Page 7 of A Wedding in Tuscany

‘What were they getting at?’ asks Nick.

‘I think they’re hoping to combine their wedding with Sarah’s fortieth,’ says Josh. Forty, I realise with a start. Yikes.

‘That makes sense,’ says Lins, always the practical one. ‘You’ll all be together anyway?one trip instead of two.’

‘But how do you feel about it, Sarah?’ asks Josh. ‘I don’t want anything to take away from your day, from our celebration of you.’ It’s so sweet that he’s asking, that he cares this much about making it a special birthday for me, but I feel a little queasy.

‘I’m turning forty,’ I say aloud to myself.

‘Yeah, Sez, it comes after thirty-nine. I know you’re not a Maths teacher but …’ Nick jokes. It’s not funny.

‘You okay?’ Josh asks, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. Crap. Now I’m dangerously close to ruining another big moment for someone I love?first Cat’s news and now this.

I smile at him. ‘I’m okay. It’s just … I guess part of me thought I’d be thirty-nine forever. Most of the time, I still feel like I did in my twenties and now I’m gonna be forty. That’s like … proper grown-up age.’

‘Well, you’re way hotter than most twenty-somethings, so …’ Josh waggles his eyebrows at me, making me laugh.

‘It’s an amazing surprise, babe. I … I can’t believe we’re all going on a trip together, to one of my favourite places … it’s so, so thoughtful. Thank you.’

Josh grins at me and I can tell he’s relieved. ‘You know, Cat said I was daring to organise something like this without you?that you’d hate it.’

‘Oh, yeah, she was right about that. You’re not organising one more detail without me.’

‘Ahh, okay, I see how it is.’ Josh’s eyes narrow jokingly.

‘And now there’s a wedding to plan as well!’

‘You sound more excited about that than the trip, Sez,’ teases Lindsey.

‘They’re kind of on par,’ I retort.

‘Hey, can you swap out the wine for champers?’ she asks Nick. ‘I think we should be celebrating.’

‘Too bloody right! Back in a tick.’ Nick takes the tray away and Lins settles into the couch opposite Josh and me, and I nestle into the crook of his arm.

‘How long have you known about all this?’ I ask her.

She looks at Josh. ‘What, maybe three or four months?’

‘What?!’ I ask, sitting upright.

‘That sounds about right.’

I look over at Josh. ‘I’m impressed, Joshua.’

‘You are?’

‘Yeah. You’re sneaky.’ He laughs. ‘In a good way, I mean.’

‘Yeah, yeah.’

‘Here we go.’ Nick has returned with a different bottle and four champagne flutes. He makes quick work of the foil, then the cage and when he pops the cork, I shout, ‘Hooray!’ I just love bubbles. And I love these wonderful, beautiful people. And in four months, we’re all going to Italy together. Italy!

‘Hello. You’re saving me from a pile of marking, so thank you.’

‘I know now,’ I say to my sis.

‘Hi, Cat, how are you?’ I poke my tongue out and she sniggers. ‘Anyway, I’m glad you know and …?’