Page 62 of The Girl with the Irish Secret

They had taken off laughing and waving. Vi went inside to make the evening meal for the children, planning what she would watch on TV once they were asleep. Which they would have to be soon, after a day of playing on the beach with some of their friends during a very active playdate. She was also going to read the script yet again so she would be word perfect once they started shooting. She had emailed Liz with what she had learned from Sylvia earlier and hoped to get a reply soon.

The trouble started at the kitchen table when Vi served up chicken meatballs, mashed potatoes and peas, which Lily had declared was their favourite. Not so, Naomi said.

‘We want Coco Pops for dinner,’ she declared. ‘We always have that.’

‘No, you don’t,’ Vi argued. ‘This is what Mummy said you wanted. And Coco Pops are bad for you. Full of sugar. You know the rules, Naomi.’

‘Yeah, but tonight is Saturday,’ Naomi tried. ‘That’s when we’re allowed treats.’

‘You can have treats when you’ve eaten your dinner all up,’ Vi said. ‘Then I’ll give you Coco Pops for dessert.’

Liam banged his spoon on the plate. Then he threw the spoon on the floor and started to eat with his fingers. Vi decided to let him. It was easier than arguing with a two-year-old. Larry, the big white dog, sniffed the floor waiting for any crumbs that might drop down. Liam threw one of the meatballs on the floor, which Larry wolfed down in seconds.

‘Liam is rude,’ Naomi said, pointing at him with her spoon. ‘He’s feeding meatballs to Larry. And he’s messy. Look – he’s taking the ketchup and getting it in his hair, ha ha!’

Vi looked at Liam and discovered that Naomi was right. He had taken the bottle of ketchup when she wasn’t looking and squirted it all over his nearly clean T-shirt and his face and now he was smearing it into his hair. ‘I eat ketchup,’ he said, laughing. Then he dug into his meatballs again and ate most of what was on his plate, stuffing his mouth full and grinning.

Vi sighed. ‘I’ll just let him finish and then I’ll give him a bath.’

Naomi nodded. ‘Yes, that’s what you should do. Look, I’m eating my dinner all up with my spoon and not spilling.’

‘You’re the best girl.’ Vi kissed Naomi on the top of her head.

Naomi nodded. ‘Yes I am. So I can watch TV with you when Liam is asleep.’

‘We’ll see,’ Vi said, not wanting to start another argument. Then she saw that Liam had finished and scooped him up in her arms, not caring that she was getting ketchup and mashed potato all over her shirt. ‘You can watch the cartoons now while I give Liam a bath and get him into his pyjamas.’

‘And then I can have Coco Pops?’ Naomi asked, looking hopeful.

Vi nodded. ‘Yes, because I said you could.’

‘Me too,’ Liam shouted. ‘I want Coca Pops too!’

‘Okay,’ Vi agreed. ‘When you’re in your pyjamas. And then you’ll both have to brush your teeth and get into bed.’

‘Then you have to read us a story or we won’t be able to sleep,’ Naomi stated, sliding off her chair.

‘Of course,’ Vi said, mentally waving her peaceful evening goodbye. She lugged the little boy up the stairs and started to run the bath, then she sat on a stool and peeled off his dirty clothes. ‘You are a mess, Liam.’

Liam laughed as she put him into the warm water and started to splash, soaking Vi. She smiled at him and looked down at her wet T-shirt dotted with ketchup stains. ‘I’m a mess too.’

She had just finished washing Liam and was drying him with a towel hanging on the radiator when the doorbell rang, making Larry bark furiously. ‘That’s all I need,’ Vi groaned. ‘Open the door, Naomi, but don’t let in any strangers,’ she called as she walked towards the stairs carrying Liam wrapped in a towel. She could hear Naomi opening the door. ‘Who is it?’ Vi called.

‘A man,’ Naomi replied. ‘But he’s not a stranger. And Larry likes him.’

‘Is it Martin?’ Vi called, remembering that he had said he might drop in to see if she needed anything.

‘No,’ Naomi called back.

Vi arrived downstairs and went into the hall to see who was at the door. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the person on the doorstep smiling at her and holding out a bunch of flowers. ‘What areyoudoing here?’

30

‘It’s a long story,’ Jack said, patting Larry on the head. ‘But I’m here now. Are you going to let me in?’

Vi backed away from the door. ‘Okay. Come in.’

‘Are you giving the flowers to Auntie Vi?’ Naomi asked. ‘I can put them in water for you, if you like.’