Chapter 2
They made it through Thursday and Friday without any greater catastrophes, and when Saturday came, everyone was in a very good mood and excited for the weekend.
At 7.30 am, James had made pancakes for Daisy and Hunter (Violet was still in bed) and was just trying to feed little Ethan when the doorbell rang.
“Now who could that be?” he asked craning his neck to look through the open kitchen door towards the front door. When he saw the shadowy outline of his best friend behind the curtained windows in the door’s upper half, he smiled and told Daisy to open the door.
The girl ran off and a second later her excited scream was heard before she led their visitor into the kitchen.
“Good morning, folks,” Steve smiled helping himself to some coffee and a pancake. “I just wanted to make sure everything’s alright, now that Nat isn’t here.”
“We’re perfectly fine,” James said wiping some carrot mash from his face. “Everything is under control.”
Steve nodded and took a sip of his coffee. “Is Ethan’s shirt inside out?”
James looked at the baby who kept turning his head avoiding the spoon, then cleared his throat. “Um … yes. That’s the latest trend in baby fashion. Haven’t you heard?”
“Must have missed that on the news.”
“Steve, Steve!” Daisy said tugging at his sleeve.
“Yes, milady?” He picked her up and sat her on his lap.
“Will you come and see me in my school play?”
“You’re in a school play?”
James nodded, finally giving up on trying to feed Ethan. “She is Tulip No. 1 in ‘Stories from the flowerbed’. We couldn’t be prouder.”
“Well, I wouldn’t miss that for the world!”
Daisy beamed just as Violet entered the kitchen yawning. She still wore her oversized night shirt and her hair was messy from sleep. “Mornin’. God, I can’t believe I’m up at this early – oh … hi, Steve.” She blushed slightly and quickly put a strand of hair behind her ear. “I – I didn’t know you were here.” Avoiding eye contact she sat down on the other side of the table and poured herself some orange juice.
“Is everything okay?” Steve asked slightly worried.
“Yes, yes sure.”
“Violet’s in love with you,” Hunter laughed making his sister blush even more.
“Shut up!” she snapped, her cheeks now a deep crimson red. “That’s not true!”
“Hunter, stop teasing your sister,” James warned. “Didn’t you want to go to the football match this afternoon?”
“Yes, please!”
“Well, then behave yourself. I won’t have any of this teasing here.”
“Sorry…,” Hunter mumbled.
“Okay. Did you study for your math test?”
“Yes.”
“Really? What does 15 + 23 equal?”
“38.”
“47 – 29?”
“18.”
“2058 + 947 – 14?”
“4820.”
James blinked, surprised by the quick reply, and looked at Steve. “Was that correct?”
Steve shrugged. “No idea. I don’t even remember the numbers you said.”
“Okay, you win this one, Hunter,” James said. “You can go to the game. But Steve will accompany –“ He was interrupted by Ethan who started crying at this very moment. “Oh hey.” James took him out of his highchair and rocked him carefully in his arms. “What’s up, little man? You haven't eaten anything. Do you miss your mom?”
Ethan kept on wailing, forcing James to leave the kitchen and walk up and down the living room, the crying baby on his shoulder, stroking his back and humming quietly to him until he finally fell silent.
When he returned to the kitchen, the others had finished their breakfast and Steve was doing the dishes.
“You don’t have to do that,” James said.
“I know but I want to. Is Ethan okay?”
“I don’t know,” James replied sitting down carefully, the sobbing baby still in his arms who was drifting back off to sleep. “He slept alright but now he doesn’t want to eat and he usually doesn’t cry much. I don’t like that.”
“Maybe he really just misses Nat.”
“Yes, maybe…” For a moment James looked worriedly at his small son, then he turned to the others. “Okay, what are our plans for the day? Hunter, you’re going to the match with Steve. If that’s okay for you, Steve.”
“Sure.”
“Daisy? What do you want to do?”
“Go to the zoo!”
“Fine. Family trip to the zoo then, and in the afternoon, when Steve and Hunter are at the game, we others go dress shopping for Vi’s ball.”
“I can’t,” Violet said who just returned from getting dressed. “I’m meeting my girls in the afternoon. We’ll have to do the shopping before noon.”
“But I’m sure Hunter doesn’t want to be a part of that.”
“You could leave me here,” Hunter suggested.
“No way.”
“How about that?” Steve interposed. “I go to the zoo with Daisy and Hunter while you and Vi go dress shopping, taking Ethan with you.”
Everyone nodded and James agreed. “Sounds good. Thanks, man.”
“No problem.”