‘I only cried for milk; he cries for everything.’
Both Shane and I crack up.
‘Are you Uncle Shane’s girlfriend?’ Liliana demands suddenly.
I look at Shane, but he just looks at me innocently.
I clear my throat. ‘I’m Uncle Shane’s friend,’ I say primly.
‘Don’t you want to be Uncle Shane’s girlfriend?’ she asks curiously.
I feel myself flush and Shane grins evilly. ‘Answer the child then.’
‘Well,’ I say.
‘I know what. You can marry him if you want and then you can kiss like mummies and daddies.’
Shane bursts out laughing, and even I have to smile.
The next hour is the best fun I’ve had in years. Shane and I prepare thick homemade fish fingers that Liliana’s mother has sent, shelled peas, and mashed potatoes. The kids are a barrel of laughs, but my first impression of Tommy as a helplessly little baby is quickly dispelled. He turns out to be the naughtiest little imp.
After lunch, Shane puts on the Whip/Nae Nae record and Liliana, who knows all the moves, starts dancing. Disgusted with the noise and activity, the cat retreats into the kitchen.
‘Again,’ Liliana cries when the track ends.
God knows how, but on the third run the bossy boots manages to make both Shane and I join in. I have been out of circulation for so long, I don’t know any of the steps, but Shane, like Liliana, knows them all. He looks real good doing it too.
We all stop when the phone rings.
‘Can I answer it, Uncle Shane?’ Liliana asks.
‘Go on. It’s probably your daddy anyway.’
She rushes to the phone, picks it up, and says, ‘Hello, Margarite Hum Loo speaking.’
‘Daddeeeeee,’ she squeals. She listens for a while, then asks, ‘What time are you coming? OK. Hi, Mummy. Yes, I was very, very good. Tommy wasn’t, though. He banged my head really hard. On purpose. I was very brave. There was a very big egg on my head, but it’s gone down now.’
I turn toward Shane with widened eyes at the lies she was telling.
‘Don’t worry, everybody knows what a terrible shit-stirrer she is,’ he whispers with a wink.
Her mother must have asked about lunch because she says, ‘Yes. Fish fingers, mashed potatoes, and peas.’ She swivels her eyes toward me. ‘No, but Uncle Shane’s girlfriend is here. Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know.’ She takes a big breath. ‘Mummy, did you buy anything nice for me? Yay! OK, see you soon. I love you, Mummy. Bye, bye.’ She puts the phone down and skips over to us.
‘Mummy and Daddy are coming.’
‘I guess I’d better go,’ I say.
‘You don’t have to,’ Shane says immediately.
‘No, I should go. It’s getting late.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah, I’m sure,’ I say with a smile.
‘I’ll call you a cab.’
‘Thanks, Shane.’