AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Calvin spins around and looks down at Luna standing a little behind him. I hold out my hand, and Luna rushes forward to hand it to me.
“Luna, this is Mummy’s friend, Calvin,” I tell her nervously. Luna isn’t great at meeting new people, especially men. I’m sure she doesn’t remember much about the first year of her life, but she’s probably picked up on my apprehension around the male sex.
Luna looks up at Calvin, who squats before her and holds out his hand.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Luna,” he says softly as she takes his hand cautiously.
“Are you a nice Calvin?” she asks, looking between him and me.
“I hope you think so,” he answers, frowning. “Do you know a Calvin who isn’t nice?”
Luna nods her head as she lets go of his hand and looks down at the floor whilst fussing with her jumper.
“A boy in class. He can be mean sometimes.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my anger.
“Well, it so happens I have another name that only my best friends call me. Would it make you feel better if you called me, it too?” Calvin offers, causing Luna to look at him smiling. He holds out his little finger and smiles. “If you want to know my other name, you have to make a pinkie promise only to share it with our friends.” He looks up at me from where he is squatting with a smile on his face. “And Mummy,” he winks before turning back to face Luna, who takes his little finger with hers.
“I pinkie promise only to share your name with our friends,” Luna replies, her eyes wide and full of excitement. Calvin leans in and whispers in her ear. I watch as her smile slips, and she frowns at him.
“Pippin? Why Pippin?”
Calvin chuckles as he stands in front of her.
“That’s a very long story you wouldn’t understand. But that is what my closest friends call me.” She seems to think about it momentarily and nods as if deciding it will do for her. She walks around the desk towards me, looking happier than she has all day.
“Can I have my pencil back, please, Mummy?”
I hand it back to her and smile as she turns around to head back to the table where she is drawing.
“Luna, stay still,” I tell her as I reach over and take something from her back. “Look, Luna, this was on your top,” I exclaim, holding out my hand as she turns around and looks at the tiny creature in my hand.
“It’s a ladybug,” she exclaims, holding out her hand. I gently encourage it to walk onto her palm, and she looks at it closely. “Look, Pippin! I love ladybugs.”
Calvin walks around and looks at it in her hand.
“If it was on you, does that make this one a Luna bug?” he looks at her as she giggles. “I’m going to call you Luna Bug, Queen of the Ladybugs,” he announces as she gasps and looks at me excitedly.
“I have a special name, too, now!”
I can't help laughing as she spins around and rushes off towards where she is sitting excitedly, leaving Calvin and me laughing as we watch her.
“Well, I think you just made her dull day a lot brighter. Thank you.”
Calvin stands for a moment, watching where Luna has disappeared, before turning back to look at me whilst leaning against the side of my large desk.
“How come she's not in school? Young hasn’t made you bring her in when she’s ill, did he?” Calvin asks. I shake my head.
“Teacher training day. Young suggested I work from home as I have loads to get done, but I don’t have a decent laptop to connect to the office, so here we are.” I look over to the door, where I can see Luna drawing while watching TV on her old tablet. “Hopefully, that little boost you’ve given her will mean I get some work done without being interrupted every five minutes.”
“I’m free this afternoon. Why don’t I sit with her for a bit? That way, I can get her anything she needs, and you can get the work done quicker so you can spend some quality with her.”
I stare at him for a moment, not quite believing that he would offer to help with my daughter. Her father wouldn’t watch her so I could pee, yet Calvin is offering to spend time with her so I can work.
“You don’t have to do that; I’m sure you want to spend your free time in other ways.”
Calvin shakes his head and smiles at me.
