She drove back out on to the road in the direction of Brighton and the girls’ school.
Leah pulled into a park and noticed a long line of traffic was queued at the exit. She walked past the sports fields to the heart of the school and found the main administration office. She was quickly directed to the sick bay and after-school care facilities.
She opted to collect Harriet first. If Ava felt rotten, it would be best to get her straight into the car and home.
Leah pushed open the door to the after-school care room and was greeted by the noisy chatter of children as they painted, completed puzzles and read books. She scanned the room. An ache tugged at her heart as she spied her blonde-haired niece deep in conversation with a girl around the same age. Only two days ago, she’d contemplated having her own baby, a baby with Grant.
In a split second that dream was now out of reach. She managed a smile when Harriet threw her hands in the air and burst out laughing at something her friend said.
It was only because Ava was in the sick bay that she could easily identify Harriet. When they were in their school uniforms, until Leah spoke to them, it was very difficult to tell them apart. It was easier in their casual clothes. Ava loved purples and pinks and Harriet loved blue and yellow.
No doubt her own parents had had the same difficulties with her and Eve when they were younger, although Leah had opted to wear her own long blonde hair up in a ponytail or bun from an early age, whereas Eve liked hers loose around her shoulders.
Harriet looked up, her face breaking into a huge grin. She jumped to her feet, rushed over and flung her arms around Leah, giving her a tight squeeze. ‘Aunty Leah, what’re you doing here?’
Leah laughed, returning the hug with equal force. ‘How is it I can’t tell you and Ava apart, yet you can easily tell the difference between me and your mum?’
‘Lipstick,’ Harriet said. ‘Mummy always wears tons and you never wear any. You have nice shiny lips. I wish Mummy had lips like yours, and eyes too; I hate all those colours she puts on hers.’
‘One day, you might decide you want to wear lipstick and eyeshadow too. Mummy wears it to look nice for her job.’
The child shook her head. ‘Your job is much more important than Mummy’s. She only sells houses. You work at a paper and you look nice. And your hair is beautiful; having it up makes you look smart. What’re you doing here?’
‘I’ve come to kidnap you.’ Leah smiled again, as Harriet’s eyes grew wide.
‘Really? Wow, that’d be so cool. Will I come and live at your house or will we sneak off to another country?’
Leah drew her niece in for another hug. ‘I’m kidding, silly. Ava’s sick and your mum asked me to come and pick her up and take her home. So it made sense that I pick you up too.’
Harriet grinned. ‘And you came and got me first, because I’m your favourite.’
‘Come on, let’s go find your sister. You can show me where the sick bay is.’
Ava was sitting in a comfortable chair, flicking through a book when they arrived. She gave Leah a weak smile, confusion registering in her eyes.
Harriet bounced over to her before Leah had a chance to explain.
‘Avie! Aunt Leah’s kidnapping us and taking us to a kingdom far away where there are unicorns and chocolate rivers. Get your stuff, we need to go.’
‘Mrs West?’
Leah glanced at a thin, dark-haired woman with a friendly face and smiling eyes. Her badge confirmed she was the school nurse. ‘No, I’m the girls’ aunt. I’m Leah.’
‘Sorry, I’ve seen you at the school before. I assumed you were the girls’ mother.’
Harriet shrieked with laughter. ‘You did see our mother. They look exactly the same.’
‘Oh, I see! Twins run in the family?’
Leah nodded. ‘Is there anything I need to know or do for Ava?’ She glanced across at her niece, whose face was very pale.
‘Put her straight to bed,’ the nurse said. ‘A cold drink and some food if she’ll eat anything. She was complaining of a headache, so you might want to give her some paracetamol. It will help bring her temperature down. See how she is once you get home.’
‘Okay, thanks.’ She smiled at Ava. ‘Do you think you can walk up to the car, sweetheart?’
‘Your car?’
She put her arms around her niece. ‘Yes, of course. I’m taking you home and looking after you until your mum finishes work.’
‘Will she be very late?’
Leah couldn’t help but notice the look of hope on Ava’s face.
‘I’m not sure, she didn’t actually say. But regardless, I’ll stay until you’ve gone to sleep.’
‘Both of us?’ Harriet asked. ‘You can read me stories and put me to bed too.’
‘Sounds like the perfect way to end the day.’
As Leah helped Ava out of the car and across the path to the front door, she glanced around at the perfectly manicured garden – the hedges were cut to the same height, the winter roses all neatly standing to attention and blooming. On one hand it was very pretty, on the other, it seemed rigid and formal. She preferred a garden that grew a little wilder.
She checked on Harriet, who’d insisted on carrying both school bags. ‘You okay, Harry?’ she called.
The little girl’s face was red from struggling under the strain of the bags, but she nodded. ‘Ava must have rocks in her bag,’ she announced. ‘It’s crazy heavy.’
‘Library books,’ Ava said. ‘Big fat ones. But no rocks.’
Leah unlocked the front door, pushed it open and led Ava inside. Harriet followed, dropping the school bags on to the floor the moment she crossed into the house. ‘Now what?’ she asked.
‘What do you normally do when you get home?’
Her niece gave her a sly look. ‘Mummy usually lets us make a chocolate cake or muffins. Or she gives us some chocolate.’
Leah hid a smile as she heard a sharp intake of breath from Ava.
‘You liar,’ her other niece said. ‘Mummy’s never home, but when she is she never lets us have anything like that. She makes us eat fruit or carrot sticks.’ She lowered her voice. ‘She doesn’t want fat kids.’
A lump rose in Leah’s throat. Fat kids? They were seven, and there was nothing of them. If anything, they could both do to put on a few kilos.
‘How about I help Ava up to bed, then you and I look at what we could make for afternoon tea,’ she suggested.
Harriet’s eyes glistened. ‘A chocolate cake?’
She shook her head. ‘Probably not today. Ava’s not well and chocolate is the last thing we should be feeding her.’
Harriet’s little face clouded over with disappointment.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll make something yummy. Now, you go and put the school bags in the kitchen so I can unpack them. Wash your hands and I’ll be down in a few minutes.’ Leah put an arm around Ava. ‘Come on, let’s get you into bed.’ They walked slowly up the stairs.
The girls shared a huge bedroom that led off their own play and television room; a rope lay on the floor at the halfway point, creating a clear division. One side of the room was full of pinks and purples, with stuffed toys strewn about and a doll’s house sitting in the corner. A shelf above a small desk proudly housed around twenty miniature fairy figurines.