Finding Grace(9)

I smiled as I imagined them searching for Grace’s other training shoe, or her gloves, which always seemed to separate the second she walked in the door. I waited for the eternal cry, which I was certain would come at any moment: ‘Muum…’

But to my astonishment, she didn’t yell, and after about twenty minutes, they all trooped back upstairs.

I took baby Oscar from Blake’s arms and propped him up next to me in bed with pillows. He gurgled, shaking his favourite yellow rattle.

Grace sat on the edge of the bed to eat her cereal.

‘How’s that bumped head feel now?’ I asked, flicking the rattle to keep Oscar engaged.

‘Fine. Olivia says that once you’re twelve, you’re allowed to get into Alton Towers on your own,’ Grace remarked as she loaded her spoon with Shreddies. ‘We’ll just need a lift there and back then. No need for any adults to stay with us.’

‘That’s three years away yet,’ I remarked drily. ‘Looks like you’ll be stuck with us for a while longer, chick.’

She suddenly seemed desperate to have complete autonomy. It was probably just her age; I remembered it as a difficult time, stuck between being a child and a pre-teen.

I glanced over to the doorway, where Blake stood tapping furiously on his phone, texting again. He literally never stopped. If he was awake, you could guarantee he’d be on that bloody phone.

He looked up and saw me watching. He slipped the phone into the back pocket of his jeans, winking at me when I frowned.

‘You’re walking home on your own later, Gracie-bob, what more do you want?’ he said.

I sighed, still uncomfortable with our decision to allow her the increased freedom.

‘She’ll be fine, won’t you, cherub?’ Blake said reassuringly.

‘Of course I will. It’s no big deal, Mum,’ Grace added. ‘Loads of people in my class walk to school on their own now.’

I shook my head firmly at Blake behind her back. There was no way I was going to be talked into letting her do that, with two busy roads to cross.

‘Who were you texting this early in the day?’ I said lightly.

‘Oh, just replying to a couple of messages that I didn’t get around to last night.’ Blake checked his watch. ‘Eat up then, Grace. They’ll be here to pick you up in a few minutes.’

‘Yesss!’ Grace scooped one more spoonful of cereal into her mouth and then dumped the half-eaten breakfast on my bedside table.

Blake helped her on her outdoor clothing and soon she was a blaze of colour in a bright pink coat and red bobble hat, with her yellow knitted gloves sticking out of her pocket.

‘Alton Towers will see you coming in that get-up,’ I joked.

Grace nodded happily. ‘See you, Mum.’

‘See you later, sweetie. Love you lots.’ I wrapped my arms around her as she leaned forward for a kiss. ‘Be careful walking home later.’

‘Yes, Mum,’ she groaned, heading for the door. ‘I’m nine years old now. Remember?’

‘How could I forget? Oh, and Grace?’

She looked back at me.

‘Got a kiss for your brother?’

She huffed and plodded back to the bed, clumsily landing a kiss on the top of the baby’s head. Oscar responded with an ear-piercing squeal and a gummy grin as he shook the rattle harder than ever.

Blake smiled and followed her downstairs. A few minutes later, I heard the door open and close. In no time at all, he bounded back up to the bedroom.

‘And relax… she’s gone. Peace for the day!’

I nodded to our son. ‘Well… sort of.’

‘Fancy brunch at Copper at ten?’

‘Lovely.’ I snuggled further down under the quilt, feeling deliciously indolent. Oscar squeaked and whacked me on the head with his rattle. ‘Oww!’ I smiled lazily at Blake. ‘That’s another two hours yet. You could set Oscar’s new mobile going in his cot, so we can have a five-minute cuddle…’

He pressed his lips together. ‘There’s nothing I’d love more, Luce, you know that. But I…’

My heart sank and I wished I hadn’t hinted at making love. I knew I looked like shit. I’d felt too tired to remove my eye make-up last night and now resembled a panda. Plus, my hair was desperate for a wash and was sticking out at all angles.

I covered up my embarrassment by turning it back on him.

‘Who have you agreed to run around for now?’

‘Oh, just a favour for a colleague. I promised Steph Lawson yesterday that I’d check in on her mother first thing. She’s had some kind of virus and is really weak at the moment, and poor Steph’s at a conference all weekend.’

The last time I saw poor Steph Lawson, she was done up like a dog’s dinner and simpering over Blake at the Council House ball.

‘Well don’t be long.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘You know, you’re just a big softy, Councillor Sullivan. The one morning we don’t have to get up and watch Disney videos, and you go and find yourself another blooming job to do.’

‘I know, I’m hopeless. Sorry.’

He kissed me and I kissed him back, just to show there were no hard feelings, and he ruffled Oscar’s fuzzy hair.

When he’d gone, I tried to savour the relative silence. Oscar was gurgling, but it still felt strange because there was no television blaring out from the lounge, or singing or stomping of Grace’s feet.