Page 104 of Good Sisters

‘I just can’t seem to find the time.’

‘Sophie, you sort out some food for Gavin,’ Jack said, ‘and I’ll try to calm Lemon down.’

Jack went over and took my niece out of the swing. He held her to his shoulder and made cooing sounds as he walked her around the room, making circles on her back with his hand in a gentle rhythm.

Gavin followed me into the kitchen, where I unpacked the groceries. ‘Load the washing-machine with all these clothes and towels,’ I ordered.

‘I want you to help me stop her crying, not do laundry,’ Gavin said.

‘Just do it,’ I barked.

‘Fine. God, you’re so bossy,’ he grumbled, as he scooped up a mound of washing.

I was tidying up the dirty dishes in the kitchen when Jack came in with a still-crying Lemon. He took her into the small laundry area where Gavin was loading the machine. Jack placed Lemon in the buggy and put her in front of it as Gavin popped in some powder and turned it on.

‘This is a trick that worked with Robert,’ Jack said, to a bemused Gavin.

Within ten seconds Lemon stopped crying, mesmerized by the hum of the machine and the spin of the clothes.

‘Oh, my God,’ Gavin whispered. ‘It’s a miracle.’

‘She should fall asleep soon,’ Jack whispered back. ‘I’ve got to go. Good luck, mate, and call me if you need any tips. Robert had colic. It’s not easy.’

I fell in love with my ex-husband a little bit more.

‘You’re a legend.’ Gavin hugged Jack.

Jack pulled out of the hug. ‘Oooh, you need a very long hot shower,’ he said.

‘I know I stink.’

Jack left and I told Gavin to go and have a shower while Iput the kettle on and made him some food. He didn’t need to be told twice. He raced out of the room.

Twenty minutes later we sat opposite each other in their small kitchen. Lemon had fallen asleep to the hum of the washing-machine, just as Jack had predicted.

‘I never thought I’d love silence so much.’ Gavin ate his bacon sandwich hungrily.

‘It’s just a phase. She’ll grow out of it.’

‘That’s what the paediatrician said, but it’s hard going. I’m knackered. How the hell did Julie do this with three at the same time?’

I sipped my tea. ‘I have no idea. She’s a saint.’

‘I wanted two kids. Now I think I’ll stick with one.’

‘Give it a few months. She’ll start sleeping and interacting more and you’ll forget this hard part.’

‘I hope so. I want to be the best dad. I thought I’d be brilliant at it. I’m good with Clara and the boys and Jess, but … I dunno, babies are hard.’

‘They can be, but it’s only temporary. You just have to keep telling yourself that.’

Gavin looked around at the now tidy kitchen. ‘I’m supposed to be the house-husband. Shania is working her arse off and being super-successful, so I’m the one who runs the house. I’m fine with it. I know Dad thinks it’s emasculating, but I don’t care. I live in the now, not the olden days. Shania and I have our thing and it works. But I’m failing. When Shania comes home the place is a tip and Lemon is wailing and I want to throw Lemon at her and head out. She’s wrecked from her day’s work and doesn’t want a screaming kid handed to her and a messy kitchen to clean up.’

I smiled. That was exactly how so many women had felt for so long. I remembered Jack coming home from work and expecting the house to be calm and warm and peaceful, hisdinner on the table and Jess to be either asleep or at least freshly bathed and ready for bed. When she woke up at night, it was just expected that I’d get up, Jack had work … That was the unspoken deal. Then he had a baptism of fire when he met Pippa and they had Robert. She had done almost nothing, so Jack had had to step up and do almost everything.

‘Look, all you can do is your best. Every new parent struggles in the beginning.’

‘You made it look easy.’

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