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‘There you two are. I might have guessed you’d have followed the aroma of cupcakes.’ Teresa laughed as she walked towards the stall. ‘Sorry, I see she’s helped herself to one already.’
‘She’s very welcome. They both are.’ Elsie grinned.
‘Well, thank you. And I hope you said thank you too?’ Rob ruffled Ava’s hair as Ava nodded. ‘Hi, Carmen.’
‘Hi.’ She waved before turning and pulling the box of cookies from under the stall again. She might as well refill the cookie tray. If nothing else, it would give her something else to focus on. Ever since they’d had their chat and cleared the air, she just hadn’t been able to stop herself from thinking about him. From wondering whether if she had said something when he’d finished with her, rung him back, or contacted him a few weeks later to check in with him, to see if everything was okay with him, whether they would have worked things out. She’d have supported him in every way. Why had he just pushed her away instead of talking to her, explaining what had been happening in his life?
‘Have you been busy?’ He glanced down at the half-empty trays. ‘Or was that a really daft question?’
She smiled. ‘We’ve been busy.’ Hadn’t he trusted her or had he just been so wrapped up in the shock of finding out he had a daughter who he was suddenly fully responsible for that he hadn’t been able to think straight?
Leaning forward, Rob lowered his voice. ‘Are we okay after our talk?’
Carmen glanced down at Ava, who was looking up at them. ‘All good.’
‘Daddy, can I help Pippa on the stall, please?’ Ava tugged the bottom of Rob’s t-shirt.
‘Oh, I don’t know. Elsie, Carmen and Diane are looking after the stall. I don’t know if they need two little girls helping.’ Rob looked at Carmen and whispered, ‘Or being more of a hindrance rather than helping.’
‘Please, Pippa is.’ Ava looked across at Pippa, who had already run around the other side of the stall and was now standing still whilst Elsie was tightening an apron around her.
‘I don’t...’
‘Ava can help too, can’t she, Elsie? You always say the more the merrier, don’t you?’ Pippa pointed at Ava.
Elsie finished tying Pippa’s apron strings before pulling another apron from beneath the stall. ‘Of course. I have another apron for you, Ava, if you’d like to help?’
‘Can I, Daddy, please?’ Ava jumped up and down, still tugging on Rob’s t-shirt.
Rob shrugged. ‘If it’s okay with Elsie?’
‘It’s more than okay. Come on, Ava. The more the merrier, as Pippa says.’ Elsie ushered Ava around the back of the stall before glancing across at Carmen. ‘You can go for a break now if you like, Carmen? Have a wander around before things start winding down?’
‘Okay, thanks.’ Carmen slipped her apron over her head and tucked it beneath the stall.
‘There’s a stall selling crepes over on the other side of the playground. Do you want me to show you?’ Rob smiled at Carmen.
‘Yes, please.’ Joining Rob around the other side of the stall, Carmen tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
‘Bye, Daddy.’ Ava called from behind them.
‘See you in a bit, Ava. Be good.’ Rob waved before indicating in front of them. ‘It’s over here.’
‘Great. I’m starving. I know we sell food, but I always feel awkward eating when people are waiting to be served.’
‘That’s fair enough.’
Carmen nodded and looked around her. The fete was still busy. There weren’t as many people as there had been when it first opened but being as it had now been open three hours, there was still a surprising number of people perusing the stalls or sitting on picnic rugs on the field watching their children play on the wooden play equipment towards the back of the school playing field or playing hopscotch or tag on the painted lines on the playground. Some people looked as though they were locals, their children running up to their teachers manning the stalls or pulling their elder siblings towards the windows of the school building, pointing inside to their new classrooms. Whereas Carmen guessed others were probably tourists, those who exclaimed how lovely the school looked or those who had asked her where the bakery was so they could pop in and buy more pasties or cakes another day. ‘It’s lovely here, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Ava loves it. She even gets her uniform and bag ready the night before. She’s that eager to come to school.’ Rob smiled as he nodded at a man wearing a lanyard. ‘That was Ava’s old teacher, Daniel. Sorry, I should say Mr Peters.’
‘Is that the crepe stall over there?’ Carmen pointed to a stall in front of them, a short queue of people were gathered in front of it.
‘Yep, that’s it. What would you like? My treat.’
