Page 61 of Daydreams & Doughnut Cake

‘Well,Iwas a model pupil. I’d never have done anything like that,’ I admitted. ‘But well done you, Maisie, for getting your own back on that nasty so-and-so.’

‘What are you all laughing at?’ asked Ellie, coming in with Fen at that moment.

‘Oh, nothing,’ said Maisie airily. Then she caught mine and Maddy’s eyes and started giggling, so of course then Ellie demanded to know what was going on.

So Maisie told her the whole story, and Ellie was horrified by Reuben’s behaviour but then she laughed more heartily than any of us at the pure style of Maisie’s revenge.

‘Who needs dates with stupid boys anyway?’ shrugged Maddy with a grin.

‘Quite right,’ agreed Fen. ‘You’ve got plenty of time for that.’

‘Oh, well, I do have a date, actually,’ announced Maisie, blushing.

‘Oh? Who with?’ demanded Ellie.

‘Well, Fergie, actually. He’s really funny and I like him. Plus he’s actually taller than me and he has a cute smile.’

‘He sounds like a good sport,’ said Maddy, ‘agreeing to meet Reuben at the cinema and playing along with your joke.’

She nodded. ‘Fergie thinks Reuben’s an absolute toss... um...’ She shot a nervous look at her mum. ‘I mean, he thinks Reuben’s not very nice at all. I thought his plan was sick.’

*****

Driving home later, after picking up Amelie from nursery, I was thinking about how much better it was to be truthful about your feelings.

Ellie was like a different person since she’d come out and admitted she wasn’t coping well as a new mum. And Isla seemeda lot more settled now, so maybe the constant crying had been because she was picking up on Ellie’s nerves and worry.

I felt like a new person myself.

I was genuinely happy and content for the first time in a very long time. Running away from your problems really didn’t work. They followed you wherever you went.

‘There’s Danny!’ shrieked Amelie excitedly from her car seat in the back as I parked outside the house. ‘Can he stay and have fish fingers with us tonight?’

I turned and smiled at her. ‘I daresay he could.’

Danny was just getting out of his car on the other side of the road and seeing him, my heart gave a little leap of joy.

As I got out, he walked across the road to join me.

‘Question. How do you feel about fish fingers?’ I said with a smile.

He looked surprised. ‘Is that a trick question? I’m assuming it’s not a euphemism?’

I chuckled. ‘No. Genuine question. Amelie would like you to stay for tea and that’s what we’re having.’ I shrugged. ‘I could cook something more grown-up later?’

He bent to kiss me briefly on the lips. ‘Fish fingers sounds good to me.’

‘With something more grown-up later?’ I murmured with a wicked gleam in my eye.

‘Mmm. Now you’re talking.’ Slipping his arm around my waist, he brushed his lips over my neck, sending the most delicious of shivers all the way down my spine. ‘But first, I need to confer with mysous chef.’

He walked round and helped Amelie out of the car. ‘We’re on cooking duties tonight, kiddo. We’re giving your mum a rest. So... are we having chips and peas with the fish fingers?’

She nodded solemnly. ‘With lots of tomato sauce.’

‘Of course. What else?’

Taking his hand, she led him over to our gate.

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