Page 149 of Every Silent Lie

“But it’s school time.”

“It’s the last day before Christmas break. What’s he going to miss except Herbert Smith monopolising the party food?”

I smile, Dec grins back at me, and then he grabs my hand, pulling me through the crowd toward the stage. The eyes of many women follow us as he leads us round the back, down a corridor, and into a classroom. It’s empty. “What?—”

My words are stolen along with my breath when he spins me into him and claims my lips with a soft, possessive pressure, tugging my body close with his arm hooked around my waist. And despite where we are, I tumble into the sanctuary of his kiss and succumb to the beautiful effect he has on me, following his pace and pressure for what feels like forever until he hums and slows the swirls of his tongue and sucks my lip gently into his mouth. I open my eyes, dazed. Warm. Madly, deeply in love. “We’re in a classroom,” I whisper.

He looks around, his wet lips pouting in thought. “Detention for you, Ms. Moore.”

“I’m guilty by association. Being led astray. Mixing with the wrong crowd.” I push my mouth to his, my arm around his neck to keep him there, feeling his lips stretch into a smile beneath mine. “We better get out of here before we’re found and–”

The door swings open, and the woman who took particular interest in us in the hall appears. “Oh, apologies.” She pulls her handbag closer into the crook of her bent arm. “I didn’t realise the room was occupied. Was I interrupting something?” Her eyes land on me, and it’s all I can do not to roll mine. “I’m sorry, we’ve not met.”

“Camryn, Melissa; Melissa, Camryn,” Dec says quickly, before starting to haul me out of the classroom. “Have a great Christmas, Melissa,” he calls, dragging me along.

“Don’t forget my canapés and mulled wine get-together tonight!” she calls. “Seven thirty.”

Do I see him shudder? “She’s friendly,” I muse, smiling when he throws a tired look back at me.

“Shut up,” he murmurs, taking us back through to the hall.

“Did you drag me into a classroom just to sneak a kiss?”

“Yes,” he answers unapologetically, his neck craning to see over the mass of heads. “Where is he?”

“There,” I say, spotting Dec’s little prawn standing on the edge of the stage, scanning the crowd.

“Daddy!” he yells when he spots us. Dec drops my hand, but that’s okay. He heads for the stage, and when he’s a few meters away, Albi launches himself off the edge, landing in Dec’s open arms perfectly. Trust. They are quite literally each other’s worlds. I’ve spent little time with both of them together, and yet I see no empty void a mother’s left to be filled. I never thought I’d have believed a child could be okay without their mother in their lives. Whether death, selfishness, or force took them away. Albi isn’t missing a mother, because Dec’s everything he needs.

“That was insane!” Dec exclaims, shifting Albi’s little butt onto his forearm. “You’re a natural, fella.”

“I know,” he says, easy, his pink-padded shoulders jumping up casually. “Did you sing?”

“All the words.”

“Father Christmas’s reindeers aren’t really dolphins, Daddy.”

“I know, mate.”

“And Father Christmas isn’t a merman. He’s a big fat man with a white beard.”

“I know.” Dec walks back over to me.

“That was so cool, Albi,” I say as Dec lowers him to the ground, kneeling in front of him.

“I’m going to give you two options,” he says, holding up two fingers, “and you have to pick one, okay?”

Albi jumps up and claps. “Okay.”

“You can stay at school, go to the party and see Father Christmas, or you can come on a date with me and Camryn.”

His head springs back, and he peeks up at me. “What’s a date?”

“We go for something to eat. Maybe a walk. Maybe stop at the Lego shop.”

His excited eyes widen, and he comes closer. “What about school, Daddy?”

Dec puts his fingers to his lips. “Shhh.” And Albi copies. “Come on.” Dec scoops him up, seizes my hand, and carries Albi through the crowd, pulling me along behind him. “Signing Albi Ellis out,” Dec declares when we make it to the reception area, taking the pen on the book and scribbling across the page.