Life Or Something Like It

by Annie Lyons

  ‘What lovely girls you have,’ observed a passing old lady with a tiny boggle-eyed dog. ‘An absolute credit to you.’

  Cat was about to correct her when she remembered Finn’s advice. ‘Thank you,’ she beamed. ‘Okay, what next?’ she enquired, turning back to the girls.

  Daisy peered at the list that Ellie had written. ‘We need “jolly”,’ she said with a frown.

  ‘Jelly! Duh,’ retorted Ellie.

  ‘Well I can’t read your writing,’ declared Daisy. Ellie frowned at her.

  ‘You two are like an old married couple,’ laughed Cat.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Daisy. ‘Because we probably will get married, won’t we, Ellie? Girls are allowed to get married now.’

  ‘Yes, but only if they are het-er-ro-sec-shual,’ said Ellie carefully.

  ‘No, that’s not right. It’s civil ceremony,’ replied Daisy knowledgeably.

  ‘It’s not. It’s heterosecshual.’

  ‘No! It’s civil ceremony.’

  ‘Heterosecshual!’

  ‘Civil ceremony!’

  The lady who had complimented Cat moments earlier looked up in alarm from the basket of beetroot she was browsing. Cat gave her a gracious smile before ushering the girls towards the local supermarket. As they were searching the shelves for jelly, Cat spotted the packets of Angel Delight.

  ‘I haven’t had this since I was little,’ she murmured, plucking a sachet from the shelves and holding it up for the girls to see. ‘I had no idea they still made it.’

  ‘What is it?’ asked Daisy.

  ‘It’s a sort of pudding you make with milk. It’s like a mousse,’ said Cat. ‘My mum…’ and then she stopped.

  ‘What?’ asked Ellie.

  The girls were staring at Cat now and she knew she had to answer. ‘She used to put raspberries on the top,’ she said, feeling her heart quicken at the memory.

  ‘Let’s do that!’ cried Daisy.

  ‘But I thought you wanted jelly?’

  ‘No. We should get that,’ said Ellie. ‘It sounds nice.’

  Cat smiled at them both. ‘Thank you. I hope you like it. I saw some raspberries in the greengrocer’s so we’ll stop and get some on the way home.’

  They finished their shopping and walked back through the town, turning down the echoing alleyway that led to the churchyard and home. Ellie and Daisy skipped alongside Cat.

  ‘That was fun,’ said Ellie. ‘Much better than going to the big old boring supermarket. Mum never lets me pay or choose stuff.’ Cat felt her chest swell with pride.

  ‘Me neither,’ agreed Daisy.

  ‘Well your mums are probably very busy trying to fit it all in. You always have more time on holiday,’ said Cat reasonably.

  ‘Well I love holidays,’ declared Ellie.

  ‘Me too,’ agreed Daisy.

  Ellie tapped her friend on the arm. ‘It!’ she cried before darting off happily along the path. Daisy squealed with joy and ran after her.

  Cat watched them go and smiled to herself. The late afternoon sun was leaking through the clouds, bringing the promise of brighter skies. Cat felt her body lift as if carried along by something new and rather wonderful.

  Returning to the cottage, she was secretly relieved to find Finn and Charlie had gone out. There was a note on the table. ‘Gone to beach for a kick-around. See you for dinner.’ She put the sausages in the fridge and turned around to find Ellie and Daisy standing right behind her like eager puppies waiting to be fed.

  ‘Shall we make the dinner now?’ asked Daisy.

  ‘I’m hungry. Can I have a biscuit?’ said Ellie.

  ‘How about a piece of fruit?’ suggested Cat. Ellie frowned.

  ‘Banana, please,’ said Daisy, receiving a scowl from her friend for the betrayal.

  ‘Fine, I’ll have a banana too then.’

  ‘What do you say?’ asked Cat.

  ‘Please,’ huffed Ellie.

  Cat passed over two bananas and rummaged in the cupboard for a teabag. Finn had brought along all manner of weird teas. She spotted a box of rooibos and opted for that; she recalled being mildly addicted to it a year or two ago when the Huffington Post declared it to be the next big thing. She sniffed the mug; it smelt like hay but it wasn’t unpleasant. She turned back to the girls, who had already finished their fruit.

