Page 34 of Ms Perfectly Fine
Chapter Eleven
Elijah
“IT’S ONLY BEEN a week and even Brinkley’s switched sides. I thought bringing her home would help us mend fences. Instead, I feel like I’ve drawn battle lines!” Elijah said, pacing Francis’ sitting room. He’d left out the part where they had kissed accidentally.
“Are you sure you aren’t simply embarrassed because you raced home like a madman to find out she was fine?” Francis said, feeding Todd, whose giraffe-covered onesie was also covered with strawberry rice pudding.
Elijah glared at his friend, though he might be right.
“I did what any decent human being would do if they heard someone in distress,” he claimed, but he didn’t know what had made him so unreasonable afterwards. Instead of picking a fight, he wished he had simply thanked her for accepting Brinkley and for watering his plants—even though she’d given them way too much.Either she was trying to do a nice thing, or she flooded them to piss me off.He preferred to think it was the former.
“You’re upset because your dog prefers her company to yours,” Francis said calmly. It was hard to focus on their conversation because Todd was more interested in flicking his food at his dad than eating it.
“Not helpful.” He paced faster.I’m doing a terrible job at trying to win her over.“I had to get out of the house. It’s Autumn’s day off, and she’s playing the piano non-stop. I can’t focus. When I left, she was staring at the keys as if waiting for them to speak to her. I tried to ask if she was okay, but I figured it was best not to interrupt. I even tried to bring Brinkley with me, to give her some space, but she refused to move out from beneath her stool when I called.”
“It sounds like you’re worried about her,” Francis said.
“Worried she might kill me in my sleep! She gets up at the crack of dawn every morning and blends smoothies right beside my bedroom. I never thought someone so small could make so much noise,” Elijah said, rubbing his eyes. Between work and Autumn, he was exhausted.
Francis coughed, clearly trying not to laugh.
“Why are you looking at me like I’ve lost it?” Elijah asked, tossing his folder on the desk.
“She did warn you about her playing. Maybe this is the reason she lives alone.”
“I’m not moving out. If you aren’t going to be sympathetic, just focus on feeding your kid,” Elijah huffed.
Todd looked between them, giggled, then flicked his spoonful of rice pudding at Elijah. The creamy mess landed right on his blue T-shirt. Francis laughed and kissed his boy, who was clapping at his achievement. Elijah glared at the little demon.
“You did that on purpose! Even you’re taking Autumn’s side,” he said with mock sternness, kneeling in front of the little guy.
His phone vibrated in his pocket with a call. He didn’t even get to say hello before Autumn spoke.
“You took my food again? Why? How can you be so petty?” Autumn demanded.
Elijah looked at the containers he had brought with him for their lunch. He had bought the same containers she used, and clearly, she hadn’t checked the back of the fridge, where she would find hers safe and sound. Francis rolled his eyes.Did she make this?he mouthed.
Elijah shook his head and placed a finger to his lips. Francis shook his head.
“You’re both as bad as each other.” He got up, taking the containers to the kitchen and leaving Elijah to entertain Todd.
“Your cooking is excellent, and you woke me up this morning making it, but I didn’t—” Elijah didn’t get to finish before the line went dead. He grinned, knowing how embarrassed Autumn was going to be when she found hers in the fridge.I thought I was doing something nice buying her more of her favourite Tupperware!
Francis popped his head back into the room. “Video conference in five. Don’t want to keep Tim waiting.” He tossed Elijah a clean shirt before leaving to get set up. It was tighter than he liked, but he couldn’t hold a meeting with pudding on his T-shirt.
Elijah picked Todd up and carried him to Aiden in the kitchen. “Careful, that spoon is a weapon,” he warned, handing him over. Aiden had dark circles under his eyes, and his tie hung loosely around his neck; he looked like he was getting as much sleep as Elijah was.
“Only when it comes to his favourite uncle,” Aiden said, placing Todd in his highchair. The kitchen table was littered with papers from whatever case he was working on. Francis worked from home to save on childcare, and Aiden took his work home from the station when he could, but being a detective often took him out.
“You working on a big case?” Elijah asked, looking at various mugshots.
Aiden nodded, rifling through his papers. “A series of break-ins. Lots of paperwork, but at least I can do it here. The last place was a flower shop, except they only took some flowers. Could be an insurance scam. Have to wait and see.”
“Don’t get him started talking about the case or you’ll never get away,” Francis teased, coming back in, and Aiden blew him a kiss.
“Don’t you both have a meeting to get to?” Aiden went back to his paperwork while they headed to Francis’ office.
“Ready?” Francis asked.
