Playgroup had been a challenge. Of course he’d gone twice with Cameron, so he’d been introduced to the other mothers and carers, but it was a different thing to go it alone. To be the only male in the group. He was asked the girlfriend question four separate times and he was fairly sure Carrie, Eugenia’s mum, propositioned him. He pretended not to hear her suggestion he bring Mia over for an afternoon nap so the two of them could chill.
“That good,” Audrey laughed.
“Mia loves it.” All the kids were around the same age; it was chaotic, but more laughter and learning than tears.
“We don’t have to do it forever.”
“More jelly, Reece.
Audrey smoothed a hand over Mia’s hair. “Say may I have more jelly, please, Reece.”
“May I have jelly prease, Reece.”
He took her bowl and gave her another tablespoonful. “You’ll turn into jelly.”
She shook herself head to tail. “Wibble, wobble.” She turned to Audrey. “We did dancin’ all the days, before lunch.”
“Did you? Was it Wiggle time?”
Mia nodded around her spoon. “Did you dance on your own?” Audrey looked at him, Mia’s brand of mischief in her expression. “Cameron wasn’t a dance fan.”
He dropped his head, wondering what Mia would come out with. Fortunately she was unlikely to say he busted a move to Big Red Car and Hot Potato.
“I did up, up, up and down, down, down. I was a statue.”
“I bet you were a good statue.
“I was a lady beetle.”
Audrey laughed. She smoothed Mia’s hair again. “We keep kindy gym. Give playgroup another couple of weeks. Wiggle time is still a big hit. Any trouble with going to the toilet or getting her to eat?”
“I eated it all, Mum.”
He’d bear hugged Cameron when he discovered Mia was completely toilet trained. Accidents he could cope with, but no nappy changing, that was a bonus.
“Mia was no trouble at all. Is there anything you need different for next week?”
Audrey reached for her bag and pulled out her phone. She consulted the screen. “I have a late meeting Wednesday, could you cover an additional hour, till seven instead of six?”
“No problem. Do you feel comfortable with me giving Mia her bath and getting her ready for bed?”
“Read me a story in Mum’s bed. But no monsters, only wibble wobble, trundling, and fairies.”
Audrey frowned and he braced for an objection. If it came it would be a problem, it meant he hadn’t won her trust and she wasn’t going to be comfortable leaving him with Mia overnight. Then she kicked off her killer heels.
“Sorry, my feet are wrecking me and it’s been a shocker of a week at work.” She was so much more Ms Bates in her fitted dark suit, she made him twitchy and anxious but shoeless, she was more the Audrey he could relate to again.
“I had big problem with a major project. I managed to make my boss’s boss notice me, not a good thing, and I had my first serious disagreement with the other female manager on the team. I’m exhausted. I hope the tumbling fairy here is as well. Can I think about bath time and let you know?”
“Sure. There’s leftover spaghetti sauce in the fridge. There’s a baguette and dessert. Not jelly.”
Audrey opened the fridge. “Really.” She pulled out the bottle of wine and gave him a smile that not only wiped the layers of tiredness from her face, it made him feel like doing the propeller dance. “You’re a hero.”
He stepped sideways to let her move around him and get a glass and there might’ve been a bounce in his step. He was inordinately pleased about making Audrey happy. The week had gone without a hitch if you discounted playgroup where he’d felt like a which of these doesn’t fit puzzle; a vegetable amongst pictures of fruit, and pleasing his employer was a good way to keep his job.
“You know you don’t have to provide for me.” Audrey pulled the covered bowl of meat sauce out of the fridge. “But this is heaven. Thank you, that was very thoughtful. Can I pour you a drink?”
“Can I hab a drink?” said Mia.