The other side of the room was blues and aquas. A skateboard was propped up in one corner, and a basket full of Nerf guns stood in pride of place in the middle of the floor.
Leah helped Ava over to her pink princess bed, sat her down, untied her shoes and pulled off her socks. ‘How about we put your pyjamas on? That way you’ll be nice and snug and comfy.’
Her niece reached under her pillow, pulling out a pretty pair of floral flannel pyjamas.
She helped her change and tucked her in, bringing a soft blanket snug around her. ‘How’re you feeling?’
Tears welled in Ava’s eyes. ‘Horrible.’ Her voice was a whisper. ‘My head and throat hurt.’
She gave her a cuddle. ‘Oh, you poor little thing. How about I go downstairs and get you a nice cold drink? I’ll see if I can find some medicine for your head too.’
Ava nodded, laying her head back against the pillow. Leah snuggled the blanket around her once again and tucked her soft toy squirrel in with her. She leant down and kissed her niece’s forehead, noting that it was very hot. ‘I’ll be back in a few minutes,’ she promised.
She made her way back down the stairs. She could hear clanking and banging coming from the kitchen. What on earth could Harriet be up to? She’d probably be covered from head to foot with flour and cocoa, having decided to make a chocolate cake anyway.
Leah stopped at the kitchen door, tears pricking her eyes, as she saw what Harriet was doing.
The little girl was hunched over the kitchen table, her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated on spreading a piece of bread with butter. Next to her was a tray, with a small vase which had one pink rose sticking out of it, and a glass of something clear and fizzy with ice cubes in it.
Leah got herself together and joined Harriet. ‘What you doing, chipmunk?’
Her niece looked up. ‘I thought I’d make Avie some afternoon tea. I’m making her a sprinkle sandwich.’ Her eyes widened. ‘That’s okay, isn’t it? I know Mummy wouldn’t normally let us have that, but it is Avie’s favourite. And I don’t think she’ll notice I cut the rose from the garden.’
Leah put an arm around her. ‘Of course it’s okay. It’s lovely, in fact.’ She felt Harriet relax against her. ‘What’s the drink?’
‘Mineral water. I wanted to give her lemonade but we don’t have any. I’ve squeezed some lemon in it to make it a bit nicer.’
She was surprised Harriet had even found sprinkles if Eve was that strict about what the girls ate. ‘It looks great. I’m sure she’ll love it. Now, you finish, and we’ll take it up. I’ll see if I can rustle up some medicine for her headache and fever.’
Harriet concentrated on applying the sprinkles to the bread while Leah opened the pantry and went in search of the medicine. She let out a breath, relieved to see a large box on the top shelf marked ‘First Aid’. She took it down and opened it, taking out the paracetamol and the ear thermometer. She checked the dosage to give Ava and rummaged back through the box for a medicine cup.
‘I’m finished,’ her niece announced.
Leah crossed to the kitchen table and admired Harriet’s work. The sandwich had been cut into little bite-sized pieces.
‘It’s a sandwich poppa,’ Harriet explained. ‘When you’re sick, you don’t want to be taking big bites.’
‘Poppa?’
Harriet nodded. ‘Poppa it in your mouth.’ She grinned. ‘I made that up, do you like it?’
‘I love it, and so will Ava. Let’s take it upstairs. Shall I carry the tray until we get to the top of the stairs, and then you can take it so she knows you made it?’
The little girl beamed with delight. ‘Really? I can walk into the room with it?’
‘Of course,’ Leah said. She placed the medicine and thermometer on the side of the tray and followed Harriet up the stairs, stopping outside the girls’ room to hand it back to her niece.
Harriet smiled proudly and walked into the room. She stopped as she neared the bed, her face clouding with disappointment.
Ava was asleep.
‘Set it down there and come with me.’ Leah pointed to the bedside table.
Harriet followed her back into the playroom.
‘Have you got paper and coloured pencils?’ she asked.
Her niece nodded.
‘Great, let’s make a lovely card to sit on the tray. When Ava wakes up, she’ll know you made her the food.’
‘That’s a fantastic idea.’ The little girl made her way across the room to a chest of drawers. She took out a sheet of paper and reached into the second drawer for a big packet of coloured pens. ‘Can you help me fold the paper so it’s like a real card?’
‘Of course.’ Once it was folded, Leah put the paper on a table. ‘You work on this while I clean up the kitchen and pack your lunchboxes away. Would you like me to make you a special afternoon tea too?’
The little girl didn’t look up from the card she was adding something purple to. ‘Yes, please.’
Leah smiled as she headed back down the stairs. Her niece had such a good heart and Eve was lucky to have the family she had. Her smile slipped and a lump formed in her throat. She was supposed to have had that with Grant. What she’d lost was enormous. Not only the man she loved, but she’d wasted six years. The likelihood of finding a new relationship and having children in her thirties was slowly moving out of reach. It was quite possible she might need to settle for being an aunt.
Chapter Four
Eve pulled up in front of a run-down townhouse at the address Ben had sent her in South Melbourne. She opened the car door and stepped out on to the cracked footpath.
There was no sign of Ben’s Mercedes. She peered at the house in front of her; number thirteen, according to the broken letterbox propped up with rocks against a small concrete pillar.
Roof tiles were missing, the paint was peeling, and the small garden was completely overgrown. The two properties to the right looked the same. Either side of the three run-down blocks stood new terraced houses. If this was the development Peter had mentioned, where were the other nine properties?
Eve shivered. It really was freezing. She turned to wait in the warmth of her car when a sleek silver vehicle parked behind her. A lightness spread within her and her breath quickened as Ben stepped out.
He stopped, their eyes meeting, his grin causing dimples to bloom on his cheeks. His jet-black hair had been cut short, and his aquamarine shirt brought out the brilliant blue of his eyes. His black Armani suit and gleaming black shoes completed his trademark look.
Ben’s eyes swept up and down the street as he approached her. He didn’t embrace her, or even touch her. ‘Hey, beautiful lady.’
‘Hey, yourself.’ Eve forced her eyes away from his to the run-down house. ‘What’s with the dump? It’s hardly the Sofitel.’
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ He pushed open the old iron gate, which was half hanging off its hinges. ‘Come in. I want to show you something.’
She followed along the uneven path to the front entrance. The three steps leading to the door were broken in parts, and the door itself was scraped and cracked. ‘Nice,’ she said.