Table for five by Susan Wiggs

Author:Susan Wiggs
Language: fr
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Contemporary
ISBN: 9780739453681
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2005-10-13T22:00:00+00:00

chapter 27

Lily kept trying to shake off the sight of Maura Riley, looking like Medical Student Barbie, coming out of the bedroom she’d so obviously shared with Sean the night before. But Lily couldn’t forget. Nor could she keep silent the minute she got him alone in the kitchen.

“I think it’s a bad idea to have your girlfriend living in the house with you,” she said. Crystal’s house, she thought, her resentment firing up.

“She doesn’t live here.”

“She shouldn’t even be spending the night.” God, she sounded so sour and judgmental. “What I mean is, it’s bad for the kids.”

“Get off it, Lily. Not that it’s any of your business, but last night is the first time she’s stayed. The kids don’t care. They like Maura.”

“What about Maura?” asked Charlie as she came into the kitchen. “She stayed over last night, didn’t she?”

Lily pursed her lips. Sean acted as though he hadn’t heard.

“She’s boring and she doesn’t have time for kids,” Charlie said, sending a sidelong glance at her uncle.

“It’s the truth. I asked her. She said she wasn’t ready to have kids, but when she was, then she would like them.”

“She didn’t mean you,” said Sean. “So you watch your mouth.”

Charlie gave an offended sniff, then shrugged and went trolling for breakfast. She gravitated toward a box of Pop-Tarts, and Lily was too preoccupied to object.

If this had been Lily’s problem to solve, she would have launched into a detailed explanation of how inappropriate it was for Charlie to talk like that about an adult, and how hard Maura worked at becoming a doctor, and how important it was for Charlie to respect her. Lily discovered that Sean’s curt imperative worked just as well.

“You look pretty today,” she told Charlie, admiring the creative combination of red sneakers, pink sweater and purple clam diggers. Her hair was braided and adorned with a sparkling array of tiny barrettes.

Charlie held out her hands. “Uncle Sean did my nails. And my hair.”

Lily nodded in approval. “I see.” Over Charlie’s head, she caught Sean’s eye, but he was acting busy as he organized the baby’s diaper bag. A bit of self-conscious color touched his cheeks.

Uncle Sean, it seemed, was developing an unexpected talent for doing hair. It had started with Charlie’s return to school. Lily never knew what the child would look like on any given morning. Over the past few weeks, she’d arrived in the classroom sporting any number of looks—B-52s, Princess Leia, Pippi Longstocking and Alicia Keys were favorites.

“We should get going,” Sean said.

Cameron was the last to join them, sliding into the car just as Sean was about to lose his patience.

“Hey,” Charlie squawked, “get your muddy feet off me.”

“They’re not on you,” Cameron muttered. “Move over.”

“On the way home,” Sean said, “maybe you’ll do some of the driving.”

Cameron opened a can of Coke and took a slug. “I forgot my learner’s permit.”

Sean held up a small leather sleeve with a plastic window. “You’re in luck. I found this on top of the refrigerator.

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