“Actually…” Roger began.
Danger! If Coralie could have squirted ink like a squid, she would have. “What are you and Jenny up to today?”
“Hotel, roast, watch TV with the air con on, walking Princess nice and early before the bushfire smoke gets too bad. We’ll go round to Edwin’s later—you know, Jenny’s son. He’s had a kid, a boy.” Coralie didn’t know. “Nice little guy. No trouble yet—but he will be! Ask Daniel! Boys ruin your life!”
“How old is Edwin’s son?”
“That’s a question for Jenny. Hang on, he was born when I was watching the AFL Grand Final—so that was about three months ago.”
This at least was firmer ground. “Oh! Max is fifteen weeks!”
“Fifteen weeks! It’s been too long,” Roger said. “Time for me to meet him. Jenny wants Paris in the springtime. We’re getting there through London. Week or two, war museum, Churchill War Rooms, love to see this young fella. Tickets are booked for March.”
March? Adam’s deadline was the sixth. Out of sight of the phone, at the sink, Adam’s face was the murderer’s mask fromScream.
“You should stay in Daniel’s Airbnb,” Anne said. “Lovely place. Nothing fancy, but well located. They’ve done a lovely job on it.”
Now Daniel’s face was the mask fromScream.
“Tell me everything, Dad!” Coralie frantically squid-inked. “All your plans! Email me! Itineraries! Ideas! We can’t wait! Florence will be so happy to meet you.” She had a sudden horror her father would sayWho’s Florence?Squid, squid, squid! “This must be costing you a fortune! We’ll let you get back to Jenny!”
“Bye, Dad!” Daniel shouted.
Coralie lunged for her phone and pressed the end-call button.
“I wonder why he thought the catastrophically unprecedented fire season was unrelated to the changing climate,” Adam mused.
“Best not to open all that up.”
“A charming man,” Anne surprisingly said.
Daniel made an ill face. In the corner by the pantry, Madonna leaped to her feet and spun in a circle. “Oh, she needs to go out.” He charged toward the front door.
“I’ll kiss Florence good night,” Coralie said. “Then join you.”
“Give Max to me,” Anne demanded.
Coralie complied.
•••
Up in the yellow nursery,Zora cuddled Florence while Sally sat very upright next to them, readingThe Paper Dolls. “And…”
They all waited for Florence to shout,Flo with the bow!She didn’t. She was asleep.
“Night, Flo.” Zora wiggled off the end of the bed.
Coralie turned off the lamp. “Good night, little Cheep-Cheep.”
“Wrennie, my little girl,” Adam said. “Night night, sweetheart.”
“Night night, Floss.” On the way out, Sally murmured, “You know what they say.”
“What?” Coralie said.
“A loved child has many names.”
•••
