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The big cat jumped up onto the kitchen table, knocking over the milk carton and then hastily lapping up the spilled milk.
“What’s that about crying over spilled milk?” Hope said as she snatched a cloth from the sink.
“Very funny,” said Caz. “You know there’s no more milk in the fridge, don’t you?”
Hope lifted Rosie off the table and wiped up the milk. “I’ll go into town and get some more just as soon as Alice is back.”
She’d no sooner said the words than the doorbell rang. Rosie fled back out of the cat-flap and Hope felt a small chill go down her spine.
“Be nice,” Caz said.
“Aren’t I always?” said Hope, even though the thought of having to see Noah made her feel slightly sick.
The second the door opened a ball of energy flew right at her and smacked her in the stomach so hard that it almost knocked the breath out of her.
“Mum!”
“Anyone would think you’d been gone a year instead of a night,” Hope said, ruffling Alice’s curls with one hand and holding the door open with the other.
“Er, hi.” Noah shuffled from one foot to the other, his dark hair as curly as Alice’s, his cheeks pink, and the tip of his nose white so that Hope knew he was as uncomfortable as she was.
“Hi,” she said, plastering a big smile on her face for Alice’s benefit. “Everything alright?”
“Uh, yeah, yeah,” said Noah, running his hand through his hair. “Yeah, all good.” He cleared his throat. “Just, um, we were… I was wondering if it’d be alright to have Alice over one more time. You know, before school starts again. We wanted to go to the cinema, if that’s alright with you?”
Hope swallowed down her irritation at the change of plans. “Of course,” she said, smile still wide. She’d never stop Alice seeing Noah. Even if she did want to get Alice back on early nights so she was ready for school.
“Great,” beamed Noah.
“Hurray!” squealed Alice, her face screwed up with joy.
“Alice! Alice!” came a voice from the direction of the car.
Hope looked over to see a tall, thin woman climbing out of the passenger seat, Alice’s red and white striped cardigan in her hand. She glanced over at Noah to see his eyes cloud over a little bit.
“That’s Amelia,” Alice said helpfully. “She’s got my cardigan. I was too hot so she put it in her bag when we were at the park.”
“I see,” said Hope.
Of course she knew who Amelia was. Noah had told her everything she needed to know. To be fair, he hadn’t tried to hide the fact that he had a new girlfriend, not when Alice stayed with him at least once a week.
It was just that she wasn’t exactly prepared to meet her face to face.
Not when she was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt that hadn’t been white for at least the last ten washes. Not when she hadn’t done her hair or even looked in a mirror so far this morning. Not when she wasn’t prepared.
Maybe not ever.
“Here we go,” said Amelia, slightly breathless from jogging over from the car, handing the cardigan to Hope who took it automatically.
“Thanks.” The word came out shorter and sharper than she’d intended.
Amelia blushed and Hope took in her blonde hair and her blue eyes and her even features and wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or offended that the woman looked nothing like her. Did that mean that Noah needed something different, or did it mean that he’d always wanted something different and hadn’t liked her at all?
“I’m Amelia,” said Amelia, holding out a delicate hand.
“Hope,” said Hope, taking the hand for all of a second, then dropping it again.
“Well, we’d better be off,” said Noah with false cheeriness. “Bye Alice.”
