‘Can we go now, Mum?’ Alice says. ‘I’m starving. What are we having for tea?’
‘Fish fingers.’
‘Yes!’ Jamie does a little victory dance at the thought of his favourite food, and the three of us head home.
On the way back, I can’t stop checking my phone to see if there are any texts or voicemails from Madeline. Every time I look, there’s nothing. The kids are chatty, and I feel bad for being so distant and distracted, fobbing them off with one-word answers as my mind scrolls through all the possible things I could have done to make Madeline and Kim act so coldly towards me. But I keep coming up empty. I love my sister-in-law and I really like Kim, so I would never knowingly do anything to upset either of them.
Perhaps I’m imagining the whole thing. Maybe Madeline was having an off day when she called me, and it came across as her being annoyed, when it was nothing of the sort. And maybe Kim was simply distracted just now. It’s a stressful time of year with Christmas around the corner. Everyone tends to act a little bit crazy. Could that be it?
Or maybeI’mthe one who’s stressed and paranoid. After all, as well as working full-time and preparing everything for Christmas, I’m also organising an anniversary party. I must be mad.
‘Mum, you’re not listening.’ Alice tugs at my hand.
‘Sorry, Alice, what were you saying?’ I resolve to give the children my full attention for the rest of the walk home.
Twenty minutes later, we reach the front door to our little cottage at the foot of the hill. For the first time, I notice that most of our neighbours have their decorations up. I haven’t even thought about decorations yet, or a tree. I’ll have to speak to Toby about us possibly picking one up this weekend. And I’d better get a move on with the gift shopping too. I resolve to make a list.
‘We’re home!’ I call out as I push open the front door. The children tumble inside and call out to their father, who comes into the hall to greet us, arms wide to receive the kids who barrel into him like little rugby players. I lean over them to give him a kiss. ‘You’re home early.’
‘I had a meeting at the town hall, but it finished sooner than I thought. Go put your feet up if you like – I can sort the kids out.’ This is why I love my husband. He’s always so thoughtful.
‘No, I’m fine. They’re hungry, I’ll start making tea.’
‘Mum, can I have something to eat?’ Alice follows us into the kitchen.
‘No, I’m just about to do the fish fingers.’
‘Just something small. Pleeease.’
‘You can each have a tangerine. Wash your hands first.’
The children wolf down their tangerines and then disappear up to their rooms to get changed.
I drop the tangerine peel into the bin and wash my hands. As I stand at the sink, Toby comes up and puts his arms around me, kissing my neck. I turn and kiss him back, properly. And run a hand down his cheek.
‘Hey!’ he jerks back. ‘Wet hands.’
‘Sorry.’ I grin.
‘No you’re not.’
I put both my hands on his face. ‘No, I’m not.’ I giggle.
He shakes his head, smiling at my childishness. I take a clean tea towel from the drawer and pass it to him.
‘Thanks.’ He wipes his wet cheeks and puts the tea towel on the counter. ‘How was your day?’
My good mood instantly evaporates when I remember what happened with Madeline. ‘It was… weird. How was Nick today?’ I turn on the grill and open the freezer door.
‘Nick? Fine. Why?’ Toby sits at the table, running his fingers absently over its scrubbed pine surface.
‘So he didn’t mention anything about their girls not coming over this weekend?’
‘What do you mean?’
I try not to get short-tempered with my husband. He’s obviously forgotten that Beth and Freya were supposed to be staying. ‘You remember, Nick and Madeline are going to London for her birthday.’
‘Oh, yes. That’sthisweekend?’
