Page 128 of The Girl with the Irish Secret
‘You can have treats when you’ve eaten your dinner all up,’ Vi said. ‘Then I’ll give you Coco Pops for dessert.’
Liam banged his spoon on the plate. Then he threw the spoon on the floor and started to eat with his fingers. Vi decided to let him. It was easier than arguing with a two-year-old. Larry, the big white dog, sniffed the floor waiting for any crumbs that might drop down. Liam threw one of the meatballs on the floor, which Larry wolfed down in seconds.
‘Liam is rude,’ Naomi said, pointing at him with her spoon. ‘He’s feeding meatballs to Larry. And he’s messy. Look – he’s taking the ketchup and getting it in his hair, ha ha!’
Vi looked at Liam and discovered that Naomi was right. He had taken the bottle of ketchup when she wasn’t looking and squirted it all over his nearly clean T-shirt and his face and now he was smearing it into his hair. ‘I eat ketchup,’ he said, laughing. Then he dug into his meatballs again and ate most of what was on his plate, stuffing his mouth full and grinning.
Vi sighed. ‘I’ll just let him finish and then I’ll give him a bath.’
Naomi nodded. ‘Yes, that’s what you should do. Look, I’m eating my dinner all up with my spoon and not spilling.’
‘You’re the best girl.’ Vi kissed Naomi on the top of her head.
Naomi nodded. ‘Yes I am. So I can watch TV with you when Liam is asleep.’
‘We’ll see,’ Vi said, not wanting to start another argument. Then she saw that Liam had finished and scooped him up in her arms, not caring that she was getting ketchup and mashed potato all over her shirt. ‘You can watch the cartoons now while I give Liam a bath and get him into his pyjamas.’
‘And then I can have Coco Pops?’ Naomi asked, looking hopeful.
Vi nodded. ‘Yes, because I said you could.’
‘Me too,’ Liam shouted. ‘I want Coca Pops too!’
‘Okay,’ Vi agreed. ‘When you’re in your pyjamas. And then you’ll both have to brush your teeth and get into bed.’
‘Then you have to read us a story or we won’t be able to sleep,’ Naomi stated, sliding off her chair.
‘Of course,’ Vi said, mentally waving her peaceful evening goodbye. She lugged the little boy up the stairs and started to run the bath, then she sat on a stool and peeled off his dirty clothes. ‘You are a mess, Liam.’
Liam laughed as she put him into the warm water and started to splash, soaking Vi. She smiled at him and looked down at her wet T-shirt dotted with ketchup stains. ‘I’m a mess too.’
She had just finished washing Liam and was drying him with a towel hanging on the radiator when the doorbell rang, making Larry bark furiously. ‘That’s all I need,’ Vi groaned. ‘Open the door, Naomi, but don’t let in any strangers,’ she called as she walked towards the stairs carrying Liam wrapped in a towel. She could hear Naomi opening the door. ‘Who is it?’ Vi called.
‘A man,’ Naomi replied. ‘But he’s not a stranger. And Larry likes him.’
‘Is it Martin?’ Vi called, remembering that he had said he might drop in to see if she needed anything.
‘No,’ Naomi called back.
Vi arrived downstairs and went into the hall to see who was at the door. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the person on the doorstep smiling at her and holding out a bunch of flowers. ‘What areyoudoing here?’
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‘It’s a long story,’ Jack said, patting Larry on the head. ‘But I’m here now. Are you going to let me in?’
Vi backed away from the door. ‘Okay. Come in.’
‘Are you giving the flowers to Auntie Vi?’ Naomi asked. ‘I can put them in water for you, if you like.’
‘Thank you very much, young lady,’ Jack said and gave Naomi the flowers. ‘And yes, they are for Auntie Vi. Because I want to say sorry for not replying to her emails and to celebrate a few things.’ He looked at Vi for a moment with a fond smile. ‘You look lovely.’
Vi was suddenly aware of her wet and dirty shirt and the soap suds in her hair. ‘I’ll just go and get Liam into his pyjamas and tidy up a bit. Naomi, show Jack into the living room. I’ll be back in a minute.’ She carried Liam back up the stairs, dried him off and put his pyjamas on. Then she left him in his room to play with his teddy for a moment while she quickly went into Lily and Dom’s bedroom and found a blue cotton sweater in Lily’s wardrobe and changed into it before she brought Liam back downstairs.
‘Coca Pops,’ Liam said when she arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Okay. Just a sec,’ Vi said, and put him on the floor. She ran into the kitchen where Naomi was taking a crystal vase out of one of the lower cupboards. ‘Thanks, sweetheart,’ she said and took the vase from Naomi. Vi filled it with water and put the flowers – a lovely bouquet of red and pink roses and white daisies – into it and set it down on the kitchen table. ‘They’re lovely flowers, Jack. Thank you.’
Liam pulled at the legs of Vi’s jeans. ‘Coca Pops, Auntie Vi. Now.’