  ‘Let’s make the pudding then.’ Apart from a minor incident with a balloon whisk (Daisy felt that Ellie had been taking too long with her mixing and clocked her friend over the head with said implement) and the tiny cut that Ellie sustained (and about which she complained bitterly) whilst peeling potatoes, everything else ran smoothly. By the time Finn and Charlie returned, dinner was well underway and Cat felt rather proud of herself.

  ‘This looks great, girls,’ declared Finn approaching the dinner table, which Ellie and Daisy were in the process of setting.

  ‘You put the knives, forks and spoons in order of how you are going to eat your courses,’ Daisy told him earnestly. ‘But we’re only having two courses so we’ve got a knife and fork and then a little spoon for pudding,’ she added, pointing at the cutlery.

  ‘Don’t tell him!’ warned Ellie. ‘Remember, we are the waitresses.’

  ‘Oh yeah, sorry,’ replied Daisy, an excited glint in her eye.

  ‘Well it looks very professional.’ Finn smiled, reaching out to ruffle his niece’s hair.

  ‘Cat taught us,’ said Daisy with pride, gazing over at her teacher in awe.

  ‘I think you might have a fan there,’ whispered Finn, stealing a carrot from Cat’s chopping board.

  ‘Oi! Hands off,’ scolded Cat. ‘You should never get in the way of a woman with a knife,’ she added, waggling it at him. She turned to see Charlie standing in the doorway between the living room and kitchen diner. ‘Hey, Charlie. How was the beach?’

  ‘Good,’ said Charlie, taking courage from her greeting and sidling over.

  Finn took a step back and ushered for him to move nearer. ‘Don’t be shy, Charlie. Cat’s got a knife but I’ll protect you,’ he joked.

  Charlie gave a small smile and came to stand close by Cat. She looked down at him; the anger was gone, replaced by a deep desire to be forgiven. ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered.

  ‘It’s okay,’ she said, giving him a nudge with her arm. ‘Really.’

  ‘I picked this up on the beach. I thought you might like it.’ He placed a shell on the work surface. It was almost perfect – smoothly rounded with a pink pearlescent shine and a tiny chip in one edge.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I shall treasure it.’ Charlie nodded shyly. Finn ruffled his hair as he walked past. ‘Did you talk to him about this morning?’ she asked when Charlie was gone.

  ‘A bit. There is something bothering him but he doesn’t want to talk about it at the moment. We just played footie and chucked stones into the sea. You know what boys are like. He wanted to bring you that shell though – it was all his own idea.’

  Cat was touched by the gesture. ‘Fancy a glass of wine?’ she suggested.

  ‘Why not?’ said Finn. ‘Red or white?’

  Cat would have usually insisted on white but something about the course of events today made her say, ‘You choose.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ he teased.

  ‘Ye-es.’ She smiled.

  ‘Well I reckon this will go well with the sausages,’ he said holding up a bottle of red wine.

  ‘Perfect,’ said Cat without hesitation. ‘Girls? It will be ready in about five minutes. Do you want to seat our guests?’

  Daisy and Ellie jumped to attention. ‘You look after Charlie. I’ll look after Finn,’ said Ellie.

  ‘But I want to look after Finn. He’s my uncle,’ replied Daisy possessively.

  ‘O-kay,’ conceded Ellie.

  The girls approached their designated guests. ‘Would you follow me, please, sir,’ said Daisy before glancing over at her friend and falling into helpless laughter.

  ‘Yes, this way, please,’ giggled Ellie, t
aking her brother by the arm.

  Charlie and Finn took their places obediently at the table and were presented with specially designed menus decorated with prodigious quantities of glitter. Finn immediately took on the role of co-operative paying customer with aplomb. He peered at the menu with pursed lips before turning to Daisy.

  ‘Thank you, waitress. I shall have the sausages, mash and carrots, please, followed by Angel Delight topped with raspberries.’

  ‘Very good,’ squeaked Daisy. ‘And to drink?’

  ‘Red wine, please,’ said Finn.

  ‘Not too much,’ warned Daisy. ‘Otherwise you’ll get a hangover.’

  ‘Very well,’ said Finn, glancing at Cat who was watching with amusement. ‘I like a waitress who encourages moderation.’

  ‘And for you, sir?’ said Ellie to her brother.

  ‘Do you have any chips?’ teased Charlie.

