Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of
his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
* * *
"Hey, Ollie, how about a chocolate biscuit for desert?" Abby asked, already knowing the answer. Their little boy nodded wildly and Abby lifted him off her lap in front of the TV. "Well then, If you go and ask your sister really nicely, maybe she'll go and get them down for you."
Ollie ran out of the room and Carter looked at Abby oddly. "I thought you said they shouldn't eat too many sweets because they're bad for their teeth?"
Abby looked at the floor nervously. "I did."
Carter looked even more confused. "So."
"Umm." Abby kept looking at her feet. "I have something."
"Mum! Ollie stole the last Kit Kat! I wanted it."
Abby jumped and snapped out of it, sitting upright and looking at her daughter. "Why don't you break it in half and share another one as well?"
Bethan shrugged and walked off in a bit of a sulk. Carter turned back towards Abby. "You were saying?"
Abby turned to him confused, loosing her nerve. "What? Oh, nothing. What's on TV?" Abby picked up the remote and started absently flicking through channels. Carter looked at her for a second, trying to read her expression but gave up in the end and put his arm around her, watching the TV too.
"What do you fancy?" Abby asked him, flicking from one channel to another. "You choose."
Carter looked uninterested at the TV as images of lions eating zebras and boring English guys talking about antiques flash across the screen and looked quizzically at his wife, who was avoiding eye contact.
"Abby, are you sure you're ok? It sounded like you wanted to tell me something before."
"No really, I'm fine. You must've been imagining things."
Carter rolled his eyes and settled back into the sofa. There was no way he would get her to tell him what was on her mind if she didn't want to. Carter had learned that before and had stopped trying long ago. At least they knew where Bethan got her stubborn streak.
"Ow! Stop it!" Came Bethan's shriek from the next room, as if on cue. Abby and Carter both looked at each other.
Abby rolled her eyes and stood up. "I guess girls are my problem, right?"
Carter nodded at her. "Yup."
* * *
"Hey, Ollie, how about a chocolate biscuit for desert?" Abby asked, already knowing the answer. Their little boy nodded wildly and Abby lifted him off her lap in front of the TV. "Well then, If you go and ask your sister really nicely, maybe she'll go and get them down for you."
Ollie ran out of the room and Carter looked at Abby oddly. "I thought you said they shouldn't eat too many sweets because they're bad for their teeth?"
Abby looked at the floor nervously. "I did."
Carter looked even more confused. "So."
"Umm." Abby kept looking at her feet. "I have something."
"Mum! Ollie stole the last Kit Kat! I wanted it."
Abby jumped and snapped out of it, sitting upright and looking at her daughter. "Why don't you break it in half and share another one as well?"
Bethan shrugged and walked off in a bit of a sulk. Carter turned back towards Abby. "You were saying?"
Abby turned to him confused, loosing her nerve. "What? Oh, nothing. What's on TV?" Abby picked up the remote and started absently flicking through channels. Carter looked at her for a second, trying to read her expression but gave up in the end and put his arm around her, watching the TV too.
"What do you fancy?" Abby asked him, flicking from one channel to another. "You choose."
Carter looked uninterested at the TV as images of lions eating zebras and boring English guys talking about antiques flash across the screen and looked quizzically at his wife, who was avoiding eye contact.
"Abby, are you sure you're ok? It sounded like you wanted to tell me something before."
"No really, I'm fine. You must've been imagining things."
Carter rolled his eyes and settled back into the sofa. There was no way he would get her to tell him what was on her mind if she didn't want to. Carter had learned that before and had stopped trying long ago. At least they knew where Bethan got her stubborn streak.
"Ow! Stop it!" Came Bethan's shriek from the next room, as if on cue. Abby and Carter both looked at each other.
Abby rolled her eyes and stood up. "I guess girls are my problem, right?"
Carter nodded at her. "Yup."