Page 47 of The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright

I push the stool forward and tuck Ellie in to the table before I take a seat next to her. There are laminated menus dotted on the table, and Ellie reaches for one as if she can read. She’s instantly disappointed when there are no pictures.

The menu is more elaborate than I was expecting.Poached eggs and avocado. Overnight protein oats. Smoked salmon on sourdough bread.Foods that come with a high price tag and are certain to make my four-year-old poke her tongue out.

‘Morning,’ a chirpy young waitress says, appearing at our table with a small pad and pen in her hands.

‘Hello.’ Ellie smiles, swinging her legs back and forth and worrying me that she’s going to fall off the high stool.

‘Is there a separate kids’ menu?’ I ask.

The waitress shrugs. ‘No, sorry. Just what’s there.’

‘Erm…eh, can I get a small black coffee and?—’

‘Ribena,’ Ellie pipes up.

‘A small black coffee and Ribena please,’ I repeat.

‘Sure,’ the waitress says, writing it down. ‘And for food?’

‘Coco Pops,’ Ellie says.

The waitress giggles. ‘No Coco Pops,’ she says, smiling at Ellie. ‘But I can ask the chef to hold the sauces or anything like that?’ she says, shifting her gaze to me.

‘Oh. Eh. Would the eggs be cheaper without avocado?’

‘No. Sorry. The price would be the same, but most kids like the plain poached egg option.’

I glance at the menu again. It’s almost fifteen euro for eggs and avocado.

‘I like eggs,’ Ellie tells the waitress.

‘So plain poached eggs, is it?’

‘Mm-hmm.’ I wince.

‘Cool.’ The waitress writes it down. ‘Anything else?’

‘No thanks.’

‘So that’s poached eggs, hold the avocado. Ribena and small black coffee.’

‘Erm, actually, no coffee after all,’ I say, trying to add the prices in my head. ‘I’m not really hungry.’

‘You said you’re starving, Mammy,’ Ellie says.

‘No. No. I’m fine.’

‘You did. You did. At Cora’s house. And on the bus. And then your tummy went gurglely-wurglely on the bus. ’Member?’

I blush.

‘Do you have a loyalty card?’ the waitress asks. ‘Every tenth coffee is free so…’

‘No. I don’t.’

My face stings and I wonder if it’s as hot and red as it feels.

‘Okay. No worries,’ she says. ‘Just Ribena and eggs.’

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