Page 9 of Tabloid Princess

Surprisingly refreshing? What did that mean?

“I can only apologise.”

“Leia.” The soft call of my name had me dangling, suspended in the moment. “It’s been an absolute pleasure.”

I opened my mouth to say something back, but when I couldn’t think of anything, I swiftly shut it again and turned for the door. Even though I wanted to, I didn’t look back.

I’d probably never have a day like this again, but it was time to return to reality.

A reality I was already late for.

Three

“I’m here, I’m here.” My greeting echoed in my head like a disjointed déjà vu. Part of me could only wonder if today had even happened at all.

“Mummy!” A barrel of blonde curls launched down the small hallway and into my body, slender arms wrapping tight around my waist. “I thought you’d miss bedtime.”

Kneeling, I met Daisy’s dark-blue stare. Round and bright, her blonde lashes blinked at me as her small mouth turned into a pout. “Me, miss bedtime? Have I ever missed it before? Ever in the history of bedtimes?”

Her little six-year-old brain contemplated this as she slid her hands around my neck and waited for me to pull her up. I held in my groan—she was far too old to be carried, but I found it nigh on impossible to refuse. I’d just cry to myself later when I got into bed and realised my back had been broken someplace around the sternum.

“Where have you been, Mummy? Nana was falling asleep waiting for you.” We’d just got to the lounge and I popped my head in through the door, grinning at Nana who was dozing in the chair.

“What have you done to Nana, Daisy? Did you tire her out at the park?”

Daisy giggled, the little sound lifting my heart. “We didn’t go to the park.”

I gasped loudly, hamming it up. “You didn’t? What have you been doing all this time while I’ve been slaving away in a boring office all day?” I stopped my mind from skimming back to delicious smiles and tempting bright eyes.

Now is the important bit. This is what I live for.

Princes don’t fit into my world.

Nana had her eyes still shut but her lips curved into a smile as Daisy leant into my ear and whispered, “Nana took me for ice cream, but it’s supposed to be a secret.”

“Ice cream on a school night! I’m going to have to talk to that grandmother of yours. She’s clearly a bad influence.” I ruffled the pale curls and breathed in that intoxicating scent of a clean, post-bath child. “Have you cleaned your teeth?”

She nodded, but the lie was in her eyes.

“Truth?”

Daisy bit on her bottom lip. “Maybe.”

I slid her down onto the floor and gave her bottom a gentle pat. “Go and clean them and I’ll come and read you a story. I need to give Nana a telling off for the ice cream.”

“No!” Daisy’s eyes were wide, the whites filling with water. “Don’t do that. She was being nice, and I begged.”

“Ah, now I see. You begged? How hard?”

She thought about her answer for a moment. “Quite hard.”

“Five minutes?”

She’s six, she’s got no concept of time at all. Her day is divided into time at school and time at home; how many physical minutes that actually pass during those periods is utterly lost on her.

“Three, I think.”

“Three whole minutes of begging? Okay, maybe it wasn’t Nana’s fault after all.”