The Perfect Day

By Anna Carey

Illustration: Shutterstock

ROMANTIC SHORT STORY WRITTEN BY JAN SNOOK

The stakes were high for meeting the prospective in-laws – which meant anything was likely to happen…

Sharon stared at her list, wondering if she’d forgotten anything. Although it wasn’t so much a list as a timetable: 10.30am, lamb in oven; 12.15pm, warm canapés; 12.30pm guests arrive; 12.45pm, potatoes… how long would they take?

She gave herself a shake: she was behaving like a new bride, not a woman who’d been roasting dinners for over thirty years. Get a grip, woman!

Why was she so nervous?

It was because today she needed everything to be perfect.

Their only daughter, Marianne, had just become engaged, and today she and her fiancé Tom were coming to lunch. Which was fine; she’d met Tom lots of times. He was personable and kind and funny, and he doted on Marianne.

But today he was bringing his parents, Geoff and Glynis. And there was the small matter of Isla.

“What are you getting your knickers in a twist for?” Sharon’s husband Roger said, not looking up from his laptop. “You weren’t like this when we met Phil’s parents. So, what’s different?”

Sharon didn’t know where to start, and so remained silent.

Phil’s parents had been delighted with Marianne, as she and Roger had been with Phil. Both sets of parents had been thrilled with the match and had set about planning the wedding enthusiastically.

They had continued to get on like one big happy family until – a little over four years ago, after just two years of marriage – Phil upped and left without a word of warning, in search of pastures new.

Pastures new, it turned out, came in the form of a brunette from Ipswich called Bella. A divorce followed with what Sharon felt was indecent haste, though she was wise enough not to say so.

“Mum, I just want to put it behind me. It was a ghastly mistake, OK?” Marianne had said, knowing perfectly well what her mother thought.

Which was all well and good, Sharon thought grimly as she rolled out pastry, but baby Isla had arrived four months after Phil’s departure, and was now a voluble four-year-old.

The thought of Isla couldn’t help but make Sharon smile. But she was aware, from the few things Marianne had said, that Geoff and Glynis – or maybe just Glynis – would have preferred their son to marry someone else.

“Who else?” Sharon had demanded, her mother hen instincts causing her hackles to rise instantly.

“Oh, you know,” Marianne had said, sounding flat, “someone younger and…”

“You’re only twenty-nine!”

“That’s still three years older than he is, Mum. Anyway, someone younger, who hasn’t been married before, and who hasn’t got a child in tow.”

“But Isla’s a little angel!”

“Think how you would have felt if it was the other way round, and I was taking on someone else’s child. Wouldn’t you be worried?”

Sharon had no answer to that.

Just after she put the gooseberry pie in the oven, Marianne and the “little angel” arrived.

Sharon knew they were there before they even opened the door, because Isla was screaming blue murder.

“What on earth’s going on?” Sharon asked as she went into the hall to greet them. Then she took in Marianne’s face: she looked haggard and exhausted, and had a streak of what looked very much like chocolate on the front of her dress.

“I – don’t – want – you – to – brush – my – hair!” Isla yelled, tears practically spitting out of her eyes.

“She’s been like this all morning,” Marianne said, her voice catching. “I just wanted everything to be perfect. Including Isla’s hair…”

They both looked at the little girl’s lovely but unruly corkscrew curls.

“I even gave her a chocolate to try to pacify – I suppose I mean bribe – her, but it didn’t work. As you can see,” she added, indicating the chocolate stain.

And suddenly, Marianne burst into tears. Isla’s screams stopped instantly, and she stared at her mother aghast, while Sharon and Marianne looked back at her, surprised by the sudden silence.

“Sorry,” said a little voice.

“I should think so,” Sharon said sternly, before turning back to Marianne.

“Come into the kitchen and I’ll have a go at that chocolate mark while we have a cup of coffee. We’ve still got an hour before Tom and his parents arrive, and everything’s under control. So, what would you like, Isla?”

In the kitchen, Isla was soon sitting down with a cup of juice and Marianne was in her slip drinking coffee while Sharon dabbed at the chocolate mark.

“I just wanted everything to be perfect,” Marianne said sadly. “I wanted Glynis to think I was organised and a good mother; a suitable wife for her precious son, not a gibbering wreck!”

“Jibbling weck, jibbling weck, jibbling weck!” Isla repeated happily.

“Why don’t you go into the garden and find Grandpa?” Sharon said to her, a little more sharply than she’d intended. “I hope he’s not having a bonfire. I want to be able to take Geoffrey and Glynis out there – the roses are looking beautiful. We may even be able to have a drink outside, it’s so warm.

“But there is a slight bonfirey smell… And of course you’re a good mother, anyone can see that,” she added belatedly, peering at Marianne’s dress.

“I think this will look OK, once it’s dried. I might quickly put the iron on to hurry it up a bit, what d’you think? I just don’t want to risk burning it, that’s all.”

