Joan and I walk through the brightly lit up shopping mall with Paisley in the pushchair that she insisted on Joan pushing, we’ve been here all morning and we’re nowhere near ready to leave just yet. She’s leaving later today with Garry and with Cheryl working until tonight I was thinking that it would be nice to get to know Joan on my own while Garry’s at mine having a rematch on the Xbox with Adam.
“Do you want anything from in here?” Joan asks looking towards a shop illuminated by pink lights. Despite being in a relationship with the Cheryl Cole who has a closet full of designer clothes I still love the high street shops. With Paisley growing so fast she outgrows clothes and shoes like its nothing so can never go wrong with a few cheap bits and pieces.
“Yeah, if that’s okay”
“Of course pet”
We go into the store and the heat from all the busy bodies’ immediately hits us. It’s unbelievably busy, with it being the summer I’m guessing everyone here is doing just as I am, getting their last minute essentials for their holidays. We have to get up at around 1am to catch our flight in the early hours of the morning so I desperately need to find what I need. We push past the hectic chaos of people shopping until we get to the racks of hats and accessories, perfect for the southern California sun. Paisleys desperately trying to unbuckle the straps to get out the pushchair as her eyes light up looking at the colourful items lined up on the racks.
“Get out, mummy?”
“No babe, I’ll just be a second” I search the racks quickly for a suitable sun hat and I hear Joan trying to calm her down as she gets more and more frustrated. She’s getting whiney now after being well behaved most the day. She’s due for a nap but she’s putting up a fight and she’s starting to get difficult. “Paisley” I turn around to give her the look I call the ‘mum look’, every mum has ‘the look’ She turns her head away from my stare and fiddles again with the buckle.
“She’s not giving up is she?” Joan laughs and I sigh.
“She isn’t”
“Mummy!” She whines again and I give in just like I always do. I free her from the pushchair and she quickly gets out, I grab her hand not giving her the chance to run and I turn to Joan who is happily looking at a rack of clothes opposite us.
“You hold mummy’s hand okay? You can’t run in here it’s too busy”
“But look!” She points to the shoe section and I pull her out of the way of a buy shopper storming past us with their hand pressed flat against their forehead.
“Do you want to get lost?”
“No” She huffs dropping her free hand to her side.
“What do you think mummy should get for holiday?” I ask her trying to keep her occupied. She points upwards and I pick her up so she can reach what she sees. She grabs a pair of thick rimmed sunglasses and she shows them to me. “You think mummy should get these?” She shakes her head and she pushes them on her face.
“Paisley get them” I laugh at her as she pouts her lips doing her favourite ‘duck face’ in the mirror in front of us. “I’m Cheryl” She tells me seriously making me laugh even more. “Show Cheryl”
“You want to show Cheryl?”
“Take a picture” I laugh again and do just as she asks sending to Cheryl who is probably busy right now dancing her butt off at rehearsals.
“Let’s put them back now” I go to take them off her face but she quickly turns her head so I can’t get them.
“Mine!”
