besotted mothers. Rick raised his
eyebrows at her and she patted his hand. Forget the bad stuff, Ella, just for a
little while. This was an important first in their lives.
She relaxed too soon, however. Ella’s happiness fizzled away
when Soraya, pizza eaten, started to wander round the restaurant, only giggling
when Rick called her back. The waiter saved the situation by allowing her to
help him lay tables, and then brought her a tub of ice cream when Ella and Rick
had finished their own meal. Rick’s mouth was tense.
‘It’s okay,’ said Ella, putting her hand on his sleeve.
‘Nobody’s upset. Good choice of restaurant.’
‘Rewarding disobedience isn’t the best way to deal with it,’
he said. ‘Let’s get the bill and go.’
Ella opened her mouth to tell him not to be so stuffy, then
closed it again. A busy restaurant wasn’t the best place to discuss parenting –
but wasn’t it brilliant that they had parenting issues to discuss? Not to
mention job issues… Ah well. The glitter was gone, but it had been a lovely
evening and it wasn’t over yet.
‘I want to go to the swings,’ said Soraya, standing up.
They’d passed a swing park on the way to the restaurant, and
Ella put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, thinking wryly that they should agree
to requests that didn’t cost anything. It would be iPads and the like soon
enough.
‘Sit right there until we’ve paid the bill, and then we’ll
stop at the swings for fifteen minutes,’ she said.
Soraya squinted at her, then sat down and started to colour
her place mat again, an angelic expression on her face.
‘She’ll test us, but we have to be prepared for that,’ said
Ella later, as they stood watching Soraya on the climbing frame.
Rick shuffled his feet. ‘You’re better with her. I just get
mad.’
‘Remember what Liz said last night? Don’t take disobedience
as a personal insult. She’s looking for stability, and we can give her that.’
He shrugged, and Ella bit her lip. Having a child was a huge
change in anyone’s life. They had to talk about it. This non-communication on
Rick’s part was baffling.
‘Look at me!’ Soraya was at the top of the frame now,
standing on a platform, arms stretched to the heavens.
‘Hold on!’ Rick’s call echoed Ella’s, and she pulled a face
at him. Parenting wasn’t so easy. They couldn’t protect Soraya
twenty-four-seven – what a scary thought. Ella stood grappling with the thought
that she’d never have true peace of mind unless her girl was beside her on the
sofa reading a book.
‘Let’s go on the roundabout to finish up!’ she called, and
Soraya clambered down.
Even the roundabout was tricky. Rick had the job of pushing
it, and Ella clung to the iron bars while the world circled and her brain went
into shock. How many years was it since she’d done this? But maybe she’d get
used to it…
‘Faster!’ shrieked Soraya, and Rick complied.
‘Whoa! Time to go, you’re too good at this,’ said Ella,
jumping off.
Soraya wanted another go, and Ella watched the joy on her
new daughter’s face as Rick pushed her round. On the way back to the car Soraya
took a hand of each of them, and Ella hugged the sensation to her heart. This
was real. She was a mother.
On the way back to Redruth they all chatted about next
Saturday’s visit to the beach, and Ella was allowed to hug Soraya goodbye. And
roll on the day when she didn’t have to return her child for another woman to
put to bed.
‘We’re going to be permanently exhausted until we all settle
down together,’ she said as they approached St Ives. Last night’s wine and late
bedtime had taken their toll; all she wanted to do was sleep.
Rick’s reply was like a knife in her back. ‘You will, maybe.
My work does a pretty good job of exhausting me. I shouldn’t think I’ll notice
the difference.’
He pulled up in the driveway, and tonight Ella wasn’t
surprised when he went straight to the shed.
Chapter
eyebrows at her and she patted his hand. Forget the bad stuff, Ella, just for a
little while. This was an important first in their lives.
She relaxed too soon, however. Ella’s happiness fizzled away
when Soraya, pizza eaten, started to wander round the restaurant, only giggling
when Rick called her back. The waiter saved the situation by allowing her to
help him lay tables, and then brought her a tub of ice cream when Ella and Rick
had finished their own meal. Rick’s mouth was tense.
‘It’s okay,’ said Ella, putting her hand on his sleeve.
‘Nobody’s upset. Good choice of restaurant.’
‘Rewarding disobedience isn’t the best way to deal with it,’
he said. ‘Let’s get the bill and go.’
Ella opened her mouth to tell him not to be so stuffy, then
closed it again. A busy restaurant wasn’t the best place to discuss parenting –
but wasn’t it brilliant that they had parenting issues to discuss? Not to
mention job issues… Ah well. The glitter was gone, but it had been a lovely
evening and it wasn’t over yet.
‘I want to go to the swings,’ said Soraya, standing up.
They’d passed a swing park on the way to the restaurant, and
Ella put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, thinking wryly that they should agree
to requests that didn’t cost anything. It would be iPads and the like soon
enough.
‘Sit right there until we’ve paid the bill, and then we’ll
stop at the swings for fifteen minutes,’ she said.
Soraya squinted at her, then sat down and started to colour
her place mat again, an angelic expression on her face.
‘She’ll test us, but we have to be prepared for that,’ said
Ella later, as they stood watching Soraya on the climbing frame.
Rick shuffled his feet. ‘You’re better with her. I just get
mad.’
‘Remember what Liz said last night? Don’t take disobedience
as a personal insult. She’s looking for stability, and we can give her that.’
He shrugged, and Ella bit her lip. Having a child was a huge
change in anyone’s life. They had to talk about it. This non-communication on
Rick’s part was baffling.
‘Look at me!’ Soraya was at the top of the frame now,
standing on a platform, arms stretched to the heavens.
‘Hold on!’ Rick’s call echoed Ella’s, and she pulled a face
at him. Parenting wasn’t so easy. They couldn’t protect Soraya
twenty-four-seven – what a scary thought. Ella stood grappling with the thought
that she’d never have true peace of mind unless her girl was beside her on the
sofa reading a book.
‘Let’s go on the roundabout to finish up!’ she called, and
Soraya clambered down.
Even the roundabout was tricky. Rick had the job of pushing
it, and Ella clung to the iron bars while the world circled and her brain went
into shock. How many years was it since she’d done this? But maybe she’d get
used to it…
‘Faster!’ shrieked Soraya, and Rick complied.
‘Whoa! Time to go, you’re too good at this,’ said Ella,
jumping off.
Soraya wanted another go, and Ella watched the joy on her
new daughter’s face as Rick pushed her round. On the way back to the car Soraya
took a hand of each of them, and Ella hugged the sensation to her heart. This
was real. She was a mother.
On the way back to Redruth they all chatted about next
Saturday’s visit to the beach, and Ella was allowed to hug Soraya goodbye. And
roll on the day when she didn’t have to return her child for another woman to
put to bed.
‘We’re going to be permanently exhausted until we all settle
down together,’ she said as they approached St Ives. Last night’s wine and late
bedtime had taken their toll; all she wanted to do was sleep.
Rick’s reply was like a knife in her back. ‘You will, maybe.
My work does a pretty good job of exhausting me. I shouldn’t think I’ll notice
the difference.’
He pulled up in the driveway, and tonight Ella wasn’t
surprised when he went straight to the shed.
Chapter
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