Chapter 44

'Warning - liable to mood swings' The mock sign my big sister made for me to hang around my neck at breakfast was maybe over the top but last night was a particularly clear indication that there were big differences between Venus and the Dai that I knew.

There was no doubt that life was more interesting these days but that is the Chinese curse; 'May you live in interesting times'. My image of Dai was as one of life's 'good guys'. Helpful, considerate and 'not a mean bone in his body' but who was Venus? Me? There seems to be a large slice of attention seeking hulk in my character that I'm not at all sure I like.

"I know you love me Sis but is it me or is it Dai you love? Are you just putting up with me for his sake?"

"There is only you Sweetie. OK, I didn't realise that you were a girl until recently but that made sense once I'd seen it. Other than that you are much the same as you've always been but with a bit more self confidence and willingness to stand up for yourself and those you love."

"But Dai wouldn't have laid into not one, but two doctors on different occasions. Dai wouldn't have been on the news and got arrested for assault. Dai wouldn't have been stood on a table last night leading a sing-song! And Dai definitely wouldn't have kissed Jean-Luc!!"

"Maybe the Dai you saw or tried to create in the mirror wouldn't have done those things but that wasn't who you are or who most people saw. In my work I often deal with actors and audience members so I'm used to actors getting confused between themselves and the character they play and there are audience members too who 'fall in love' with a character on screen only to be sorely disappointed that the actor who plays the part is very different. Do not by the way ever repeat that referring to Mum and Saint David Attenborough!"

"So you're saying I've been a wet Egyptian then… Living in denial!"

"You won't always be the Venus you've glimpsed recently so enjoy it while you can. Maybe one day you'll be a little old lady but my guess is that long before that I'll have strangled you!"

There were no opportunist bag snatchers on the coach ride back to Cardiff, nor journalists trailing me although I'm sure they would have been there if any knew what the doctors were proposing. We had a week until our flight to the Canary Islands then a day later we would set off across the Atlantic and before that Charles needed his answer.

Thursday and Friday I worked in the yard, no longer considered quite such a delicate flower, then Saturday Bill and I took advantage of a clear, day to give Molly a last sail of the season before hauling her out on Bill's trailer to store in his garden. It seemed a long time since we launched her but business had kept Bill from more than half a season's sailing - being super-rich seemed to mean being always on call for an 'Yea or nay' to someone's scheme even at 77 with a wedding due.

That evening Serena, Jenny and I had a girls only expedition to see Titanic - the boys were asked but refused agreeing only to meet us afterwards. Whether Titanic is really suitable viewing for someone about to sail across the Atlantic is a moot point but I did appreciate that moment on the bows when Kate Winslett says "I'm Flying." In the pub afterwards Evan and Andy teased us about our movie taste so we competed to write a list as quickly as possible of the first 5 movies:we thought of that we'd watch again- Out of Africa, Support Your Local Sheriff, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Woman got me no prize for being to slow and not including Dirty Dancing. Andy's winning entry I didn't think fair:- Rocky I, II, III, IV and V..

Sunday finishing details were completed on my bridesmaid's dress but my promise neither to lose nor gain weight on the Atlantic crossing seemed optimistic!. Mum and Grandma Tina were having kittens at the thought of Dad and Bill being away for a month - it would be by far the longest Mum and Dad had been separated and Grandma was hyper aware that life was short - several times it looked as though the whole thing would be called off.

Mum had wanted to take Monday off work to finalise packing but Dad knew she would drive us up the wall if she 'helped' and I think the two of us did alright - we would no doubt realise what we had forgotten in mid-Atlantic. We did have a car problem when Grandma refused to be left at home while we went to the airport but Serena stepped into the gap joining us so that she could drive Bill's car back home with Grandma after we'd been waved goodbye.

I was it turns out glad to have Serena there as a diversion for me when at Bristol airport the elderly and ancient couples got all sentimental! I did have to promise her I'd keep a diary on the voyage despite my protests that all it would say would be:- …Day 12, sailing; Day 13, sailing; …

Sitting in an economy seat next to Bill on the plane I wondered both what sort of people pay to travel first class and how many people would believe me if I told them a billionaire was sitting with them? That didn't stop me enjoying our taxi from the airport to Puerto de la Luz y Las Palmas though. It is a busy commercial port and marina on the NE corner of Gran Canaria and as it's about 15 miles north of the airport, by myself I'd have waited maybe hours for a bus to save money.

As it was, at 8 am, the three of us, pulling a luggage laden trolley, enjoyed the first real warmth we'd felt since Britain went autumnal 2 months before! Maybe we weren't so crazy after all…

"Auntie Venus! Auntie Venus!" I was tackled waist high by a human cannonball known as Daisy and had to be rescued by her mother Bonny and somewhat grown baby Callum of Daydreamer times in Bilbao.

Within 15 minutes we were all in the cockpit on board 'WorthIt II' the huge catamaran we'd come to join. Somehow once again I was pinned by the baby as Daisy practiced her hairdressing skills so I pulled out my phone and dialled international…

"Charles. It's Venus. I've decided… I want a baby!"