  ‘No, just mash. Take it or leave it,’ declared Ellie.

  ‘Okay, I’ll take it.’

  ‘And to drink?’

  ‘Red wine, please.’ Charlie grinned.

  Ellie snatched the menu from his hands on her way to the kitchen area. ‘You can have water,’ she announced.

  ‘It’s so refreshing to have your decisions made for you.’ Finn smiled. Cat laughed. She dished up the food and the girls carried the plates with great care to the table.

  The sausages were a little burnt and the carrots were a little raw but once smothered in gravy, it all tasted sublime.

  ‘Best meal ever,’ declared Finn, standing up to clear the plates from the table once they’d finished.

  ‘No, no, no! We are the waitresses. We will do that,’ said Ellie, nudging her friend. They managed it with only one fork dropped.

  ‘Well done, girls,’ said Cat. ‘Shall we have dessert now?’

  Ellie and Daisy grinned with pride as they carried the glass bowls of Angel Delight to the table. Finn stared at his raspberry-topped dish. ‘This is so professional. I would pay at least eight pounds for this in a restaurant. What do you think, Charlie?’

  ‘Belifous,’ declared Charlie through a mouthful of pudding.

  Cat nursed her wine and watched them all with a growing sense of satisfaction. When they had finished, Finn turned to Charlie. ‘Want to help me with the washing-up?’

  ‘Okay,’ agreed Charlie.

  After the clearing up was done, they sat in the living room and Finn picked up his guitar. He played a few experimental chords before launching into ‘Four Seasons In One Day.’ He had a beautiful melodic voice and Cat felt the music and a sense of calm wash over her. When he had finished, Ellie leapt up.

  ‘Can you play something we can dance to?’

  Finn smiled and started to strum the chords to ‘Wanna Be Starting Something’ by Michael Jackson. Soon the girls were pogo-ing along in time to the music. Even Charlie smiled and clapped along.

  ‘Come on, Cat,’ cried Daisy, catching hold of her hand.

  It might have been the wine or the music but soon Cat was dancing and singing along. She held hands with the girls and they grinned at each other as they bopped in time to the beat. Something in Cat’s heart surged as she threw back her head and sang. She closed her eyes and gave in to it. When the song finished she opened them to find Finn smiling up at her.

  ‘You have a great voice,’ he said.

  ‘Do I have a great voice, Finn?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘You do, Ellie,’ said Finn but he kept his gaze fixed on Cat.

  Cat turned away, grabbing Ellie and tickling her under the armpits. She giggled in delight, making Cat’s heart lift with joy. ‘I think it might be time for bed, ladies,’ she said with a grin as Daisy flung her arms around Cat’s shoulders.

  ‘Awwww!’ chorused the girls.

  ‘It’s really late,’ reasoned Cat. ‘And being tired on holiday is not fun, so come on.’ She coaxed them towards the stairs.

  ‘Do you want me to tuck you in, Dais?’ asked Finn.

  Daisy ran over and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Can Cat do it tonight?’ she said shyly, stealing a glance at her new best friend.

  ‘Is that okay?’ asked Finn, looking up at her.

  ‘Of course.’ Cat smiled.

  ‘I had fun today,’ yawned Ellie as Cat tucked them into bed.

  ‘Me too,’ murmured Daisy dreamily snuggling down.

  ‘Yes,’ agreed Cat. ‘It was lovely. You two are great helpers. Well, night-night.’

  ‘Can I have a hug, please?’ asked Daisy.

  ‘Me too,’ said Ellie.

  Cat couldn’t refuse. She hugged Ellie first; it was a tight fierce hug, intense and passionate. Daisy’s was more gentle, warm and sweet. It was still a novelty to be hugged by a child and Cat felt that sense of reassuring calm descend again. ‘Night-night.’ She smiled, pulling the door closed behind her.

  As she reached the top of the stairs she could hear Finn playing softly. She recognised it immediately as another Crowded House song called ‘She Goes On’. It was a beautiful song that Cat hadn’t heard for years; she’d always assumed that it was about grief and the death of the songwriter’s mother. She listened for a moment and as the words reached her ears, she felt her body stiffen. It was a lament and a song of hope for lost love. Cat grasped the banister at the top of the stairs as her legs sank beneath her.

