Page 47 of Second Verse

The kids cheered. Norah loved their energy. They lived for now, and if now sucked, there was always another now just around the corner. She envied them, truly. She must have felt like that once, but she couldn’t remember such a time in her life.

Well, maybe once.

The excitement in the car was hitting fever pitch as Freddie and Luna scrambled to unbuckle their seat belts, eager to get the fun started.

‘My belt is stuck!’ Freddie cried desperately.

Norah got out of the car and went around. ‘It’s OK, I got it, Freds.’

She unclipped him, and he launched himself out of the car. Luna was hot on his heels, moving around to catch him as he took off running.

‘Stop, Freddie!’ Norah screamed.

‘It’s a car park, Luna!’ Poppy added in a like tone.

The kids might not have been able to hear their parents’ words, but they both understood the tone enough and skidded to a halt.

Norah grabbed her bag and locked the car quickly. Poppy had already caught up to them.

‘What do I always say?’ Norah asked.

‘Don’t eat snails,’ Freddie responded.

‘Not that.’

‘Oh. Did you mean cars are big metal monsters that can kill you?’ he asked casually.

‘That’s the one,’ Norah said.

Suddenly, she felt embarrassed in front of Poppy about her aggressive phrasing. She turned to Poppy. ‘I know it’s a bit much...’

But Poppy was leaning down to Luna. ‘Did you hear that?’ Poppy said. ‘Big metal monsters.’

Luna’s eyes flashed fear, though she shook it off quickly. ‘I heard!’ she said angrily. ‘And I’m cold!’

Poppy, already carrying her coat in readiness, stuffed her into it quickly.

They continued walking, but both of them kept close to the adults now.

‘Thanks for that imagery,’ Poppy muttered under her breath. ‘I don’t want her to live in fear, but she’s got no sense of danger at all when it comes to cars. God knows I don’t want to spoil her childhood innocence too soon, but better I take a tiny bit than a car takes the whole thing.’

Norah nodded, pleased to hear her exact philosophy put into words. ‘Exactly.’

Norah wondered why it couldn’t be this easy to talk to Max. She’d always had this idea that when it was right, you didn’t have to talk. There was an understanding between you. But with Max, it wasn’t feeling so true lately. They weren’t in a peaceful, silent communion. They simply didn’t talk. When had it switched?

They reached the farm entrance, where a bored teenager ticked off the kids’ names on Drew’s guest list.

As soon as that happened, the kids looked at their parents with a question in their eyes, ‘Are we free to go nuts?’

Norah and Poppy nodded.

‘Head on in,’ Norah said.

‘We’ll be nearby,’ Poppy added.

They took off at a lick, running straight for an impossibly big trampoline.

‘You have to take your shoes off!’ Freddie said, already barefoot.

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