Ellie nods, apparently unable to stop smiling. ‘Except youand Daddy, yes.’ She bends to hug Maisie, swinging her off her feet until thelittle girl squeals with laughter and begs to be put down.
‘I’m really too old for that now, Mummy,’ she says, givingEllie a severe look.
Ellie nods. ‘Of course you are. Sorry.’
We exchange a secret smile, and as they’re leaving, Elliesays, ‘Maisie wanted to tell you herself about the adoption. She keeps talkingabout the time you stopped her getting on the wrong bus.’
I grin, watching Maisie swinging on the gate. ‘I think itwas the right bus, actually. I just wanted her to come back with me.’
‘Well, I’m very glad you did what you did. By the way, areyou all set for the fete at the end of the month?’
‘Erm, yes. I think so.’
‘But you’ve got a stall, haven’t you?’
‘Actually, I’m not sure. I... haven’theard from Aidan for a while.’
‘Oh. Right. I assumed you’d still be helping him organiseit?’
I glance away, her innocent comment piercing my heart. ‘Notreally. I... well, the thing is, I’m so busy with thepottery.’
‘Of course you are.’
I shrug. ‘The business has to be a priority. And he has lotsof other people helping him.’
‘You’re not seeing each other?’
I shake my head.
She smiles. ‘You know, at one stage, I really thought youtwo would end up together. He’s such a lovely guy. He was round at the café oneafternoon last week to talk about the arrangements for the fete.’
‘Was he?’ My fake smile wobbles a little.Aidan knows Ionly work at the cafe in the mornings. So he’d have gone in the afternoonbecause he knew I wouldn’t be there.
Maisie runs up the path. ‘Will you come to my party,Kenzie?’
‘Party? Ooh, lovely.’
Ellie takes her hand. ‘We’ve decided to have a knees-up tocelebrate the adoption going through.’
‘With a big cake and lots of people,’ adds Maisie. ‘Soeveryone will know you’re my real mummy now.’ She smiles shyly up at Ellie.
‘Wow, that sounds amazing. I’ll definitely be there.’
Maisie runs out to the car and I exchange a tender glancewith Ellie that says everything we need to say.
Children are so very precious...
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
The fete takes place on an unusually warm and sunnyday towards the end of May.
I haven’t seen Aidan at all since I was forced to tell himwe were over, even before we’d properly begun. In the last few weeks, we’vespoken a few times on the phone to discuss arrangements for my pottery stall,but that’s all, and our chats – horribly formal and business-like – left mefeeling down each time.
I’m so nervous about being in his company again, I keepthinking I might duck out... fake an illness, maybe.
But I know I’m just kidding myself. I can’t pass up thechance to raise money for such a great cause while giving my business a boostat the same time.
And I also can’t pass up the chance to see Aidan again...
