laps of the little girl and boy playing Mary and Joseph.
Standing so close to Jay, Lottie felt him physically stiffen beside her.
She knew immediately that the adult and baby were Nadia and Seb.
Chapter Thirty
With the applause at the end still ringing in her ears, Lottie fought her way through the excited families for mince pies and ‘refreshments’ in the school canteen.
She fully expected Jay to have escaped to the car but he was waiting just inside the doors.
‘Are you OK? I’d no idea that they’d borrowed Seb for the baby.’
‘It’s OK. I realise you didn’t know.’
‘She might come into the canteen with Seb. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed. We should leave.’
‘I don’t want to ruin your day, but it’s probably best if I wait in the car.’
Even as she spoke, Nadia appeared, still in costume, with Seb in her arms.
Nadia spotted Jay too, if the dismay on her face was anything to go by. Lottie felt sorry for him. This must be his worst nightmare.
Before either of them had time to react, Steph found them, as hyper as the twins. ‘How awesome was that?’ she cried. ‘I know I’m their mum, but weren’t the girls amazing?’
Lottie hugged her. ‘They were incredible. I couldn’t stop crying.’
‘I had no idea that the baby was going to be real!’ Steph said. ‘Did you?’ She turned to Jay.
‘No, it was a shock.’ He smiled. ‘The twins are stars.’
Nadia was across the other side of the room chatting to the head, but they were making their way across the room. Would she come over? It seemed unlikely but Lottie was on tenterhooks.
The girls rushed up. ‘Mummeeee! Auntieeee Lottieeee?’
Myra grabbed Jay’s hand. ‘I was the best lobster! I was the best.’
‘Oh, shut up, Myra,’ Jodie said. ‘Don’t be such a diva!’
Lottie had never been so grateful for the twins’ wild exuberance. Jay had to focus on the children but the head had other ideas. She swept Nadia and Seb in their direction.
‘Hello there!’ she cried, steering Nadia up to Lottie’s group. ‘Here’s our real-life baby. Wasn’t he great?’
Nadia’s eyes widened in shock.
Lottie stifled a gasp. How would Jay cope?
Nadia held on to Seb tightly. ‘Hello,’ she said.
‘Hi, Nadia,’ Steph said. ‘I’d no idea you were going to bring Seb.’
The head smiled broadly. ‘It was our big secret, wasn’t it, Nadia?’ She turned to Lottie and Jay. ‘Nadia’s on maternity leave from the library service. She organises story times for some of the children and I couldn’t resist asking her and Seb to make guest appearances.’
It was then Lottie realised that the head didn’t know that Nadia’s partner was Jay’s brother, and why would she?
Bored with the small talk, Seb tried to wriggle free from Nadia’s arms and lunged at Jay’s hair.
Nadia looked horrified. ‘Seb, no …’ she said, a frantic edge to her voice but Seb wound his fingers tight in Jay’s curls.
‘Oh, isn’t he gorgeous!’ Steph cried.
‘He loves your hair,’ Myra said.
Trapped by Seb, Jay managed a smile. ‘It’s OK. He’s doing no harm.’
Only Lottie could have spotted the desperate plea in Nadia’s eyes as she gently disentangled Seb’s chubby fingers from Jay’s curls. He stood patiently while she did it.
‘Thank you,’ Nadia said once Jay was free.
‘I’m fine,’ he murmured.
Nadia looked relieved. ‘You’re lucky he hasn’t pulled some out by the roots.’
Jay shook his head in wonder at Seb. ‘He’s strong.’
Seb wasn’t impressed and let out a howl of protest.
‘I’m sorry, he’s very tired,’ she said.
‘I’m sure he is. He’s a gorgeous little boy isn’t he?’ the head enthused. ‘He looks like you, Nadia.’
Lottie winced a little, wondering how Jay felt. She could definitely see a likeness to Jay and wondered if he thought the same. Did that rub salt in his wounds?
Jay couldn’t take his eyes off Seb. ‘He’s grown so … big,’ he said, then added, ‘Maybe he’ll be a rugby player.’
Steph shot Jay a curious glance and seemed about to say something but then thought better of it. Lottie guessed that she’d sensed a connection between the two of them.
‘It’s hard being the star of the show, isn’t it, Seb?’ The head tried to stroke Seb’s cheek but he bawled even louder.
‘I’d better take him home.’ Nadia had to raise her voice above Seb’s screams. ‘Bye. Lovely to see you again,’ she said. ‘And meet you,’ she added quickly.
Moments later, she’d left them. The head moved on to other parents and after bombarding Jay with questions about the play and the reindeer, the twins skipped off to say goodbye to their