to the raising of his daughter.
Vic smiled as Lawson tickled his daughter, feeling a strange affiliation with the little girl. Matilda too was growing up without a mother and it clutched at Vic’s heart, resonating deeply. Sure, Matilda hadn’t known any different, but it didn’t make it any less sad that she would never know that special bond. The type of bond Vic had had with her mother.
It was a credit to Lawson that, despite Deb’s desertion, Matilda was a happy, secure child. ‘Eight times nine,’ she said, entering the game.
Matilda’s face, noticing her father’s partner for the first time, lit up. ‘Vic,’ she cried, running around Lawson to launch herself at Victoria. ‘Vic, Vic, Vic.’
Matilda locked her arms around Vic’s waist and jumped up and down. Vic laughed and hugged the dear little thing tight. She was going to miss Matilda’s zest for life and her unconditional love. The twins had been like that and sometimes she could still feel their skinny arms giving her a double-trouble hug.
‘ Kids Quiz is starting.’
Vic looked up to see Dorothy, Matilda’s part-time nanny, a marshmallow-centred ex-schoolmarm, standing at the front door.
‘Yippee! Come on, Vic. Come on, Daddy.’ Matilda pulled at both their hands. ‘Miss Simpson says this is her favourite show.’ Matilda looked meaningfully at her father. ‘She’s really pretty.’
Lawson rolled his eyes at Victoria as his daughter dragged him into the house. ‘Yes, I have met Miss Simpson, remember?’
For the next half an hour the time passed as it always did on the days their jobs and the pager allowed themto drop in and visit with Matilda in the afternoon. On a day shift Lawson wasn’t home until after his daughter was in bed so if he could get these precious moments with her, he grabbed them with both hands.
They all huddled on the lounge over coffee and some home-made goodies Dorothy had whipped up, shouting at the television, competing with each other. Vic loved these times. Matilda held her hand and seemed to hang off her every word. It reminded her of the foggy memories she had of sitting on the couch watching television with her own mother and the overwhelming feeling of being loved.
Lawson was lucky to have a job where he could spend this precious time with his daughter—and he knew it. She guessed it was one of the many advantages of working in a small community. Something else she’d miss in giant, anonymous London.
Not that she’d miss anything about this life too much, she told herself. After eighteen years of helping raise her twin brothers, shackled through grief and love and an innate sense of responsibility, she was well and truly set to fly the nest.
This was her time and she was going to live it. Crush or no crush. Kiss or no kiss.
Their pagers remained silent for the duration of Kids Quiz, for which they were both thankful. Afterwards Matilda rushed off to get ready for her piano lesson and Vic and Lawson got back on the road.
As they drove away Vic said, ‘I know I say this every time but, jeez, you’ve got a good kid there.’
Lawson turned to look at her. Victoria and Matilda got on famously. He’d go as far as to say that hisdaughter worshipped the ground Victoria walked on. Why then, he wondered, was it that Matilda, who had tried to set him up with every available female under ninety on the island the last six months, hadn’t ever tried to set him up with his partner?
Probably because Victoria had just always been around. More like a big sister than a mother prospect. Or maybe Matilda also thought it utterly preposterous.
Vic could feel his eyes on her as she drove. ‘What?’ she demanded, looking at him briefly before returning her eyes to the road.
‘You’re good with her.’
Vic snorted. ‘I raised my brothers from babies. I have two X chromosomes. I know kids.’ She shrugged. ‘Big deal.’
‘You’d make a good mother.’
‘Oh, no.’ She shook her head vigorously. ‘No
Vic smiled as Lawson tickled his daughter, feeling a strange affiliation with the little girl. Matilda too was growing up without a mother and it clutched at Vic’s heart, resonating deeply. Sure, Matilda hadn’t known any different, but it didn’t make it any less sad that she would never know that special bond. The type of bond Vic had had with her mother.
It was a credit to Lawson that, despite Deb’s desertion, Matilda was a happy, secure child. ‘Eight times nine,’ she said, entering the game.
Matilda’s face, noticing her father’s partner for the first time, lit up. ‘Vic,’ she cried, running around Lawson to launch herself at Victoria. ‘Vic, Vic, Vic.’
Matilda locked her arms around Vic’s waist and jumped up and down. Vic laughed and hugged the dear little thing tight. She was going to miss Matilda’s zest for life and her unconditional love. The twins had been like that and sometimes she could still feel their skinny arms giving her a double-trouble hug.
‘ Kids Quiz is starting.’
Vic looked up to see Dorothy, Matilda’s part-time nanny, a marshmallow-centred ex-schoolmarm, standing at the front door.
‘Yippee! Come on, Vic. Come on, Daddy.’ Matilda pulled at both their hands. ‘Miss Simpson says this is her favourite show.’ Matilda looked meaningfully at her father. ‘She’s really pretty.’
Lawson rolled his eyes at Victoria as his daughter dragged him into the house. ‘Yes, I have met Miss Simpson, remember?’
For the next half an hour the time passed as it always did on the days their jobs and the pager allowed themto drop in and visit with Matilda in the afternoon. On a day shift Lawson wasn’t home until after his daughter was in bed so if he could get these precious moments with her, he grabbed them with both hands.
They all huddled on the lounge over coffee and some home-made goodies Dorothy had whipped up, shouting at the television, competing with each other. Vic loved these times. Matilda held her hand and seemed to hang off her every word. It reminded her of the foggy memories she had of sitting on the couch watching television with her own mother and the overwhelming feeling of being loved.
Lawson was lucky to have a job where he could spend this precious time with his daughter—and he knew it. She guessed it was one of the many advantages of working in a small community. Something else she’d miss in giant, anonymous London.
Not that she’d miss anything about this life too much, she told herself. After eighteen years of helping raise her twin brothers, shackled through grief and love and an innate sense of responsibility, she was well and truly set to fly the nest.
This was her time and she was going to live it. Crush or no crush. Kiss or no kiss.
Their pagers remained silent for the duration of Kids Quiz, for which they were both thankful. Afterwards Matilda rushed off to get ready for her piano lesson and Vic and Lawson got back on the road.
As they drove away Vic said, ‘I know I say this every time but, jeez, you’ve got a good kid there.’
Lawson turned to look at her. Victoria and Matilda got on famously. He’d go as far as to say that hisdaughter worshipped the ground Victoria walked on. Why then, he wondered, was it that Matilda, who had tried to set him up with every available female under ninety on the island the last six months, hadn’t ever tried to set him up with his partner?
Probably because Victoria had just always been around. More like a big sister than a mother prospect. Or maybe Matilda also thought it utterly preposterous.
Vic could feel his eyes on her as she drove. ‘What?’ she demanded, looking at him briefly before returning her eyes to the road.
‘You’re good with her.’
Vic snorted. ‘I raised my brothers from babies. I have two X chromosomes. I know kids.’ She shrugged. ‘Big deal.’
‘You’d make a good mother.’
‘Oh, no.’ She shook her head vigorously. ‘No
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