couple of weeks. Wiggle time is still a big hit. Any trouble with going
to the toilet or getting her to eat?”
“I
eated it all, Mum.”
He’d
bear hugged Cameron when he discovered Mia was completely toilet trained. Accidents
he could cope with, but no nappy changing, that was a bonus.
“Mia
was no trouble at all. Is there anything you need different for next week?”
Audrey
reached for her bag and pulled out her phone. She consulted the screen. “I have
a late meeting Wednesday, could you cover an additional hour, till seven instead
of six?”
“No
problem. Do you feel comfortable with me giving Mia her bath and getting her
ready for bed?”
“Read
me a story in Mum’s bed. But no monsters, only wibble wobble, trundling, and
fairies.”
Audrey
frowned and he braced for an objection. If it came it would be a problem, it
meant he hadn’t won her trust and she wasn’t going to be comfortable leaving
him with Mia overnight. Then she kicked off her killer heels.
“Sorry,
my feet are wrecking me and it’s been a shocker of a week at work.” She was so
much more Ms Bates in her fitted dark suit, she made him twitchy and anxious
but shoeless, she was more the Audrey he could relate to again.
“I
had big problem with a major project. I managed to make my boss’s boss notice
me, not a good thing, and I had my first serious disagreement with the other
female manager on the team. I’m exhausted. I hope the tumbling fairy here is as
well. Can I think about bath time and let you know?”
“Sure.
There’s leftover spaghetti sauce in the fridge. There’s a baguette and dessert.
Not jelly.”
Audrey
opened the fridge. “Really.” She pulled out the bottle of wine and gave him a
smile that not only wiped the layers of tiredness from her face, it made him
feel like doing the propeller dance. “You’re a hero.”
He
stepped sideways to let her move around him and get a glass and there might’ve
been a bounce in his step. He was inordinately pleased about making Audrey happy.
The week had gone without a hitch if you discounted playgroup where he’d felt
like a which of these doesn’t fit puzzle; a vegetable amongst pictures of
fruit, and pleasing his employer was a good way to keep his job.
“You
know you don’t have to provide for me.” Audrey pulled the covered bowl of meat
sauce out of the fridge. “But this is heaven. Thank you, that was very
thoughtful. Can I pour you a drink?”
“Can
I hab a drink?” said Mia.
“Have,”
he said. “Please.” Shit , it was reflect. Had he overstepped? He flicked
a glance at Audrey.
“Can
I have a drink, prese.”
Audrey
smiled at him and put a glass of milk in front of Mia.
He
answered her earlier question. “I won’t, thanks.”
He
put a magnetic dress up doll and its wardrobe of outfits in front of Mia,
taking a seat beside her. He was taking Sky out for dinner at the new Mongolian
BBQ place, but he had time and he wanted this, to learn about the mother like
he’d learned about the daughter.
“Will
you be able to fix your problem at work?”
Audrey
sat opposite Mia at the table with her wine glass. They both watched while Mia
changed Princess Olivia’s sparkly dress.
“A
contractor defaulted. It’s a big four-letter word problem.”
He
grinned at her replacement word strategy. He was conscious of having to clean
up his language after months on the job with Polly where four letter words were
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Sometimes in the same sentence. Sometimes
they were a whole sentence.
“I
keep wondering if I should’ve seen it coming. If I could’ve prevented it. It
puts my whole project in jeopardy right at a time when I didn’t need to screw
up,” she said.
“Don’t
strew up, Mummy.”
Audrey
reached over and adjusted Princess Olivia’s crown. “That’s upside down, isn’t
it?”
“No.”
Mia put the crown back the way it was.
It
might’ve been upside down. Reece found it hard to tell. He was better
to the toilet or getting her to eat?”
“I
eated it all, Mum.”
He’d
bear hugged Cameron when he discovered Mia was completely toilet trained. Accidents
he could cope with, but no nappy changing, that was a bonus.
“Mia
was no trouble at all. Is there anything you need different for next week?”
Audrey
reached for her bag and pulled out her phone. She consulted the screen. “I have
a late meeting Wednesday, could you cover an additional hour, till seven instead
of six?”
“No
problem. Do you feel comfortable with me giving Mia her bath and getting her
ready for bed?”
“Read
me a story in Mum’s bed. But no monsters, only wibble wobble, trundling, and
fairies.”
Audrey
frowned and he braced for an objection. If it came it would be a problem, it
meant he hadn’t won her trust and she wasn’t going to be comfortable leaving
him with Mia overnight. Then she kicked off her killer heels.
“Sorry,
my feet are wrecking me and it’s been a shocker of a week at work.” She was so
much more Ms Bates in her fitted dark suit, she made him twitchy and anxious
but shoeless, she was more the Audrey he could relate to again.
“I
had big problem with a major project. I managed to make my boss’s boss notice
me, not a good thing, and I had my first serious disagreement with the other
female manager on the team. I’m exhausted. I hope the tumbling fairy here is as
well. Can I think about bath time and let you know?”
“Sure.
There’s leftover spaghetti sauce in the fridge. There’s a baguette and dessert.
Not jelly.”
Audrey
opened the fridge. “Really.” She pulled out the bottle of wine and gave him a
smile that not only wiped the layers of tiredness from her face, it made him
feel like doing the propeller dance. “You’re a hero.”
He
stepped sideways to let her move around him and get a glass and there might’ve
been a bounce in his step. He was inordinately pleased about making Audrey happy.
The week had gone without a hitch if you discounted playgroup where he’d felt
like a which of these doesn’t fit puzzle; a vegetable amongst pictures of
fruit, and pleasing his employer was a good way to keep his job.
“You
know you don’t have to provide for me.” Audrey pulled the covered bowl of meat
sauce out of the fridge. “But this is heaven. Thank you, that was very
thoughtful. Can I pour you a drink?”
“Can
I hab a drink?” said Mia.
“Have,”
he said. “Please.” Shit , it was reflect. Had he overstepped? He flicked
a glance at Audrey.
“Can
I have a drink, prese.”
Audrey
smiled at him and put a glass of milk in front of Mia.
He
answered her earlier question. “I won’t, thanks.”
He
put a magnetic dress up doll and its wardrobe of outfits in front of Mia,
taking a seat beside her. He was taking Sky out for dinner at the new Mongolian
BBQ place, but he had time and he wanted this, to learn about the mother like
he’d learned about the daughter.
“Will
you be able to fix your problem at work?”
Audrey
sat opposite Mia at the table with her wine glass. They both watched while Mia
changed Princess Olivia’s sparkly dress.
“A
contractor defaulted. It’s a big four-letter word problem.”
He
grinned at her replacement word strategy. He was conscious of having to clean
up his language after months on the job with Polly where four letter words were
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Sometimes in the same sentence. Sometimes
they were a whole sentence.
“I
keep wondering if I should’ve seen it coming. If I could’ve prevented it. It
puts my whole project in jeopardy right at a time when I didn’t need to screw
up,” she said.
“Don’t
strew up, Mummy.”
Audrey
reached over and adjusted Princess Olivia’s crown. “That’s upside down, isn’t
it?”
“No.”
Mia put the crown back the way it was.
It
might’ve been upside down. Reece found it hard to tell. He was better
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