“I could live with a car,” I mutter, rolling my eyes for effect. “It would beat lugging Max onto public transport.”
I shut up when Allegra walks in, her hair damp and her face scrubbed clean. She's wearing a pair of pink striped pyjamas. “Can I try feeding him tomorrow?” she asks, reaching out to tickle Max under his chin. Without waiting for an answer she runs over to Niall, sticking a thumb in her mouth as she stares at his drawing.
“That's good,” she says. “It looks like them.”
Then she throws herself into his arms, hugging him tight. Niall holds her close, his eyes closed, his lips curled up into a contented smile.
A pang of jealousy jabs at my stomach. I can't help wishing Alex would hold Max that way.
* * *
We travel home on Sunday evening, arriving back at the flat as the sun slips her anchor, sliding down to the horizon in a trail of orange fire. My skin is still pink from our day on the beach, making my face feel tender and tight. Max has fallen asleep in his buggy, his head lolling to the side, occasionally falling forward as we hit a dip in the pavement. Exhausted by the Brighton air, he's been sleeping for most of the afternoon.
Like mine, his nose is pink and sensitive, but from another cold rather than sunburn. He developed a sniffle last night, fretting and spluttering for most of the evening, causing Beth and I to return early from our girl’s night out.
I knock on David's door as we pass it, planning to let him know we're home safely. When he finally pulls it open, I notice the shadows beneath his eyes, the way his face looks sallow and pale.
“You're back. Did you have a good time?” Leaning against the door jamb, hands stuffed in his pocket, he doesn’t invite me in.
“Yeah, it was good.” I haven't told him about Alex's photo. As sweet as he's been I don't want to air my dirty linen in public. At the moment, it's only Niall, Beth and me in the know. “I got a bit burnt, though.” A car horn blasts through the evening air, making Max jump, though it doesn't wake him. “How are you? Still busy?”
He shrugs. “Snowed under.” He looks down, pulling at the nail on his left thumb. “D'you want to come in for a cup of tea?”
I hesitate for a moment. It's already seven o'clock, I really should put Max to bed and get ready for the week ahead. But there's something about the expression on David's face that makes me agree.
I park Max in the corner of his living room as David makes the tea, and accept the steaming mug when he finally hands it to me. We sit for a minute, sipping quietly, until he breaks the silence.
“My mum saw Claire last week.”
No wonder he looks so haunted. His ex-girlfriend is a tender subject for David. Not to mention the fact she won't let him see his daughter.
“She did? Was Mathilda with her?”
“Nah, it was at some reception thing. The only reason my mum mentioned it was because Claire was with someone.”
“With someone?” I echo.
“A guy. Some businessman, according to Mum. She phoned in a panic, worried he was going to adopt Mathilda. Apparently he's a minor celebrity in town.”
“Rich?”
“Stinking with it.” David shrugs, but I can tell by the way he holds his shoulders that he's not cool with it. I reach out and grab his hand.
“How about your lawyer, has he managed to make any headway?”
“Nothing worth reporting.”
I sit up, swinging my legs around until they're curled beneath me. Then I look at David. “Have you ever considered going there and seeing Mathilda anyway?”
I look over at Max, sleeping quietly in the corner. If Alex stopped me from seeing him I don't know what I'd do.
“I've done more than consider it.” He looks down at his mug, as if he's avoiding my gaze. “I took her for a week, went down to my dad's cabin without telling anyone. That's... um... why I ended up with an injunction against me.”
“You took her?” I don't know how to feel about that. The part of me that's David's friend wants to support him. But the mother in me is appalled.
A pinched expression moulds his face. “This is why I don't tell anybody. Yes, it was stupid and yes, I was a knob, but I was in a bad place. She's my daughter, too.”