“Chocolate cake will be nicer, so I’ll eat it. I mightn’t eat a chicken wrap.” The bottom lip was emerging, a slight quiver visible.
“If you’re hungry because you’ve burned lots of calories, you’ll eat the wrap.”
“But chocolate cake…” She looked longingly at the slice she’d found in the fridge.
“Can wait until after dinner.”
He waited for the stamp of the foot, but it didn’t come. Instead, a single tear dropped from her eye and she gazed down at her feet.
Now Jonny laughed. There was no two ways about it: Sadie was either going to be a lawyer or an actress.
“Not funny, Daddy.”
“Crocodile tears are not going get a piece of chocolate cake in your lunch box. Now put it in the fridge else your brothers will be given it, then get your shoes on for school.”
She gave a little humph that would’ve rivalled Miss Piggy and went to seek her shoes, a mission that would take at least ten minutes as she’d left them under a chair in the orangery when she’d been having a mini-meltdown last night about how Charlie wouldn’t carry her school bag.
Jonny took out the wraps and started to make an extra, not questioning the routine as he’d been doing it for so long.
“Morning, Dad.” His eldest wasn’t yet dressed. Charlie was not a morning person, preferring to stay in bed until the last possible minute, while Sadie was the first up. Harry was somewhere in between, depending on how cold it was outside his duvet.
“Morning. How many chicken wraps do you want for lunch?” Standard question and one on the list of ‘what you didn’t imagine yourself saying when you were nineteen.’
“Four. Shall we take something in for Rayah? She does lunch duty on a Thursday and I know she doesn’t always get to eat.”
Jonny twisted his head. “Won’t it look a bit weird if you take lunch in for one of the teachers?”
Charlie shook his head. “Everyone knows she’s always here. How come she isn’t here this morning?”
Jonny was pretty sure that Charlie had figured out that he and Rayah were more than friends and knew they were fast approaching the point where he’d have to explain to the kids that Ray was here for him as much as them.
“She had dinner with Keren last night so she stayed at home.”
“She could’ve just come back here.”
Jonny nodded. “There is always a room for her. As long as your grandparents aren’t staying.”
“But then she could just share yours, couldn’t she?”
Busted.
“Don’t be coy, Charlie.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means ‘don’t be a smart-ass’ because you know exactly what you’re trying to ask.” He didn’t turn his head to look at him, knowing that Charlie would be scarlet right now.
“Is Rayah your girlfriend? I know you said she wasn’t, but she’s here loads and we spend loads of time with her even when you’re not working.”
“Yes. She is.” A load weighing more than the world lifted at his shoulders. “But it’s really new and we don’t know if it will last forever, which is why we haven’t told you.”
He saw Charlie nod out of the corner of his eye.
“Okay. I really like Rayah.”
He sounded sad. Jonny put the chicken down and wiped his hands on a tea towel, then turned to face him. “Me too. A lot. And I think we both hope it works out. But I don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t.”
Charlie’s smile was a million miles away. “Do we get in the way?”
