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teenager – she should have moved on. Lisa couldn’t think that the DIY course would lead her to a new career. Besides, she didn’t want a new career. She liked her old one. She liked being a mum. She quickly added up how many years it would be before she was a granny. At least another ten. It was too long. Yet at the same time she wasn’t anywhere near ready to be a granny!
    Lisa was also still in pain over her split from Keith. It wasn’t that she still missed him. Hehadn’t been that great for quite a few years of her marriage. She’d more or less been on her own for about five years before he left. It just left her feeling too… What was the word? Open? Unprotected? Vulnerable?
    The truth was Lisa was nervous that the party had only got going when Mark arrived. She was enjoying having him around far too much. It couldn’t be a good thing, getting involved with a younger man. He wouldn’t stay forever. She didn’t know why he’d stayed this long. As usual when these thoughts flooded into Lisa’s head, she ignored them.
    ‘I’m too young for the menopause,’ said Lisa, hotly.
    ‘It happens to some people earlier than others,’ said Carol. Was she enjoying this?
    Lisa wanted to ask Carol if early menopause was a family trait. Had Carol been through it? But she was too embarrassed. Carol and Lisa had never, ever talked about anything like that. Between them they’d been through five pregnancies. In all that time they’d pretended to be like Barbie dolls (at least ‘down there’). Sadly, neither of them had Barbie-like pert boobs or tiny waists.
    As soon as Lisa put down the phone she went on the internet and did a search on‘menopause’. She didn’t like what she found. Maybe she was closer to being a granny than she’d thought! She was getting old before her time. It wasn’t fair!
    Then Lisa called Gill. Lisa knew that Gill was the perfect person to call. Their friendship had really developed in just a few weeks. Lisa could pick up the phone and talk about hot flushes with Gill and be honest.
    ‘What makes you think you’re menopausal?’ asked Gill.
    ‘I went on the web. I looked up the symptoms. I have about thirty of the possible thirty-five!’ Lisa wanted to cry. She didn’t want to get old. Who does?
    ‘Read the list to me,’ said Gill.
    ‘Hot flushes, trouble sleeping and night sweats,’ said Lisa.
    ‘That’s probably just because the totally fab Mark stays over at your place more often than not. You’ve forgotten that it’s sweaty sleeping with someone else in the bed,’ said Gill.
    ‘You paint such a romantic picture,’ said Lisa. She read more from her list. ‘Irregular heartbeat.’
    ‘I’d put that down to Mark too. His smile makes my heart flutter,’ said Gill.
    ‘Mood swings, sudden tears,’ said Lisa.
    ‘Is that a warning?’ asked Gill.
    ‘Irritability,’ Lisa said with some anger. Why couldn’t Gill take this seriously?
    Lisa skipped over the next two symptoms. One was loss of sex drive. She didn’t have a problem there. The other had to do with what her mum called her ‘front bottom’. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words over the phone. Face to face and a glass of wine in hand maybe, but not now.
    Lisa read on. ‘Tiredness, anxiety, feelings of dread, difficulty in concentrating, memory lapses.’
    ‘Lisa, maybe this isn’t the menopause, maybe this is your personality,’ said Gill.
    She was trying to be helpful.
    Gill was not going to be serious. She often laughed when Lisa had a moan. It was one of the things Lisa liked about her. Lisa decided to shut up. She didn’t tell Gill about her sore boobs or mucked-up cycle. The mucked-up cycle had been going on for a couple of months now. Lisa hadn’t wanted to face the fact. What was the point in talking about it? It was the menopause. Cold hard fact. Lisa would pop to Boots and see if there were any vitamins that would help.
    ‘How are things with you?’ Lisa asked to be polite.
    ‘Your