A Beautiful Forever

chapter 38

Paige

I’m now glued firmly to Kathy’s side as I hold Grace while we’re surrounded by a group of clucky women. Stephanie just adores

Grace, who keeps trying to reach out and pull her long dark hair. She has relinquished the jade bangle she was wearing, and it's

become Grace’s teething ring as she bites down on it and covers it in baby drool.

“She’s so beautiful Paige,” Stephanie keeps cooing about my little bundle of joy. I’m smiling as I look up and spot Naomi through the

sea of faces and wave her over.

“How are you!” she exclaims, hugging me and Stephanie alternately. “Look at her, isn’t she beautiful!” she says about Grace,

touching her head and smoothing her curly hair backwards. Grace just smiles because she knows she’s beautiful.

“It’s so nice to see you again Naomi,” I say truthfully.

“It is, and much happier circumstances this time. I’m so glad you two got your act together. Married and a baby!” she sighs, “It’s so

wonderful!”

Naomi asks if she can hold Grace, and I happily hand her over as I catch Elliot waving me towards the house where he’s standing

with an older gentleman and a young woman. I check that the girls are happy with Grace and weave my way towards him.

“Paige, this is my father Robert, and his wife, ah… my step-mother, Erica.” They both smile and I hold my hand out to shake theirs in

greeting. Elliot’s father takes my hand and pulls me forward a little to kiss me on the cheek.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Paige. I'm sorry we never got the chance to visit you both in London,” he says to me.

“Oh, no worries,” I say as Erica embraces me in her cloud of perfume, she’s impeccably made up, with long blonde hair and even

longer legs. She reminds me a lot of a Barbie doll actually, and I doubt she’s much older than I am.

“I’m so happy to see you both,” she says looking between Elliot and I.

We exchange platitudes for a while before they move on to say hello to Kathy, who now has possession of Grace again, I laugh,

seeing her so pleased to carry Grace around, showing her off.

“Your mum is enamoured with our daughter,” I comment.

Elliot chuckles and puts his arm around my shoulder as we take a moment together to watch everyone around us.

“I have to tell you something,” Elliot says quietly in my ear, he reaches down and takes hold of my hand before leading me back

inside and into the kitchen.

“What is it?” I ask, worried.

He looks really nervous, “Um… my mother invited Katrina and like, her whole family.”

My face drops as my stomach starts to churn. “Ex-girlfriend, previous-love-of-your-life Katrina?” I ask in a hushed tone.

“I’m sorry. Our mothers play tennis together, and they’re good friends, I guess mum didn’t really think before inviting them all.”

“Should I be worried here Elliot? Does her being here affect you? Does it affect us?” I start to feel a slight panic rise as the thought

of Elliot still having a thing for her flashes through my mind.

“No Paige,” he assures me, “There is nothing for you to worry about. I just didn’t want you ambushed. I’ll take you to meet them ok?”

I give him a look that says ‘Oh god, don’t make me do this’ as he wraps his arms around me, hugging me tightly to him.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he whispers. “Let’s just get this done, and we can move on and have fun ok? Did you see Naomi yet?”

I put on a brave smile and nod my head, “Yeah I did, she looks great.”

“Ok, you ready?”

“Alright, let’s get this done,” I say, rolling my eyes and taking a deep breath before taking the hand Elliot offers me to lead me

through everyone to meet his ex-girlfriend. Freaking awesome!





Elliot


It takes us a while to get through everyone as we get stopped often by well-wishers and friends or relatives who have questions

about our time in the UK. When we eventually make it over to where Katrina and David are standing, we find them talking to Gary,

Stephanie and Naomi.

Everyone is overly happy to see us, and I can sense a bit of tension in the air. Paige is hanging just a step behind me, so I pull her to

my side to make the introductions.

“Paige, this is Katrina and her fiancé, David,” I say. She smiles tightly and holds out her hand, her movements awkward and her face

flushing red.

Katrina and David both take her hand alternately and remark how nice it is to finally meet her. “Kathy’s been showing everyone

photos of you both and little Grace, she’s very proud,” Katrina says kindly.

