said Andrew cheerfully, ‘so you better eat up.’
‘I don’t like it,’ repeated Charlie, scowling at his father.
‘Charlie, you eat salmon all the time.’
‘I like it,’ said Ellie brightly.
‘Shut up, squirt,’ snapped Charlie.
‘Charlie, stop this,’ warned Andrew. ‘You’ll scare Auntie Cat away.’ He was trying to keep his voice light but Cat detected a tightness to his tone.
‘Good,’ said Charlie. ‘I don’t want her here. Why can’t you take time off?’
Andrew glanced at his sister, embarrassed. ‘I can’t and Cat doesn’t have to work at the moment so she’s offered to help.’
‘She lost her job because of that stupid footballer and you asked her. She didn’t offer.’
Andrew shifted in his seat. ‘She is doing us all a favour and you are being very rude. I want you to apologise.’
‘No,’ said Charlie, staring defiantly at his father.
‘Charlie, I’m warning you. Apologise or you’ll go to bed.’
Charlie jumped up from his seat and upended his plate, scattering fish, potato and sweetcorn all over the table and floor. ‘Fine!’ he shouted, storming from the room and stomping up the stairs before slamming his bedroom door with some force.
‘Awkward,’ said Ellie, forking sweetcorn into her mouth.
Cat stared at her brother. ‘He’ll be fine. He’s just having a moment,’ reassured Andrew. They could hear Charlie shouting and screaming and throwing things around his room.
‘That’s quite a moment,’ murmured Cat.
‘When’s Mummy coming home?’ asked Ellie, jiggling backwards and forwards on her chair, seemingly oblivious to her brother’s outburst.
Andrew, who was looking up towards the noise, glanced back at his daughter. ‘I don’t know, Ellie,’ he said.
‘I hope it’s soon,’ said Ellie, casting a meaningful look at Cat.
Andrew sighed. ‘I better go and talk to Charlie. Excuse me.’ He disappeared upstairs leaving Cat and Ellie alone.
‘Charlie does that a lot,’ observed Ellie.
‘Does what?’ asked Cat.
‘Shouts and screams.’ She leant forwards and whispered to her aunt, ‘I think he’s got anger issues. That’s what I heard Mummy and Daddy say anyway.’
‘Oh. Right,’ said Cat, unnerved.
‘I don’t really like you,’ observed Ellie.
Cat was almost impressed by her honesty. ‘Well I’m sorry to hear that. I suppose we’re stuck with each other at the moment though.’
Ellie sighed. ‘I suppose we are but hopefully it won’t be for too long.’
Wow, thought Cat, talk about telling it like it is.
Andrew reappeared a moment later. ‘Everything all right down here? My, Ellie, you’ve done well. Would you like some pudding?’
‘Yes please, Daddy,’ replied Ellie angelically. ‘Is Charlie okay?’
Cat could tell that Andrew was choosing his words carefully. ‘He’s very tired so he’s gone to bed. I’m sure he’ll be all right in the morning.’
After Ellie had gone to bed, Andrew poured two glasses of wine and they carried them out into the garden. It was a warm evening, the sun casting a beautiful pale pink colour over the sky. Cat looked at her brother in the fading light. He still looked like her little brother, eyes bright like a puppy, but his youthful exuberance had been replaced by the stresses of life. He looked worn down.
‘Tell me the truth about Charlie,’ she said.
He looked up at the sky and sighed. ‘The truth is I don’t know. We had a few problems with some boys at school but that was ages ago and it all got sorted.’
‘Have you tried talking to him?’ asked Cat.
‘Of course but have you tried talking to a ten-year-old? They’re not exactly chatty, nor are they in the habit of telling you what they’re feeling.’
Cat took a sip of her wine. ‘Ellie told me that she didn’t like me.’
Andrew gave a snorting laugh. ‘She tells it like it is, that one. Reminds me of someone else I know,’ he said, glancing at his sister.
Cat pulled a face. ‘It’s not funny. Basically you’re leaving me with two small people who hate me, one of whom has anger issues.’
‘I thought Cat Nightingale liked a challenge.’
Cat raised her eyebrows. ‘A challenge yes, not an impossible task.’
Andrew looked incredulous. ‘Surely my big sister isn’t giving up?’ he teased.
She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘I’m here, aren’t I?’
He raised his glass. ‘Well I would like to propose a toast to my sister’s inevitable success in the quest to get my children to like her.’
Cat shook her head and tapped her glass against his. ‘As I said, this was your idea and if it all goes pear-shaped, it’s down to you.’
Andrew looked satisfied. ‘It won’t,’ he declared. ‘In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it will be the making of you.’
Cat looked at him askance. ‘Who says I need to be “made”?’
Andrew shrugged. ‘Just that spending time with kids opens up your world a bit.’
‘Are you saying that my world is closed?’ She was irritated but doing her best not to betray it.
He nudged her playfully. ‘Oi, don’t get mardy. I’m merely pointing out that when everything is work, work, work, you can get a bit blinkered.’
‘And I suppose you’re a man of the world just because you have children?’
He laughed. ‘Hey, Lady PR, get down off your high horse. If I’m a man of the world then I’m a very tired one. All I’m saying is that kids make you re-evaluate your life. They force you to see things differently by dint of the fact that they need you.’
Cat sniffed. ‘So I am to be educated about the world by some small needy people.’
‘If you like,’ said Andrew with a grin. ‘We’ll see, won’t we?’
Cat frowned. She had forgotten how infuriating Andrew could be. He thought he knew better than her because he’d managed to reproduce smaller versions of himself. Like so many people with children, he thought he’d found the key to life but Cat knew which world suited her. This was a temporary arrangement – a mere blip in her life before she went back to what she loved best. ‘Yes,’ she said, taking another sip of her wine. ‘We will see.’
Cat woke early the next morning with a renewed sense of purpose. She had a plan and the arrangement with her brother was only temporary. She could handle it. She was Cat Nightingale. She could handle anything. She showered and dressed in her favourite Malene Birger chinos and navy lace-detail T-shirt top from Zara. It was smart without being showy and she felt good in it; it was the perfect look for a wannabe fun auntie. She went downstairs. Ellie was watching cartoons and Charlie was playing on his iPad. So far so calm.
‘Morning!’ she said in a sing-song voice. ‘How are we today?’
‘Daddy’s