‘I do, it’s so pretty. Noelle is obviously very talented.’
‘Oh, it wasn’t Mamie.’ Lily had undone the apron and was getting the strings in a muddle as she tried to retie it, and Ella was closer than Max to help. ‘It was our other granny, our mummy’s mummy. She and Grandpa live near the sea, and they’re taking us away in the holidays.’
‘How brilliant, I bet you’ll have a fabulous time. I love being by the sea.’ Ella felt a pang for her flat, and the beach where she normally went to swim whatever the weather.
Lily was still chattering on. ‘We’re going to see them after Christmas and they’re taking Arlo and me to stay in a lodge.’
Ella was thinking longingly of her own family scattering for Christmas. Her brother Jamie and his husband were both busy with their careers and the dog shelter they volunteered with. And this time, according to Ella’s mum, they were both heading up to the Highlands to be with Nick’s parents instead of joining hers in Aberdeen. Ella concealed a sigh; she couldn’t blame them for wanting to share their time between their two families. She wondered if her mum would bother making her Christmas puddings this year.
‘Can I show you my advent calendar, Ella?’ Lily never seemed to stop talking and Ella liked it; it kept the silence humming between her and Max at bay. ‘I’ve put kindness in mine, one for every day until Christmas Eve. Daddy said I could start early as we’ve already put our decorations up.’
‘Kindness? How do you do that? Don’t you usually have chocolate in advent calendars?’
‘Yes, we’ve got chocolate calendars as well but Daddy’s letting us use Mummy’s old advent calendar, from when she was little like us, and I’ve filled it with kindness. I write one for every day.’ Lily was pointing to a beautiful wooden box on the dresser, each tiny drawer decorated with Christmas scenes in differing colours.
‘That’s a wonderful idea, Lily.’ Ella was trying to picture what Christmas might look like for these two little ones, a first spent in Cumbria and far from their old life, the one they’d lived with their mum. ‘So what things have you put in the calendar?’
‘We made crispy cakes for my teacher last week. And Daddy said at least one kindness should be Arlo and me not arguing for a whole day. He said that would be kind to him, so I’m saving it for later.’
‘Wow, a whole day.’ Ella caught the flash of Max’s smile. ‘I could have done with a kindness like that when my brother and I were little.’ She and Jamie hadn’t fallen out that often but when they had it had been spectacular, with physical fights along with the verbal ones. Then they would make up just as quickly, their argument forgotten.
‘And I think another kindness should be Daddy not shouting at Prim for a whole day. What do you think, Ella?’
Her gasp of laughter had already escaped, and she gave Max a guilty look. ‘I think the right response to that question, Lily, is to dodge it and say it’s nothing to do with me. We should make the tomato sauce now; I don’t want to keep you up late.’
‘Can you chop really quickly, like proper chefs do?’
‘Of course I can.’ Ella slid garlic cloves onto a wooden board as Arlo made his way over from the sofa, interested now that something more exciting than kneading dough was taking place. ‘Want to see?’
She was laughing seconds later when the garlic was in shreds and the children were staring open-mouthed.
‘That’s amazing,’ Lily breathed, turning to Max. ‘Daddy, I want Ella to teach me—’
‘Forget it,’ he said quickly. ‘If you were going to say what I think you were, then if we take out the fact that you using a sharp knife is probably illegal at your age, not to mention highly dangerous, then there are half a dozen other good reasons why it’s a very bad idea. Ella will not be teaching you how to chop like she does.’
Lily’s pout implied she didn’t agree with him. ‘Let’s get the pan warmed up,’ Ella suggested. ‘Then when the sauce is simmering, we’ll finish off the dough.’
She turned the hob on and added olive oil, then the garlic to the pan, shaking it gently. ‘See how the garlic is beginning to colour? That’s when we add the basil and tomatoes.’
‘What’s basil?’ Arlo looked confused. ‘My friend at school has a cat called Basil.’
‘It’s this green herb.’ Ella picked up a bunch of leaves to show them. ‘Doesn’t it smell great? I grow it at home on my windowsill in the summer.’
Lily was nodding but Arlo wasn’t convinced. ‘We tear it up and add it with the tomatoes. You can do that if you like? Then we add seasoning, which is just salt and pepper. When it’s about to boil and bubble we sieve it to get the lumpy bits out and simmer it for a few more minutes in the pan. That helps to make a better flavour.’
‘Then can we eat it?’ Arlo looked hopeful and Ella had to smile at his cute and curious little face.
‘Nearly, Arlo. Very nearly.’
Once the pizzas were assembled and in the oven, Max got Arlo to help him set the table and Ella realised they’d put out four places.
‘You joining us?’ There was a slightly forced note in Max’s voice as he carried the pizzas across.
Ella was pretty sure he’d rather she didn’t but felt obliged to invite her, given the state of the kitchen in the flat and that she’d cooked their dinner. She’d prefer to leave them to it, especially after that moment between her and Max earlier. But she was hungry, and it would be nice to see the children enjoying the meal they’d made together.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Seems only fair.’ He was at the fridge and the decision was made as he passed her another beer.
