Chapter Seventeen

‘Tell me again, why is Lisa coming to this?’ Pete asked as he selected the next animal cutter from the tub. With a plate of ham sandwiches shaped as monkeys and Marmite sandwiches shaped as elephants already done, he decided to go with the lion cutter for the cream cheese.

‘Because, Pete, I thought it would be a way of you all meeting her without putting too much pressure on the occasion. You know there’ll be a lot going on. I think she has been delaying it, coming to meet you.’ Flick plopped another foam crocodile into the turquoise jelly she had already smashed up to form the base of her swamp.

‘Of course, and there’s never any pressure at a birthday party, is there?’ Pete guffawed.

‘I’m ignoring you now.’ Flick bit the head off the next crocodile from the packet and popped her finished jungle-swamp jelly into the fridge.

‘But are you sure about this? I—’

Feeling saved by the avalanche of plastic tubs and lids that fell from the cupboard Pete had opened, Felicity bent to help him pick them up.

‘The thing is, Pete, I think you’ll like her once you actually get to know her.’ Felicity paused to blow a hair off one of the lids, before she thrust it onto a precarious pile she was building on the side. ‘She’s back now and we’ve got a chance to move on. It would be great to have the two of you getting along.’ She stood up and began trying to match lids to tubs.

‘I know and I do get it. And I will try. It’s just, I might not have met her but I know she was important to you and she let you down. Whether she meant to or not, she hurt you. I just want you to be happy.’ He slid his arms round Felicity’s waist.

‘I know you do. But I am fine. She’s not my only friend now, is she? And, besides, I’ve got you,’ Flick added with conviction, ‘and why do none of these sodding lids fit?’

Lisa checked her watch and ran into the sports centre; she didn’t mean to be late, but the woman in the shop had insisted the lion costume was incomplete without the mane and she didn’t want Felicity’s children to think she hadn’t made an effort. The woman at the reception desk looked at her quizzically.

‘Fred’s party?’ Lisa twitched the black face paint tickling her nose.

‘Oh, the jungle party.’ The woman giggled and then coughed. ‘It’s in the gym!’ She motioned down the corridor.

Lisa gave her an exasperated glare and turned with a swish of her tail. Finally reaching the gym, she paused and took a breath. Nerves gnawed at the pit of her stomach. It was a daunting prospect meeting the rest of Felicity’s children and Pete all at once, but she knew, as much as part of her wanted to run away, she was lucky to be invited. Felicity wanted her there and she was grateful to have the opportunity to be there. Her own fears about the situation weren’t important. It’s just a party; you managed Jiggle and Sing, how different can this be?

Lisa pushed open the double doors and promptly discovered two things. Firstly, children’s parties had moved on a great deal since the days of pass the parcel and musical statues in her mum’s lounge. And, secondly, the words ‘We’re having a jungle party’ written on an invitation referred to the theme, not the dress code!

Lisa Blake, you are a fool!

‘Lisa Blake, you are amazing!’ Felicity beamed walking towards her from across the room, as all the adults turned to stare.

‘I am stupid!’ Lisa said into Flick’s hair as she embraced her.

‘Not at all. I should have said you didn’t need to dress up, I’m sorry. I just assumed.’

Lisa felt Flick’s apology would have been more convincing had she not been laughing while saying it.

‘Come on, come and meet Pete.’

But, before they could reach Pete, the children had caught sight of the lion in the room and, with the exception of a few delicate souls who ran to hide amongst the adults, decided the entertainment had arrived. Lisa, or Lisa Lion as she quickly became known, was dragged towards the ball pit, aptly named crocodile creek, and soon had more children and toddlers hanging off her than she had seen in all her years in London. Their energy was boundless, their demands and noise intense, but she was actually enjoying it – laughing out loud and enjoying it! Look at me now, Ben Hurst! Her tail was pulled off and her mane had gone beyond wild. She had no idea who the children were; which, apart from Fred, of course, were Felicity’s; or if the way she was playing – or doing as she was told – was right, but it was fun. Lisa could barely remember the last time she had laughed so much.

By the time food was announced she was exhausted, and remembered why it was she had come to the party. At least with the children being called to the table she could rest for a moment, try to straighten herself out a bit and salvage some decorum in preparation for meeting Pete. Spotting Melissa and Bella she went to say hello to them first; it seemed an easier option.

‘Well, I’ll certainly know who to call when it comes to Bella’s party,’ Melissa said, with a beaming smile.

‘This isn’t funny, I had no idea people wouldn’t be in costume and that the children would have so much energy!’

‘It looked like you had it all under control from here. Bella and I were super impressed.’

Both Lisa and Melissa looked down at Bella who was fast asleep.

‘Well, OK, I was impressed; honestly, you’re a natural!’

