Page 59 of Kiwi Gold

Her husband started after her, then looked back at Laila. “Sorry,” he said. And left.

I said into the silence, “Huh. Reckon she reallydoesn’tlike babies.”

26

A DIRTY JOB

Lachlan

Once again, nobody was asking for my help, or not in any way I actuallycouldhelp. In fact, it was the opposite, because Laila was saying, “Well, thanks for being here for that, I guess,” and the twins had dashed out of the bedroom again, together with Long John, and were saying various things, all beginning with “Mum!”

I stood up, since that was what Laila was doing, seeming to abandon any thought of treating her injury. I should go get that salad sorted. I would have, except that Yasmin had come over and was tugging at the hem of my T-shirt.

“Yes?” I asked her, then had to smile, because she was such a replica of her mum. Same big eyes, same pointed chin. Same air of fragility, like they were made of glass, though in Laila’s case, the fragility was hidden under the layer of velvet that was her poise and her reserve.

“Did you come to help us with the project?” Yasmin asked.

“Uh …” I said. “Of course. If you like.”

Laila said, “Lachlan doesn’t have to help with the project. It’s ours to do.”

“Oh,” Yasmin said. “I was just—”

“We can’t do any fun things, though,” Amira announced, “until the project’s done, because Mum says we can’t go to the beach by ourselves, even though you just go on the bus, and me and Yasmin know how to tag on and tag off, and I know where you get off. We know how to swim, too. We’re really good at swimming, except weneverget to go. And the project is probably going to take the wholeweekend.”She sighed, and Yasmin sighed, too. Dolefully.

“That’s pretty sad,” I said, then lifted an eyebrow at Laila.

She said, looking a little flustered, “Honestly, it’s not a secret. We’re regrouting and recaulking the bath, that’s all.”

I said, “Ah. Fortunately for me, thatissomething I can help with. If it’d been something artistic—well, no. But I can just about manage grout.”

“Yay!” Yasmin said, and cuddled up to my leg.

“Yay!” Amira said, and did some inexpert cartwheels, until she banged into the wall. On my side, fortunately, or we’d have had Violet charging over here again.

“Woof!” Long John said, and did his best at jumping around Amira on his three legs.

“No,” Laila said, and didn’t do anything.

* * *

Laila

“No,” I said again.

“Pardon?” Lachlan asked, and blinked at me. Half of his face looking innocent, and the other half—his sardonic mouth, possibly—not.

I said, “It’s a dirty job. Tedious, too. You have to dig out all the old grout first. And it’s your Saturday.”

“I know what day of the week it is,” he said. “What d’you imagine I have to do that’s so pressing that I can’t help you?”

“Work?” I asked.

“What work?” he said. “I have work-life balance.”

“You forget,” I said. “I grew up with an exploration geologist.”

“Well,” he said, “sometimes I have work-life balance.”