‘Pete. I’ve heard lots about you.’
As he shook her hand Lisa wished hers wasn’t quite so sweaty.
‘Some of it good, I hope.’ Lisa ventured a smile.
Pete hesitated.
Scared about what he might say, Lisa threw her paw mittens under the table. ‘Here let me help you.’
Sheheld out her hands and Pete passed her the tray of sandwiches he had been attempting to remove the cling film from.
‘Thanks.’
As their focus turned to passing out the food, the awkward moment passed.
‘Oh, thanks so much.’ Flick flashed Lisa a smile as she busied past her and set about offering a tray of sliced veg to the children.
‘Sandwich?’ Lisa asked each childas she walked along with the tray of impressively animal shaped sandwiches.
‘Oh, not for Milly,’ a woman called, ‘she’s gluten free.’
Lisa apologised and moved on, by the time she had gone round the whole table she had learnt that toddlers these days have more dietary needs than she had ever imagined possible – she wasn’t sure she had even known a vegetarian when she was at school,let alone a coeliac, a vegan and someone with a nut allergy. Feeding toddlers seemed a bit of a minefield.
As the food from the plastic tubs and serving platters was gradually devoured, and increasingly smeared around the children’s faces, Lisa noticed how the noise increased, until it was time to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Everybody hushed as the lights were dimmed. Pete carried the cake,while Felicity started the singing and stood ready with the camera opposite Fred. His little eyes lit up as he beamed excitedly at the cake. It was quite something. Lisa couldn’t imagine that Felicity had made it, not unless she had developed quite a sugar-craft talent in their years apart.
It was an amazing, two-tier tower, one layer covered in zebra stripes and the other with leopardspots. Standing between the tiers were sugar-crafted jungle animals. It looked delicious. As the singing stopped, Fred took an almighty breath and huffed out his number-two candle. Everybody clapped before the children took the cake being done as their signal to leave the table, and ran to the corner towards a man who appeared in readiness to create and give them jungle-animal-inspired balloons.The giraffe was particularly popular as it was the biggest.
‘Give us a hand, Lisa,’ Felicity called.
Lisa turned to see a red-faced Felicity chopping into the cake like a woman possessed.
‘From now to getting out the door is the worst part. Grab the napkins, would you?’
Lisa picked up the cheeky-monkey napkins and began wrapping cubes of cake.
‘Chuck themin those bags,’ Felicity said as she gestured along the food preparation table.
Lisa looked in the direction she had pointed. Leaning against the back wall was a row of party bags. She opened one and looked inside. ‘Wow! Whose birthday is this?’ she said it automatically and then wished she hadn’t. She didn’t want Felicity to think she was being rude, but the bag contained a balloon, sweets,stickers, a bendy monkey, a bag of chocolate animal biscuits, a lion notepad and a pencil with a zebra topper.
‘Madness, isn’t it?’ Felicity affirmed, without further explanation.
Lisa didn’t question it and continued to play her part in the party bag production line. As the last slice of cake, that it turned out Pete’s mum had made, entered the bag, Felicity called for Fred. Hecame over and listened intently as Flick gave him the very important role of passing out his party bags. Turning apparently too slowly and not looking focused enough for Flick’s liking he was promptly called back.
‘Megan, Alice, help him, will you.’ Felicity beckoned to the two older girls at the party, who Lisa recognised as Flick’s even though she had never met them before. They hadtheir mum’s blue eyes and unruly curls.
‘No, Lisa Lion!’ Fred insisted, turning from his sisters.
Lisa could have burst she felt so happy. Fred wanted her to help. She had made an impression and it was a good one. Fred put out his hand and Lisa took it.
Smiling, Felicity watched them walk away as tears welled in her eyes.
‘Ten minutes and the next party’s in.’
Looking at the teenage sports leader standing before her, bin bag, dustpan and brush in hand, Felicity jumped into action.
‘Oh Christ! Quick, Pete, stop eating and help clear the table will you. Alice, Megan, follow them. Lisa doesn’t know who those party bags are for any more than Fred does.’
