Page 39 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘I don’t mind taking him, if that’s OK with you? He’s good fun.’

Harriet groaned. ‘When we were at my parents’ house on Sunday, he told my mum that he’d peed in your van. She didn’t realise it had a loo in it. You ought to have seen her face.’

Owen guffawed. ‘That’s priceless.’

‘She also thought you had one of those old-fashioned gypsy vans and a horse to pull it.’ Before she could say anything further, the door banged open and her son thundered in. ‘Brace yourself,’ she warned.

‘Owen!’ Bobby skidded to a halt, his coat flying in one direction and his bag in the other.

‘Hi, sprout. Had a good day in school?’

‘I told everyone I peed in your van.’

Harriet rolled her eyes. ‘See?’

‘Have you come to have a bath?’

Owen snorted and Harriet could tell he was trying not to laugh. ‘Not today. I’m here to take Etta for a walk.’

‘Can I come?’ Bobby gazed hopefully up at her. ‘Can I, Mam? I was good last time.’

‘I know you were,’ Harriet said. ‘You can go if you want, but change out of your uniform first,’ she yelled after him as he scampered into the hall. ‘And pick your bag and coat up,’ she added. Yep, Groundhog Day had nothing on her life.

Bobby was rushing upstairs to change as his sister sauntered in. Sara halted in her tracks when she saw Owen. She smiled at him but she wasn’t as open, being more wary and reserved, and Harriet marvelled at her children’s differing reactions.

‘Sara, you remember Owen? We met him the other day when we were walking Etta.’

‘Bobby hasn’t stopped talking about him, Mam,’ Sara pointed out. ‘Hiya.’ This was directed at Owen. The next words out of Sara’s mouth were directed at her and were utterly predictable. ‘What’s for tea?’

‘Butternut squash casserole and rice,’ Harriet said. ‘Owen is taking Etta for a walk, then he’s going to help me make it. Bobby is going with him.’

Sara’s eyes darted from her mother to Owen and back again. ‘Just Bobby?’

‘You can come too, if you like?’ Owen offered, glancing at Harriet for confirmation.

Harriet nodded. ‘You can, but I didn’t think you’d want to. They’re going down to the river. It’s muddy,’ she added.

‘I want to.’ Sara was firm.

‘We could look for conkers,’ Owen suggested.

‘What are those?’

Owen’s eyes widened. ‘Have you never played conkers?’ And when Sara shook her head, he added, ‘You’re in for a treat.’

Sara was about to ask more but Harriet stopped her.

‘Hurry up and get changed,’ she said, suddenly wishing she was going with Owen, too. Surprise that her daughter wanted to walk the dog after school caught her unawares and it took her a second to realise that Sara was envious of her brother. It took her another second to understand that both children craved male company. She knew they missed their father dreadfully, but his attention was sporadic and half-hearted, and they hadn’t had any contact with him since before the summer holidays, so Owen must be a novelty for them.

‘Thanks,’ she said, when she and Owen were alone for a moment. ‘And sorry for springing them on you.’

‘I honestly don’t mind. They’re nice kids.’

‘They are,’ Harriet said, filling up with pride. Sara could sometimes be a bit of a handful, but she was no different to any girl who was rapidly approaching her teenage years, and trying to discover who she was and find her place in the world.

Within minutes the children thundered down the stairs, barging each other out of the way as they hurtled into the kitchen.

‘Calm down, it’s only a walk,’ Harriet said, but her words fell on deaf ears. The kids were excited; Sara must have told Bobby that they were going to look for conkers and, even though neither child had any idea what conkers were, both of them were thrilled about it.

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