Page 28 of Be My Traitor

Amber nodded excitedly as Lucas strode over to her. Shaking my head, I slowly followed.

Lucas talked Amber through the process of putting a bridle on the pony and how to get it to stand still for the saddle – as well as how to make sure the saddle was properly tightened so it wouldn’t slide off mid ride. He’d bought a riding helmet for Amber and soon she was sitting on the back of the pony as Lucas led it round and round the paddock.

I watched the two of them, leaning against the fence of the enclosure. Lucas was giving Amber advice on how to ride and she was listening intently to his every word, doing her best to follow his instructions precisely. I wished she’d listen to me as closely, but then I was her mother. I was the one who had to say no all the time. I was the one who’d been with her for her entire life, dealing with the dirty nappies and sleepless nights. It was easy for Amber to take me for granted and push the boundaries. She knew I would always be there for her. Lucas wasn’t such a sure thing, so Amber was bound to be on her best behaviour with him, at least for now.

At last, Amber had had enough of riding the pony, although not before Lucas had taken copious photos of her sitting on it. He’d taught her how to sit properly while the pony was trotting so she wouldn’t be bumped about in the seat and I was impressed by how natural she looked in the saddle. Maybe Lucas was on to something after all.

“Who wants some dinner?” Lucas asked.

“Me! Me!” Amber put up her hand excitedly.

“How do you fancy… pizza!”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“Okay. Let’s go wash our hands and then we can start making it,” Lucas said.

“We’re going tomakethe pizza?” Amber frowned. “Mummy always orders it.”

“Making it’s the best bit,” Lucas promised. “How else are you going to make sure the toppings are exactly the way you want them?”

“So I can have whatever I want on my pizza?”

“Of course you can.” Lucas smiled.

“Even banana?”

“If you want banana, anchovy and pepperoni, that’s completely up to you,” Lucas said. “You’re the one eating it.”

Soon, the three of us were gathered around the large table in the middle of Lucas’s kitchen. He got out some dough he’d prepared earlier and showed Amber how to stretch it out to the right size before fetching a dazzling array of possible pizza toppings. He laid them out on the table so that we could help ourselves and the three of us set to work making our pizzas. I kept mine simple – mushroom, mozzarella, and spinach with a drizzle of garlic oil – while Amber piled on handfuls of chopped ham, sweetcorn, salami, pepperoni and cheese.

“Do you want to put banana on that?” asked Lucas.

Amber looked at her pizza, her face screwed up in concentration. “Do you think there’s space?” she asked.

“We can always make space if you really want that banana.”

Amber thought a little more than shook her head. “I think my pizza’s perfect just the way it is.”

I wasn’t surprised to find that Lucas had had an actual pizza oven installed in his kitchen and he helped Amber put her pizza on a large shovel and slide it in to cook.

“It won’t be long before it’s ready,” he told her. “Shall we go and pick out a movie to watch over dinner?”

I groaned when Lucas turned on his smart TV and flicked through to the Disney channel. I knew exactly what film Amber was going to choose. She’d seen it over a hundred times already and never got bored, even if I was happy to never watch it again.

“Moana!” Amber beamed and sat down in the middle of the sofa as Lucas found Amber’s favourite film and put it on.

“I’ve never seen this,” he said, coming to sit next to Amber. “Is it any good?”

“It’s amazing, Daddy,” Amber said seriously. “You’re going to love it!”

I rolled my eyes and sat on the other side of my daughter so that she was sandwiched between her two parents. Amber was so engrossed in the film, she barely noticed when a timer went off on Lucas’s phone to let him know that her pizza was ready. He went off and brought it back on a tray so she could eat without interrupting the film.

He also brought with him a bottle of red wine and a couple of glasses. After he carefully putting Amber’s tray on her lap so she could eat, he stepped to the side and opened the bottle. He poured two glasses, passing one to me.

“I’ve put your pizza on,” he told me.

“Shh!” Amber scolded him. “You’ll miss the best song.”

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