Love, Iris by Elizabeth Noble

Author:Elizabeth Noble
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241392102
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2018-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Gigi

Gigi had always seen Emily – with or without Christopher – regularly. Since her daughter-in-law had gone on maternity leave last year, a few weeks before Ava’s birth, it had pretty much been weekly. With Emily’s own mother several hours’ drive away, Gigi had fallen easily into the role of adviser (never unsolicited) and comforter. They’d shopped together for Ava, and Gigi had answered a million questions about pregnancy and birth. It had made them even closer. After Ava was born, the bond strengthened. Sometimes, Gigi had simply gone round on her day off, and sent an exhausted Emily upstairs to bed while she cared for Ava downstairs, like her own mother had done for her when Christopher and Oliver had been young.

Since Gigi had left Richard, they’d met up a couple of times most weeks, usually for walks with the baby, sometimes for lunch or a potter about the shops. No heavy interrogations or questions. Just their normal relationship, ramped up a bit. And Emily texted her most days, checking in. Gigi was incredibly touched by the concern, and profoundly appreciated the kindness, as well as the fact that Emily didn’t cross-examine her.

She knew Emily and Christopher hadn’t taken sides – they both saw Richard, she knew, and she was glad of it. If Oliver was probably on hers, and Megan – at this point – very firmly on her father’s, Emily and Christopher were definitely Switzerland. She knew too that Emily would have advocated on her behalf with Christopher, if needed. Her tacit support was hugely important to Gigi. Emily had asked her once, very early on, whether she wanted to know about Richard – how he was doing … She’d said no. How could it help? Then added, because she couldn’t help herself, and because old habits died hard, that if Emily thought there was something she should know about his state of mind, or just his state in general, that she’d like to be told. So far, there hadn’t been anything. Sometimes she was curious – but she didn’t let herself ask. She told herself it wasn’t her business or her concern.

Emily just seemed to know what she needed.

She remembered when Ava had been a new-born. Christopher had called at breakfast time one Saturday morning, when the baby was barely an hour old, and Gigi and Richard had gone straight to the hospital. They were closer geographically than Emily’s parents, and so they were the first visitors. The delivery had been straightforward, but Ava had had a touch of jaundice, so they were keeping them both in for the first night. Emily had been in bed, holding Ava, when they got there. She’d immediately held her out for Gigi. Not a second of hesitation or new-mother possessiveness. She was a generous and empathetic girl then and still. The restorative powers of a good cuddle with delicious Ava were undiminished, and Emily always offered her daughter easily, like the human medicine she was.

Oliver was being brilliant, as she could have guessed he would be.

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