innocent.
Michael pulled a ‘smart arse”’ face at him.
‘Why were you undressed before we got here Uncle Mikey?’ Joseph was currently at the age where he liked to question everything and everyone.
‘I wasn’t Joey. Your dad is just trying to be a funny man. And failing miserably.’
I smiled at the good natured teasing as I took a forkful of fish and chips. Oh my God.
‘Didn’t I tell you?’ Michael looked over, smiling.
‘That’s soooo good!’ I said, covering my mouth with my hand as I broke etiquette and spoke with my mouth full.
‘You think I’d lie to you?’
I chewed and swallowed. ‘No. I just…wouldn’t put it past you to exaggerate occasionally.’
‘Oh, he definitely does that,’ Patrick grinned.
‘You know we could get Janey to divorce you if we wanted.’ Michael pointed his fork at him.
Patrick’s eyes danced with laughter, his mouth full of chips.
‘Mummy are you getting divorced from Daddy?’ Lily’s voice was tiny and heartbreaking. We all looked over to where she was tucked in at the table, a couple of cushions piled on the chair to help her reach. The big green eyes, so like her mother’s, were shimmering with unshed tears.
Janey reached out a hand to her daughter. ‘No sweetheart. Of course we’re not! Uncle Mikey and Daddy were just being silly.’
I looked over at Michael. Already pale from the pain of the accident, he seemed to have greyed even more and was now resting his elbow on the table, his hand over his mouth as he realised what he’d done, his eyes focused intently on his little niece. The chair scraped and he limped quickly around the table towards her.
‘Mikey,’ Janey warned.
Ignoring her, Michael pulled the little girl’s chair out and scooped her up into his arms, his jaw clenching against the pain the movement caused. Instinctively, Lily clasped her hands around his neck and burrowed her face into the curve of his shoulder.
‘I’m sorry sweetheart. It was just your Uncle Mikey being silly. Mummy and Daddy are very happy and love each other so, so much. You’ll all be together for a long time yet, OK?’
A sniff came from his shoulder area.
‘But you got divorced.’
Michael closed his eyes briefly. ‘I did Lily. But that was because I didn’t marry the right girl. Your dad married exactly the right girl.’
His niece lifted her head and studied him for a moment. ‘You promise?’
‘I promise.’
She reached a hand out and played with his hair where it was curling onto his collar.
‘Who should you have married instead Uncle Mikey?’
‘Ah, well that’s the million dollar question sweet pea.’ He cuddled her for a few more minutes before lowering her back onto the chair. Tucking her back in, he crouched down beside her. I saw Janey tense as we all saw what the movements were costing him.
‘You OK now?’ he asked Lily.
She nodded.
‘Your chips still hot?’ He stole one to try and she giggled. ‘How about I go warm them up for you?’
Lily nodded again.
Michael stood and leant to take the plate, his face pale behind the smile for his niece.
‘I’ll do it,’ I said, pushing my chair out. ‘I’m finished anyway. I can get you some more painkillers on the way.’
‘I’m fine Katie. Honestly.’
I met his eyes. Yep. Totally not fine. ‘Go and sit down. I’m not getting lumbered finishing this house on my own just because you made yourself worse.’
Without waiting for an answer, I took Lily’s plate, then swiped Michael’s too and took them across to the kitchen to stick in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I got a glass of water, a couple of the painkillers from the box he’d used earlier and then put the packet back up on a high shelf just in case the children wandered in later. The microwave beeped and I unstacked the dishes and put them on a tray I’d managed to unearth.
Pausing at the kitchen door, I smiled at the laughter drifting from the adjacent room. The sound of it reminded me of what I’d always wanted. And what I’d never had. Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I nudged the dining room door open and entered the room. It made me smile to take in the scene. The room being used for what it had been originally intended: People being together, enjoying the house, enjoying each other’s company, enjoying good food.
Placing the tray on the table, I unloaded the plates and glass. Putting Michael’s dinner in front of him, I handed him the tablets and the glass of water.
‘Thank you.’
‘Take them now so that they can get to work.’
‘I seem to remember you saying something about this process not being about me obeying you.’
‘I didn’t think you could handle the truth at the time.’
The smile that appeared relaxed his face.
‘So what is the truth?’
‘That sometimes it will be about obeying me. Now take those tablets and finish your food whilst it’s hot.’
His smile widened.
Janey clipped him around the top of his hair.
‘What was that for?’
‘For whatever you were thinking.’
‘How do you know what I was thinking?’
Janey gave him a look.
I carried on round the table to Lily and left the siblings to it.
‘Here you go. All nice and hot again.’
‘Thank you Katie.’
‘You’re welcome,’ I smiled, running a hand over Lily’s curls before returning to my seat.
‘Uncle Mikey?’
‘Mmmhmm?’ Michael smiled at his niece in answer, his mouth full of battered fish.
‘I wish you’d married Katie. She’s nice.’
Michael continued chewing his food, his face giving nothing away.
‘So what exactly happened this afternoon, then, with the bike, I mean?’ Patrick asked, deftly changing
