A Cornish Affair

Picnic

Rosie dropped her peach stone into an empty bag, put her hands behind her on the blanket and directed her face to the sun. The warmth of it's rays bombarding her skin, whilst the noise of giggling and admittedly some screaming children filled the distant air.

"Why do we have to go to work?" she mused, "Life should be one long holiday."

"You'd get bored," Rosie's sister, Megan, said mirroring the position that Rosie was lay in, except she had her eyes wide open, watching every movement of her daughter, Lilli, as she played in the park.

"I wouldn't!" Rosie protested. "I'd find something to do with every single minute."

The words hung between them as Megan sat up and began to clear away the remains of their picnic. "I could think of something you could spend your time doing."

Rosie opened one eye and viewed Megan as she tipped sandwich packets and cake wrappers into a carrier bag. Tying the handles together, Megan turned her attention back to Rosie who had waited patiently for her to continue.

"Lee needs a kick up the backside Rosie!" The direction of this conversation was now more than obvious to Rosie, so she closed her eye again.

Sighing, she began her usual speech, "Don't you think I know that. I'm sick of dropping hints. Actually," Rosie said, leaning forward, remembering something she hadn't told Megan, "this weekend he's agreed to go to this wedding fair thing at Brands Hatch Hotel . I'm hoping it will stir something inside him and we'll finally start planning."

"Well if he doesn't, I will!" Megan said determinedly. "I'll book a date, help you organise it and we'll just send him the invite to turn up to the day."

Her sister's words made Rosie smile. Laying out her blanket properly, Rosie lay down. "You can tell him that!" she chuckled.

"You know I would. I had to get Alistair kick-started before we got engaged. He soon got the hint." Megan reminded her.

"Did you ever! Poor bloke didn't stand a chance." Rosie giggled.

"Treat them mean little sister. You've got to lay it down. Tell them what you want." Megan paused. "You do want to marry him don't you?"

Rosie's head turned quickly. "Why do you ask that?" There was no way Megan could know about Ricky, she thought.

"You don't seem that interested in it all." Megan told her, seeing Lilli heading back out of the park towards them.

"I am," Rosie moaned, "but there's only so many times I can push him Megan. Perhaps he is just happy with life as it is."

"He's happy? What about you?" Their conversation ended as Lilli plonked herself down on the edge of Rosie's blanket.

"Can I have another drink please?"

As Megan started searching out a juice carton, Rosie grabbed her niece and pulled her down on the rug to tickle her. Lilli giggled.

"Auntie Rosie! Stop!" she called between laughs.

"Is that your phone Rosie?" Megan asked, hearing the muffled ringing coming from Rosie's bag.

Rosie stopped upsetting her niece, allowing her to escape for now and searched in her bag for her phone.

"Carrie! Hi. How are you?"

"Hello! Good thanks. Enjoying your holiday?"

"Of course! Anything is better than being stuck at school. I'm in the park at the moment having a picnic with my sister and niece."

"Lovely day for it!" Carrie commented. "Look Rosie, I'm guessing you will say no, but you were the first person I thought of. Right, long story cut short. Zoe, my friend, you met her that time when we went up to Covent Garden that Friday night when I got completely wrecked when James had dumped me."