The Love of a Family by Rebecca Shaw

Author:Rebecca Shaw [Shaw, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

That afternoon, Myra decorated the cake helped by Piers who sat on a chair supervising and offering suggestions. Between them they covered it in vanilla butter icing, stroked the top with the back of a big fork to make a kind of basket work pattern on the top, put big fat whole glacé cherries right round the edge and flakes of chocolate all over the top.

‘You are good at doing cakes, Myra. Do you enjoy making them?’

‘I haven’t made one for ages, could even be years, in fact I think it is. Uncle Graham likes to keep slim you see and chocolate cake like this has no respect for slimness.’

‘I think a cake like this is loving.’

Myra clattered the bowl and the grater and the spoons and the palette knife into the sink and turned to ask him what he meant.

‘It’s all covered in love, that’s why you did it, for love.’

Myra had never equated love with cake, in fact she no longer equated love with anything at all. ‘I don’t know, perhaps you’re right.’

‘It’s two weeks to my birthday. A cake like this with candles on would be amazing. I’ve only ever had shop cakes for my birthday, you see.’

The new Myra emerged again. ‘In that case then Piers Butler shall have a cake like this for his tenth birthday. And that’s a promise.’

Piers went to the kitchen door. Did she really, really mean it, or was she saying that just to please him. He so hoped she did mean it.

‘Thank you very much. I’m going to get bumper cars out now, will you have a go with me?’

‘Of course, you set it up while I wash these things. Are you sure you feel up to it?’

‘For a while anyway.’

So when Oliver came home from school dispirited after a day when everything he did seemed to go wrong, he found Myra on her knees playing bumper cars, and for some unknown reason his spirits lifted. They lifted even more when Piers took him in the kitchen to see the cake he’d helped to decorate. ‘Isn’t it lovely?’

‘Is it for tonight Myra?’

‘It certainly is, Oliver.’ He stood lost in admiration and then unwittingly made a similar remark to Piers’ own comment.

‘It’s beautiful. The best cake ever. I bet you two have loved making it haven’t you? There’s love in that fancy icing.’

Myra flushed red, and she had to turn away so they couldn’t see. When had she ever been praised like this before? Graham used to do it, but she snapped at him so often for it he gave up. These two boys were so sensitive. They’d get that from their dad, John had always been careful about feelings.

By the time they got round to eating the cake that evening, they were so excited that they didn’t seem like the solemn quiet boys they’d been ever since they’d arrived. They were bubbly and happy and Graham caught her eye and smiled in gratitude.

When they’d each finished a slice and

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