around the room. ‘I might order some chips,’ she added.
Ava looked astonished. ‘Whatever happened to carb-free Cat?’
Cat laughed. ‘I’m hungry.’
Ava chuckled. ‘Well good for you, honey. I feel as if I’ve been on a diet since 1978.’ She looked down sadly at her fruit salad. ‘Hang it, get a bowl and I’ll share them with you.’
Twenty minutes later, the friends were staring at an empty bowl of chips. Ava grinned at Cat. ‘That felt good. So, tell me, how’s life with the rug rats?’
‘Honestly?’
Ava put her hand on her heart as if preparing for an awful truth. ‘I can take it.’
‘Unpredictable, noisy, infuriating, trying, cheeky, rude, funny with occasional moments of sweetness.’
‘Sounds pretty much like your client list.’
Cat laughed. ‘Yes, I suppose there are similarities except that I don’t get paid.’
‘That’ll be motherhood then.’
‘Except that I’m not their mother. Mothers want to be there. They choose to have children and they love them unconditionally.’
‘So don’t you love these little urchins then?’
It was a simple question and Cat realised that she hadn’t considered it until this moment. What did it mean to love someone? She loved her brother. That was easy. But did she love his children by default? Or maybe it was that thing that happens in families where you loved them but didn’t necessarily like them? That wasn’t right either. She didn’t dislike the children; they were just there. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I care for them and they’re my brother’s children so maybe it comes with the territory. You love your family, don’t you?’
Ava shrugged. ‘Couldn’t stand mine. That’s partly why I left New York and never went back.’
‘Never?’
‘I went back to see friends but never my folks.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Cat.
‘Don’t be,’ declared Ava. ‘I’m not.’
Cat thought about the kids for a moment. ‘Charlie can be a little shit. Did I tell you about him running off on that trip to London?’
Ava nodded. ‘Sounds as if he was putting you through your paces.’
‘Trying to give me a heart attack more likely,’ said Cat. ‘But there’s more going on than he lets on. I think there’s some unhappiness inside him. He lashes out from time to time and doesn’t really know how to deal with it. Whereas Ellie is very straightforward. She tells it like it is.’
‘A girl after my own heart.’ Ava smiled.
Cat nodded. ‘And mine. She told me that she didn’t like me but the other day she made me a daisy-chain bracelet. She’s quite funny too. I guess they’re both missing their mum.’
Ava regarded her friend for a moment. ‘Cat?’
‘Hmm?’
‘It sounds to me as if you’re getting into this new role and dare I say even enjoying it a little?’
Cat frowned. ‘Well you know me. I don’t do things by halves. I wouldn’t say I was enjoying it but you know I like a challenge. Anyway, it’s only a temporary thing, until Jesse sorts things out with the Americans. He’s meeting up with Donald Carter next week.’
Ava looked confused. ‘I don’t think so, honey.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I would know if Donald Carter was coming to town. We go way back.’
‘Oh well he probably meant that they have a conference call scheduled,’ said Cat quickly, knowing that this was unlikely.
‘Yeah, that’s probably it,’ said Ava, but the look on her face told Cat she didn’t believe it either. ‘Anyway, apart from taking vomiting children to Michelin-starred restaurants, what have you been up to?’ she asked, changing the subject.
Cat considered her weekend so far. She had woken early on Saturday as usual, got her digital hit as usual over a coffee at home and, knowing that she had no work commitments or indeed work to do, had decided to head into the West End for a spot of shopping. Usually, this would have been a rare treat for Cat – a chance to browse, select and purchase; to indulge in
Ava looked astonished. ‘Whatever happened to carb-free Cat?’
Cat laughed. ‘I’m hungry.’
Ava chuckled. ‘Well good for you, honey. I feel as if I’ve been on a diet since 1978.’ She looked down sadly at her fruit salad. ‘Hang it, get a bowl and I’ll share them with you.’
Twenty minutes later, the friends were staring at an empty bowl of chips. Ava grinned at Cat. ‘That felt good. So, tell me, how’s life with the rug rats?’
‘Honestly?’
Ava put her hand on her heart as if preparing for an awful truth. ‘I can take it.’
‘Unpredictable, noisy, infuriating, trying, cheeky, rude, funny with occasional moments of sweetness.’
‘Sounds pretty much like your client list.’
Cat laughed. ‘Yes, I suppose there are similarities except that I don’t get paid.’
‘That’ll be motherhood then.’
‘Except that I’m not their mother. Mothers want to be there. They choose to have children and they love them unconditionally.’
‘So don’t you love these little urchins then?’
It was a simple question and Cat realised that she hadn’t considered it until this moment. What did it mean to love someone? She loved her brother. That was easy. But did she love his children by default? Or maybe it was that thing that happens in families where you loved them but didn’t necessarily like them? That wasn’t right either. She didn’t dislike the children; they were just there. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I care for them and they’re my brother’s children so maybe it comes with the territory. You love your family, don’t you?’
Ava shrugged. ‘Couldn’t stand mine. That’s partly why I left New York and never went back.’
‘Never?’
‘I went back to see friends but never my folks.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Cat.
‘Don’t be,’ declared Ava. ‘I’m not.’
Cat thought about the kids for a moment. ‘Charlie can be a little shit. Did I tell you about him running off on that trip to London?’
Ava nodded. ‘Sounds as if he was putting you through your paces.’
‘Trying to give me a heart attack more likely,’ said Cat. ‘But there’s more going on than he lets on. I think there’s some unhappiness inside him. He lashes out from time to time and doesn’t really know how to deal with it. Whereas Ellie is very straightforward. She tells it like it is.’
‘A girl after my own heart.’ Ava smiled.
Cat nodded. ‘And mine. She told me that she didn’t like me but the other day she made me a daisy-chain bracelet. She’s quite funny too. I guess they’re both missing their mum.’
Ava regarded her friend for a moment. ‘Cat?’
‘Hmm?’
‘It sounds to me as if you’re getting into this new role and dare I say even enjoying it a little?’
Cat frowned. ‘Well you know me. I don’t do things by halves. I wouldn’t say I was enjoying it but you know I like a challenge. Anyway, it’s only a temporary thing, until Jesse sorts things out with the Americans. He’s meeting up with Donald Carter next week.’
Ava looked confused. ‘I don’t think so, honey.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I would know if Donald Carter was coming to town. We go way back.’
‘Oh well he probably meant that they have a conference call scheduled,’ said Cat quickly, knowing that this was unlikely.
‘Yeah, that’s probably it,’ said Ava, but the look on her face told Cat she didn’t believe it either. ‘Anyway, apart from taking vomiting children to Michelin-starred restaurants, what have you been up to?’ she asked, changing the subject.
Cat considered her weekend so far. She had woken early on Saturday as usual, got her digital hit as usual over a coffee at home and, knowing that she had no work commitments or indeed work to do, had decided to head into the West End for a spot of shopping. Usually, this would have been a rare treat for Cat – a chance to browse, select and purchase; to indulge in
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