Ahead was a large greenhouse, the glass shimmering in the sun.
‘A greenhouse,’ exclaimed Christa as they came closer. ‘It’s lovely.’
‘One of only three like this in the country,’ said Bill proudly. ‘It used to be heated by coal but Mr Ferrier got us some solar panels and some natural heat so we have all sorts of things growing inside.’
They walked through the greenhouse while Bill pointed out the ferns and the tropical plants, including pineapples and even an avocado tree that was bearing fruit.
After the greenhouse tour, they sat inside and ate the lemon cake Christa had made and drank cups of hot cocoa that she had packed in a thermos with cups.
‘This is the best time ever,’ said Seth, a little chocolate moustache giving him a look of Charlie Chaplin.
‘And Dad came and everything,’ said Ethan and Christa wondered how they could be happy with less than an hour of his time.
Her own father wasn’t a saint but when he became sober, he’d spent time with her. They went fishing, sometimes he would take her on bus trips to places she wasn’t familiar with, or they would go window-shopping in Bond Street just for fun. He would watch television with her or read the paper while she did her homework. His company was enough.
After they said their farewells to Bill and Meredith and promised to be back, they walked back to the house, where Christa could see Marc standing in the kitchen doorway watching their return.
She wondered what could have been so important that he had to leave them for Adam but she wouldn’t ask. She was setting up professional fences, she reminded herself as she kicked off her wellingtons and slipped on her sneakers.
‘Let me take the basket,’ he said, as the boys ran around to the front of the house.
‘All fine, I have it, said Christa with a firm smile and she pushed past Marc and into the kitchen.
‘It was a shame you didn’t stay. I saw your pineapples,’ she stated as she started to unpack the basket onto the bench.
‘My what?’
Christa laughed. ‘The greenhouse has pineapples and avocados.’
Marc looked guilty. ‘I don’t see Bill’s work enough.’
Christa said nothing as she tipped the remaining cocoa down the sink.
‘Do you think I am a total idiot, a spoiled man who doesn’t know what he has?’
Christa rinsed out the thermos. ‘I don’t think anything about your decisions,’ she lied.
She heard Marc pull out a chair and sit at the table. She wished he would go away. He was distracting her and she needed to think about what was for dinner and if she should go into town for eggs.
‘I told Adam to ask Paul to get some eggs when he was in town, as I saw we were out,’ Marc said.
Dammit, he was thoughtful and observant at times. Then she remembered he was moody and quick to judge. Had Simon set the bar so low that she was impressed by even the slightest act of service?
‘Thank you. I was going to get some, but that’s good of you to organise,’ she said.
Christa opened the fridge and saw all the food going to waste and it annoyed her so much, thinking of the children at the food bus the night before.
‘There is a lot of food here that’s going to go to waste,’ she said. ‘I need to cook with it or else it will have to go in the rubbish.’
Marc wasn’t listening. He was staring at his phone.
‘Perhaps I could donate it to a food kitchen or something?’ she said, as though the idea had just come to her.
Marc didn’t look up. ‘Fine, sounds great. I have to find Adam. Issue with work.’
He stood up, still looking at his phone and left the kitchen, while Christa watched him go.
She had told him. He had agreed. While she wasn’t completely sure if he had actually heard her or not, he had given her permission to cook the food and that was enough for now.
