Players, Bumps and Cocktail Sausages by Natasha Preston Page A

“Yeah, she’s marking papers.”
    She was probably with Brett. Were they together now? In my house? I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my eyes. The image of her in his embrace burned into my memory, haunting me every time I closed my eyes.
    “Uncle Jasper?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Can you make me have bubble hair?”
    I got down on my knees in front of the bath and scooped a handful of bubbles to put on her head. “Sure I can.”
     
    Everleigh was the best. I hung out with her, watching old Disney movies and eating popcorn. I loved how I wasn’t required to talk about anything deep or painful. Her favourite topic was what’s Timon and Pumbaa going to do next.
    Cole and Oakley flitted around the house, occasionally joining us but after Oakley’s nightmare confession they’d had a lot to talk about. I preferred it being just me, and Everleigh anyway – she didn’t give me pitying looks.
    “Are you sure you want to go to Sarah’s tonight?” Cole asked.
    No.
    “Yeah.”
    “They’ll understand, you know.”
    “I know, but it’s Miles’ night. If Mum starts fussing, I’m out of there.”
    Miles had just landed a promotion that he’d been working towards for the last year. The old office manager finally retired, and he was sure he wouldn’t be picked, but he was, so we were celebrating.
    “Plus someone has to eat some of the cocktail sausages and stop Everleigh from devouring them all,” I added.
    The kid must have eaten about a thousand pigs all herself in her three years.
    “I’ll race you to eat them all up, Uncle Jasper!”
    “No, you won’t,” Oakley said quickly. “You’ll be sick.”
    Everleigh pouted and stomped towards the door where Cole was now holding her shoes up.
    “We can leave at any point if you want to.”
    “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”
    She watched me for a minute, trying to decide if I was fine or not. I wasn’t, but I returned her stare, trying to look like I didn’t just want to drown my sorrows away in the closest bottle I could find.
     
    Mum opened the door, and after being attacked in a big hug with Everleigh, she moved on to me.
    “Oh, sweetheart,” she murmured against my shoulder. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. Are you okay?”
    I pulled back and with every ounce of energy I could muster, I smiled.
    “Sure. Let’s not talk about it today though. This is about Miles. Where is he?”
    “Just finishing up his new recipe canapés.”
    Everleigh ran through to the kitchen shouting, “Grandad, did you make my cocktail sausages?”
    “Cool. I’m hungry.” I sidestepped Mum and headed to the kitchen to talk to Miles. He wouldn’t mention Abby, so I knew I was safe in his company.
    “Jasper,” Miles said, balancing Everleigh in his arm and putting what looked like sick on top of tiny little toast. “How’s it going?”
    I nodded. “Not bad.” He knew the truth, but unless you came to him he wouldn’t pry. I liked that about him. “You?”
    “Good. Want to be guinea pig and try these?” He nodded to his canapés.
    “Err, what’s on it?”
    “Spicy meatballs.”
    “Alright, not what I expected.”
    “Your mum loved it on pizza, so I thought I’d try something different to salmon.”
    At least if I got food poisoning it’d take my mind off my wife.
    “Sure, I’ll give it a go.”
    Just as I was about to eat one, I heard the door opening and Oakley saying something I couldn’t make out.
    “He doesn’t want to see you,” Mum said, and I knew it was Abby.
    “Please, Sarah.”
    Miles, Everleigh and I walked into the living room.
    “Let her in, Mum,” I said. “This should be interesting.”
    In the background, I heard Miles say he was taking Everleigh outside to play on the swing. I didn’t plan on causing a big scene, but she definitely didn’t need to be around this.
    “I’m sorry to interrupt your evening,” she said, stepping past Mum, who was shooting daggers at her with her eyes, “but you won’t answer my calls or