Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,61

nodded knowledgeably. ‘A bit of Moroccan oil wouldn’t go amiss either. And a heat protector. That’s essential if you’re going to keep blasting it with the hairdryer and using straighteners. You can use my products if you like. See how you get on with them.’

‘Really?’ Emily was growing more surprised by her daughter’s thoughtfulness by the second. ‘That would be brilliant,’ she said, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. ‘It’s driving me mad at the moment. I can’t seem to do anything with it. I just give up and tie it up in the end.’

‘I noticed.’ Millie didn’t look overly impressed as she eyed her updo.

Emily sighed in despair. ‘It’s a mess, isn’t it?’

‘No.’ Millie widened her eyes in admonishment. ‘It looks nice. It shows off your high cheekbones, but … well, it’s not very creative, is it?’

‘I don’t have much time to be creative in the mornings,’ Emily said, her shoulders sagging. She’d have plenty of time if she and Jake separated, she thought sadly. She would hardly be able to work at the surgery then. With Sally there, it would definitely be a case of three in a relationship being one too many. The thought of Jake becoming openly involved with her was more than she could bear.

‘Here, let me have a go,’ Millie suggested, going around behind her and tugging off her hair tie before Emily had time to object. ‘Tip your head forward,’ she instructed.

Emily did as she was told, and waited patiently while Millie gathered up her hair.

‘Right …’ Millie paused thoughtfully. A second later, she’d lowered her own head to peer up at her. ‘You can braid your hair, I take it?’

‘Just about,’ Emily said uncertainly.

‘Good. So, you divide it into three at the nape of your neck and then plait it.’ Millie demonstrated, talking her through it as she did. ‘If you do it with your head forwards, it will encourage it in the right direction, do you see?’

Emily gave her an upside-down nod, not that she could actually see much.

‘You’re braiding about halfway up, just as far as the crown, then … Head up.’

Emily obliged, and Millie gathered her hair up on top of her head and secured it with a tie. ‘What you do then is twist the loose hair into a bun and tuck the ends under the tie to secure it.’ She set to work again, the tip of her tongue protruding as she concentrated.

‘All done. One fabulous topknot with braid detailing at the back,’ she said, stepping back and then steering Emily to the hall. ‘You might need the odd hair grip for any stray bits, and some hairspray, but … What do you think?’

‘Wow,’ Emily said, admiring her more stylish look in the mirror. It was a massive improvement on her own attempts.

‘Wow indeed.’ Millie smiled as she led the way back to the kitchen. ‘The lady looks hot.’

Emily felt a heavy sadness spread through her. She doubted Jake would think so. ‘It’s gorgeous, thanks, Millie,’ she said, smiling gratefully.

‘Any time,’ Millie assured her. ‘You should wear it like that more often. It suits you. Makes you look younger.’

Emily smiled, accepting the compliment. Her daughter, she knew, was trying to boost her confidence; bless her heart for realising it would be flagging. She didn’t yearn to be younger, though. She yearned to be who she was. But she didn’t know who that was. She wasn’t sure she had done for a long time. She’d put away her paints after Kara’s death, giving up her art, which had been her way of expressing her individuality, and trying to conform. Wild was dangerous, she’d learned. If you lived life craving the unexpected, it happened. She hadn’t wanted to be different any more. She’d wanted safety in normality. She’d thought she’d found that in Jake. Once they’d married and settled into what she’d thought was a happy routine, she hadn’t expected the unexpected, yet still it had suddenly happened.

‘So are you going to tell me a little more about this boyfriend of yours?’ she asked, shaking off the ghosts of her past and collecting up their food to carry it across to the island.

‘Nothing much to tell.’ Millie shrugged from where she sat on her stool.

Emily noticed her stiffen a little. ‘Have you been going out long?’ she fished, sitting opposite her.

‘A few months,’ Millie replied vaguely.

Emily sipped her coffee and waited for her to offer more. ‘Is he someone from your school?’ she asked, when it became apparent