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‘Guess what.’ She grins.
‘I’ve made a fun plan for you,’ I say, spooning a bit more cottage pie onto her plate.
‘I’ve made a fun plan for you,’ she replies.
‘Oh not this again.’ I sigh.
‘Oh not this again.’
‘Lila, could we stop the copying game just for a minute?’
She repeats my sentence back to me.
I eat a mouthful of pie and give her a look which sends her into total hysteria. They say you can catch a yawn but I swear I catch the giggles off my daughter. She has the most infectious laugh. Thankfully I manage to compose myself first and while Lila is still snorting into her plate of food I blurt out my plan before she has a chance to play parrot again.
‘Would you like a playdate at Sidney’s house?’
‘YES PLEASE,’ she booms, cheeks pink from giggling.
‘Great! On Thursday, Mummy’s going out for work drinks so Sidney’s dad Joe says he can pick you and Sid up from school and take you back to theirs for tea.’
‘Are you going on another date?’
‘No, thank goodness. Auntie Poppy’s realised Mummy doesn’t like those.’
Lila eyes me suspiciously. ‘Will it be burger and chips?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Can I make a card to say thank you?’
‘That’s a lovely idea. Usually we say thank you after we’ve been for a playdate. Perhaps we could make a card together once I’ve picked you up?’
‘Yes,’ she agrees. ‘Sidney’s funny.’
‘I’m glad you like him, sweetheart.’
By the time Thursday rolls around I’m feeling excited for a night out with my new clients. I pack Lila up with a change of clothes in case she wants to ditch her uniform at Joe’s house and enjoy the buzz of achievement for simply having wrangled my daughter out of the house on time for drop-off.
Celeste is looking even more beautiful than normal, I notice as we round the corner to the school gates, and I remember that today is Thirsty Thursday. Their weekly dose of Joe. She’s stood right next to him, completely ignoring the fact that Oscar has decided to moon people passing by.
I don’t want to be territorial but I do want to make sure Joe’s getting his side of the bargain, so I put my hand on his arm as I approach. Nothing overt, we’re at the school gates after all, but hopefully an obvious marker of my ‘affection’. He flashes me a grateful look.
‘Look at you two,’ says Celeste with what I feel is a flicker if irritation. Ever since the fauxmance has been public knowledge I get the distinct impression that she’s not exactly pleased for Joe and I. She tosses her hair and addresses me directly. ‘Sophie, I have some recipes I want to Airdrop over to you.’
She’s not expecting me to cook for Joe, is she? The man can bloody well cook for himself!
‘I don’t get all that much time for cooking …’
‘Oh but these are delicious. I’ve been meaning to share them with you ever since your little slip-up with Oscar at the park a few weeks back. You know, about the ants?’
It’s too late, my mouth has dropped open. She cannot be serious?
‘Celeste,’ I begin as calmly as possible, knowing full well that I’m going to have to err on the side of diplomacy given that I’m on a friend-making mission right now. ‘I wouldn’t call it a slip-up? I don’t think school would have been thrilled if I returned six kids with insect-related tummy bugs.’ I let out a little laugh which I hope diffuses the situation, and glosses over the fact that I’m really having to keep a lid on my actual thoughts.
She’s looking towards the skies as if seeking guidance.
‘Just take a look,’ Celeste says, dropping the links on my phone with an insincere smile on her face. ‘You’ll see that the Scandinavians really are very forward thinking in terms of cuisine.’
