Take Mum Out by Fiona Gibson Page A

all brilliantly,’ I tell Patsy. It’s true: in flogging pyjamas, she has somehow managed to sell the very essence of a perfect childhood. It’s all about walking in the woods, and coming home rosy-cheeked to feast on buttered crumpets at the fireside. In Dandelion world, no one wipes their arse on a Liz Earle cleansing cloth.
    ‘Honestly,’ she says, casting her beloved a fond glance, ‘I couldn’t have done it without Tom.’
    ‘And your house looked amazing in the magazine. I never realised …’
    ‘Oh, it’s a wreck really. It’s incredible what they can do in photos.’ Patsy emits sparkly laughter and I sense that vein again, throbbing urgently in my neck.
    ‘I’ve told you loads of times how nice it is,’ Fergus says.
    ‘… But she wasn’t listening,’ Logan quips, causing everyone to laugh. ‘Anyway, Jessie, are you looking forward to sleeping in the camper van?’ He knows full well that Patsy prefers people not to shorten Jessica’s name.
    ‘Yeah,’ she grins at him. ‘I’m getting the best bed.’
    ‘No you’re not,’ he teases, ‘I am.’ She squeals with laughter as Logan starts to chase her around the kitchen table, deftly grabbing a pink meringue from the plate as she hurtles by.
    ‘God, these are good, Alice,’ Tom says with a full mouth. ‘Nice and fruity, not too sweet …’
    ‘Oh, don’t let Jessica have that!’ Patsy blurts out, scuttling towards them.
    ‘But they’re yummy,’ her daughter exclaims.
    ‘Jessica, you’ve had one already …’
    ‘I haven’t!’ she roars, still gripping the meringue as Patsy swipes it from her grasp. I glance at Tom, who is expressing rapt interest in the view from the kitchen window as if he’s never been here before.
    ‘Mummy-I-want-a-meringue …’ Jessica’s face crumples.
    ‘I’m sorry, darling, but you can’t have it.’ Patsy gives me a firm smile. ‘It’s just, you know – the sugar.’
    ‘Oh, I thought just one might be okay …’
    ‘I’d rather not. She’s very young. It’s …’ She pulls a terse little smile. ‘Her teeth.’
    ‘Of course, yes.’ Sensing my cheeks burning, as if I’ve been caught offering her cocaine, I glance down at Jessica who is crying heartily now, despite Logan wrapping a conciliatory arm around her shoulders and Fergus trying to show her his translator.
    ‘We’ve got some banana bread in the car,’ Patsy offers, her face creased into a frown.
    ‘Don’t want banana bread …’
    ‘Darling.’ Patsy bobs down to Jessica’s level. ‘It’s your favourite, I made it specially for you yesterday—’
    ‘DON’T WANT BANANA BREAD!’ she shrieks, mouth crumpling, fresh tears springing from her eyes.
    ‘Jessica,’ her mother snaps, ‘stop this.’ She stands up and turns to me. ‘I’m so sorry, Alice. She doesn’t normally behave like this. She’s probably just tired after the drive …’
    ‘It’s fine,’ I say, placing the offending plate of meringues on a high shelf while Patsy whisks Jessica off to the loo.
    Tom clears his throat. ‘Patsy’s just a bit, y’know … careful about what Jessica eats.’
    ‘So I see.’
    ‘They
are
delicious, though,’ he adds with an apologetic smile. ‘So how’s your business going?’
    ‘Not bad. To be honest, I have as many orders as I can cope with while still having a life …’
    ‘And how is, um …
life
?’
    I shrug. ‘It’s fine, Tom.’
    ‘Seeing anyone just now?’ he asks lightly.
    With a small laugh, I reach for a rose-flavoured meringue from the plate. ‘When you say life, you mean love life, right?’
    He laughs awkwardly. ‘Just curious.’
    ‘Well, there’s nothing to report,’ I say firmly. ‘So anyway, d’you reckon you’ll get to Skye tomorrow?’
    ‘That’s the plan. I hope the boys have a good time. How d’you think they’ll be?’
    ‘You mean, trapped in a camper van for a week?’ I chuckle. ‘I’ve no idea, Tom. I think Fergus will enjoy it but Logan’s so hard to predict these