“Congratulations to both of you,” David says. “On your marriage and the baby. I’m still trying to get this one down the aisle.”

Katrina laughs and nudges David with her shoulder, “You make it sound like I’m avoiding it. David wants to elope but I really want the

whole fairy tale thing, and that takes time to plan,” she says.

“What did you two do?” David asks.

“Oh, we just had a small ceremony with a few friends. Kathy and Steve came, and my mother and father were there too. Then we

went to a restaurant afterwards.” Paige tells them.

“It was great,” I add. “Small is good. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

“Oh, you both have matching tattoos,” Katrina points out, “Elliot showed me a photo of the one on your back Paige – it’s absolutely

amazing.”

I feel Paige immediately stiffen at my side. “Oh he did, did he?”

“How long did it take you to get?” Katrina asks, either not noticing, or choosing not to notice Paige’s change in temperament.

I hear crying somewhere behind us and both Paige, and I turn to try to find Grace. Paige takes the opportunity to excuse herself to

go and retrieve Grace from my mother.

“Trina!” David admonishes chuckling slightly.

“What? What did I do?” she asks.

“You didn’t need to mention the tattoo Katrina, I didn’t exactly show you that photo,” I point out.

“Oh god, I’m such an idiot – let me go and talk to her. I’ll tell her it was my fault.”

“Trina, leave it,” David tells her. “I know you have the best intentions, but it’s better if you sit this one out, ok?”

“Ok,” she agrees as David plants a kiss on the top of her head, squeezing her close to him. “I really am sorry Elliot,” she says.

“It’s fine, Katrina. Don’t worry about it. I'll talk to her.”





Paige


Well, that was awkward. Katrina is f*cking stunning. I feel short, fat and ugly near her. She looks like a female equivalent of Elliot. I

think I hate her. Sure it’s irrational because I just met her but seriously – what the f*ck? Why in the world would Kathy invite her here?

Does this mean she prefers Katrina to me? Is this one of those weird things where the mother in law is nice to my face but tells

everyone else that I was a consolation prize? Maybe she thinks that Elliot only married me because I got pregnant, oh god, what if

he did…?

When I reach Kathy, Grace has really taken to crying, she’s obviously tired so I take her inside to Elliot’s and my bedroom to feed

her to sleep. She’s wailing and pulling at my top as I shush her and undo my buttons, so she can feed.

I stand in the quiet, shut off from the party outside and look over the photos on the wall. Smiling to myself at the memories behind

them, the largest photo in the centre is the one of me in the hotel room when he took a photo of my tattoo, the one that Katrina

mentioned – how the hell did she manage to see it? Were they hanging out together? Has she been in this room with him? Oh god, I

don’t even want to think about it.

Grace snuffles in my arms as she drinks with her eyes closed and her tiny hand laid flat against my chest. My heart fills with love for

her as I watch her drifting off into baby dream land.

Walking over to the window, I look out at the people below me. I can’t believe there are so many people here happy for Elliot’s

return. I can’t believe he was willing to give all of this up to stay in the UK with me.

As my eyes move towards where Elliot is still standing my heart deflates, landing with a thud in the pit of my stomach. He’s talking

animatedly and laughing with Katrina; David has this fake smile plastered on his face. If he’s the guy Katrina chose over Elliot, and

he looks uncomfortable, then how should I be feeling?

I look down as Grace’s mouth falls open and her body fully relaxes. I should put her in her cot and go back out, but I’m not ready yet.





Elliot


It’s time to eat and I haven’t seen Paige for a while, I think she might be hiding out inside with Grace. I excuse myself from talking to

my aunt and uncle, and head back into the house in search of Paige.

I find her fast asleep on our bed, cradling Grace in the crook of her arm. My heart feels full at the sight of them together, and I stop

caring that we’re supposed to be outside with everyone. I ease myself onto the bed and brush the curls on the heads of both of my

girls. They are so beautiful that I just want this moment for myself before I need to wake Paige.

