Surely TLC had never been more tender or loving than this treat from Izzy’s best friend?
BY LUCY KNOTT
Thank goodness for supermarket deliveries. Izzy couldn’t remember the last time she had set foot outside her front door.
Actually, that was a lie – the last time she had breathed fresh air would have been exactly one week ago when she’d waved Jack off in a taxi wishing him a merry time in sunny Majorca.
Tipping the last granules from her jar of coffee, she sighed.
Baby Cara was eight weeks old and everything she had ever dreamed of, full cheeks, button nose, bright blue eyes and, most importantly, healthy – but Izzy wondered how all those other coffee shop mums did it.
She licked her lips at the thought of a steaming hot caramel latte.
Then she rubbed a drool-stained sleeve over her stinging eyes and dared a glance at the sink, piled high with dirty dishes and baby bottles.
Shrugging her shoulders, her feet led her to the living room, where Cara slept in her bassinet.
Ensuring the volume was low, she switched on the telly, looking for something to keep her both awake and her mind off the holiday.
Valentine’s Day could fall off the calendar and never return for all she cared.
As she watched loved-up couple after loved-up couple, she vowed never to let another man fool her again.
She loved Cara with every fibre of her being, but with her father deciding that raising a child wasn’t for him, Izzy had learned that being a single parent was tougher than the hardest Valentine’s Day caramel.
It didn’t help that her anxiety often got the best of her – and she’d shut everyone out of her life.
Her friends had left countless messages, and her parents had sent food parcels.
They were due to visit soon from their retired life in Australia, and Izzy was determined that she would have figured it all out by then – to show them that she was excelling at motherhood.
If it hadn’t been for her best friend Jack, she didn’t think she would be standing right now.
Taking a deep breath, Izzy gave in and lowered her heavy eyelids. She didn’t want to think about being alone on Valentine’s Day, while Jack was drinking cocktails by the pool with some beautiful bronzed goddess.
Just as she was nearing sleep, there came a knock at the front door, followed by Cara’s harsh cries.
Izzy sprang into action, scooping Cara into her arms.
She w
