Baked beans!” He pulled a face. “Don’t fancy them for breakfast. I’d better go up the road and get something. That little shop still there on the corner?”
I said, “Yes, but shall I go?”
“No, no, you stay here,” said Cal. “I’m already up and dressed.” He started for the door, then stopped and looked at me. “Is there a problem?”
My face must have given me away.
“You will come back?” I quavered.
“Oh, baby, of course I will! Trust me.” He tilted my chin with the tip of a finger. “You do trust me, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“Well, then! Go and get the others up and I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Hope he doesn’t bump into Her Upstairs,” said Tizz, when I told her that Cal was out buying stuff for breakfast. “Would have been better,” she said, “if you’d gone.”
“I did offer,” I said.
“Her Upstairs is enough to put anyone off. He might decide not to come back.” Tizz’s lower lip trembled slightly. “You should have gone with him!”
I knew she wasn’t really accusing me. She was just frightened that Cal would disappear, like Mum, and we’d be on our own again.
“Let’s go and lay the table,” I said, “and make it all nice.”
In one of the kitchen drawers we found a tablecloth we’d completely forgotten about, and some old paper napkins that had been there forever. We set them out on the table, with knives and spoons, and plates and bowls and mugs.
“That looks really good,” said Tizz.
“Now we just need to clean the kitchen up,” I said.
I used the dustpan and brush for the floor, while Tizz scrubbed at the sink till it was bright and sparkling. It had never occurred to us to do any housework-type stuff and I’d suddenly become aware that the whole place was a bit disgusting. Plus it stopped us thinking too much about what would happen if Cal didn’t come back. I was sure he would; but suppose he didn’t?
Oh, but he did! Tizz and I went catapulting into the hall to greet him.
“What’s all this?” he said. “I’ve only been gone twenty minutes!”
“Has he bringed food?” Sammy had already taken her seat at the table. She seemed to have accepted that Cal was now in charge and would provide us with all our needs. I told her not to be so rude and greedy, but Cal just laughed.
“She certainly has her priorities right. Here you go! Unpack this lot.”
“Eggs!” Sammy squeaked, excitedly. “We can have bald eggs!”
“Boiled,” I said.
“Bald,” said Sammy. “And fingers!”
It was the first proper breakfast we’d had since I couldn’t hardly remember. Boiled eggs, toast and butter, toast and marmalade, cereal, milk… Tizz said it was like a banquet.
After we’d finished, Cal said we had to talk. He sent Sammy off to watch television, while him and me and Tizz sat round the table to sort out, as Cal said, what we were going to do. I didn’t see why we had to do anything.
“Can’t we just stay here?” I said. “Wait till Mum gets back?”
Gravely, Cal shook his head. He said, “I’m afraid that’s not really an option.”
“Why not?” Tizz sat up, very straight and aggressive. “So long as you stay here with us!”
“You know I can’t do that,” said Cal. He said it very gently, like he really regretted it, but I just had this feeling there wasn’t going to be anything we could do to persuade him.
Tizz’s face had gone all puckered. “Why can’t you stay with us?”
“Cos I’m not your dad. Not even your adopted one.”
“What does that matter?”
“It matters,” said Cal.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” said Tizz. She was blinking, rather furiously. Cal stretched out a hand and squeezed one of hers.
“Listen, baby, I’m not going to desert you! But we need to find somewhere safe for you. Just till your mum gets back.”
That was when alarm bells started ringing. “We’re not going into care,” I said. “Cal, please! Please! You can’t do that to us!”
“Sooner run
I said, “Yes, but shall I go?”
“No, no, you stay here,” said Cal. “I’m already up and dressed.” He started for the door, then stopped and looked at me. “Is there a problem?”
My face must have given me away.
“You will come back?” I quavered.
“Oh, baby, of course I will! Trust me.” He tilted my chin with the tip of a finger. “You do trust me, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“Well, then! Go and get the others up and I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Hope he doesn’t bump into Her Upstairs,” said Tizz, when I told her that Cal was out buying stuff for breakfast. “Would have been better,” she said, “if you’d gone.”
“I did offer,” I said.
“Her Upstairs is enough to put anyone off. He might decide not to come back.” Tizz’s lower lip trembled slightly. “You should have gone with him!”
I knew she wasn’t really accusing me. She was just frightened that Cal would disappear, like Mum, and we’d be on our own again.
“Let’s go and lay the table,” I said, “and make it all nice.”
In one of the kitchen drawers we found a tablecloth we’d completely forgotten about, and some old paper napkins that had been there forever. We set them out on the table, with knives and spoons, and plates and bowls and mugs.
“That looks really good,” said Tizz.
“Now we just need to clean the kitchen up,” I said.
I used the dustpan and brush for the floor, while Tizz scrubbed at the sink till it was bright and sparkling. It had never occurred to us to do any housework-type stuff and I’d suddenly become aware that the whole place was a bit disgusting. Plus it stopped us thinking too much about what would happen if Cal didn’t come back. I was sure he would; but suppose he didn’t?
Oh, but he did! Tizz and I went catapulting into the hall to greet him.
“What’s all this?” he said. “I’ve only been gone twenty minutes!”
“Has he bringed food?” Sammy had already taken her seat at the table. She seemed to have accepted that Cal was now in charge and would provide us with all our needs. I told her not to be so rude and greedy, but Cal just laughed.
“She certainly has her priorities right. Here you go! Unpack this lot.”
“Eggs!” Sammy squeaked, excitedly. “We can have bald eggs!”
“Boiled,” I said.
“Bald,” said Sammy. “And fingers!”
It was the first proper breakfast we’d had since I couldn’t hardly remember. Boiled eggs, toast and butter, toast and marmalade, cereal, milk… Tizz said it was like a banquet.
After we’d finished, Cal said we had to talk. He sent Sammy off to watch television, while him and me and Tizz sat round the table to sort out, as Cal said, what we were going to do. I didn’t see why we had to do anything.
“Can’t we just stay here?” I said. “Wait till Mum gets back?”
Gravely, Cal shook his head. He said, “I’m afraid that’s not really an option.”
“Why not?” Tizz sat up, very straight and aggressive. “So long as you stay here with us!”
“You know I can’t do that,” said Cal. He said it very gently, like he really regretted it, but I just had this feeling there wasn’t going to be anything we could do to persuade him.
Tizz’s face had gone all puckered. “Why can’t you stay with us?”
“Cos I’m not your dad. Not even your adopted one.”
“What does that matter?”
“It matters,” said Cal.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” said Tizz. She was blinking, rather furiously. Cal stretched out a hand and squeezed one of hers.
“Listen, baby, I’m not going to desert you! But we need to find somewhere safe for you. Just till your mum gets back.”
That was when alarm bells started ringing. “We’re not going into care,” I said. “Cal, please! Please! You can’t do that to us!”
“Sooner run
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