She hoped he was charging his phone. Dumping her sketch pad on the hall table and hanging her bag over the rail, she reached for her phone to text him again as she climbed the stairs to check on the children. She needed to remind him how much she still loved him.
Pausing at Poppy’s door, she was about to go in when she noticed Jade emerging from the main bedroom. ‘Jade?’ she said, surprised to see she was dressed in no more than a short towel.
‘Ooh, hell,’ Jade whirled around. ‘Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in. I was just about to take a shower but I couldn’t find any shampoo in the main bathroom. I really need to wash the smell of smoke from my hair.’
‘Ah.’ Melissa nodded, relieved. For a second, she’d thought… She’d no idea what she’d thought, actually. ‘I’ll fetch some from the en suite,’ she said, making a mental note to stock up on bathroom essentials other than baby products. And to leave more than a hand towel out.
Ten
MELISSA
‘Morning,’ Jade said brightly, as Melissa came into the kitchen.
Melissa blinked, surprised to see everyone up and at it. ‘Good morning,’ she said, turning her gaze to Poppy, who, amazingly undistracted by early morning TV, was seated at the table, happily munching away on cereal – made with oat milk, of course.
‘Morning, Mummy,’ Poppy said, equally brightly.
Bleary-eyed, Melissa wandered across to plant a kiss on the top of her head, peering into her bowl as she did. ‘I thought you didn’t like cornflakes,’ she said, noting the distinct absence of morning must-have Coco Pops.
‘I do now.’ Poppy shovelled in another spoonful. ‘Jade said it will make my hair grow like hers.’
Melissa followed her daughter’s wishful gaze to Jade’s luxuriant blonde locks. It would certainly be some achievement, given that Poppy took after her father with her dark colouring and chocolate-brown eyes, but Melissa was happy to play along if it meant the battle of breakfast was no more.
Smiling, Melissa accepted the glass of fresh orange juice Jade handed to her, and headed towards the back door, where daughter number two also appeared to be content.
‘She’s had her early morning feed,’ Jade said, as Melissa peered into the pushchair. ‘You were fast asleep, so I thought I’d bring her down. I wasn’t sure whether you liked her to have a bit of fresh air, but it’s such a beautiful day. I hope it’s okay?’
‘Perfect. Wonderful, in fact.’ Resisting the urge to plant a kiss on Evie’s perfect cupid lips, Melissa tucked her shawl up and moved quietly away. She wasn’t directly in the sun, but warm enough. Jade was right – it really was a gorgeous day.
Melissa looked her competent house guest over. Jade looked like a ray of sunshine, exuding vitality and health. She even made Melissa’s clothes look good – a pre-baby striped yellow T-shirt, which Melissa didn’t think suited her new, fuller breasted look, teamed with a pair of blue leggings.
‘What do you fancy for breakfast?’ Jade asked, heading to the toaster, where two hot slices popped on cue.
I’ll have whatever you’re having. Feeling the slightest bit wish-washy, and definitely mumsy, Melissa sighed inwardly. With her pale complexion and uninspiring ginger locks, which Mark kindly termed copper and which would be scarily frizzy at this time in the morning, she probably looked like one of the living dead by comparison. She couldn’t believe she’d slept so long. The hot chocolate Jade had kindly made her last night appeared to have done its job. Obviously, she’d needed the sleep, but she didn’t feel a lot better for it.
‘I’ll grab some cereal,’ she said, yawning widely – and receiving a reprimand from Poppy as she did for not placing her hand over her mouth.
‘Sorry.’ Melissa stifled another yawn. ‘I’m obviously more tired than I thought I was.’
‘I’m not surprised, trying to run your own business with two little ones to look after – you must be absolutely frazzled,’ Jade said, glancing at her sympathetically as she sailed by with a tray, on which was the toast, Melissa noticed, along with a tumbler of orange and a black coffee. ‘Why don’t you go and grab a shower? It might make you feel human.’
Now Melissa definitely felt like one of the living dead.
‘I’ll just pop this into Mark and then—’
‘Mark?’ Melissa gawked. ‘He’s here?’
Jade stopped, looking puzzled. ‘In the lounge. He came home to get changed. He went to get a nightcap and the next thing I knew, he’d fallen fast asleep on the sofa.’
Melissa glanced at her, confused. She felt as if she’d slept the clock around and woken up to find herself in another time zone. It was stupid – paranoid probably – but… Mark never went into the lounge for a nightcap in the middle of the night. He’d previously had a spell of drinking more than was good for him once. They both had, when life had been cruel. Since then, though, he’d have wine with his meal, but rarely a nightcap. If he was keeping the hours he was now, it meant he was working a case that needed him to be clearheaded. He would grab a cold drink from the kitchen and then come straight upstairs. If he couldn’t sleep, then he would walk – with the dog, if he could coax her out without waking Poppy.
‘He looked so exhausted I didn’t like to disturb him,’ Jade went on. ‘I didn’t like to think of him charging off again without eating anything either, so… Are you all right, Melissa? You look a bit pale.’
Melissa was now feeling very baffled. She’d taken a paracetamol last night. At least she’d thought she had. She hoped to God she hadn’t picked up the wrong packet. The sleeping tablets she’d been prescribed after losing Jacob were still in her bathroom cabinet. No, surely not. She’d checked the packet. Hadn’t she? But still, she felt definitely woozy.
‘What time did he come in?’ she asked, aware it must have been after the last feed she’d given Evie. The baby had woken unusually early, at around two thirty rather than three thirty, which is when she’d taken the paracetamol.
‘About five,’ Jade said, looking puzzled.
And she was up? Melissa was growing more confused by the second.
‘I heard someone downstairs.’ Jade answered the question she hadn’t asked. ‘I was worried about the children so I crept down.’
‘That was brave of you,’ Melissa said, in all sincerity. Jade wouldn’t have known it was Mark.
‘It could have been a bug monster!’ Poppy said, aghast.
‘In which case, I would have poked his beady bug eyes out,’ Jade assured her, looking fierce.
‘With a big sharp knife,’ Poppy said, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to look fierce too.
‘Probably not a good idea, Poppy,’ Melissa suggested, ‘unless you want to end up in prison. It’s not allowed.’
‘But what about if it was a burglar?’ Poppy asked, her eyes widened innocently.
‘Still not allowed. In any case, it wouldn’t be. Our house is very secure. Now, finish your breakfast, young lady. And then shoes on, please, or you’ll be late for school.’
‘Sorry,’ Jade said, as Poppy huffed and went back to her cereal. ‘I really should have thought that one through.’
Melissa looked up to the clock and wondered whether it would be acceptable to do the school run in her husband’s crumpled shirt and leggings. Then she caught sight of Jade, still standing with the tray, looking uncertain and somewhat dejected.