Lisa swallowed. It was kind of Melissa to say it but she knew she wasn’t a natural when it came to children. Not ‘mummy material’, Ben had said, and even her own body had agreed. Explaining that she had to go and introduce herself to Pete, Lisa thanked Melissa and attempted to straighten her mane. Assuming Pete was the only man hovering round the food preparation area, she decided offering to help, while Felicity was still attempting to find seats for all those who wanted to be with particular friends, would be a good way to break the ice. As she approached, Pete smiled a warm, but, Lisa thought, slightly wary smile.

‘Hello, I’m Lisa.’ She held out her hand and realised she was still wearing her paw mittens. Pulling them off, she presented her hand again. ‘It’s great to meet you after all this time.’ As soon as she’d said it, she wished she hadn’t drawn attention to quite how much time it had been.

‘Pete. I’ve heard lots about you.’

As he shook her hand Lisa wished hers wasn’t quite so sweaty.

‘Some of it good, I hope.’ Lisa ventured a smile.

Pete hesitated.

Scared about what he might say, Lisa threw her paw mittens under the table. ‘Here let me help you.’

She held out her hands and Pete passed her the tray of sandwiches he had been attempting to remove the cling film from.

‘Thanks.’

As their focus turned to passing out the food, the awkward moment passed.

‘Oh, thanks so much.’ Flick flashed Lisa a smile as she busied past her and set about offering a tray of sliced veg to the children.

‘Sandwich?’ Lisa asked each child as she walked along with the tray of impressively animal shaped sandwiches.

‘Oh, not for Milly,’ a woman called, ‘she’s gluten free.’

Lisa apologised and moved on, by the time she had gone round the whole table she had learnt that toddlers these days have more dietary needs than she had ever imagined possible – she wasn’t sure she had even known a vegetarian when she was at school, let alone a coeliac, a vegan and someone with a nut allergy. Feeding toddlers seemed a bit of a minefield.

As the food from the plastic tubs and serving platters was gradually devoured, and increasingly smeared around the children’s faces, Lisa noticed how the noise increased, until it was time to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Everybody hushed as the lights were dimmed. Pete carried the cake, while Felicity started the singing and stood ready with the camera opposite Fred. His little eyes lit up as he beamed excitedly at the cake. It was quite something. Lisa couldn’t imagine that Felicity had made it, not unless she had developed quite a sugar-craft talent in their years apart.

It was an amazing, two-tier tower, one layer covered in zebra stripes and the other with leopard spots. Standing between the tiers were sugar-crafted jungle animals. It looked delicious. As the singing stopped, Fred took an almighty breath and huffed out his number-two candle. Everybody clapped before the children took the cake being done as their signal to leave the table, and ran to the corner towards a man who appeared in readiness to create and give them jungle-animal-inspired balloons. The giraffe was particularly popular as it was the biggest.

‘Give us a hand, Lisa,’ Felicity called.

Lisa turned to see a red-faced Felicity chopping into the cake like a woman possessed.

‘From now to getting out the door is the worst part. Grab the napkins, would you?’

Lisa picked up the cheeky-monkey napkins and began wrapping cubes of cake.

‘Chuck them in those bags,’ Felicity said as she gestured along the food preparation table.

Lisa looked in the direction she had pointed. Leaning against the back wall was a row of party bags. She opened one and looked inside. ‘Wow! Whose birthday is this?’ she said it automatically and then wished she hadn’t. She didn’t want Felicity to think she was being rude, but the bag contained a balloon, sweets, stickers, a bendy monkey, a bag of chocolate animal biscuits, a lion notepad and a pencil with a zebra topper.

‘Madness, isn’t it?’ Felicity affirmed, without further explanation.

Lisa didn’t question it and continued to play her part in the party bag production line. As the last slice of cake, that it turned out Pete’s mum had made, entered the bag, Felicity called for Fred. He came over and listened intently as Flick gave him the very important role of passing out his party bags. Turning apparently too slowly and not looking focused enough for Flick’s liking he was promptly called back.

‘Megan, Alice, help him, will you.’ Felicity beckoned to the two older girls at the party, who Lisa recognised as Flick’s even though she had never met them before. They had their mum’s blue eyes and unruly curls.

‘No, Lisa Lion!’ Fred insisted, turning from his sisters.

Lisa could have burst she felt so happy. Fred wanted her to help. She had made an impression and it was a good one. Fred put out his hand and Lisa took it.

Smiling, Felicity watched them walk away as tears welled in her eyes.

‘Ten minutes and the next party’s in.’

Looking at the teenage sports leader standing before her, bin bag, dustpan and brush in hand, Felicity jumped into action.

‘Oh Christ! Quick, Pete, stop eating and help clear the table will you. Alice, Megan, follow them. Lisa doesn’t know who those party bags are for any more than Fred does.’