‘We should be heading home,’ said Alexander, looking at his watch. ‘I can’t thank you enough, Sadie, we’ve had a wonderful afternoon.’
‘You’re welcome,’ she said. ‘And I’ve been talking to Theo – if it’s all right with you, he can come back and help out as much as he likes. Be glad to have him.’
Theo looked at his father with huge, shining eyes, and Alexander laughed.
‘Of course he can come back, thank you.’
Theo just squeezed his father’s hand and beamed.
When we got home, everyone took off their outdoor clothes and disappeared, leaving only Alexander and me in the hall. I decided to go and rest in the hour or so before dinner and started heading up the stairs, but he caught my wrist. I turned.
‘Look, Fallon, I just want to thank you again. That afternoon was transformational for Theo. I think, I hope, that after a difficult period, we might have turned a corner.’
‘It wasn’t really me – it was Sadie who did everything.’
‘Yes, but you had the idea, you had the instinct that it could help, and you were right.’
This was all feeling too intense for me, and I pulled my arm away.
‘It just seemed logical. I’m not sure instinct had anything to do with it, but I’m glad it helped.’
He looked confused – he’d probably got too used to all those gushing Annabels – but then grinned.
‘Have it your own way – but you made a lovely bunny mummy, you can’t deny it.’
I stuck my tongue out at him.
‘A one-time only special, and one that’s left me needing a nap.’
And with that, I ran up the stairs to the peace and solitude of my room.
THIRTEEN
The next few days were simpler and more to my innate strengths: less nurturing of baby bunnies, more consulting spreadsheets and chasing orders. Only having one project on the go suited me and I was stimulated by the work rather than exhausted. It also didn’t hurt that the time I spent working each day was severely limited by other people. Douglas and often Mum as well, to my surprise, or Constance, sometimes even Coco, were taking Theo to the sanctuary every day, which left Alexander and I a good block of time to get work done. But when Theo was home, Alexander downed tools and spent time with his son. At first, I had found this frustrating.
‘What’s up with you?’ asked Constance one day, finding me slamming my phone down on the kitchen table with what was no doubt a very sour look on my face.
‘I just want to get these labelsdone,’ I said. ‘We could have got the order in today, but Theo’s home early because Sadie and Jacob had to take Linnet somewhere, and Alexander’s gone off with him. I can’t make the decision unilaterally, heknowsthat. Now it will have to wait until the morning.’
‘How annoying,’ said Constance calmly, switching on the kettle. ‘Cup of tea? You might as well.’
‘Yes, all right then,’ I answered ungraciously. ‘I suppose I’d better have one of those herbal things Mum’s been making me drink.’
‘Is this the one – linden and camomile? Sounds very soothing, I might join you in one. I’ve hit a rocky patch in my book.’
‘Sorry to hear that.’
‘Thanks. I’ll get past it. I’m going to take a break and go for a walk when I’ve drunk this, I find the cold December air works wonders for “unsticking” me when work isn’t going well.’
‘My problem is that workisgoing well – I’m only stuck because Alexander isn’t here.’
Constance placed a mug of tea in front of me.
‘Do you think he should be working instead of spending time with Theo?’ she asked in her direct way.
I flushed.
‘I guess not, but time is very limited, and this is important.’
