‘Maisie, Ellielovesyou. And she’s going to beextremely worried and sad when she finds you’ve gone.’
She stops and turns towards me. ‘She shouts at me all thetime, Kenzie. ’Cos I’m naughty.’
‘Well, maybe sometimes.’ I smile. ‘But that doesn’t mean sheand your dad don’t think the absolute world of you.’
Maisie shakes her head, looking down. ‘They want a baby.’
‘What?’
‘Mummy was crying because she wants a baby.’
‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean they –’
She looks up, her face blazing with emotion. ‘It’s true. Iheard her telling you about it the other day at your house. She’s alwaysgetting cross with me and I thought if she has a baby, they might like it better.’She shrugs. ‘They’d need my bedroom for a nursery. So I’m going to stay with mygranny.’
‘Oh, Maisie.’ I’m so horrified, I feel lost for words.
And at that moment, Maisie looks across to the high streetand spots a bus pulling into a stop. She starts running, and of course the dollfalls out of her bag, along with the pink soft toy and what looks like ajewellery box.
I gather them up and run after her, but by the time I reachher, she’s already stepping onto the bus and I panic, thinking the doors willclose and it will leave, carrying Maisie away...
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Panting, I call out to her. ‘Maisie, that bus doesn’tgo to your granny’s. It goes the opposite way.’
She turns around, looking at me with suspicion.
I hold up her things. ‘Let’s go and get a proper bag forthese, eh? And we can talk to your mummy? She’ll cry if you leave.’
Maisie stares at me, and I can see she’s wavering.
I hold out my hand, aware the bus driver is gettingimpatient, wanting to be on his way. ‘Come on, love. Are you hungry? Would youshare one of Fen’s chocolate muffins with me? I bet you haven’t even had anylunch.’
To my relief, she sighs and steps down from the bus. ‘It’s astupid bag, anyway,’ she says crossly, slipping her hand into mine.
‘You’ve got too many lovely things for just one bag,’ I say,cheerful with relief as we cross the village green, back to the cafe. ‘Oh,look. There’s your mum.’
Ellie is waving and hurrying out to meet us.
‘Maisie? Where on earth have you been? I was so worried. Ididn’t know where you were.’ She takes the plastic bag. ‘You’ve dropped yourrabbit.’
I exchange a meaningful look with Ellie, as Maisie runs backto pick up her rabbit, then disappears into the café.
Ellie looks at me, bewildered. ‘What’s going on?’
I sigh. ‘She’s somehow got it into her head that you and Zakwant a new baby instead of her. So she decided it might be best if she went tolive with her granny.’
Ellie gazes at me in horror.
‘She’ll be fine.’ I try to reassure her.
‘How could she eventhinkthat we’d want her to moveout?’ She shakes her head, looking back at the café, tears in her eyes.
‘Go and talk to her,’ I murmur. ‘Sort things out.’
‘I will. Thank you, Kenzie.’ And she disappears inside.
*****