  She sat down and hugged her knees to her body. She had forgotten how much she loved this song and it made her realise how deeply she had buried certain other feelings too. Cat had thought she would be relieved when Finn had finished but something inside – a newly unlocked box of long-ignored sadness – was now open. It was up to her if she wanted to slam it shut again or allow herself to take a peek inside. As she sat at the top of the stairs, she could feel her heart thudding in her chest because for almost the first time in her life, Cat Nightingale had no idea what to do.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next day the sun burst through the sky again like a long-lost friend. It was clear and warm with the whisper of a breeze. Cat was boiling the kettle for her first caffeine hit of the day when Finn and the children returned from their now daily early morning trip out. He was carrying a brown paper bag, from which wafted an aroma of freshly baked goodness.

  ‘We bought chocolate croissants!’ cried Ellie unable to contain herself.

  ‘Unless you’d rather have a bowl of toasted cardboard,’ teased Finn, gesturing at the cereal box Cat was holding.

  ‘I would love a croissant, thank you,’ said Cat, sticking out her tongue at Finn. ‘I’ll fetch some plates.’

  They discussed the day’s plans over breakfast. ‘How about hiring bikes?’ suggested Finn. ‘I saw a shop near the common. We could pack a picnic and head towards the harbour.’ The children made enthusiastic noises of agreement.

  ‘I haven’t ridden a bike for twenty years,’ admitted Cat with a worried frown.

  ‘You’ll soon pick it up again,’ said Finn encouragingly. ‘It’s easy, just like – ’

  ‘Falling off a bike?’ offered Cat.

  Finn grinned. ‘Exactly.’

  The man in the bike shop did not suffer fools gladly, unhappily or any other way. When Finn asked if he had a bike with stabilisers for Cat, the man gave him a look of such withering disdain, Cat was surprised he wasn’t immediately turned to stone. He had obviously seen, done and had enough of it all.

  ‘Bikes need to be back by four-thirty sharp otherwise I’ll have to charge you for another day,’ he grunted.

  ‘Thank you!’ cried Daisy with a cheery smile, which the man did not return.

  Finn led the way across the common towards the harbour. The sky was a shimmering blue, the air clear and warm, but unfortunately Cat couldn’t fully appreciate it as she was concentrating all her efforts on staying upright. Charlie rode ahead with Finn, whilst the girls were sandwiched between them and Cat. Predictably, Ellie was a manic cyclist with an alarming, chaotic style, whilst Daisy rode with genteel care. Cat wobbled along behind them, desper
ately wondering what had happened to her balance.

  Fortunately, there were few cars on this first piece of road so all she had to do was to try to remember how to cycle in a vaguely dignified fashion. The unmade road came to an end by a gate, which was where Finn and Charlie stopped to wait for them. Cat was now painfully aware of her audience and told herself to look ahead and focus. Unfortunately Ellie chose this moment to veer in front of her aunt, which resulted in Cat having to swerve violently to avoid her. Cat anticipated another unseemly fall and was as surprised as anyone when she managed not only to stay upright but to come to a smart and efficient halt as well. She felt breathless, her heart beating in her ears but she was alive.

  ‘How’s the bike?’ asked Finn.

  ‘Okay,’ replied Cat, doing her best to stop her legs from trembling.

  Charlie was reading a sign on the fence. ‘Beware – Adders on the Common.’

  ‘What are adders?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘They’re just snakes,’ said Finn.

  ‘Snakes!’ squeaked Daisy. ‘Where?’

  Charlie grinned with malicious glee. ‘On the common,’ he said. ‘And they’re poisonous – the only poisonous snakes in Britain.’

  ‘Charlie!’ scolded Cat.

  ‘I’m not going through that gate,’ said Ellie, grasping hold of Daisy’s arm and looking terrified.

  Cat glanced at Finn. She wasn’t particularly fond of snakes herself. ‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘They’re far more scared of you than you are of them. They won’t come out in the day.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ asked Cat worried. Ellie was looking up at her aunt with alarm now. Finn gave Cat a meaningful nod in Ellie’s direction. Cat looked at her niece, swallowing her fear. ‘Finn’s right. It will be fine.’

  They wheeled their bikes through the gate. The track became narrow, flanked on either side by brambles and gorse bushes. Cat looked warily left and right and noticed that Ellie stayed very close to her as they walked.