‘in-your-face’ real estate agent.
