What You Mean To Me

It didn’t matter how many times she thought about confessing the truth, there just never seemed to be the right moment

- Maria McAvoy

How are the wedding preparations going?’ Lisa kept a bright, well-practised smile on her face as she sat down for coffee with the man she had loved since their very first day at primary school.

Jack’s blue eyes shone. ‘Brilliant. Selina shows me the spreadsheet every Friday. It’s all coming together nicely.’

‘She shows you the spreadsheet?’ said Lisa, sipping her cappuccino. ‘What? So you’re not involved with the planning?’

‘Not in the slightest.’ Jack didn’t look put out. Lisa rolled her eyes. She might love this man with all her heart, but she didn’t have any illusions about him. Jack wasn’t lazy, exactly, but he did tend to take the path of least resistance in life.

‘There’s no point,’ Jack said easily. ‘We both know she’ll do things her way no matter what I say.’

That was true. Lisa had known Selina since university, when four unlikely young people had come together in a house share. Lisa and Jack were from the same small village. Selina had a rich dad who owned the student house they shared. Then there was Colin, who was destined to be something big in finance.

Even then, Selina had been obsessed with lists.

‘What about wedding gifts?’ Lisa asked.

Their ‘Save the Date’ card had come with a rather alarming note.

‘We have everything we could wish for, but if you want to buy a small gift, nothing would please us more than to receive an item that tells us what we mean to you. Go on, surprise us or make us smile.’

Jack beamed. ‘How cute an idea is that? I mean, I’d have gone with a charity donation, but Selina had her heart set on something more personal. We’ve already started getting some wonderful things.’