‘Hey, are you okay?’ Nell said into her cheek, then planted a big kiss.
‘Yeah. Listen, sorry I got a bit narky with you again. It was work.’ She slumped down in the chair and Nell immediately grabbed her a mince pie and gingerbread man and put them in front of her. ‘I had a mum have a really difficult birth and it got to me.’ Cat pushed a hand through her hair. ‘We nearly lost the baby. It was just awful.’ Nell studied her friend’s tired face. She was tearing up at the memory and Nell hugged her again. That explained so much. The importance of lights did pale in comparison to a newborn baby’s life hanging in the balance. Maybe Cat’s job was reminding her what was important and what wasn’t. If she’d chosen to have the same lights her mum wanted, was that a big deal? Nell decided to stop being so judgemental and let Cat make her own decisions. The responsibility, worry, fear and adrenalin must have been a lot for her to bear. It wasn’t an easy job with long hours and so much pressure. She literally had lives in her hands. Tiny ones. If she could handle that, she sure as hell could handle decision-making for her own wedding. It was time for Nell to take a step back.
‘I’m so sorry, darling. Why didn’t you tell me?’
Cat wiped a tear away. ‘I think I was still processing it all. Sometimes I’m so busy dealing with the emergency that it’s only after that things really hit me.’
‘Does Kieran know?’
‘No.’ Another tear escaped. ‘I just didn’t want to talk about it at all.’ Nell nodded her understanding. ‘And Mum’s been bloody awful. I’m really sorry for being a bridezilla.’
A rush of emotion charged through her as she pictured Cat keeping a panicking mum calm and helping a tiny baby. ‘I’m sorry. I should have been more supportive instead of just charging in and getting on my soapbox. Forgive me?’
‘Forgive me?’ Cat said with a smile.
Nell nodded. ‘Let’s forget about it all and get started on the decorations. There’s tonnes to do and it’s about time we got excited for your wedding! Can you believe there’s only a week to go?’
‘Not really,’ Cat said, a slight sadness to her voice. ‘It’s gone so quickly.’
‘It’s been a learning curve I can tell you.’
The only good thing about Brenda’s interference was that she’d learned a lot about dealing with last-minute changes and found suppliers who can deliver quickly. They were now on a special list on her computer. ‘But I can’t wait to see you and Kieran tie the knot.’
‘Me too. So what’s been going on with you this week?’
‘Actually, I have got something to tell you.’
‘Oh? What’s that? Something wedding-related, I guess.’
As Cat took off her coat and got comfortable at the table prepared with scissors, Sellotape and white paper to make snowflakes and stars, Nell took a deep breath and told her about Tom.
Cat paused from cutting out her paper snowflake. ‘Tom’s been in love with you all this time? What? That’s insane. I mean, we’ve known each other for over ten years. Why hasn’t he said anything before now?’
Nell manhandled some silver ribbon while in the background Kylie whispered her shopping list to Santa. ‘I’ve no idea. I can understand him not saying anything when he had a girlfriend or I had a boyfriend, but there have been times when we’ve both been single, and he still hasn’t made a move.’
‘Maybe he isn’t sure what you’d say and if you said no that would be—’
‘Horrendously awkward and beyond embarrassing?’
Cat giggled. ‘Like, crazy awkward. I mean, how would you even talk to each other again. Yuck.’ She shuddered at how humiliating the whole situation would be.
‘Yes, thank you,’ Nell replied with a smile, throwing her hand through her un-brushed hair. ‘Do me a favour though, don’t ever become an agony aunt. You’re more agony than aunt.’
Cat snickered and went back to her snowflake, turning the paper as she cut, her tongue poking out a little from the corner of her mouth. When she’d finished, she placed it down, took a bite of her gingerbread man and washed it down with a sip of tea. ‘I can’t believe Kieran never told me. He’s normally rubbish at keeping secrets.’
‘It must have been hard keeping this from you, but it’s probably a good thing. If you’d found out, you’d have told me within about two minutes. You won’t be mad at him, will you?’ As everything at last seemed to be settling down between Kieran and Cat and there’d been no more flirtations with Niall, Nell didn’t want anything to cause problems now.
‘I’m not.’ Cat looked like the thought wouldn’t ever occur to her. ‘I completely understand. You’ve told me stuff and asked me not to tell, and you’ve helped me hide my shoe obsession from Kieran for years now.’ After finishing the gingerbread man and moving onto the mince pie, she said, ‘The question is how do you feel about it?’
Nell looked earnestly at her friend. ‘I just don’t know. I mean, Tom’s a handsome guy. In fact, I think he’s got even better with age.’ A tiny tingle started somewhere in the vicinity of her heart, but it could easily have been indigestion. ‘And he’s sweet and kind and funny, but I don’t know. For a while now I’ve wished for someone who knows
