January 2014
Edinburgh, Scotland
“How can one child have that much energy?” Gabe asked as he sank into a wing chair and reached for his coffee cup, taking a healthy gulp. “I’m exhausted,” he complained.
“Having second thoughts about fatherhood already?” Quinn asked as she sat down across from him. Gabe offered to pour her some coffee, but she passed. She was jittery enough as it was.
“Of course not. Emma is…” Gabe replied, searching for the right word, but not coming up with one immediately. The smile of awe on his face told its own story, however. “Amazing. An absolute miracle,” he added happily.
“She certainly is, but a very energetic one,” Quinn laughed.
They’d taken Emma to lunch after her playdate at the nursery school and then made their way to the zoo where they spent several hours walking from one enclosure to another, making a pit-stop at the petting zoo as any self-respecting parent would. Having seen every single animal, Emma demanded to go back to see her favorites, which proved to be nearly all the animals they’d already seen. Since it was too early to bring her back to the Lennoxes after the zoo, Emma had expressed a desire to go to a playground and spent another hour running around manically from the slides to the swing, and back again. Gabe followed her around for the first half-hour, terrified that she’d hurt herself or get abducted by a lurking predator, but he soon exhausted himself and consented to sit on a bench that offered a panoramic view of the entire playground. He never took his eyes off Emma, but quickly learned that he didn’t actually have to go down the slide with her.
“And just think; we get to do it all again tomorrow,” Quinn teased.
“I think it’s time we went home,” Gabe replied. “Emma has had time to get used to us. We can’t stay here forever, and I think the Lennoxes would like their life back. What do you say we leave tomorrow?”
Quinn considered that idea for a moment. She supposed Gabe was right. Even if they waited another week, it wouldn’t be any easier to announce to Emma that she was going to live in England with the two people she’d only just met. Mari asked them not to tell Emma that Gabe was her father just yet. She said the child needed time, but there was never going to be a perfect time. It was time to tear the plaster off and deal with the pain.
“All right. Tomorrow, we go home, but tonight, I attend this cocktail party.”
Quinn had left Gabe and Emma at McDonald’s after the playdate, Emma enjoying her Happy Meal and Gabe looking dubiously at his own burger. Gabe didn’t hold with junk food, but Emma had been adamant that her mum allowed her to have McDonald’s once a week, and it was time for her treat. Quinn strongly suspected that Emma was playing them like a violin, but had no wish to argue, not when she needed to escape for an hour to buy a dress. Gabe looked terrified when Quinn waved to him through the window and took off for the nearest shop. She didn’t need anything fancy, just a little black party frock that didn’t cost a week’s pay. Quinn found the perfect dress on a clearance rack, and shoes to match. It wasn’t black, but it was too pretty to pass up and priced to sell. The dress was made of satin, in a decadent shade of claret, and had an asymmetrical design that gave it a trendy and unique appearance. Quinn was smitten. She paid for her purchases, grabbed her bags, and raced back to McDonald’s where Gabe was beginning to look slightly desperate.
“Thank God you’re back,” he breathed. “She wants ice-cream.” Quinn didn’t think this was reason for panic, but recognized Gabe’s dilemma only too well. He was afraid to say no and upset Emma, which was understandable, but it was important for them to establish their authority.
Emma looked at Quinn with an expression of pure innocence. “I’d like a cone, please.”
The kid was good, Quinn would give her that. “Now, darling, you’ve just had a good meal. Why don’t we leave dessert for later? I’m sure you’ll want a treat after the zoo,” Quinn suggested.
“No, I want it now. Mum always got me a cone after my meal.”
“Well, Mum’s not here.” Emma’s eyes filled with tears, but she knew she was beaten.
“All right. But I want ice-cream at the zoo. They have animal-shaped ones. I like the one that looks like a monkey.”
“And you shall have it,” Gabe jumped in. Quinn gave him a filthy look, but it was too late. He’d already promised. Now Emma would want the ice cream as soon as she walked through the gates.
“You can have ice cream after we’re finished at the zoo. Shall we go then?” Quinn asked.
“I want ice cream first.” Emma fixed Gabe with a steely stare. “You promised,” she reminded him before pulling on her hat and gloves.
“All right. Ice cream first,” Gabe conceded.
Emma smiled coyly. Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, she was so cool. Quinn couldn’t help admiring her negotiating skills. If she got her way so quickly at four, what would she be like at fourteen? Quinn wasn’t ready for the answer, and neither was Gabe.
Now, hours later, Quinn was tired and would have liked nothing better than a hot bath followed by an early night. She had no desire to get dressed up and go to a party where she didn’t know a soul, but this was her only chance to get close to Robert Chatham, and she couldn’t afford to pass it up. She sighed and reached for the shopping bag, pulling out the dress. The sight of it cheered her up marginally, although pajamas would have made her much happier, especially since Gabe was already lounging on the bed and scrolling through the movie selection in search of something that appealed. Quinn applied some make up, twisted her hair into a stylish chignon, and pulled out a few tendrils to frame her face. There, that would have to do.
“You look beautiful,” Gabe said from his position on the bed. He had firm plans to watch TV until she got back, and had stockpiled a few snacks in case he got hungry in the process. “You never dress that way for me,” he added petulantly.
“No, but I undress for you, which is more important,” Quinn teased and leaned in to give him a kiss. “Don’t wait up.”
“Be careful.”