Marianne stood up and took the dress from her mother, and Sharon put up the ironing board.

“I can do that. But… Mum, there is a bit of a smell of burning…”

“The gooseberry pie!” Sharon shrieked, rushing to the oven. At that moment the smoke alarm in the kitchen went off and Roger came in, making muddy footprints on the sparkling floor.

“What’s going on?” he said. “I heard the alarm from the garden! Anyway, time I came in, I need to change. I take it you’re putting that dress on before Glynis and Geoff get here?” he added with an unhelpful grin at Marianne. “And what’s that under your eyes?”

“Mascara,” Sharon said, tight-lipped, now gazing at the ruins of the pie. What on earth was she going to do?

And then the doorbell rang.

“We’re here,” Tom’s voice said happily, as he opened the door and led his parents into the hall. “You did say twelve, didn’t you? I suddenly had a nightmarish thought that maybe you’d said twelve thirty, but I said to Mum that I was sure you wouldn’t mind…”

Behind the kitchen door, Marianne was struggling into her dress, which still had a visible damp patch.

“Go up and change!” Sharon hissed at her husband, as she tore off her apron and went into the hall, plastering a welcoming smile on her face.

“Come on into the sitting room,” she said, ushering Tom’s parents through
the door as fast as she could without actually pushing them.

Things did not improve.

Roger’s muddy footprints continued through the hall and up the stairs, and when he reappeared he was wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt that Sharon had tried – several times – to give to a charity shop.

“But it’s only September! And it’s really warm…” he said, puzzled, when his wife gave him a hard stare.

Needless to say, Geoffrey and Glynis both looked immaculately smart.

“I think it’s warm enough to have drinks in the garden,” Roger suggested, “while Sharon puts a few finishing touches to the lunch.”

Glynis, however, followed Sharon into the kitchen with an offer of help, and surveyed the scene: the burned gooseberry pie, the ironing board still up, the muddy footprints. There were a few seconds of silence.

“I… we… well, to be honest, we’ve had a bit of a morning,” Sharon said, wondering how much she could explain.

But at that moment, Isla interrupted.

“I’m Isla, I’m four,” she announced confidently, taking Glynis’s hand. Then she looked at the floor. “Mummy’s cross ‘cos I was naughty.”

“But usually you’re really good,” Sharon said in consternation, not wanting Glynis to think Tom would be taking on a little monster.

Isla took no notice.

“I made my mummy cry,” she added, her lip beginning to tremble. “Mummy said she was a… jibbling weck.”

She looked at Sharon for confirmation.

“Oh dear,” Glynis said, her hand over her mouth. “Poor Mummy. Maybe you’d better go into the garden and give her a big kiss. To show her you’re sorry. Is that a good idea?”

The child ran outside and the two women looked at each other.

“I’m sorry, too. This is all my fault,” Glynis said, shaking her head. “Poor Marianne. She probably told you that when Tom told us they were getting married, well… I didn’t look as thrilled as I should. It was so unexpected. But I know Tom is happier than he’s ever been, and he’s devoted to Isla.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting her…” She paused and a shadow passed over her face. “I would have loved a daughter, but I couldn’t have any more after Tom…”

“I’m sorry we were so early,” she added, determinedly bright. “I’ll have words with my son later! Now, what can I do?”

“Let’s just go and join the others, shall we?” Sharon said, feeling suddenly relaxed. “I’ll consider the pudding situation in a moment.”

“There’s ice cream in the freezer, isn’t there?” Tom said, coming through the back door. “Roger’s just opening the champagne. Time for a toast!”

Toasts were drunk and congratulations exchanged, while Marianne looked from her mother to Glynis in bemusement. There had clearly been an epiphany.

“Not just toasts, but also an apology,” Glynis said, going rather pink. “I wanted to say how thrilled we are that you said ‘yes’ to Tom, Marianne. I… I know I didn’t seem pleased when we first met, but I was just so worried!”

“About what?” Roger demanded, sounding affronted.

“Marianne said she didn’t think you liked her being older…” Sharon began.

“… and divorced and…” Marianne continued, glancing meaningfully in Isla’s direction.

“Oh no!” Glynis said, her hands flying to her face. “That wasn’t it at all! It was just that… well, you’d already been through a lot, and I know what it’s like to be hurt. And it was all so quick between you and Tom – I just wanted you both to be absolutely sure.

“It seems stupid now. I can see how much he loves you. It’s just that when he first told me he wanted to marry you – before we’d met you, I mean – well, I thought it was too soon. He’d only been out with you twice and I was worried… I just thought he might have got carried away. I’m so sorry.”

Roger, Sharon and Marianne all stared at Glynis. Eventually Marianne spoke.

“You mean he said he wanted to marry me after only our second date?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to tell my mother after our first date, was I?” Tom said, taking Marianne’s hand and kissing it. “You know what mothers are like, she would have thought that was far too soon! But that was the moment I knew we’d be together forever.”