‘Do you think it’s a mid-life crisis thing?’ Angel was perched on the edge of the bath, recounting her latest run-in with Dr. Tavish.

‘Sounds like it,’ Katie said. She was putting on make-up, peering into the  bathroom mirror. ‘He sounds like a sad old man.’

‘Yeah,’ Angel said, with a pang of discomfort. Was it disloyal to think Dr. Tavish was sad, after everything he’d done to help her?

‘How do I look?’ Katie asked.

‘Lovely.’

‘OK, then. Time to go to work,’ Katie grinned.

‘I’ve never seen someone so happy about going to work,’ Angel laughed. She was in a good mood too. She’d told Dr. Tavish a little of what was happening with her parents, and he’d told her she could apply for financial help if she needed it. He’d told her he’d help her apply. Knowing that was an option had taken the sting out of her father’s ultimatum.

‘Wait,’ she said, as Katie headed for the door. ‘Are you working on Friday night?’

‘Assuming I don’t get fired again? No, not this week.’

‘Let’s go out,’ Angel said. ‘Let’s go out and get very, very drunk.’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ Katie said, and left.

*

‘We should make it a celebration,’ Jemma said. She was standing at the living room window, looking out over the Links. She could see a balloon stuck in a tree, and it had given her an idea. 

Holly was reading on the couch. ‘Tell me you don’t mean Friday.’

‘I do mean Friday,’ Jemma replied.

‘I’m going to be inseminating myself with a turkey baster, Jemma. I don’t want a fuss.’

‘But don’t you want to mark the occasion? Champagne, confetti, indoor sparklers…’

‘No,’ Holly stopped her. ‘It’s going to be weird enough as it is. I don’t want a song and dance.’

‘I’ll text Aidan. See what he thinks.’

‘No, no, no,’ Holly said. ‘The two of you will gang up on me, and before I know it there’ll be pictures of me on the internet holding balloons shaped like foetuses.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ Jemma teased. She joined Holly on the couch. ‘What are you reading?’

‘A Lesbian’s Guide To Artificial Insemination,’ Holly said, showing Jemma the book’s dreary, unappealing cover. There’s an opportunity there, Jemma thought. She pictured a glossy coffee-table book, her and Holly smiling on the cover, an adorable baby in their arms. ‘We should document this, you know,’ she said. ‘People will be interested in our fertility journey.’

‘Hashtag sperm donor,’ Holly muttered.

‘What?’ Jemma said, but Holly just smiled.

*

There wasn’t a dish on Abramo’s menu that Erin hadn’t had twenty times. She had wanted to go somewhere new, but Andy had wanted to stay close to home, in case of a problem with the twins.

A waitress approached. ‘Can I get you something to drink?’

‘Hello,’ Andy said. ‘I didn’t know you worked here.’

Erin looked closer. Their waitress was one of the students who lived on the first floor. The blue-haired girl. ‘Just started,’ the girl said. Andy ordered a bottle of wine, and she scurried off.

Mateo came to say hello. ‘I apologise for the new girl,’ he said. ‘She’s Sergio’s fault. Let me know when she drops your soup in your lap, I’ll take it off the bill.’ Erin laughed.

‘I’m sure she won’t do that,’ Andy said. ‘Katie’s a bright girl.’

How do you know? Erin wondered. And how do you know her name? She made a mental note to ask when they were alone, but by the time Mateo had taken their order, and the blue-haired girl had brought their wine, Andy was in full flow talking about work. Erin was two glasses deep before she knew it. She reached for the bottle, poured the remainder of the wine into her glass, and waved the blue-haired girl over.

*

Sergio feared his father was right. Maybe Katie was useless. He had been hiding her mistakes all night, lest Mateo notice. ‘Don’t pick glasses up by the rim,’ he hissed, as she took a drinks order from the bar. ‘My dad will lose his mind if he sees.’

‘Sorry,’ Katie said, grimacing.

Sergio turned away to pour a drink.

‘It must be hard working for your dad,’ Katie said to his back.

‘It’s not easy,’ he replied.

‘He’s pretty hard on you.’

Sergio turned to face her. ‘Do you think so?’

‘Yes,’ said Katie. ‘I don’t think he realises how hard you work.’

Sergio had been waiting a long time for someone to notice how hard done by he was. Hm, he thought. Maybe she’s not useless.