Thursday morning arrived with a very unpleasant and early wakeup call from Gina. She stood outside banging the door, repeatedly shouting that she wasn't going to stop until they came to the door.
"Come on!" She said enthusiastically. "We've got a lot to do today."
They walked groggily out into the hall where two grumpy Irish men stood scowling. Gina seemed oblivious to their foul moods.
"Just...humour her...please." Kieran pleaded; his voice still hoarse from sleep. There were three pissed off sighs from the younger clan members as they turned on their heels to get dressed.
Though clothed, they were no more awake when they gathered in the kitchen to receive their instructions. Naomi's head was propped up by her arm and she had this glazed over look in her eyes. Sadie sat beside her stretched out in her chair fighting with her eyes to keep them open and looking quite cross while Diarmuid had fallen back to sleep with his head in his arms.
"Alright then." Gina began far too cheerfully for this early hour. "With the rest of your lot arriving tomorrow we have to do all the final preparation stuff today...so first of all we have to go to the church for a run through with the priest. Then Kieran and Dermot I need you to go collect the cake from the bakers while we finish making the last of the wedding favours then we need to bring the whole lot to the reception hall. On the way back here we have to pick up our dresses and bring them back here. I think that might be it." She mused. "I'm sure I've forgotten something." Her brow furrowed with concentration.
"I'm sure it'll come to you." Kieran spoke softly and chose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was set her off today. "We better get going." He ushered them all out to the car, it was a pretty tight squeeze fitting them all in but they got there in the end and not one of them dared complain.
The church was unbearably cold, as all churches are, while they waited for an elderly priest with a mass of untamed white hair to greet them. He began to talk about what would happen at the start of the ceremony and showed Naomi how she should walk down the aisle. Sadie's message tone sounded and echoed in the transepts.
"Sorry." She cringed as the priest shook his head and made a disapproving noise then returned to showing Naomi the precise pace she should use. Priests had a habit of staring disapprovingly at Sadie; it was like they could smell the lesbian on her. She opened the message anyway to see what was so important.
'I hope you're happy, my mum won't stop going on about how lovely you are. She's doing my head in! What are you doing? Effy x'
Sadie sniggered to herself when she read the message and replied.
'In a church getting glared at by a priest, think he senses the gay in me! Can't wait to get out of here. What you doing? X'
"Sadie, a word?" Kieran's voice made her jump.
"I'm sorry, I've turned it off now." She said defensively.
"Oh I don't give a shit about that." He waved his hand dismissively. "No I wanted to ask you something...Gina and I were talking last night and she thought, and I agree, that it would be nice if Aiden walked up the aisle before Naomi. Kind of like a flower girl type thing." He struggled to explain something that Gina had made sound so simple last night. The suggestion caught Sadie off guard and rendered her more emotional than she thought.
"She wouldn't have to do anything only walk, what do you think? Would she be up for it?" Sadie was choked up that they were including her daughter in their wedding party. She coughed to clear the lump in her throat.
"If you're asking me can she do it, yes. But I can't make any promises that she will do it in a calm and orderly fashion." She chuckled, her daughter was quite spirited like herself and didn't like being told how to do things.
"She can go buck wild if she wants to." He smiled lovingly at his niece. "That's brilliant Gina will be so pleased."
"So will Aiden." Sadie smiled and hugged her uncle. "Thanks."
"No problem." He hurried off to tell Gina she'd said yes. She was at the altar with the priest and Naomi listening to him run through the order of the service.
"Sade." Diarmuid called to her in an urgent tone. "The priest is only after giving me a very detailed explanation of what responsibilities I will have as best man. I didn't have the heart to tell him I'm not the best man." Sadie laughed. "It's not funny." He hissed.
"You think you have it bad I have to convince Aiden to walk down the aisle in front of Naomi tomorrow, without messing around." He looked at her wide eyed.
"You're right you do have it worse." He agreed. "So they asked Aiden to be flower girl."
"Yes, sort of I don't think they want to put too fine a point on it cause it's sort of last minute but it was still really nice of them to involve her."
"Yeah it was."
"Listen I think we should talk again about...you know what we discussed before we left home." She started seriously.
"Yeah I do too."
"Get me out of here!" Naomi cried frantically, running up to them and halting any further discussion. "I swear to God...no pun intended...I have never wanted a cigarette so badly in my life." She said melodramatically.
"Come on." Sadie ushered her out of the church like it was a real emergency and offered her a Marlboro light.
"I hate churches. And priests, for that matter." Naomi groaned, breathing deeply from the cigarette. Sadie lit one for herself.
"It can't be much longer now. At this rate the practise is going to last longer than the actual wedding." Sadie joked looking up at Naomi from the screen of her phone.
"It better be." Naomi spat her voice loaded with hostility.
"Whoa! Calm down." Sadie held he hands up to the angry lesbian beside her. "You are really not a morning person are you?" She laughed and put her arm round the blonde girl.
Naomi remained sullen looking.
