AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eamon turned, chuckling. ‘Easy. First thing to do is feed her. No sweets or sugary stuff, or she’ll be running around all night...’
Pete broke in. ‘Find her something she likes on TV for an hour, and then ask her to show you her favourite story book. She’ll tell you what it says; they know their favourites by heart.’
Cass laughed, spinning a screwed-up ball of paper at Pete’s head. ‘I can manage a kid’s storybook. Big writing, spaced-out words.’
‘There you go then. If in doubt, go for princesses; they’re all the rage at the moment,’ Eamon added with a laugh. ‘Sorted.’
Cass wasn’t so sure. A menu and a schedule of activities for the evening was the least of her worries. Looking after Jack’s child, in Jack’s house, was a mocking counterfeit of all the things she wanted so much but couldn’t have. She was just going to have to rise above that and maintain some kind of mental distance.
Tea was accomplished, albeit with the maximum amount of mess. Jack had called, saying that after having slept for the whole afternoon, Mimi was now awake and relatively alert, and Cass told him to stay with her.
Ellie selected her favourite cartoon and Cass sat down on the sofa with her to watch it, while Ellie kept up a running commentary of what was going to happen next.
‘The monster’s coming...’
‘Where?’
‘They’re going into the forest. He’s hiding...’ Ellie covered her eyes.
‘Hey. It’s okay.’ Cass assumed that Ellie knew that too, but that didn’t seem to erode the tension of the moment for her.
‘Cassandra...’ Ellie flung her arms around Cass’s neck, seeming genuinely terrified, and every instinct demanded that Cass hug her back.
This moment should hurt, but Ellie was just a little girl and it was Cass’s name she’d called. Cass felt herself relax, holding Ellie tight. It was just the two of them, and she and Ellie could protect each other from the monsters that lurked in both their heads.
* * *
When Jack got home the kitchen was empty, apart from the remains of a meal which looked big enough to feed a whole army of four-year-olds. Upstairs, Ellie was in bed and her room was uncharacteristically tidy. Cass was sitting by her bed, the closed book on her lap indicating that she’d resorted to improvisation for Ellie’s bedtime story.
‘Daddy...? I had a nice time...’ Ellie’s voice was sleepy and Jack leaned over, kissing his daughter’s forehead.
Cass’s face tipped towards him, tenderness shining from her eyes. He nodded in response to her mouthed qu
estion about Mimi, and she smiled.
‘Do you want to take over?’ She was halfway out of the chair next to Ellie’s bed and Jack shook his head. He’d worried about Ellie becoming too reliant on Cass, but in truth it was he who was beginning to feel he couldn’t do without her. Ellie was clearly a lot more relaxed about things.
‘What’s the story about?’
Cass thought. ‘Well, there’s this princess. Beautiful, of course, and she’s got her own castle.’
‘Naturally.’ Jack sat down on the end of Ellie’s bed.
‘And she wants her own fire engine...’ Ellie woke up enough to show that she’d been following the plot.
‘Right. And does she get it?’ Jack found himself smiling. Not the tight, forced smile he’d been practising for the last couple of days, but one which came right from the heart.
‘Only after she passes her exams and the fitness test.’ Cass was clearly intent on making the thing believable.
‘And she’s going to rescue the prince.’ Ellie chimed in.
Jack chuckled. ‘Don’t let me stop you, then. This I have to hear.’
* * *
The soft light from the bedside lamp had transformed Jack’s features into that very prince. Handsome and brave. Someone who could fight dragons and somehow turn an impossible situation into a storybook ending. When the princess had finished rescuing him, he rescued her back and everyone lived happily ever after.
When Ellie finally drifted off into sleep neither she nor Jack moved. Holding on to the magic for just a little while longer, despite there being no excuse to do so.
