When An Accident Prone No One Marries A Celebrity There Will Be Chaos...

Chapter 22

I barely get two words into the sentence: ‘so what have I missed?’ when an alarming sob of anguish rings through the room which can be heard over the music which Mandy turned up to full blast. Everyone immediately turns to see my Mum dissolve into tears. Ollie helplessly tries to usher out of the room but she is reluctant to move. Georgie and I immediately rush over while all my friends look on in an awkward horror. “Mum, do you want to step outside?” Georgie asks softly.

“No,” she splutters between sobs.

“I’m sorry about the food Mum. It’s just that I didn’t know you were bringing food and everyone ate before they came. But everyone said it was a shame because it all looks really lovely,” I explain. I then quickly shoot Emmie a glance over my shoulder. She doesn’t get what I mean so with a pleading look in my eyes, I discreetly as possible nod my head towards the food table. With a look of sudden enlightenment she dashes towards the food table, dragging Kate with her, and begins filling up a plate with as much food as she can possibly balance. Kate picks up another sausage roll and hiding a grimace of despair begins to nibble at the edge. The rest of the room catching on, there is suddenly a mad rush to the buffet table and everyone desperately eats as much as their full stomachs can possibly manage. I look to Mum expecting to see her beaming with delight but her face is just as crestfallen and the tears are still falling.

Georgie, Ollie and I exchange glances of confusion and worry. “Are you sure you don’t want to step out?” Ollie asks her again. Mum shakes her head furiously.

“Well what’s wrong then?” Georgie asks, utterly bewildered. At that Mum breaks out into wails as her shoulders begin to heave. The people at the buffet table observe with a look of panic and then begin to shovel down the food twice as fast, unaware that Mum is no longer upset about the food. “Mum?” I prompt delicately.

“I just feel so helpless,” she howls.

“Erm… why?” Ollie asks as gently as he can trying to mask his alarm at having to deal with a sobbing mother-in-law. “Mum just because people aren’t eating your food doesn’t make you helpless,” I comfort.

“It’s not the food!” she shouts in frustration. At that everyone breathes an immediate sigh of relief as they drop the food half eaten back onto their plates and place them down with a sigh of relief. They all pull at their dresses trying to create more room in the material for their full stomachs. “Well it started with the food,” she corrects herself. In another flurry of action everyone picks up their plates once more and begin once more to struggle with the food. “So then what’s the problem?” asks Georgie.

“Izzie doesn’t need my buffet food because she’s all grown up now. She’s getting married and she won’t need me at all. And your business is doing so well Georgie. You’re both all grown up now and my help is redundant,” she cries. We share glances of confusion as Mum continues to sob. Taking advantage of the pause Kate rushes to my side. “I don’t know if you heard the door go but the limo drivers are here and they want to know if we’re ready,” Kate explains.

“Tell him we’ll be out in a minute,” I inform her and then quickly turn my attention back to Mum.

“You got all that from some buffet food?” I ask in confusion.

“One thought led to another,” she defends herself.

“Okay… well no matter what goes on in Izzie and Georgie’s life they will always need you,” Ollie says rather diplomatically.

“Yeah Mum, we’ll always love you,” I add.

At that moment a chubby, bald, man barges into the room. “Who are you?” Ollie asks in indignation.