Page 38 of All Yours

Millie laughed.

‘It’s true,’ Reggie said. ‘Dad told me.’

‘I know,’ Millie said. ‘Your mum loved Elton John. It was all our parents listened to when we were small and we used to sing his songs into our hairbrushes.’

She had their attention now. Both Reggie and George listened open-mouthed; they loved hearing stories about their mum, and they hadn’t heard this one before.

‘We’d both be on the bed, watching ourselves in the mirror, pretending we were famous.’

George plugged his thumb in and climbed on her lap.

‘What about my name? Daddy says I’m named after a singer too.’

‘Another favourite in our house when we were little, George Michael,’ Millie said, dropping a kiss on his curly head. ‘You should have heard us singing along to “Wake Me Up”. We thought we should be on Top of the Pops.’

‘What’s Top of the Pops?’ Reggie asked.

‘Oh, an old programme on the television where all the famous singers performed.’

The kettle boiled and Fox poured two cups of tea, passing one over to Millie on the table.

‘Careful, George,’ Millie warned. ‘It’s hot.’

‘I’ve got that record somewhere, boys,’ Fox said. ‘In the old box of vinyls. Go and see if you can find it.’ George slipped off Millie’s lap and the two of them wandered off, Dingbat following behind.

‘They seem all good,’ Millie said, blowing her steaming cup and nodding after the boys.

‘They are,’ Fox replied. ‘Although a little tired today from trick or treating last night.’

‘I would have come with you if I’d known. Shame I missed it. We normally have such fun every year.’

Fox nodded. She was right. They’d done it together for the past few years. He’d been so caught up in work that he hadn’t thought about inviting her and now he felt guilty for not thinking. Millie had put herself out the last few years to come to Halloween night, even carrying the boys home when they were really little and too tired to walk.

‘Sorry, Mills, I should have thought,’ he said. ‘To be honest, I didn’t organise it, Robyn did it all. I’ve been so caught up with work.’ He heard himself passing the buck, but couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to let Millie down. She’d been there every step of the way for him since Meg died. She’d helped with choosing schools, been with them every Christmas, and remembered every milestone.

‘Don’t worry. Maybe we could do something next weekend for fireworks night? Or there’s always next year,’ she said, with a wave of her hand. ‘Now, let’s go to the park and wear the little buggers out.’

Reggie and George ran rings around them in the park, chasing Dingbat and throwing a ball. Fox and Millie sat on a bench, their hands cupped around takeaway coffees and their coat collars up. The sun was out but the air was chilled.

‘So, how’s the nanny shaping up?’ Millie asked.

Fox fought the desire to smile and nodded instead. The nanny was in the best shape she could possibly be. He felt a rush of desire at the memory of her last night, of Robyn pinned to the wall. He took a sip of his coffee and nodded.

‘Good,’ he said.

‘And how are you feeling about it all now?’

He considered for a moment.

‘It’s confusing . . .’ he admitted. That much was true. Robyn was the first woman since Meg that he had been attracted to. Not just last year, but now, seemingly, on a day-to-day basis. It would be fine, if he wasn’t her boss, and if he didn’t feel guilty every time he even thought about it. The thought of being with someone else, properly, fully, in a relationship: that, he couldn’t imagine. Out of the question. He and Meg hadn’t separated or divorced. She had died. She had died when they loved each other, so he still felt married.

‘I can imagine,’ Millie said, which Fox strongly refuted in his head. Millie certainly could not imagine what was going through his head right now. She continued: ‘You’re so used to doing everything on your own. Doing things the way you and Meg did them.’

He watched the ducks on the river and sipped his coffee.

Reggie suddenly squealed with excitement and tore across the park, George shrieked and followed him, pumping his arms like pistons, while Dingbat barked, following in hot pursuit. Fox watched them go, wondering what had caught their attention. The three of them ran past their bench, along the path and straight into Robyn as she crossed the park, pushing Willow in the buggy. She caught them against her legs, before picking George up and tickling him until he giggled.

They were too far away to hear their conversation, but Fox saw Reggie point his way and Robyn shade her eyes to see him. Then George was holding her hand and tugging her in their direction, while Reggie made a show of pushing the buggy.