over everyone applauded and normal business resumed.
Holly couldn’t speak.
‘Christ Almighty, Holly, one week you’re in here laughing so hard you practically fall off your chair and the next visit you’re crying!’
‘Oh, but that was just so special, Leo, thank you,’ she said, drying her eyes and giving him a huge hug and a kiss.
‘Well, I had to get you back after you mortified me,’ he said, shrugging her off, uncomfortable with the sentimentality.
Holly laughed, remembering Leo’s surprise fiftieth birthday party. The theme had been ‘feathers and lace’. Holly had worn a beautiful tight-fitting lace dress, and Gerry, who was always game for a laugh, had worn a pink feather boa to match his pink shirt and tie. Leo claimed to have been excruciatingly embarrassed but everyone knew he was secretly delighted with all the attention. The next day, Leo had rung every guest who had attended the party and left a threatening message on their machine. Holly had been terrified to make an appointment with him for weeks after that in case he butchered her hair. Word had it that business was very slow for Leo that week.
‘Well, you enjoyed the stripper that night, anyway,’ Holly teased.
‘Enjoyed? I went out with him for a month after that. The bastard.’
A slice of cake arrived in front of each customer and everyone turned to thank her.
‘Don’t know why they’re thanking you,’ Leo muttered under his breath. ‘I’m the one who bloody bought it.’
‘Don’t worry, Leo, I’ll make sure your tip covers the cost.’
‘Are you mad? Your tip wouldn’t cover the cost of my bus fare home.’
‘Leo, you live next door.’
‘Exactly!’
Holly pouted her lip and pretended to sulk.
Leo laughed. ‘Thirty years old and you’re still acting like a baby. Where are you off to tonight?’
‘Oh, nowhere mad. I just want a low-key, nice quiet night out with the girls.’
‘That’s what I said at my fiftieth. Who’s going?’
‘Sharon, Ciara, Abbey, and Denise – haven’t seen her for ages.’
‘Ciara home?’
‘Yeah, her and her pink hair.’
‘Merciful hour! She’ll stay away from me if she knows what’s good for her. Right, missus, you look fab, you’ll be the belle of the ball – have fun!’
Holly stopped daydreaming and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t look thirty or feel thirty. But then again what was being thirty supposed to feel like? When she was younger, thirty seemed so far away, she’d thought that a woman of that age would be wise and knowledgeable, settled in her life with a husband and children and a career. She had none of those things. She still felt as clueless as when she was twenty, only with a few grey hairs, and crow’s feet around her eyes. She sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to stare at herself. There was nothing about being thirty worth celebrating.
The doorbell rang and Holly could hear the excited chatter of the girls outside. She tried to perk herself up, took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face.
‘Happy birthday!’ they all yelled in unison.
She stared back at their smiling faces and was immediately cheered by their enthusiasm. She ushered them into the living room and waved hello to the camera being brandished by Declan.
‘No, Holly, you’re supposed to ignore him!’ hissed Denise, and dragged her by the arm onto the couch where they all surrounded her and immediately started thrusting presents in her face.
‘Open mine first!’ squealed Ciara, knocking Sharon out of the way so hard that she toppled off the couch. Sharon froze in horror, unsure of how to react, then burst into giggles.
‘OK, calm down, everyone,’ said the voice of reason (Abbey), struggling to help up a hysterical Sharon. ‘I think we should pop open the bubbly first and then open the pressies.’
‘OK, but as long as she opens mine first,’ pouted Ciara.
‘Ciara, I promise to open yours first.’ Holly spoke as though addressing a child.
Abbey raced into the kitchen and returned with a tray full of champagne flutes.
‘Anyone for champers, sweetie darlings?’
The flutes had been a wedding gift and one of the glasses had Gerry and Holly’s name inscribed on it, which Abbey had tactfully removed from the set. ‘OK, Holly, you can do the honours,’ Abbey said, handing her the bottle.
Everyone ran for cover and ducked as Holly began to remove the cork. ‘Hey, I’m not that bad, everyone!’
‘Yeah, she’s an old pro at this by now,’ said Sharon, appearing from behind the couch with a cushion on her head.
The girls all cheered as they heard the pop and crawled out from their hiding places.
‘The sound of heaven,’ Denise said dramatically, holding her hand up to her heart.
‘OK, now open my present,’ Ciara screamed again.
‘Ciara!’ they all shouted.
‘After the toast,’ added Sharon.
Everyone held up her glass.
‘OK, here’s to my bestest friend in the whole world who has had such a difficult year, but throughout all has been the bravest and the strongest person I’ve ever met. She’s an inspiration to us all. Here’s to her finding happiness for the next thirty years of her life! To Holly!’
‘To Holly,’ they all chorused. Everyone’s eyes were sparkling with tears as they all took sips of their drinks, except of course for Ciara, who had already knocked back her glass of champagne and was scrambling to give her present to Holly.
‘OK, first you have to wear this tiara because you are our princess for the night, and secondly here’s my present from me to you!’
The girls helped Holly put on the sparkling tiara that luckily went perfectly with her glittery corset. At that moment, surrounded by her friends, she really did feel like a princess.
Holly carefully removed the sellotape from the neatly wrapped parcel.
‘Oh, just rip it open,’ said Abbey to everyone’s surprise.
Holly looked at the box inside, confused. ‘What is it?’
‘Read it!’ Ciara said excitedly.
Holly began to read aloud from the box, ‘It’s a battery operated … oh my God! Ciara! You naughty girl!’ Holly and the girls laughed hysterically.
‘Well,
