Almost With You by Elizabeth Coleman

Author:Elizabeth Coleman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Currency Press

◊ ◊ ◊

Lights up. We’re back in the present at Jenny’s place. LISA finishes folding the nappy.

LISA: Victory! A folded nappy. But there are no guarantees I can do this again, so she’s only allowed one poo.

She notices JENNY looking at her.

What?

JENNY: Don’t kill me, Lise, but… have you ever thought about therapy?

LISA: What?

JENNY: I’ve been thinking—maybe you should see someone? It might help you to find the right guy.

LISA: Who says I want to find the right guy? I’m having plenty of fun with the wrong ones.

But JENNY isn’t laughing.

Jen, it’s okay.

JENNY: But do you honestly think that you’d even know the right guy if you met him?

LISA: Of course I would. I did.

JENNY: You did?

LISA: [oops] I would.

JENNY: You said you did—

LISA: I meant that I would—if it ever happened. Why are you on my back lately? It’s not my fault that I’ve had bad luck.

JENNY: Are you sure about that—?

LISA: Won’t you be late?

JENNY: [looking at her watch] Oh yeah. Shit. [Grabbing her handbag] You’ve got both our mobile numbers—there’s milk in the fridge. You shouldn’t hear a peep out of her, but if she grizzles, just rock the pram back and forth. [Yawning] We’ll be home at 11—allegedly—but I’ll be lucky to make it through the first act.

She gives Ivy a feather-soft kiss.

Bye bye, darling… You be good for Aunty Lisa. [To LISA] You’re sure you’re okay?

LISA: Just get out of here so we can start the party.

JENNY: Alright, I’m going.

JENNY exits. Resisting an urge to peek at Ivy, LISA sits at her laptop and starts flicking through some of her typed notes.

Ivy starts grizzling in her pram. LISA stops and waits, but the baby’s grizzles intensify.

LISA gets up and walks to the pram. She rocks it gently back and forth…

LISA: Ivy, you’re supposed to be asleep… Sssh, it’s okay… [She grabs the giraffe rattle and shakes it.] Look, it’s Mr Giraffe… or is it Ms? It’s hard to tell without genitalia…

But the baby starts crying.

Oh, sweetheart, what’s wrong?

LISA lifts Ivy out of the pram. She rocks the baby in her arms.

Ssshhh… It’s okay, I’m here…

Ivy stops crying.

That’s better, isn’t it? Yes, it’s Aunty Lisa…

LISA drinks in Ivy’s smell. Suddenly there’s only her and this tiny child and the scary new yearning that tugs at the core of her. Confronted, she tries to snap herself out of it.

Let’s choose a pic and get this over with, eh? [She starts flicking through the photos.] What do you think, Ivy? This one? That’s a good angle for you… but this one shows off your complexion… [etc]

After several shots of Jenny, Nick and Ivy, the photos change to Tom and his little daughter Grace, also snapped for Lisa’s story. They’re cuddling, kissing, clowning around; Grace’s chubby little arms wrapped around Tom’s neck.

LISA falls silent. As she stares at the screen, the lighting changes to a fantasy state… and now suddenly Lisa is in the photos too: holding Grace in her lap, laughing and hugging Tom, being kissed on both cheeks by father and daughter…

LISA shakes her head as though to clear it.

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