Page 59 of The Happy Family

Arthur and Ruby nod their heads before I check the door to make sure my parents aren’t about to walk in and see what is inside. They aren’t, so I hand the present over and my children both work to quickly tear off the wrapping paper so they can see what they have received.

It takes them a few seconds to figure out what it is that they are looking at.

It’ll also take some explaining from me.

But I’m ready to do it. I know exactly what to say to make them understand.

It’s vital that they do.

After all, this is a huge piece of my plan to catch Luna.

FORTY

LUNA

Something’s going on. Something’s not right. I can’t quite figure it out yet, but I can feel it in my bones.

Then it hits me. I realise what is wrong. It’s so obvious once I figure it out that I can’t believe I didn’t work it out sooner. I shake my head at my silliness. Then I make sure to tell Reid.

‘Have you noticed that the children are being well behaved this morning?’ I say to my partner, and the pair of us look over at the kitchen table where Arthur and Ruby are sitting and eating their breakfast, already dressed in school uniform and keeping the noise to a minimum.

‘I thought it was strange that I didn’t have a headache,’ Reid comments before the toaster pops and he picks up the two pieces of bread that have just emerged from inside it.

‘I wonder what’s going on?’ I muse. ‘This must be the first time you haven’t had to scream and shout at them to hurry up and come downstairs.’

‘It is a little odd, I’ll give you that,’ Reid replies as he starts to butter his toast.

‘What are they up to?’ I wonder, but Reid seems to have the answer.

‘Maybe they’re being on their best behaviour because of the holiday coming up,’ he suggests, and he might be right. ‘Or because Santa is watching closely at this time of year. Nothing makes mischievous children behave better than the mention of the “naughty list”.’

We have gone ahead and booked our week-long trip over the Christmas period, finding a hotel that has all the amenities a family like ours could want, and paying the deposit required to secure our booking. As soon as we had done that, we told Arthur and Ruby and they were excited to go, especially once we had shown them all the photos online of the pool, beach, playground and entertainment centre where we will soon be spending our days and nights through the last week of December. I checked the weather forecast in our destination this morning and it’s a lovely temperature over there right now, nothing but clear blue skies for the foreseeable future, so the weather should be perfect when we arrive. We have a little while to wait yet, just over a week before the children finish school for the year and we can get in that taxi to the airport to head to sunnier climes. But the main thing is that we are definitely going, and I am glad that Sadie didn’t try to ruin our plans by putting up more of a fight about us taking Arthur and Ruby away from the area on Christmas Day.

‘She actually agreed it was a good idea,’ Reid had said when he had got home that day after visiting Sadie, surprising me with the ease of how it had gone.

‘Really? She didn’t protest?’

‘No. I mean, I could tell she was disappointed that she wouldn’t be seeing the children, but I think she understands that they deserve a holiday after this year, and she also understands that she isn’t really in a position to argue too much.’

‘Wonderful,’ I had said before wrapping my arms around my man and giving him a kiss. I had almost added that maybe this was a sign that Sadie wasn’t going to be the problem in our lives that we had assumed she would be going forward, but I kept that part to myself. Still, on the inside, I was delighted that Sadie seemed to be rolling over easily and giving in to whatever demands I was now putting on the family. After all, it is my family now, not hers.

Back in the moment, peace still reigns in this quiet kitchen, the only sound now being Arthur and Ruby’s spoons hitting the side of their bowls as they finish their cereal.

‘Please can I have some more?’ Ruby asks me ever so politely.

‘Of course, darling,’ I say, picking up the cereal box and carrying it over to her before pouring in more of the crunchy wheat flakes she seems to be enjoying so much this morning.

Why can’t every breakfast time be like this? I think to myself as I smile at the two well-behaved little beings at the table, loving how this differs so much to the wild animals they usually are at this time of the day. As for Jude, he is doing his usual thing of lying in his pram staring out at the sky, but he never gives me much trouble. Hopefully, Arthur and Ruby are following suit now and this can be the start of much easier, more positive days ahead for this family.

‘This is amazing,’ Reid whispers to me when I return to him by the kitchen counter as he takes a big bite out of his toast.

‘Don’t jinx it,’ I whisper back.

Together, the two of us stand and watch Arthur and Ruby, who are now chatting amongst themselves, talking about something at school that they both seem to be looking forward to.

I realise that having children is only hard if they are naughty. But when they are like this? It’s a total breeze, and I’m almost sad when it has to end and Reid announces that it’s time for everyone to get their coats and shoes on and head for the car. I wonder if this will be the moment when the peace is shattered and Arthur and Ruby will remember that they do have the option of kicking up a fuss and being naughty instead of being nice. But it still doesn’t happen and the two of them simply carry their empty cereal bowls over to the sink before going into the hallway to get themselves ready to leave. Ruby even sings as she goes.

I could really get used to this.