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‘All good with you?’
‘Grand. I’m glad we’re doing this, it’s been a while.’
The movie revolves around a dinosaur who unwittingly finds himself in charge of saving the world. Despite the obvious plot holes it’s actually quite sweet. He falls in love with another prehistoric creature on the same mission. Will they work together or will they become sworn enemies? I’m embarrassingly hooked by the end, laughing at the jokes put in for the adults to enjoy while Sidney and Lila chortle at the slapstick comedy.
‘Is that a tear in your eye?’ Joe looks at me suspiciously as we walk out of the auditorium.
‘Of course not,’ I insist, swiping away at the tell-tale signs. The dinosaurs united! It was heart-warming. Why have I suddenly become a total melt when it comes to anything to do with emotions?
Joe looks dubious. ‘Shall we go get doughnuts?’
I’m about to protest that Lila’s already eaten through her body weight in chocolate this morning so I’d prefer to go for something healthy when I check myself. Maybe I don’t need to be such a complete bore all the time. Sure, her approach to vegetables is a bit like my approach to the laundry pile … reluctant. But she eats most things, she’s happy and she’s healthy.
I close my mouth and the argument dies on my lips.
The kids are sat cross-legged on a café bench, facing each other with a pot of molten chocolate in the middle of them. It’s a recipe for disaster, I know, but they’re so happy. They pick up still-warm churros from a basket on the table, dip them in and then giggle at each other as their faces and fingers become ever-more chocolatey.
I turn to ask Joe if he’s got any tissues left and find that he’s deliberately daubed chocolate all over his face too. I snort with laughter.
‘Is something wrong?’ he asks Lila and Sid, pretending to be confused.
‘You’re all chocolatey,’ they call out, full of glee.
‘Am I? Where?’ He dabs at a corner of his mouth with a napkin, deliberately missing the mess.
‘There!’ They point.
‘Where?’ he asks, dabbing more chocolate sauce on himself like a lunatic.
‘Do it to Mummy!’ Lila claps.
Oh hell no. I hold my hands up. ‘No thanks.’
‘Do it! Do it!’
‘Ah I couldn’t. Your mummy looks far too pretty to be covered in chocolate.’
I glance over at Joe, feeling oddly bashful at the compliment. He is very good at acting the boyfriend. I’m so busy thinking about all the ways Joe has thrown himself into this new role that I don’t hear Lila announce: ‘I’ll do it!’ I don’t see her tottering off the bench and over to our side of the table, her hands already dipped in chocolate.
One sticky paw landing on my cream shirt snaps me back to reality.
Another lands on my cheek.
Joe appears to be shouting NOOOOOOOOO in slow-mo.
Sidney’s clapping.
I’m … not horrified. I look down at the complete mess formerly known as my expensive French top. I look up at Lila’s enthralled face. I think Joe’s holding his breath?
‘I guess we’re all mucky pups now,’ I say.
Sidney shouts MUCKY PUP. Lila lets out a peel of delighted laughter. And I am so happy to see my daughter enjoying some time outside school with a kid who has quite obviously become a good little friend of hers. It gives me a sense of achievement, too, like I’m doing a good job at parenting today, which is all I’ve ever wanted really.
Later, when the kids are experiencing one hell of a sugar comedown, lying on their backs in my garden staring up at the clouds, Joe catches my hand.
‘I’m sorry about earlier,’ he says.
‘What do you mean?’
