''Catch up, Jennifer!'' Gram cackles and leans over to stage whisper. ''I'm on my third!''
''Really?'' I ask Mum. ''You're letting her get drunk?''
''Darling, if I don't let her, she'll simply drink ours when we're not looking.'' Mum sighs.
''Let me?'' Grammy stands and waggles her finger at both of us. ''You girls forget I'm the adult here!''
Jen purses her lips as she tries to hold in her laughter.
''Of course, Mother,'' Mum says with a straight face. How? It's all I can do not to collapse in a pile of giggles.
''I'm going to check on the sausages,'' Grammy announces and leaves the room, humming to herself while swinging her glass of wine.
Jen raises her eyebrows and snorts. ''I sure hope she means eating sausages and she doesn't have Roger stashed in the cupboard under the stairs.''
Ah, yes.
Roger.
Grammy's latest fancy man who, according to her, is playing both her and Mabel off against each other.
Yep. Move on over, Eastenders. Lilac Bay is the place to be for your non-stop drama!
''Please don't get her started on Roger,'' Mum sighs. ''At least, not until I'm too drunk to care.''
''Oh dear,'' I deadpan. ''One of those days?''
''I took her to the Post Office this morning for her pension and it turns out Mabel's car had broken down so Roger had kindly offered to give her a lift. Needless to say, your Grandmother was not impressed.''
Jen shakes her head. ''What an ass**le,'' she offers. ''That's just plain rude, isn't it?''
Mum shrugs and tops up all of our wine glasses, emptying the bottle.
''What can you do? Have you ever tried arguing with my mother, Jen?''
I grimace at the thought.
''No, but I reckon we could have a good old gossip together.'' Jen grins and takes her glass back from Mum. ''Thank you. I reckon we could get this Roger out of her system.''
''Yes, but who will replace him?'' Mum sits back and crosses her legs, ever the lady. I must have missed that gene.
''With any luck,'' I say in a flat voice. ''A cat will.''
Mum and Jen both laugh loudly into their wine glasses. I smirk at them and before I know it the three of us are shaking with laughter.
''Oh, my.'' Mum wipes at her eyes. ''When did you develop a sense of humour, Lexy?'' She sighs.
I smile sadly at her. ''About the time I started to become a spoilt brat, I guess.''
''Then it's a good job you found me again,'' Jen says seriously.
''It is?'' I raise an eyebrow at her.
''Yep.'' She smiles smugly. ''If you'd waited any longer to come back to the Bay, your head would have been so far up your ass not even I would have been able to pull it out!''
We laugh again and I throw a pillow at her.
For the first time in five years, I've remembered what true friendship is like.
~
An hour later, our party has been gatecrashed by Alec and Carl. Bing's friend, Matt, is here too, so us women are slightly outnumbered.
''I shouldn't have told them I was having a barbecue.'' Grammy shakes her head and giggles. ''Men and food.''
''And beer,'' Mum adds.
''And women,'' I say, glancing at Matt. He keeps looking over at me and Jen.
''Oh yeah.'' Jen nods in agreement. ''Talking about men, Vi..''
''I'm gonna go grab another wine bottle or two.'' Mum makes a swift exit.
Damn it. She used my line!
''I hear Roger is fancying a bit of both you and Mabel!'' Jen carries on.
''Well, I never!'' Grammy leans over. ''Her car has broken down, apparently. Do you know, Jennifer, I don't believe it for a second!'' She thumps the plastic table between us. ''Damn her, she's trying to get in there with my man.''
My lips curl up slightly and I bring my glass up to hide my smile. Alec catches my eye from the patio and I watch him as him and my Dad flip the burgers.
Beautiful isn't a word I'd use to describe a guy, but Alec is pretty beautiful. I think it's his eyes, simply because they stand out so much.
As if he can sense my gaze on him he turns his head and smiles at me, one that takes my breath away and makes me blush. I lower my gaze and when I glance back up he's laughing at me silently.
''Well, Vi, if you want my honest opinion,'' Jen says nonchalantly, pulling me back into the conversation.
''Oh, I do.'' Grammy nods furiously.
''I think he's trying to have his cake and eat it too, with an extra helping of dickhead.''
I snort and cover my mouth to stop my drink flying everywhere. Grammy's eyes are wide and Jen gives us a look that says she gets it.
I cough slightly and pat my chest. ''Dear god, Jen,'' I manage.
''I thought you might say that,'' Grammy sighs. ''I might just get myself a cat instead.''
I laugh, my earlier comment coming back to me. I have a future in clairvoyance, for sure.
''Samuel Edwards, you turn that song back on!'' Mum shouts and appears on the porch brandishing two bottles of wine as weapons. We all look her way.
''Mum..'' Bing groans.
''Turn. It. Back.'' She's using her no-nonsense, no arguments tone. Bing rolls his eyes and flicks back a song on the iPod dock.
Michael Buble.
I smile as Mum puts the bottles down and begins to sing. My mum has the voice of an angel, but it's not something she flaunts. She has a husky quality to her voice that you couldn't get if you paid for it.
She puts a hand out to me.
''I'm not that drunk yet.'' I glance at the porch.
I can't believe that I'm your man, and I get to kiss you, baby, just because I can, Alec mouths and winks. I smile and Mum pulls me up.
''Alexis,'' she warns.
''Fine,'' I sigh and let her twirl me around.
''And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times, its you, it you, you make me sing,'' Mum sings.
''You're every line, you're every word, you're everything,'' I reply.
She spins me and Dad takes her hand. Two hands land on my waist and I spin into Alec.
''It's you, it's you,'' he whispers in a sing-song voice.
I giggle, feeling the effects of Mum's unlimited wine pouring and the high from the dancing. I step into him and slip my arms around his waist, resting my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around me.
''Nope.'' I smile into his neck. ''It's you, you make me sing.''
I feel him smile into my hair and I close my eyes.
''Alec, do you know something?'' I whisper.
''I know lots of things,'' he chuckles.
''Shush,'' I giggle again. ''I have to tell you something.''
''What? That when my Princess is drunk she's really cute?''
''I'm not drunk. Not very, anyway.'' I frown. ''Stop distracting me!''
Alec looks down at me. ''I'm sorry, baby. What did you want to tell me?''
I grin. ''Not much, but you should know I've turned out liking you a lot more than I originally planned to.''
His smile says it all. It says that he knows, that he's happy, but it's his eyes that tell me like is a weak word for how he really feels.