‘He said two o’clock.’ It was a sure thing Veronica would not only be in but that she wouldn’t have to nip out on errands or for an appointment. That simply didn’t happen. ‘Can we play a game until then?’
‘A game sounds like a lovely idea.’
They decided Monopoly would take too long, Layla didn’t want to play Ludo or Scrabble, no way was Veronica risking her life playing Twister, and so they settled on Uno. They managed almost ten games, both taking it as seriously as each other, before Charlie knocked on the door.
‘I think you have something of mine,’ he said, the little scar above his top lip visible after he’d had a shave. He didn’t always shave, favouring a bit of stubble, which suited him. Rich brown eyes suggested a man you could depend upon and trust, and his smile had a way of putting you at ease.
‘I do, come in.’ To an onlooker who didn’t know any better, Veronica was like any regular granny, if there was such a thing, but sometimes people gave her little house a strange look when they passed by, and she knew what they were thinking. There’s that weird lady from number nine. She’d had similar insults yelled through her letterbox one day. ‘You’re a freak!’ the first voice had taunted; ‘Weirdo!’ followed a different voice laced with laughter. She had no idea of the culprits – kids who’d heard rumours on the grapevine, probably, and had decided to terrorise her in whatever way they could. But the insults had stuck in Veronica’s mind because some days they felt like appropriate labels. She was only glad Charlie didn’t think so. He’d always been kind to her and she’d valued his friendship right from the start.
‘Who’s winning?’ Charlie looked at Layla’s cards.
‘Five games to four in my favour,’ Veronica told him, although it quickly became a tie when Layla lay down her last card after saying Uno. ‘Looks like it’s a draw,’ Veronica smiled, shaking Layla’s hand. As usual Layla was in no rush to leave, which suited Veronica, as there were too many hours she was on her own as it was. She tidied the pile of cards and wrapped them in an elastic band once, twice, a third time to keep them all together.
Layla frowned at Charlie. ‘Didn’t you bring it?’
‘Of course I did,’ he answered with a grin. And off he went. Veronica heard the front door open and close, and after a couple of minutes during which Layla looked like she had ants in her pants, she was fidgeting so much, Charlie returned with a cake on a board, one of his hands shielding the burning candles as he came towards them.
Layla’s face lit up and she launched into singing ‘Happy Birthday’, along with her dad.
‘For me?’ Veronica’s eyes fell to the chocolate cake decorated with white and dark chocolate curls, a few candles in the centre, still flickering away.
‘Seeing as we didn’t get to celebrate last week because you had your cold, we thought we’d do it this week.’ Charlie set the cake down on the table.
‘You didn’t have to do this.’ Although choked at the gesture, Veronica was thrilled to bits. Last week on her birthday she’d had a terrible sore throat and a runny nose. She’d been thoroughly miserable, but in no way selfish enough to have either of them visit, even though Charlie had insisted on checking up on her, delivering some cold remedies from the local chemist and a pot of hearty chicken soup. With only a brief visit compared to usual, it had been a lonely few days for Veronica and she hadn’t liked it one bit.
‘Make a wish!’ Layla ordered. ‘You have to.’
It wasn’t hard to know what to wish for, but she didn’t tell anyone. It wouldn’t come true then would it?
At Layla’s insistence Veronica blew out her candles. ‘What happened, couldn’t fit seventy-one on?’ she teased Charlie.
‘Didn’t sell that many in the shop.’
‘Cheeky thing.’ She laughed as she dug out plates and forks and a cake slice she used to cut generous portions.
Another year, another celebration. Lots to be thankful for, lots she wanted to forget.
Charlie smiled at his daughter, who had chocolate smeared below her lip and another streak down the side of her hand. ‘You’re a messy thing, you need a tissue.’
Layla ran her tongue all the way around the outside of her mouth to get the most she could and went so cross-eyed she had Charlie and Veronica laughing.
‘How have I done?’ Veronica asked. ‘Any on my face?’
Charlie pretended to inspect closely as he handed Layla a tissue to wipe her hand. ‘You’re a professional, I’d never even know you’d had chocolate.’
‘See Layla, I could teach you a thing or two, one being how to eat chocolate without anyone realising. It’s a life skill.’
‘Hey, no teaching her naughty things.’
‘Would I do that?’ Veronica asked innocently, sharing a conspiratorial look with Layla.
‘Yes, I believe you would.’ Charlie’s rakish grin and unexpected smile where his mouth turned up at one side ever so slightly more than the other somehow kept him looking younger than his forty years. He’d celebrated his birthday a couple of months ago and in much the same style as now, they’d gathered here at the same table to eat the lamingtons – his favourite – that Layla and Veronica had baked together. Layla had given him three lamingtons in all, telling him he worked too hard and deserved it. And she was right. As well as looking after Layla on his own, he had a challenging career as a paramedic where he was often among the
