Chapter 13

March the 18th was John's 36th birthday and April the 7th was their First Wedding Anniversary, so Jo wanted to do something really special for her husband! Last year they had been so busy with preparing for their wedding, and she in particular with her sister's pregnancy, that poor John's birthday had tended to get overlooked. In fact, if it wasn't for a phone call from his mother, she might have forgotten it completely! She wasn't entirely to blame, she felt: the previous year she hadn't even met him in March, he had never mentioned when his birthday was, and neither had his parents mentioned it during any of their visits to Scotland!

But it was hard knowing exactly how to celebrate the double occasion: John always seemed to know exactly how to celebrate her anniversaries; but as yet she was completely clueless. She knew that it wasn't about buying him something: it must be some kind of gesture that he would hopefully appreciate. The college Easter vacation would be coming up soon, but then after that she would be taking her exams; which one way or another were so important to her future plans.

Jo did have one idea: rather than driving all the way to Scotland for Easter, why shouldn't she invite Callum and Barbara to stay with them instead. It could be a surprise: she could make an excuse why she didn't want to go there; she had more than enough money to pay for their flights, and she could collect them from Norwich Airport! So the first chance that she got when John was out of the house, she rang them to get their reaction. Her in-laws thought that it was a good idea, they rarely went anywhere and they had yet to see their son's house. Jo said that all they had to do was tell her when they wanted to come: either a Wednesday when she wasn't at college, or a weekend. In fact, she said, upon reflection mid-week was probably better, because she knew that John had been intending to go to Cambridge to see his old tutor and she was sure that she could persuade him to go on a particular day. So they arranged a provisional date and Jo started her secret planning. The flights were booked, then all Jo had to do was to construct her web of deceit!

The best-fit flight that Jo could find, was one that landed at Norwich Airport at 17:10. Jo estimated that if she collected John's parents from the airport, she wouldn't be home much before seven o'clock. This was the weakness in her plan: how could she try to ensure that John wouldn't return home before then!

" ... Have you arranged to go and see Peter Harris yet, Love?" she said to him one day. You know it's been, what, eight months, since you got that letter from him!"

"I know," he replied, "I keep meaning to, but other things keep distracting me!"

"So there should be nothing to distract you now! Why don't you go on a Wednesday when I'm not at college. You can go there in the afternoon after he finishes teaching, then go out for dinner somewhere and have a long chat!"

Jo took out her diary and studied it carefully ... even though it was only for her husband's benefit.

" ... It's our wedding anniversary on the 7th, that's a Thursday ... why don't you see if you can go the day before that?"

"Okay!" John said, "I'll go and ring him now, to see if we can arrange something!" Jo waited nervously for him to return.

" ... Peter said the 6th is good for him, too! And I'm invited to dine at the college that evening. Those dinners can go on for quite a while, Love, I might be home quite late!"

"Well, if it gets too late, you can stay over somewhere ... just don't make a habit of it!" she said, trying not to smile.

On the morning of the 6th, Jo ensured that they had one of their 'special' lie-ins! By the time that she finally let him out of bed it was almost lunch time. While John was showering and dressing, ready to go out, Jo went down to see to Finn and to make herself and John a light brunch. After they had eaten, she took him to the train station, then headed for the airport. Callum and Barbara's flight was on time, and they were back on the road before 5:30. Jo explained what she'd had to do to ensure that John was out; and that because of this he might not be home that night.

Back at the house Callum and Barbara were shown their room, after they had made a big fuss of Finn. Jo wasn't nearly as good a cook as her mother-in-law, but she was still able to make them a creditable supper. At ten o'clock John rang to say that Peter and his wife had invited him to stay the night, but that he would be home as soon as he could in the morning. As John wasn't coming home, his parents retired for the night, although Jo stayed up a little longer: it had been over a year and a half since she'd last slept alone, and she wasn't looking forward to it!

As she knew that John's parents were early risers, Jo had set her alarm for six a.m. It went off, then she lay there until she heard activity, at which time she got up and quickly dressed, before going down to the kitchen.

"I hope we didn't wake you, Dear!" Barbara said, "We tried to lie in for as long as we could!"

"No, you didn't wake me!" Jo answered truthfully, "John usually gets up before me most mornings, but it wasn't the same without him there!"

"I know, Dear! I don't think Callum and I have been apart at night since just after John was born!"

They all sat around talking until Finn's sudden excitement alerted them that John was probably about to come through the front door.

"Hello!" he said when he saw his parents, "When did you get here!"

"Hello, Son!" his father replied, "Your wife arranged it ... she wanted to surprise you!"

"Well you certainly did that!" he exclaimed, before greeting his mother and father properly, then kissing Jo.

"Happy Anniversary, Love!" she said.

"Yes, Happy Anniversary, Darling!"

"Shall we eat out tonight, Love?" Jo asked her husband, "I'm sure that I can afford to miss one evening class!"

"But it will be a shame to spoil your 100% attendance!" John replied, "We can always go out tomorrow night, or wait until the weekend!"