"Come on Naomi it's your mum's big day at least act like you don't hate the entire world right now."
"I don't see why I have to be here though. I know how to walk. I pretty much mastered that skill when I was 2!" She huffed.
"Ok a different approach then. Put a smile on your face or I'm going to text Emily and tell on you." She smirked. Naomi glared at her trying to figure out if it was an empty threat or if Sadie would actually go through with it. She probably would. Gina, Kieran and Diarmuid walked out of the chapel doors beside them. Naomi forced a smile; it wasn't very convincing but it was enough Sadie thought.
"Come on we have things still to do." Gina smiled, putting her arm around her daughter as they walked to the car.
-
While the boys went into town to pick up the cake Naomi and Sadie got stuck finishing wedding favours while Gina made phone calls.
"I feel like I'm working in a bridal sweat shop." Naomi complained as she fiddled with the infuriatingly small ribbon she was trying to tie.
"We should have volunteered to get the cake." Sadie sighed. "I would have walked there and back just to get out of this." Sadie's phone buzzed on the table, with her free hand she opened the text message and laughed. Naomi strained herself to read the message over upside down from the other side of the table. Sadie frowned at her.
"Oi! Don't be so rude. And I thought our Diarmuid was nosy." Sadie shook her head at the younger girl.
"Sorry. It's just that phone hasn't quit all day I was just wondering who was texting you." She tried to sound innocent. She let a moments silence pass. "Texting Effy then?" This was her chance.
"You know that's true you read the bloody message." Sadie reminded the younger girl that she was not stupid.
"So what's going on there?" Naomi asked.
"What do you mean?" Sadie asked, wondering just how much her brother had told her.
"I mean do you like her? Has anything happened between you? I know you went out to meet her yesterday! I'm not stupid." Naomi pouted.
"No you're definitely not stupid." Sadie agreed. "I don't know Naomi it's complicated." She sighed.
"Because you live in Ireland?" Naomi asked.
"No, it's complicated because of Aiden." Sadie let it out and let Naomi in. Honestly she was glad to talk to someone about the whole situation who was not her brother. She also hoped Naomi would be able to give her some insight into what Effy might be thinking.
"Aiden?" The blonde girl looked confused. "Who's Aiden?"
"Aiden is...my daughter." Sadie told her.
"Your daughter?" Naomi repeated.
"Yes." Sadie waited for the news to sink in and the inevitable questions.
"But you're gay." She said it like it was a statement.
"Long story. Condensed version; I went a little wild a few years ago and ended up pregnant with no idea how."
"Wow." Naomi didn't judge her; she was just shocked she hadn't mentioned it sooner. "Where is she now?"
"At home. My mum agreed to look after her so I could have a bit of a break." Sadie explained.
"But she's coming to the wedding?"
"Yeah she's in the wedding actually." Sadie chuckled.
"Flower girl." Naomi muttered remembering Gina mentioning something about it to Kieran.
"Yeah. I know I probably should have mentioned this before but I just wanted to come here and have some fun without being the lesbian with the baby oddity that I am at home you know. Does that make me a bad person?" Sadie asked, feeling a bit upset with herself.
"No!" Naomi said softly, reaching out to squeeze the red head's hand. "Not at all."
Sadie looked up at her and smiled.
"That does make things a bit complicated though doesn't it?" Naomi laughed.
"I didn't plan for this thing with Effy to happen!" Sadie sighed. "It just sort of did. I don't think either of us could have stopped it."
"Does Effy know you have a daughter?"
"Yeah I told her yesterday." Sadie bit her lip.
"And what did she say?"
"She said she still liked me." Sadie shrugged, she wasn't sure if it was true.
"Effy said she liked you?" Naomi sounded more shocked at this than the news that Sadie had a baby. Sadie nodded.
"Wow." Naomi struggled to get her head around it.
"That doesn't make things any less complicated though." Sadie sighed, dropping a completed favour into the pile with the rest.
"Look, Sadie, I don't know what's going on between you and Effy and I don't claim to have any insight into what that girl thinks sometimes." She began thoughtfully. "But I can tell you that if she said she likes you she must really like you. She's not the type of person who just says things like that you know."
"She doesn't seem like the kind of girl to have crushes." Sadie half laughed, she had to find humour in the situation. "Ah Christ Naomi...what have I gotten myself into?" She sighed.
"It's not that bad." Naomi rolled her eyes; and people said she was melodramatic. "In its simplest form you like someone who also likes you."
"Maybe. What do you think Naomi, could it work?" She seemed to be considering the question herself. Naomi shrugged.
"Got as good a chance as anyone." She smiled, Sadie smiled back.
"Well no time to dwell on that now, we've got like a hundred more of these fiddly things to do." She rubbed her hands and got back down to work.
When Kieran and Diarmuid arrived home the girls were justifiably hostile towards them; they had definitely stretched out what should have been a quick and simple trip to the bakers.
"It's about time." Sadie sniped at them when they came through the door.
