Pieces of My Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

they’re so insular and boring.’
    ‘Maybe it’s because they don’t work. When the girls were small I didn’t work and I was terrified of becoming boring. The kids do become your sole focus and it’s scary. You talk about your children all the time because they’re both your job and your personal life. That’s what drove me back to work!’
    ‘I don’t go out and bore people about my job or my personal life.’
    ‘I know, but I think sometimes it’s insecurity that does it – a lot of full-time mothers feel undervalued and unappreciated.’ I took a bite of my chocolate biscuit.
    ‘Bullshit. It’s smugness. They don’t like successful single women. They think we all want to shag their husbands.’
    ‘Because they’re insecure!’
    Sally threw her hands up in the air, knocking some files off the table. ‘About what ? I’d love to be married to a millionaire and swan around all day having facials and playing tennis.’
    ‘No, you wouldn’t, you’d be bored silly, and you don’t like children.’
    ‘Whoever said anything about children? I just want the man and the money.’ She chuckled.
    ‘Ninety-nine per cent of women are not married to millionaires, Sally. And stay-at-home mothers do not have an easy time of it. They spend all day cooking, cleaning, washing and dealing with tantrums and melt-downs. No one ever tells them they’re doing a good job. There are no promotions, no wage hikes, no union rules. I have to be honest, as jobs go I found it thankless drudgery.’
    ‘Fine, but why bore everyone to death about it when they go out?’
    ‘Because they’re trying to justify their existence.’
    ‘What about single women’s existence? How do we justify ours? Apart from work, we have a pretty thankless life, too – no one to share good or bad news with, no one to snuggle up with on rainy Monday nights when we’re feeling miserable, no one to rely on financially. If we lose our jobs or get sick, we’re screwed. And as for holidays, they’re a minefield. You either go on your own or with a single friend who may be fine to go out with on a Saturday night, but not to spend two weeks sharing a hotel room with. Or your third choice, which is to latch on to one of your siblings’ family holidays where you have to be “fun” Aunt Sally and end up looking after the kids while the parents just “pop out” and come back four hours later reeking of wine.’
    I sighed. There was no easy answer. ‘You’re right, that is awful. I just don’t think anyone has it easy. Please feel free to call over to me any Monday night. You can snuggle on the couch with me and Charlie. Paul’s always out, so we’d welcome the company.’ I fiddled with a paperclip.
    ‘So Paul hasn’t cut back on his hours, then?’ Sally asked.
    ‘If anything, he’s working more. But I’ve got Charlie so life is never dull.’
    ‘And how are the gorgeous girls?’
    ‘Are you sure you want to know about my kids?’
    ‘Come on, you know I love them. Toddlers I don’t do, but teenagers I can at least relate to. Let’s face it, I’m a teenager in an old woman’s body.’
    ‘Remind me again why you co-own a children’s-party-planning business?’ I laughed.
    ‘Because my wonderful partner deals with the children and their neurotic mothers while I deal with the money and the fathers.’
    ‘How come I get lumped with the kids and their psychotic mothers?’
    ‘Because you can handle them. I’d just be rude and that wouldn’t be good for business. So, how are the girls?’
    ‘Ali’s in amazing form – she’s totally in love. It’s still going strong with David.’
    ‘Good for Ali. Oh, to be seventeen again!’ Sally stood up to pour herself more coffee – she always drank at least four cups in the morning while I could only ever manage one.
    ‘I know. I’m a bit worried, though. It’s only been eight weeks and she’s completely besotted with him. You know Ali, she wears her heart on her sleeve. I just hope