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“Are you sure pink is my colour?” he asked, holding up his left hand to inspect the damage.
“Pink can be for boys too.”
“I know. I just think a nice blue might have brought out my eyes.”
Stopping abruptly, she looked him in the eyes for long enough to make him uncomfortable. “If your eyes came out, you wouldn’t be able to see.”
“I meant … never mind.”
“We don’t have any blue anyway.”
“If I’d have realised you were going to give me a makeover I’d have picked out a different colour in the shop.”
“Don’t you like this one?” She finished the final nail and put the brush back in the pot. “I think it’s nice.”
“I suppose it makes a change.”
“Next time we can get blue if you want.”
“Thanks.”
“Can we go to the beach later and build sandcastles?”
“Isn’t that going to ruin our nails?”
“I think it will be okay.” She blew on his nails to dry the polish. “We could look for nice shells as well.”
“Okay.”
“I’d like to play hide and seek later too, and maybe we can draw pictures for a surprise for Mummy.”
“That’s a good idea.”
With Ellie’s non-stop activities, the afternoon went by in a blink. Mirren made dinner for the three of them, then got Ellie ready for bed before letting her watch TV.
“I don’t know which one of you looks more tired,” Mirren said, when the episode of Peppa Pig came to an end.
Trystan had been struggling to keep his eyes open while Ellie was curled up with her head resting on the arm of the couch.
“I think you might need to go up to bed,” he told her.
“I thought Mummy would be back to read me a bedtime story.”
“She’ll be back soon,” Mirren said. “Why don’t I take you up and read your story? Mummy will come up to see you as soon as she’s back.”
Trystan had offered to pick Beth up from the airport, but she’d insisted she could walk.
“Can Trystan read the story?” Ellie asked without lifting her head from the arm of the couch.
“I suppose so.” He yawned as he stood, then held a hand out to her, but she only stared up at him. “Shall I carry you?”
“Yes, please.” She said goodnight to Mirren as he carried her out of the living room. Halfway up the stairs she snuggled into his neck and quietly asked if he’d read two stories.
“Maybe.” He yawned again. “If I can stay awake that long.”
* * *
The house was quiet when Beth arrived back, except for the low hum of the TV drifting from the living room. Sticking her head around the door, she greeted Mirren.
