Holding Steve’s gaze, she smiled warmly. ‘Have you read him his bedtime story?’
‘Shoot!’ He looked alarmed. ‘No, I forgot. I’d better go back up. He’ll never settle otherwise.’
‘Did you remember to put the night light I bought him in his room?’ she asked as he about-faced. ‘I left it on our dressing table.’
‘Damn.’ Steve stopped in his tracks. ‘No. I forgot that as well.’
‘Too busy pillow-fighting,’ Laura chastised him playfully. ‘Would you like me to read him his story? You could pour us a well-earned drink while I do. I bought us a nice Cabernet Sauvignon as a treat.’ Closing the dishwasher, she headed across the kitchen.
‘He’d like that,’ Steve said as she selected a bottle from the wine rack. ‘You’re obviously a hit.’
‘Well, that’s a relief.’ Laura handed him the wine. ‘Hopefully he’ll report favourably back to Sarah.’
‘Yeah … sorry about all that.’ Steve shrugged apologetically. ‘She was only looking out for Ollie, but if I’d known she was going to give you the third degree … I still can’t believe she did that while she’s letting some bloke I know nothing about come and go as he pleases.’
‘It’s not a problem,’ Laura assured him. ‘I would never have told you about it if I’d known you would worry. It’s true she did give me a bit of a hard time, but Ollie’s here, that’s all that matters. And I’m sure Sarah wouldn’t let anyone she didn’t trust implicitly be around him. Having met her, I imagine she’ll know everything there is to know about the man.’
‘Yeah, probably,’ Steve agreed with a sigh. ‘I suppose she was just doing what mothers naturally do.’
‘You can’t blame her for that.’ Giving him another reassuring smile, Laura turned to the door.
Steve caught her hand. ‘Dinner was a hit, too.’ He smiled appreciatively back and pressed her fingers to his lips. ‘I’ve never seen him clean his plate before. I think he’s going to love coming here.’
‘I hope so,’ Laura said, meaning it. She was desperate for Ollie to look forward to coming to see her, to learn to love her. ‘As long as Sarah doesn’t think I’m trying to outdo her.’ She’d already made Ollie promise not to mention the extra home-made cookie she’d slipped him. Bearing in mind his sugar intake, she probably shouldn’t have done, but how was she to resist those huge beguiling eyes?
‘I think she might,’ Steve warned her jokingly. ‘Ollie’s not normally big into his veggies.’
‘You just have to make them fun,’ Laura said, pecking his cheek and heading for the hall. ‘I have lots more ideas.’
Heading up the stairs, she felt a moment’s fleeting guilt about claiming the BBC Good Food home-made pizza veggie faces as her own idea, but then it was only a little sin in the scheme of things. She needed Steve to have complete faith in her competency as a mother. She longed for Ollie to accept her in that role.
Grabbing the night light from the main bedroom – a magical rotating one that projected an ocean theme she was sure he would love – she peered around the door to the small room, now clearly signed Ollie’s Room.
‘Hey, sweetheart, did you have a nice bath?’ she asked, pleased when she saw him sitting on his bed playing with his Magicube dinosaur set. Sarah was right about it being a fun hands-on toy that would help develop his motor skills. Ollie loved it. Laura was so glad she’d immediately found one on Amazon.
‘Yes.’ Ollie’s eyes flicked to hers as she came in, and then back to his building blocks, his tongue protruding as he concentrated on trying to attach the dinosaur’s tail. ‘Daddy got wet.’
‘I noticed. His hair’s damp.’ Laura smiled, then, popping the lamp on his bedside table, she sat down on the edge of his bed and smoothed his fringe back. It was too long. She would give it a little trim in the morning. Sarah was obviously so busy with her job she didn’t have time to take him for a haircut.
‘I hear you played pillow fights too,’ she said, reaching to help him turn one of the building blocks around so that the dinosaur’s tail would fit.
Slotting the block into place and clearly satisfied as he surveyed his completed construction, Ollie looked up at her. ‘Uh-huh,’ he said, smiling mischievously. ‘Daddy cried because he lost.’
‘Oh no.’ Laura feigned wide-eyed alarm.
‘But he was only joking,’ Ollie added worriedly.
‘I know he was, darling.’ She gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze. ‘He’s definitely worn out from the battle, though. I think he might need to build up his muscles for next time, don’t you?’
‘He can do the superhero workout with me and Mummy!’ Ollie looked delighted.
‘Yes.’ Laura was less so. ‘Or you could show Daddy and me how to do it here,’ she suggested, making a mental note to check out the YouTube video. ‘Do you fancy it?’
Ollie closed one eye and thought about it. ‘Yes.’ He nodded happily.
‘Brilliant.’ Laura beamed him another smile. ‘I’ll make sure we have some refreshments handy. Meanwhile, how about I read you your bedtime story while Daddy has a little rest?’
‘Never Ask a Dragon!’ As Ollie scrambled to tuck himself under his duvet, Laura reached out a hand to save his dinosaur tower from tumbling from the bed.
‘Ooh, okay, but I’m not sure where your book is.’ She frowned thoughtfully. ‘How about I tell you a story about a special superhero, one nobody else knows exists?’
His interest pricked up at that. ‘Will he be my special superhero?’ He looked hopefully up at her.
‘Definitely.’ Smiling, she turned on his night light and snuggled down next to him. ‘So … Once upon a time there was a little boy—’
‘Like me?’ Ollie whispered, as they both gazed up at an ocean brought to life by the softly rotating light.
‘Yes, just like you.’ Laura snuggled closer, badly wanting to curl her body around him and hold him until his breath slowed to a deep, contented sleep. ‘If you look up there and concentrate really hard,’ she pointed to the fish on the ceiling weaving sinuously through the seaweed, ‘you might glimpse him.’
Eight
Sarah
Sarah unfurled herself from the sofa. She and Joe were supposed to be having a relaxing evening catching up on a thriller series on Netflix, but her attention kept wandering. She couldn’t stop dwelling on Laura and what she’d told Steve. No matter how many times she went over it, it simply wasn’t right. In her recollection, they’d got along fine. Laura had even managed not to stammer. She wouldn’t have done that if she’d been stressed or uncomfortable in Sarah’s company.
‘Need more wine?’ Pausing the TV, Joe half rose from his seat.
‘Oh.’ Sarah glanced at the wine glass she’d absent-mindedly picked up as she’d got to her feet. ‘Thanks,’ she managed a small smile, ‘but I’m feeling a bit too tired to watch TV, to be honest. Do you mind if I pop up and have a quick soak in the bath?’ She actually wanted to text Steve and make sure Ollie was okay. He’d called her earlier, but she needed to know her little boy was safely tucked up in bed and that Steve had given him a goodnight kiss for her. She’d suggested he put him on the phone before he settled down for the night, but Steve said he thought that might make him homesick. Sarah had supposed he was right. But she missed him already, so very much. She really did feel as if part of her was missing.