The Nursery by Asia Mackay

Author:Asia Mackay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction

Chapter Sixteen

I RANG THE DOORBELL of Camilla and Frederick’s house and waited. There was always a murmur of excitement at getting to nose around someone’s house. I was going to enjoy this.

I looked down at Gigi in her princess dress and sparkly shoes. My daughter was a princess, day in, day out. She loved pink. And she hated getting dirty. I loved her. She was my everything. But dammit, I couldn’t help but wish she was a little less conventional. I had tried my best. Given her trucks to play with. Told her she could do anything she wanted. That ‘like a girl’ meant being strong. Fearless. But this was her. This was my Gigi. And if this was how she was, I would love and accept her. As a pink-loving princess.

The door finally opened. ‘Alexis, Gigi. How lovely.’ Camilla smiled at us. ‘Come on through.’

We followed her into a beautiful kitchen. Dark blue cabinets with a marble countertop. As befitting an art gallery owner, what looked like expensive, but not necessarily nice, art was dotted all over the walls. Crittall-style doors led out to a garden with fake grass. Kate and Dionne were already there. Kate’s twins were chasing each other round and round as Peppa’s daughter Bella and Florence sat colouring at a mini table and chairs. Gigi immediately ran to join them.

I looked round the large open-plan space. Everything was immaculate. The only nod to the hectic family life was a large noticeboard brimming with reminders from the nursery and an abundance of Florence’s artistic masterpieces.

Camilla noticed me staring at their noticeboard. ‘Frederick insists we keep everything. He’s surprisingly sentimental.’

‘Is he very hands-on?’ asked Kate as she and Dionne joined us from the garden.

‘Oh yes. He’s the one that gets Florence up in the morning. Well, more likely she gets him up. She has never slept well. Sometimes they’re already in the playground by seven a.m.’

‘Don’t think my husband has ever got up with any of ours,’ said Kate, shaking her head.

‘Frederick’s an early riser anyway. Doesn’t seem to mind. He takes a coffee, catches up on emails, has some fresh air before being stuck in an office.’

It was strange to think of how other couples did things. Like in any partnership you slipped naturally into what became your responsibilities and what became theirs. I was always the one on early shift. I’d never really thought about it but it would be nice if Will occasionally stepped up and did it instead.

Why was I comparing them?

‘Frederick has even been picking her up from nursery every day this week.’ Good to know our latest mission was getting him credit with Camilla. ‘I guess he just likes doing his bit. It’s just the way he is. He likes to get involved in everything. He even helps me with the gallery, accounts, invoices.’ She gave a little laugh. ‘The stuff I’m no good at.’

From what I knew of them it seemed more like he had to help her with everything as she couldn’t cope.

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