ssa'

hhhhh. Wa

inging me an Aperol Spritz while the gentle Mediterranean lapped against the hull. The next, I was in a detached house in Fellsdel

ountain of duvet beside me. "Ben

ore rumbled through the room, sounding less l

into his ribs. He just grunted, rolled over, and pulled th

l clock on the nightsta

ver up my spine that chased away the last vestiges of the Italian coast. I slid my feet into my fluffy slipper boots

stepping into the hallway. The wailing ramped

ry, appeared from his room, rubbing his eyes with chubby fists. His pyjamas were twist

woke me up," he yawned,

?" I took his soft, warm hand in mine. Henry was at that sweet age wh

l hit us before we even crossed the threshold.

aimed, immediately pinching his nose and ba

r prays to avoid before her first coffee. It was everywhere. The slee

el 5. Total cont

y 5:30 AM can produce. I scooped up a tearful, very smelly, and very slippery

Daddy? Tell him he needs to ru

ly wide and sparkling with mischief. The sleep was gone, replac

e. Maybe pull the curtains open and shout in his ea

nd later, I heard the heavy thud of a four-year-old landing on a sleeping adult, fo

Harry's dirty clothes. It was like disarming a bomb. One wrong move and t

g. Ben appeared in the doorway, scratching his head. His blonde hair was standing u

leaning against the doorframe as if he

at him. "Glad you find it amusing. Since it was your turn to get up, and sin

to get these sheets in the wash and start

issed my forehead-the only clean spot on me-and took Harry. "

muttered as I headed p

bling intently on a piece of paper with a blue crayon. The kitch

asked, looking at the coffee m

brown scribbles. "It's you and Harry, Mummy! He's covered in poo, and you have poo all over

. artistic. That's definitely not going on the fridge." I smo

nging his fist on the counte

he box from the pantry. "But only one bowl,

nt of the "nursery disaster" in my nostrils. Once Henry was happily crun

e anticipation of caffeine. I had just gripped the cool metal lid, ready to sta

d, my hand slipping off the canister and knocking a teaspoon onto

30

o stretching on my doorstep. She was wearing a neon pink leopard-print tracksuit, matching trainers, and a headband that kept h

e, puzzled. "Why aren't you ready? Di

was so full of school runs, Henry's tantrums, and dirty nappies th

my face. "I completely forgot. It's been a mor

atch. "Come on, Mari. The fresh air will wake you up better

let her in. "BEN!" I shouted toward the

dry, and fully dressed in a cute blue romper suit with a little dinosaur embroidere

n said, descending the stairs with Harry on

d him with a smirk, jogging on the spot in my hallway

n laughed, bouncing Harry, who cooed happily

with dark circles, and a smudge of something brown on my cheek that I really, really hoped was chocolate from Henry's Cocoa Puffs. I scrubbe

" I called to Ben as

r of Fellsdello hit my face. It was crisp and smelled o

exhaled, falling in

eo taunted, turning and starting to pick up speed. Her

cing my tired legs to move. "Som

ent acting as a kind of therapy. We passed the sleepy rows of houses, the new

th her at the stile, b

r phone to snap a selfi

e a tomato!" I gaspe

e should send it to the group chat. It will give us an e

as Cleo had done. "Last one to the bridge buys t

chased after her anyway. The competition fe

the river. As we approached the bridge I noticed the sun was now fully

traight into The Boathouse, our favourite juice bar by the river. It was quiet, the early

s paying," Cleo told the barista,

iver. I slumped into the chair, grateful for the r

e drink. "What happened this morning? You looked

sal to wake up, the epic Poonami, Henry's

n needs a kick up the backside. He's a grown man, M

ing. I think. He just... gets so absorbed in his own world. But e

taking me out for lunch today at the Java Lounge. He's going to be on nights for the next week at the Galencia Bay station, so it'

She deserved to be happy. She worked harder than anyone I k

He's an open book. A very ho

otification from the "Margarita Senoritas" group chat. I

ped i

ing apps are all about, I'm done befor

he had attached. I chok

ed, leaning ove

es as I turned the phone toward her. "Tia's got her first match. And

alls" - and shrieked with laughter, drawing stares from t

it a chance, Ti! There might be s

a's reaction and laughing about the audacity of

se to 8:45 AM. "I need to rescue Ben before Henry paints the walls

e," Cleo said, polishing off her

we turned onto my street, I felt the dread of the

front door at e

he hall. "Just need a quick shower, then I'm all you

out of the kitchen.

I nodded. "Jus

posed to be meeting Tia for lunch at Fandangos at 12 PM. But my stomach growled, loudly. The juice hadn't touched the sides, and the run had

m the sink and sent a

we meet at 11 inst

back im

e chic not

I could hear Henry shouting some

arlier meant an hour less of chaos, and an