Charming Mr Stewart

2. A Baked Casserole

"But we haven't had breakfast," Maya interjected.

Elle laughed. "Go brush your teeth and I will make you breakfast."

"She's a sweet kid," Anna said. "Who does she take after? You or your husband?"

Straining tea into cups, Elle was glad Anna couldn't see her face. She fought the knot tying her throat. "She's very much like her dad. Same hair, same eyes," she finally managed, handing over a cup of tea.

After a couple of hours, the kitchen was perfectly clean and in order.

"Well, that's the most important room in the house done," Anna proclaimed, dusting off her palms. "Mother always used to say a tidy, well-to-do kitchen meant a happy, fed family."

Elle wiped the perspiration from her brow. "I'd probably still be at it if you hadn't come along."

"I better go pick up the kids and get dinner going."

Elle nodded and walked her to the door. "Thank you so much for the help and the oranges."

"She's quiet as a mouse." Anna peered over Elle's shoulder at the door. "Get some rest, have some tea, freshen up and a casserole at my place for dinner around six."

"I couldn't impose. You've already done so much for us."

"It's not an imposition. I expect you and Maya over at six. See you then."

Elle watched Anna cross the lawn, then closed the door, walked herself over to the sofa and dropped. She was exhausted. A casserole, some wine, and some friendly neighbours to unwind with sounded brilliant.

***

When she woke up from her sleep, it was almost six. "Maya?" Elle called out, worried. Where was Maya the last time she saw her? She jumped off the sofa and scurried down the hallway. "Maya? Honey, where are you?"

Elle checked every room and the bathroom, the kitchen, and the toilet, but Maya was nowhere to be seen. "Maya?" she screamed, running down the corridor, throwing open the front door after finding it unlocked.

The street lights were already on as daylight was fast being swallowed by the horizon. Elle slipped across the lawn and out onto the road. "Maya?" she whispered, almost too scared to yell out her daughter's name. She shivered in the cold air. What had she done?

The soft giggles of children floated in the air, and Elle froze. Anxious, she walked towards her neighbour's driveway and put her head over the high fence. There, in one corner of the lawn, under an orange tree, was Maya, with a set of twin boys around her age, playing.

Elle walked towards the trio. "Maya?"

Maya turned around calmly. "Look, Mummy. I'm making friends."

Elle smiled at the little boys. "You had me worried, honey."

"I'm only playing."

"Yes, I know." Elle reached out to her daughter. "But you have to tell me if you leave the house, baby. If mummy doesn't know where you are, mummy gets worried."

"I tried to tell you, Mummy, but you were asleep," Maya said, on the brink of tears.

Elle wondered how she could have fallen asleep so easy. What if Maya wasn't just in the neighbour's yard, but lost? She shuddered at the thought.

"Next time mummy does something stupid like that, wake me up, okay?"

Maya nodded and took Elle's hand. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, honey, of course not."

The porch light came on as Anna appeared. "I'm afraid it was my doing, Ellenor," she said. "Go in and wash up, boys. Dinner won't be too long now."

"You can sit next to us at dinner, Maya," said Nathan Tait, the older of the twins.

"I'm afraid, when I came back to your place to ask if you were vegetarian, I found your door unlocked..." Anna said apologetically.

Elle bit her lip. She was turning out to be a reckless mother. Until today, she'd never had to worry much about Maya's whereabouts since her parents were never too far away from their grandchild.

"You looked tuckered out, and Maya told me you eat chicken." Anna smiled. "I assumed she was telling me she likes chicken. I couldn't leave her there and I didn't have the heart to wake you. In fact, I was just coming over now to tell you dinner won't be much longer."

"Thank you and so sorry." Elle sighed. "I don't even know when I dozed off. I'm still getting used to looking after Maya all by myself."

"If you ever need me to look after Maya, just bring her over. My boys are the same age and love company."

Elle nodded. "We better run off and make ourselves presentable."

"I'll have some wine ready. You could do with some," Anna said.

Elle laughed and tugged Maya along.

Showered, combed and dressed decently, Elle watched Maya as she straightened her dress.

"We're going to be late, Mummy. Chop, chop!" Maya grabbed her hand and pulled her out the front door, impatiently waiting while Elle locked the door.

"Calm. We're not late."

Maya took a deep breath.

"Now, breathe out," Elle whispered and kissed her cheek. "Best behaviour for the both of us, deal?"

Maya nodded. "Deal."

Her heart was hammering as Elle waited for Tait's front door to open. This was the first engagement of any kind she had allowed herself to attend since Blake's passing. As the light flickered on in the hallway, and a figure loomed in the doorway, she wondered if she was ready to mingle with the living.

Too late! The door opened. "You must be the Graces," Harold Tait greeted them in a cheery voice. "Come on in!"

Elle handed him a bottle of red she'd been saving for such a dinner party she never got around to hosting. "Thank you for having us."

"The more the merrier." Harold laughed, closing the door. "I'm afraid Anna's already started on the wine-O."

As he led the two of them through the warm, colourful lounge into the dining room, Harold's voice rolled loudly through the aromatic air. "Come on everybody, our guests are here!"

The boys came hurtling to greet them.

"Maya!" Neil Tait slid to a halt near Harold's feet.

Maya waved at the boys and smiled. "Go ahead." Elle nudged.

"Anna's this way." Harold led Elle into the kitchen.

"Hope you're hungry." Anna handed her an almost overflowing glass of red as soon as Elle appeared.

"Starved, actually!" Elle smiled, taking a generous sip.

As Harold excused himself from the kitchen, an awkward silence rolled over Elle. It felt odd to be there alone, without Blake.

"So, what made you move to the countryside?" Anna asked.

Elle watched the kids come and sit down one by one. She smiled at Maya. "We needed change." I needed change, she thought and drained her glass.

Harold poured more wine into her glass. "Serve us up, Ann. It smells delicious."

It was almost eleven when Elle left Tait's place, Maya sound asleep in her arms. Moving might have been stressful, but for the first time in almost a year, Elle walked through a dark house with a smile on her face, and a milder ache in her heart.