Bad Dreams

Part 10

I had taken the day off work and stood in the living room with Alice listening to our not quite teenage daughter banging around upstairs. At eleven Claire was not a baby any more but to me she always would be. Peter, who really was still a baby, was asleep in the room next door. I worried that Claire's racket might wake him but all I could hear through the baby monitor was his breathing.

I took Alice's hand and brought it to my lips with a kiss. She turned towards me and smiled.

A door slammed upstairs and a rumble of footsteps brought Claire down to us. It was her first day at secondary school and she was dressed in her uniform for the first time. She looked so young in her maroon sweater and black skirt that I found it difficult to believe we were actually going to send her to big school.

'Does it look stupid?' she asked. 'It does, doesn't it?'

Alice let go of my hand and went to our baby bird. 'You look beautiful Claire,' she said and I could hear her voice catch in her throat as she struggled to hold back the tears.

It was pride, and I was feeling much the same.

I glanced at the clock on the fireplace. It was gone eight. 'You should get a move on,' I said. 'You don't want to be late on your first day.'

'We won't be late Dad,' she said with the sullen tone that reminded me of my own teenage years and my hopes that Claire wouldn't be quite so bad.

'Okay then,' I said with a mischievous smile. 'Let me get my camera and I'll take some pictures.' She hated having her picture taken and I expected her to chose school as the lesser of two evils.

'Fine,' she said. 'Lets get it over with.'

When I returned with my camera she was already putting on her jacket. I only managed to get a few shots before Alice declared, 'we're going to be late.'

It was more than I'd expected so I put my camera down with good grace. 'Drive carefully,' I said. We'd drawn straws for who got to take Claire on her first day and I'd lost.

'Love you,' said Alice.

'Love you too,' I replied and kissed her cheek. 'Love you Claire,' I said as she opened the door.

'Dad!' she complained.

I put my hand on Alice's waist and walked her to he door. 'Be careful,' I said again and tilted my head down for another kiss.

The door closed behind her and I found myselfalone. The house suddenly seemed very quiet. I walked through the living roomand into the dining room where Peter still slept. I quietly pulled out a diningroom chair and sat down to watch him.