Five
Jenny stared at the contents of her wardrobe in despair. She had no idea what she was doing.
‘Mum?’ Chloe called, sticking her head into Jenny’s bedroom. ‘How do you make fairy floss?’
Jenny frowned, attention momentarily distracted as she turned to look at her daughter. ‘Fairy floss?’
‘Yeah. I’m babysitting Sophie tomorrow and I’ve decided we’re having a rainbow picnic.’
‘I don’t think it’s a simple thing to do without a machine.’ The thought of Chloe’s usual mess in the kitchen when she cooked something as simple as scrambled eggs—let alone something as fiddly and messy as fairy floss—had Jenny’s eye twitching more than a little bit.
Chloe gave a disappointed pout. ‘I thought that would be fun. She loved it at the show.’
‘I believe your sister also banned any of us from ever buying it for her again when she was still bouncing off the walls till close to midnight,’ Jenny reminded her pointedly.
‘Rules like that don’t apply to fun aunties,’ Chloe declared. ‘What are you doing?’ She tilted her head slightly as she took in her mothers’ bare feet and bath towel–wrapped body.
‘Trying to work out what to wear to this stupid date.’
‘Oh! Can I pick out something?’
‘I could use the help,’ Jenny said, stepping back and waving a hand towards the closet.
She watched as Chloe started pulling out clothes, holding them up against other items and silently considering before discarding each one.
‘I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you lately,’ Jenny said.
Her youngest was very different in temperament from her other two children—she’d sometimes gotten lost among the arguing and squabbling of her older siblings since they’d returned.
‘About what?’ Chloe asked.
‘Nothing really. Just what you’ve been up to. How you’re feeling about uni. Time seems to be flying. You’ll be heading off soon.’
‘Yeah. I can’t wait, to be honest.’
‘To leave?’ Jenny asked, feeling a little hurt by the remark.
‘Well, yeah. I mean, I’ll miss you and everything. And, as much as I love Soph, it’s been a little hectic with a toddler getting into everything over the last few months and Savannah has been a proper bit—’
‘Okay.’ Jenny quickly held a hand up, cutting her off. ‘I get it. I know it’s been a bit of an adjustment with everyone back home. I’m sorry we haven’t had as much time to talk the way we used to though. I feel like I haven’t even seen you in ages.’ Jenny sometimes missed the nights when there’d been just the two of them.
‘It’s all right. You’ve had a lot to do and work keeps me pretty busy. I need all the extra hours I can get before I leave.’
‘We’ll have to go to Hamwell for the day and get you some new clothes and bits and pieces for your room down there. Maybe let me know when you’ve got a day free and I can swap a shift with someone.’
‘Sure. I’d like that, Mum.’ Chloe smiled, and Jenny felt her heart squeeze painfully in response. Her last baby was growing up and moving away.
‘Don’t go getting all soppy,’ Chloe groaned, then smiled sheepishly. ‘You know you won’t be getting rid of me forever. Look at your other two kids. Chances are I’ll be back again at some point too.’
‘And if you are, that’s fine. Your home is always going to be your home, no matter how old you get or how far away you move.’
‘I know, Mum.’
Jenny did her best to swallow past the lump of emotion in her throat and wrapped an arm around her daughter, giving her a squeeze. ‘So what am I going to wear?’
‘I think when we go shopping in Hamwell, we need to update your wardrobe too,’ Chloe said, shaking her head dismally. ‘This is going to be a tougher job than I anticipated.’
Alan reminded her of an owl. A shy, very nervous, owl. He had a habit of blinking every few seconds, which made it difficult for Jenny to hold his gaze for any length of time while he spoke.
