Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil Read Free Book Online Page A

But he minds. He told me the other day, how much he misses him.”
    “Did he?”
    “Yes, but he wanted to play football in his pajamas, so I’m not sure he wasn’t just guilt-tripping me, to see if I might cave and let him out into the garden.”
    “Why should you feel guilty? You didn’t do anything. Christ.”
    “It’s never just one person though, is it? And anyway, haven’t you realized yet, the wonderful world of motherhood is one long guilt trip; it goes with the territory.”
    “True. I was looking at Eddie the other day, and he’s definitely got Harry’s nose, you know. You’d think I could have chosen someone with more aquiline features. Anyway, enough of all this guilt-tripping bollocks, tell me about you and Dovetail. What’s up? I thought it was working out really well.”
    “It was, I mean it is. It’s just. Oh, I don’t know, but sometimes it feels like we’ve been catapulted forward ten years.”
    “You mean you’re totally bored and you hate him?”
    “No, but I think maybe we’re in a bit of a rut, and it’s quite early for that, isn’t it? I mean, we haven’t actually been seeing each other that long, not really.”
    “By seeing you mean shagging, right?”
    “Ellen.”
    “Well, you do.”
    “I mean just the two of us, as opposed to with the kids, or in the shop, or with his mother.”
    “Kinky.”
    “Ellen, this is so not helping.”
    “Sorry darling. But seriously, maybe he’s not the one for you.”
    “I don’t want anyone who’s the one for me, I haven’t got the energy. The last thing I need is Mr. Right.”
    “Just Mr. Friday Night?”
    “Something like that. I just want everyone to be happy, and go to sleep on time. That’s about all I can cope with at the minute. And I do like him, you know, he’s really—”
    “Don’t say nice, darling. It’s the kiss of death.”
    “I know, but he is. A really decent, nice, kind man. He’ll never cheat or lie, and he gets how important the children are, they’re not just background noise for him.”
    “Stop it, I’m getting so jealous. The passion. I can’t bear it.”
    “Yes, but maybe that’s just the way it is, when it’s more than a brief affair, for most people anyway, and I can barely make it through the day as it is; the last thing I need is too much passion.”
    “You can’t have too much passion my darling, trust me. But I do know what you mean. Sometimes I look at Harry and I think, Really? This is it, forever? How’s that going to work?”
    “But it does.”
    “Not all the time.”
    “You say that, Ellen, but it does, with you and Harry.”
    “He’s all right, I suppose. Moans a lot, but when I watch him with our beautiful boy, well, it makes up for a great deal.”
    “Exactly. But that’s another thing. Martin’s great with the kids, better than Nick ever was, but they’re not his. He just doesn’t have that extra bit of connection, and I’m not sure about that, longer term.”
    “Well, you could soon fix that.”
    “How?”
    “Have another one, with him.”
    “Are you mad? I’m in enough trouble with the three I’ve got. Christ, four would finish me off completely. I don’t think Martin wants kids actually; he’s never said anything. And anyway, I’m too old.”
    “Forty isn’t old, darling, haven’t you heard?”
    “It bloody is if you’ve got three kids under ten, and no visible means of support that doesn’t involve you getting out there and working for it. And before you say it, yes, there’s still a bit of my rainy day money left, and the money for the boys from Nick’s work policy, and Daniel said he’d put some money aside for Pearl, when she’s bigger. But that’s up to him. I’ve told you, I don’t want to be beholden. Not to anyone. I never want to do that again. That way the world can’t come crashing down again. See, I’ve got it all worked out.”
    “Marvelous, darling. Talking of Daniel.”
    “We’re not talking about Daniel, we’re talking