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Mel sweeps past me and glowers at Damian, who cringes into the sofa. “Damian Russell Smith! You give me one good reason why I don’t ban you from TV for the rest of the month!”
His face gets all pinched and then he bursts into tears and she crouches by the sofa to gather him into her arms. “I was so worried.”
“I’m sorry.” There is a small whine behind the boy’s words. I might not know kids, but Damian is clearly a master manipulator. First me, then his mother. I’m impressed!
Mel strokes his hair and Damian sobs into her shoulder.
Elsa tugs on my sleeve and I look down. “Did Damian get ice cream?” she whispers.
Mel, who must have supersonic hearing, whips her head around to glare at me. “Did he?”
I squirm. “Ah... well...”
She turns back to Damian, holding him by the upper arms so she can glare at him. “Damian. I told you no ice cream. There will be no dessert tonight, that’s for sure.”
“Awww. Why does he get ice cream?”
Mel pinches the bridge of her nose and lets out a long suffering sigh. I had no idea I had buried such a landmine here.
“Don’t you start.”
“But, Mooooooom!”
Like an idiot, I butt in, horns first. “There’s more. I’ll get Elsa one, too.”
“Don’t you dare!” Mel stands and puts her hands on her hips and it shocks me to see her eyes are watering, too.
“Come on,” I say more gently, daring to reach out and put a hand on her shoulder. Thank god, she doesn’t pull away. “I think I know someone else who could do with some ice cream today, too.”
Mel shakes her head. “We should go.”
“Not yet. Please. Stay for a little while.” I give her my best pleading look and I watch her waver.
“Well...”
“Please, Mom?” The kids have got the puppy dog eyes routine down and I silently applaud their performance.
Mel sighs. “Well, OK, but only for a little while.”
“Yay!” Elsa takes this as permission to get ice cream, and she and Damian rush off to my kitchen to further raid my supplies.
Mel frowns. “We should leave. You have things to do.”
“Are you kidding?” I push my luck and step a bit closer. “I still have lots of questions to ask you.”
I want to know all about the little nugget Elsa dropped earlier, but at that point the kids rush back in, both carrying an unwrapped ice cream. Mel takes the ice cream from Damian before he can take a second bite. “One was enough.”
He starts to whine, but she gives him such a look both kids hurry to sit on the sofa and innocently watch TV without another word.
I laugh. “Come on. Sit down. Relax. Do you want anything else? I’m pretty sure I have tea and coffee.”
She smiles and actually goes to sit on the lounge at the other side of the room, facing the window. I join her.
“You don’t know if you’ve got tea and coffee?”
I shrug. “Someone else does my shopping for me, so I’m only guessing.”
Mel rolls her eyes. “We come from different worlds.”