"What crawled up your arse?" Diarmuid was taken aback by the hostility. "When we left you were bright and cheery."
"You can't be cheerful when you work in a sweat shop." Naomi informed him with a serious nod.
"Sit down and help us." Sadie instructed them.
"Where's Gina?" Kieran asked looking for his scapegoat.
"On the phone." Naomi told him. He moved towards the door. "And she's not to be disturbed." She added with a sadistic smile. Sadie kicked out the chair that her feet had been resting on.
"Sit down and grab a fiddly thing Kieran there's work to be done." Sadie gave an equally evil smile. He sighed and begrudgingly sat down. They worked together listlessly for a while none of them really wanting to be there.
"Do sweat shop workers get smoke breaks?" Naomi asked with a huff. All this wedding stuff was starting to stress her out.
"No but I'm led to believe they do earn a wage of some sort, no matter how small, so I think we're entitled to smoke breaks in lieu of that." Kieran reasoned. It was good enough to Naomi and Sadie as they practically leapt out of their seat to join him. Diarmuid was contemplating joining them when Gina reappeared from upstairs.
"Oh you're back." She smiled. She looked out the window at the trio of smokers and shook her head. "Look at them, slacking off out there leaving you to do all the work." She frowned.
He just nodded; he wasn't going to tell her that he hadn't actually done any of the work. She opened the back door and shouted out to them.
"When you lot have finished there we still have things to do." She raised an accusing eyebrow at them. They looked at each other and to the floor feeling like a group of 5 year olds who had just been chastised.
-
It had been a very long day; days always seemed longer when you got up early. Gina and Kieran had turned in for an early night, while Diarmuid had opted to fall asleep in front of the television. Sadie had treated herself to a much needed soak in a hot bath. When she died and dressed she found Naomi was lying stretched out on her bed looking thoroughly exhausted.
"Please tell me I don't have to get up early in the morning." She groaned when Sadie entered the room.
"Don't think so." She laughed. "I only have to get up to go to the airport...and even that's not till 10 or something."
"To pick up Aiden." Naomi rolled over on her side to face Sadie.
"To pick up Aiden." Sadie nodded.
"What's it like having a kid?" Naomi asked quizzically. Sadie settled into her airbed, lying on her side facing Naomi.
"It's...weird and kind of crazy." Sadie mused. "I mean one day I was a typical teenager living to get drunk and piss about with my mates and then the next thing they hand you this tiny person who is completely dependent on you for everything. It totally changes your life. But I wouldn't change it. I love her."
"Wow." Naomi breathed. She couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for Sadie.
"Add to that the fact that you are 100% lesbian and you've got one fucking strange situation." She laughed, as did Naomi. "So what does Emily think of my situation?" She wondered.
"What?...I..." Naomi stammered, afraid she'd betrayed a confidence.
"Naomi she's your girlfriend...I have had a couple in my time, I know how it works...I know you must have told her. I wouldn't expect you not to." Sadie reassured the younger girl. "Besides I think she might have noticed the toddler calling me mummy at the wedding." She joked to relieve the situation.
"Good point." Naomi laughed. "She's flipping out over it. Lesbians having babies is a big deal to her. She's 1000% supportive. Says she can't wait to meet her."
"She might regret that." Sadie laughed.
"I'm just worried Aiden will make her broody!" Naomi joked.
"Well she is adorable." Sadie shrugged.
"You have to say that, you're mum." Naomi teased.
"Oi!" Sadie huffed indignantly, taking out her phone and shoving the screensaver in Naomi's face. "You tell me that baby isn't cute." Naomi looked at the little curly haired girl pouting for the camera and couldn't help but smile.
"She is gorgeous." She had to admit. "You have a message by the way." She added handing the phone back to its owner. "I wonder who it's from." Naomi said sarcasm oozing from her words.
"Shut up!" Sadie rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at Naomi's head. "Hey if Emily's so keen on babies maybe you two could babysit for me sometime." Sadie suggested, subtly changing the subject.
"You'll only be here for a few days. I don't think she's keen enough to fly to Ireland just to babysit." Naomi laughed. Sadie made a face. "Unless you're going to be here for more than a few days. Are you staying for longer?" She asked putting two and Sadie's face together.
"Kieran's right you are very perceptive." Sadie said thoughtfully.
"And you're avoiding the question." Naomi challenged. Sadie sighed. Truth be told there was a part of her that wanted to tell Naomi and discuss it with her because she was so excited.
"Maybe." She tried to remain strong under questioning. "I can't tell you anything for certain at the minute."
"What? That's not fair! You can't say something like that and then not explain it!" The blonde huffed. Sadie just shrugged. Naomi let out a frustrated growl.
"Well I'm sure we could babysit...I mean...you and Effy will want some alone time together, wont you?" She smirked, knowing she wouldn't get any information out of Sadie.
"Less of it Campbell." Sadie glared at her.
"What I thought you looked very cute together the other night." She said innocently. Sadie rolled her eyes and pretended not to hear her.
"Can I have my pillows back please?"