Page 41 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

Liz nodded. She was so lucky to have these two young women cheering her on, even if they did still rub each other up the wrong way.

‘Thanks, girls,’ she said. ‘You’re right, Skye, we make a wonderful team. I was dreading going back to work in earnest, but having you two to spur me on has made all the difference. You’ve both worked so hard, and you, darling Ivy, have cheered me up no end.’ Liz stroked the baby’s cheek – how Jen would have loved to be here, to be part of her granddaughter’s life. ‘It’s made my world a much brighter place.’

‘OK, enough,’ Clare said, blinking. ‘Or we’ll all be in tears again.’

With Skye’s help, Liz manoeuvred the cake into a box while Clare ran through the checklist of items they needed to take.

‘So many things to think about,’ Skye marvelled. ‘Like allergies and intolerances and how many can’t handle spice.’

‘Not to mention checking every single ingredient to make sure it’s vegan,’ Clare put in. ‘But I think we’ve cracked it.’

Between them, they loaded up Liz’s van with cool boxes, crates of colourful crockery to complement the Indonesian theme and jam jars ready to be filled with the marigolds Skye had bought to decorate the table. Skye climbed into the passenger seat and Liz handed her the cake box before getting into the car herself.

‘Wish I was coming,’ Clare grumbled. ‘I’m going to be having severe FOMO this afternoon.’

‘Oh darling!’ Liz frowned. ‘That sounds painful.’

Skye and Clare laughed.

‘What’s funny?’

‘It’s not an illness,’ Skye told her. ‘It stands for fear of missing out.’

‘Oh.’ Liz laughed. All these abbreviations reminded her that she’d registered on Tinder a few days ago and had her eyes well and truly opened; she was having to learn a whole new language. ‘Think of us sweating in someone’s kitchen, eyes stinging from chopping chillies and onions for the garnish while drunk clients get in the way and add salt to things as soon as our backs are turned.’

Skye pulled a face. ‘Do they do that?’

‘You’d be amazed,’ Liz replied. ‘You have to have eyes in the back of your head.’

Clare grinned. ‘You’ve convinced me. Ivy and I will head off to Kingsbridge for a big food shop instead.’

‘On your own?’ Skye said.

‘Yes,’ said Clare, tartly. ‘Believe it or not, I have been shopping in the last year and I don’t generally leave Ivy home alone.’

‘No need to bite my head off,’ Skye muttered. They’d got two more events to cater for later in the week and the shopping list Clare had compiled last night while Liz and Skye chopped today’s vegetables was huge.

‘Why don’t you take her to the beach instead?’ said Liz. ‘You haven’t been for ages. Wild horses wouldn’t drag you away usually.’

Liz wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but Clare’s cheeks seemed to flush at her words.

‘I’d rather go shopping, make myself useful,’ Clare insisted.

‘If you wait until this evening,’ suggested Liz, ‘one of us can go with you.’

Clare shook her head. ‘Ivy will be in bed then and, anyway, I can—’

‘You can manage,’ Skye finished for her. ‘We know. Fine. See you later.’

Clare waved them off and took Ivy back inside as Liz started the engine.

‘Do you think something’s the matter?’ Liz looked over her shoulder as she reversed the van off the drive. ‘She’s barely left the house all week.’

‘She seems OK, but I know what you mean,’ Skye mused. ‘Not that she’d tell me if there was.’

‘I wonder if she’s ever left Ivy with a babysitter?’ Liz pondered.

Skye gave a snort.