Her eyes flutter open anyway and slowly focus on mine. “Hey,” I whisper.

Smiling, she sighs a little. “Hey,” she echoes back.

“Food’s ready.”

“Oh, how long have I been in here?”

“Maybe an hour.”

She closes her eyes for a moment before sitting up, bringing a sleeping Grace along with her. I watch as she carries Grace to her

cot and places her gently inside.

“Do you still care about her Elliot?” she asks me quietly when she returns to stand in front of me.

“What? Why would you even think that?” I reply, sliding across the bed where I can reach her hands and pull her towards me, so she’

s sitting on my lap.

Her eyes are brimming with tears as she looks at me. “Because Elliot, she’s beautiful and it’s not like you broke it off because you

wanted to… Plus, I was watching you from up here, talking to her… you look so… right together. I guess I kind of feel like a

consolation prize in comparison.”

“Paige, how can you not understand how much I love you? Do you want to know what I think when I look at Katrina? I think, thank god

things didn’t work out with her, because if they did, I might have missed out on meeting you.”

She rests her head on my chest, and I wrap my arms around her. It's times like these that she seems so small to me.

“Do you think I would have tattooed your name on my arm if I wasn’t sure about you Paige?” I ask.

She lifts her head, “Why did you show her the photo of my back?”

“I didn't. I showed her a photo of you and I together, and she swiped to the next photo and saw it that way. It pissed me off actually,

and I snatched my phone out of her hand.”

“Why? Were you embarrassed?” she challenges me.

“No Paige. I just didn’t think it was any of her business.”

“Why were you even showing her your phone? Were you spending time with her while you were home?”

Chuckling at her barrage of questions, I shake my head. “She approached me while I was packing up after training a client, we

spoke for like – two minutes and that was it.”

“Do you think your mum likes her better than me?”

“No, not at all, my mum loves you.”

“Then why would she invite her?”

I laugh a little, not really sure why my mother did it. “Because she’s an idiot. I think she was just so excited that we were coming

home that she invited every person she came in contact with. I’m surprised the checkout chick, and the petrol station attendant aren’t

here.”

Paige laughs through her nose a bit at this and I smooth her hair away from her face. “I love you alright. I choose you above every

woman past, present or future – you’re The One for me, do you understand that?” I assure her, my voice still low so as not to wake

Grace.

Placing a hand on either side of my face she leans in pressing her lips to mine. I breathe in deeply, holding her tightly to me as I

return her fervour but stop us before we move any further.

“We have to get back out there Paige. They'll come looking for us soon.”

“Alright,” she nods, sliding off my lap, taking one last look at Grace before she walks to the door.





Paige


The rest of the BBQ goes by fairly smoothly. Katrina and David leave soon after lunch, so I don’t have to feel uncomfortable for too

long. Admittedly, I think they were feeling a bit weird too, so I guess we’re all glad when lunch is over, and they can leave quietly.

I spend the rest of the afternoon catching up with Naomi and getting to know Stephanie. All in all, it’s been great to meet everyone

who’s important to Elliot and his family, I just could have done without the ex-girlfriend sighting.

Before he leaves, Elliot’s father, who actually seems quite nice considering what I was expecting, invites us both out to dinner the

next week, saying that he wants to give us a wedding present since he missed our nuptials.

Now that all the guests have left, I’m taking over baby duty by lying on the floor in the lounge room with Grace while she plays on her

mat, grabbing at little balls and shaking them so the animals and tiny beads inside them rattle about.

Elliot is off helping his mum, and Steven clean up after the BBQ of the century. We’ve decided not to say anything about Katrina to

his mum. She went to so much trouble to put all of this together so we don’t want to appear ungrateful and Elliot seems very sure that

she didn’t mean anything by it, so I will trust him on this one.

With the BBQ behind us, I can look back on the day and say that I honestly feel very welcomed by all of Elliot’s friends and family,

and after I got over my moment of intense jealously, I can say that I had a lot of fun today, too.