names at various levels. 'This is Lisa Dunphy, the boss,' Dee introduced her friend. 'Lisa, this is Don Reilly from the Daily Journal .'
'Pleased to meet you.' Lisa smiled and shook his hand. 'And that's Martha.' She pointed at the young girl who was cuddling a crying baby in an area to the right that was sectioned off by a red wooden fence. 'She looks after our three babies.'
'We have a reading corner over here.' Dee gestured at the area just inside the door with miniature armchairs and sofas and a long, low bookcase. 'And that's the nap room.' She pointed to the section next to the baby area and Don went over to peer in at the three cots, and the stack of small mattresses in the corner.
'Then we have a TV corner.' Dee brought him round the corner where the five older children sat curled up on the two sofas watching Sesame Street . 'Say hello, children.'
'Hello,' they chorused obediently.
'He's mine.' Dee pointed at the little boy with dark, curly hair at the end.
Sam looked up and smiled and Don waved. 'Hello, Sam.'
'They only watch about ten or fifteen minutes of children's programmes a day, and we try to make sure they get at least an hour in the garden. If the weather is bad, we have yoga or exercises in the hall.'
'So you work in the crèche, too?' he asked as they said goodbye to Lisa and went back into the hall.
She shook her head. 'I make their meals and help out from time to time but that's all. Most of my time is taken up cooking the food for the café in Better Books in the town. Do you know it?'
His eyes widened. 'I do indeed. And do you supply all of that wonderful food?'
'Most of it.'
'I'm very impressed!'
'Good,' she laughed. 'Feel free to give us some free advertising in your article!'
'I'll do that,' he promised. 'You've got a marvellous place here. I must get our features editor to visit you the next time she's doing a piece on crèche. It would be good advertising for you.'
'We'd be delighted.' Dee beamed at him. She gestured at Lisa and Martha's framed diplomas on the wall in the porch. 'We're very proud of Happy Days and we like to think it's home-from-home for the children.'
'It's a lovely place,' he agreed. 'Okay, well, I'd better get back to the office. Oh,' he paused, 'we'll need a photograph.'
Dee frowned as she mentally went through her photo album. 'I'm not sure if I have anything suitable, at least, nothing recent.'
'No problem, I'll send my photographer around later. What time would suit you?'
She made a face. 'Is a photo really necessary?'
He grinned. 'Absolutely! Readers always want to know the face behind the story. One of you with your little boy would be really nice.'
Dee could just imagine Sam's delight if he got his photo in the paper. 'Okay,' she relented, 'any time after four.'
'I'll have him here at half past,' Don said, sticking out his hand. 'Thanks again, Dee, you've been a great help.'
'Ooh, you're going to be famous!' Lisa teased when Dee went back inside and told her about the photo.
'Hardly, it's only the Daily Journal ,' Dee scoffed.
'Today, the Daily Journal ; tomorrow the world,' Lisa breathed theatrically.
Sam bounced up and down on Dee's knee. 'Why are we going to be in the paper, Mummy?'
'I'm not really sure, sweetheart.'
'When is the man coming to take our photograph?'
'After tea.'
'Can I wear my Pokémon T-shirt?'
'Sure you can.'
He looked up at her, his eyes round with excitement. 'Will everyone in the whole wide world see my picture?'
Dee laughed. 'Everyone.'
Chapter 5
Martha bent to pick the post off the mat and carried it into the kitchen. Dropping it on the table, she collected the tray of fruit from the fridge and took it back into the crèche. 'Dee gets an awful lot of bills, doesn't she?' Martha remarked as she set the little dishes of fruit in front of the children.
'Shush.' Lisa glared at her and nodded towards Sam.
'Sorry,' Martha mouthed and turned her attention to tying bibs on the younger children.
'Sam, Tom, Natalie,'
'Pleased to meet you.' Lisa smiled and shook his hand. 'And that's Martha.' She pointed at the young girl who was cuddling a crying baby in an area to the right that was sectioned off by a red wooden fence. 'She looks after our three babies.'
'We have a reading corner over here.' Dee gestured at the area just inside the door with miniature armchairs and sofas and a long, low bookcase. 'And that's the nap room.' She pointed to the section next to the baby area and Don went over to peer in at the three cots, and the stack of small mattresses in the corner.
'Then we have a TV corner.' Dee brought him round the corner where the five older children sat curled up on the two sofas watching Sesame Street . 'Say hello, children.'
'Hello,' they chorused obediently.
'He's mine.' Dee pointed at the little boy with dark, curly hair at the end.
Sam looked up and smiled and Don waved. 'Hello, Sam.'
'They only watch about ten or fifteen minutes of children's programmes a day, and we try to make sure they get at least an hour in the garden. If the weather is bad, we have yoga or exercises in the hall.'
'So you work in the crèche, too?' he asked as they said goodbye to Lisa and went back into the hall.
She shook her head. 'I make their meals and help out from time to time but that's all. Most of my time is taken up cooking the food for the café in Better Books in the town. Do you know it?'
His eyes widened. 'I do indeed. And do you supply all of that wonderful food?'
'Most of it.'
'I'm very impressed!'
'Good,' she laughed. 'Feel free to give us some free advertising in your article!'
'I'll do that,' he promised. 'You've got a marvellous place here. I must get our features editor to visit you the next time she's doing a piece on crèche. It would be good advertising for you.'
'We'd be delighted.' Dee beamed at him. She gestured at Lisa and Martha's framed diplomas on the wall in the porch. 'We're very proud of Happy Days and we like to think it's home-from-home for the children.'
'It's a lovely place,' he agreed. 'Okay, well, I'd better get back to the office. Oh,' he paused, 'we'll need a photograph.'
Dee frowned as she mentally went through her photo album. 'I'm not sure if I have anything suitable, at least, nothing recent.'
'No problem, I'll send my photographer around later. What time would suit you?'
She made a face. 'Is a photo really necessary?'
He grinned. 'Absolutely! Readers always want to know the face behind the story. One of you with your little boy would be really nice.'
Dee could just imagine Sam's delight if he got his photo in the paper. 'Okay,' she relented, 'any time after four.'
'I'll have him here at half past,' Don said, sticking out his hand. 'Thanks again, Dee, you've been a great help.'
'Ooh, you're going to be famous!' Lisa teased when Dee went back inside and told her about the photo.
'Hardly, it's only the Daily Journal ,' Dee scoffed.
'Today, the Daily Journal ; tomorrow the world,' Lisa breathed theatrically.
Sam bounced up and down on Dee's knee. 'Why are we going to be in the paper, Mummy?'
'I'm not really sure, sweetheart.'
'When is the man coming to take our photograph?'
'After tea.'
'Can I wear my Pokémon T-shirt?'
'Sure you can.'
He looked up at her, his eyes round with excitement. 'Will everyone in the whole wide world see my picture?'
Dee laughed. 'Everyone.'
Chapter 5
Martha bent to pick the post off the mat and carried it into the kitchen. Dropping it on the table, she collected the tray of fruit from the fridge and took it back into the crèche. 'Dee gets an awful lot of bills, doesn't she?' Martha remarked as she set the little dishes of fruit in front of the children.
'Shush.' Lisa glared at her and nodded towards Sam.
'Sorry,' Martha mouthed and turned her attention to tying bibs on the younger children.
'Sam, Tom, Natalie,'
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