Page 88 of A is for Aftercare

Blake holds his hands up, showing us the ‘amazing’ job Lexi has done. Each of his nails is painted in the colours of the Pride flag, with varying degrees of success and neatness. “I thought you were going to do my make-up next?” he asks his niece. “We’re playing beauty salons,” he adds, grinning at me and Archie.

“Maybe I could help you cook?” I suggest to Archie.

“Boring,” Lexi says. “Uncle Blake can cook, and you and Uncle Archie can visit my beauty salon.”

“Where’s Corey?” Archie asks.

“Where d’you think?” Blake asks, jerking his thumb towards the stairs.

“Marking,” Archie and Lexi say together.

Lexi rolls her eyes. “Daddy works too hard. I’ll paint his nails and do his make-up after dinner.”

“No one’s going to escape,” Blake whispers. “Don’t even try.”

Archie looks at me apologetically.

“It’s fine,” I say. “I don’t mind having my nails painted.” Although I will need to go and buy some nail varnish remover on the way home so I can get rid of the stuff as soon as possible.

Lexi grabs my and Archie’s hands and pulls us into the room she and Blake came out of, which turns out to be an open plan living space, which takes up the full depth of the house. Pretty much as soon as we go in the door, there’s a small table upon which are several bottles of nail polish, various types of make-up, lots of make-up brushes, and a little mirror.

“Most of the make-up is Blake’s,” Archie says, just as I’m wondering what a five-year-old is doing with so much of the stuff.

“Please take a seat,” Lexi says in a grand voice.

Archie and I do as asked while Blake starts pulling things out of the fridge.

Lexi gestures towards the nail polish. “What colours would you like?”

“Umm…” I stare at the little bottles.

There's about a dozen, all in bright shades. There's not a single colour that would go barely unnoticed. It's a good thing I love Archie.

“I think you’d look good with red nails,” Archie says.

I snort.

“Red would be beautiful!” Lexi exclaims.

"Fine. Red." I put my hands palm down on the table.

Lexi opens a bottle of nail polish and begins to paint my nails. She gets as much on my skin as she does on my actual nails, as she slaps it on without much care. My fingers feel sticky and heavy, and I look fairly ridiculous.

“Now you have to wave your hands until your nails dry,” Lexi tells me.

“Oh.” I waft my hands through the air as Lexi turns her attention to Archie.

“What colour do you want, Uncle Archie?”

"Blue?" Blake suggests as he chops onions.

“That’s your favourite colour, Uncle Archie!” Lexi says, clapping her hands. She picks up two bottles, one light, one dark. “Which one?”

“Both?” I suggest. “Alternating.”

Archie sneers at me playfully.

“That would look so pretty!” Lexi says.