‘I hadn’t forgotten. Enjoy yourself and forget about this damn thing for a few hours. It’s not life and death.’ She smiled. ‘Family is what matters and as for the rest? It’s just a wedding like any other.’
‘I appreciate your faith,’ Lottie said, thinking that Shayla had missed the point, although she wasn’t to know why. This wasn’t a wedding like any other.
First, however, she had the nativity play to look forward to – and now it came with the added complication of Jay.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Three days to the wedding
The twins’ school was tiny but it seemed as if half the village had crammed into the assembly hall. Lottie and Jay stood at the back, leaving the chairs for the parents like Steph and people less able to stand.
She knew he’d never let the girls down – or anyone – after he’d made a promise.
The contrast with Connor was not lost on her, but nonetheless, Jay hadn’t suddenly become overcome by festive spirit either. He barely uttered a word on the journey to the school, but she got the feeling he was churning over something in his mind and constantly on the verge of saying it. He was almost impossible to read. She was sure she’d lost his trust after the ball – despite that wonderful kiss – but their walk up the aisle at the run-through had given her fresh hope. Right up until he’d walked off. She certainly never expected him to agree to come to the play.
Part of her wished she’d never passed on the invitation.
It might have been an unusual nativity play, but no one seemed to care. The sound of children’s voices, singing and saying their much-practised lines brought a lump to her throat. The hall seemed to tremble with emotion, and the quiet moments were punctuated by sniffles and the rasp of handbag zips as people fumbled for tissues.
Even though she was bursting with pride, Lottie didn’t want to be caught blubbing with Jay at her side and just about held it together. He joined in with the gentle laughter when ‘Mary’ took ‘Baby Jesus’ from the cot and almost dropped him onto the hay bale. However, when the Donkey handed over a gift to ‘Baby Jesus’, she had to wrinkle her nose to stem the tears. By the time the Lobster had sung the first few lines of ‘Away in a Manger’, the tears were trickling down her cheeks.
She felt Jay press something soft into her clenched fingers.
‘It’s brand new,’ he whispered. ‘I brought it just in case.’
Lottie gave in and dabbed at her eyes with his handkerchief. He was a good man, she thought to herself: kind and thoughtful, but she felt he was in turmoil. She was convinced he liked her but was he still in love with Nadia?
The lights dimmed and figures crept onto the darkened stage before the scene was lit up once more. There were wails from the manger and a hand shot up.
The audience gasped as a woman in dark blue robes and scarf gently lifted the new ‘Baby Jesus’ – now obviously a real infant – from the crib and placed him on the laps of the little girl and boy playing Mary and Joseph.
Standing so close to Jay, Lottie felt him physically stiffen beside her.
She knew immediately that the adult and baby were Nadia and Seb.
Chapter Thirty
With the applause at the end still ringing in her ears, Lottie fought her way through the excited families for mince pies and ‘refreshments’ in the school canteen.
She fully expected Jay to have escaped to the car but he was waiting just inside the doors.
‘Are you OK? I’d no idea that they’d borrowed Seb for the baby.’
‘It’s OK. I realise you didn’t know.’
‘She might come into the canteen with Seb. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed. We should leave.’
‘I don’t want to ruin your day, but it’s probably best if I wait in the car.’
Even as she spoke, Nadia appeared, still in costume, with Seb in her arms.
Nadia spotted Jay too, if the dismay on her face was anything to go by. Lottie felt sorry for him. This must be his worst nightmare.
Before either of them had time to react, Steph found them, as hyper as the twins. ‘How awesome was that?’ she cried. ‘I know I’m their mum, but weren’t the girls amazing?’
Lottie hugged her. ‘They were incredible. I couldn’t stop crying.’
‘I had no idea that the baby was going to be real!’ Steph said. ‘Did you?’ She turned to Jay.
‘No, it was a shock.’ He smiled. ‘The twins are stars.’
Nadia was across the other side of the room chatting to the head, but they were making their way across the room. Would she come over? It seemed unlikely but Lottie was on tenterhooks.
The girls rushed up. ‘Mummeeee! Auntieeee Lottieeee?’
Myra grabbed Jay’s hand. ‘I was the best lobster! I was the best.’
‘Oh, shut up, Myra,’ Jodie said. ‘Don’t be such a diva!’
Lottie had never been so grateful for the twins’ wild exuberance. Jay had to focus on the children but the head had other ideas. She swept Nadia and Seb in their direction.
‘Hello there!’ she cried, steering Nadia up to Lottie’s group. ‘Here’s our real-life baby. Wasn’t he great?’
Nadia’s eyes widened in shock.
Lottie stifled a gasp. How would Jay cope?
Nadia held on to Seb tightly. ‘Hello,’ she said.
‘Hi, Nadia,’ Steph said. ‘I’d no idea you were going to bring Seb.’
The head smiled broadly. ‘It was our big secret, wasn’t it, Nadia?’ She turned to Lottie and Jay. ‘Nadia’s on maternity leave from the library service. She organises story times for some of the children and I couldn’t resist asking her and Seb to make guest appearances.’
It was then Lottie realised that the head didn’t know that Nadia’s partner was Jay’s brother, and why would she?
Bored with the small talk, Seb tried to wriggle free from Nadia’s arms and lunged
