Page 40 of Suddenly Entwined

“Dare I ask what sandwich-related grievance I have committed?”

“Everyone likes diagonal cuts, Caro. Everyone.”

“I find that very hard to believe.” I lift the sandwiches into the colourful divided containers Berg already laid out.

Returning from their room (not in dresses), the girls seem fully excited about the fact that their dad can sit down and eat with them this morning. I smile, despite my annoyance with Berg, as I poke around the pantry and fill the rest of the empty spaces in their lunches.

“Don’t forget the–”

I whirl around before he can finish. “Ice packs? Is that what you were going to say?”

The man has the sense to simply nod before becoming very interested in a snap on his pants.

“I swear on every pocket on those freaking pants, that if you have one more suggestion for me regarding sandwich assembly,I’ll walk right out that door. So either enjoy that hot coffee and shush, or put it in a to-go mug and be on your way."

Natalie and Louisa’s eyes are the size of the oreos I just popped in their lunches.

“What’s wrong with having so many pants pockets?” he asks.

I ignore him.

“Us girls have this handled, right?”

They nod in solidarity.

“Excellent!” I smile, shooting Berg one more ‘I mean business’ look for good measure before zipping the lunch kits.

“Do you know how to do braids, Caro?” Natalie asks, mouth full of toast.

“I do.”

She’s got a ponytail in, but it’s more than a little lopsided.

“Do you want me to do your hair?” I offer.

I don’t want her to think that there’s anything wrong with the style she did herself.

Natalie nudges her sister, who is colouring in a picture of a cat. “Lou. Caro can do braids.”

Louisa drops her orange crayon onto the table. “Really?”

I laugh at the level of excitement over something so small, but then it hits me. Except for the very early years of Natalie’s life, these girls have never lived with a woman. Of course, braids and makeup and that sort of thing are out of Berg’s realm of expertise. Suddenly, I’m looking at the first night we met through a different lens. Imagining what it must be like to be a dad who has to fill all the parenting roles in his home. It’s clear that he hasno qualms over his daughters practising their hair styling skills on him.

“Of course I can. C’mon, finish up your meal and then I’ll meet you in the bathroom.”

Berg’s chair scrapes across the floor as he stands and slips his plate into the sink before pouring the rest of his coffee into a beat travel mug. He gathers his belongings, and for some reason I follow him to the front door.

“Before I forget, I want to give you this.”

Berg is holding a card out to me, and it takes me second to figure out what he’s offering.

“Your credit card?”

My heart rate picks up. I don’t want that. Not even one bit. Me and money? Not the greatest relationship.

“If you’re going to be driving my kids around, I want you to use my card for gas, grabbing something for them when you’re out, you know?”

I stare at the silver piece of plastic. I’ve kept to a strict cash budget for months now. Seeing how much money I have, knowing where it is, those things make me feel secure in my spending.

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