Page 103 of Second Verse

‘Poppy, I know that if this was your mum, it would be different. But she’s... Well, you know what she is.’

‘Well, I think change may be happening,’ Poppy said philosophically. ‘Very,veryslowly, of course. But she said she was sorry she missed our wedding.’

Norah was further amazed. ‘Shedidn’t.’

‘She did,’ Poppy said. ‘I actually think she meant it.’

Norah shook her head. ‘Great. I just got used to her being a stubborn old bigot, and she’s gone and turned it around. Just perfect.’

Suddenly, they heard Luna and Freddie thundering down the stairs, their small eight-year-old bodies somehow managing to imply that a pack of hippos was in the house. They exploded into the living room.

‘Is it tea yet?’ they both questioned.

‘We’re getting pizza delivered because we’re both knackered,’ Poppy told the kids.

They turned and high-fived each other. Well, they attempted it. But Lunaaccidentallymissed and slapped Freddie in the face. ‘Sorry, Freds,’ she said with a sly grin.

‘Luna!’ Poppy said sternly.

But Freddie wasn’t waiting for his sister to get a mere telling off. He gave her a shove, and she fell over, surprised. But she recovered quickly, grabbing him by the ankle and pulling him down to the floor. Before the parents knew what was what, the kids were in full wrestling mode.

‘Jesus!’ Norah yelled. ‘Stop it!’

But Poppy was thinking this was oddly good for both of them.Luna was learning that when she acted like an arse, there would be pushback, and Freddie was learning to stick up for himself when he needed to. A little resistance might not be the worst thing for either of them.

But after a few seconds, it didn’t end. They were slapping and shoving each other all over the living room. It was time to weigh in before the furniture was broken. Both parents jumped up and grabbed one kid apiece.

‘She started it,’ Freddie said, held back by Poppy.

‘And I’ll finish it, too,’ Luna warned him, trying to struggle out of Norah’s grip.

‘Do you think we can’t cancel a pizza order?’ Poppy said to both of them.

‘SORRY!’ Luna yelled instantly. ‘OK? Don’t cancel the pizza!’

‘I’m sorry, too,’ Freddie added. ‘But she did start it!’

‘She did, and she’s gonna lose her iPad for a week for it,’ Poppy told him with a look at Luna. She fully expected a fresh row.

But Luna’s rebellion only went so far as a big tut. ‘Fine,’ she said.

The doorbell went. ‘Pizza,’ the kids yelled in unison.

Poppy and Norah released them, and Norah went to the door to get the food. Poppy went to fetch the plates.

The family gathered around the table, and the argument was forgotten. Poppy was glad it had ended so easily. This blended family thing could be tricky at times. But she and Norah wanted it to work, and she knew in her heart that the kids did, too, the little terrors. They were very much brother and sister now, and most of the time, they liked it.

After dinner, Luna and Freddie started whispering to each other in the kitchen, and then they came in.

Freddie cleared his throat. ‘If we promise not to fight, and we do all the cleaning up from dinner, can we stay up later with you guys to watch TV?’

Poppy and Norah swapped a quick look. Norah looked amenable, and so was Poppy. ‘Yeah, sure,’ Poppy said.

They high-fived again. This time, no one missed.

While they clattered about in the kitchen, Poppy and Norah settled on the sofa, their fingers intertwined. ‘You’ve got a gig tomorrow night, haven’t you?’ Norah checked.

‘I’m not sure I’d call it that,’ Poppy said. ‘It’s just a pub with an open mic night.’

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