Jean Ure - Jelly Baby

“Oh, she’s just worried about putting on a few extra kilos,” said Cass. “She’d probably have been far happier with a glass of water and a couple of grapes. Peeled. ”

I gazed at Cass doubtfully, not sure whether she was being serious or just joking.

“Stop looking so woebegone!” Cass gave me a hug. “She’s a very figure-conscious lady … I bet she won’t take either milk or sugar in her coffee! Go and check with her.”

I skipped back into the sitting room to see Caroline lowering herself into one of the armchairs. As she did so, she gave a little squeak.

“Ooh, what’s this?”

Gingerly she slid her hand down the side and held something up.

“Oh!” I said. “My dividers! From my geometry set. I wondered where they’d gone.”

Dad, rather crossly, said, “For goodness’ sake, Bitsy! You really must be more careful. That could have caused a nasty accident.”

Embarrassed, I muttered that I was very sorry.

“Not to worry,” said Caroline. “No harm done. Tell me, as a matter of interest, why does everyone call you Bitsy when your name is Flora?”

Em said, “Hah!”

“You can tell her,” I said, “if you want.” She was obviously bursting to.

“OK! It’s cos once when she was little,” explained Em, “Dad asked Cass if we had any bitter chocolate. He said he really fancied some bitter chocolate. So Cass said we didn’t have any cos, like, nobody had ever asked for it before, so Flora goes toddling off and comes back all triumphant with two squares of Cadbury’s milk saying, ‘Look, Dad, bit o’ chocolate!’”

“And she’s been Bitsy ever since,” said Dad fondly.

“Well, it’s a sweet story,” said Caroline, “but I’m going to call her Flora. I think it’s a pity to have such a pretty name and not use it! Like Emily. That’s another pretty name.” She smiled at us. “Emily and Flora! How about it?”

“You can always try,” said Cass.

“I intend to!”

I wondered how I would feel about being called Flora after being Bitsy for so long. Everyone called me Bitsy! Well, not teachers, of course, but everyone in my class. Maybe if I was Flora I would have a bit more dignity, instead of just being a small round person that no one took any notice of.

After Dad had left to take Caroline home, we all sat round discussing how the evening had gone. Had it been a success? Sadly, we came to the conclusion that it hadn’t.

“I know she didn’t like her pudding,” I said. “Anyone that really enjoyed it would have gobbled up the whole pot. They wouldn’t be able to help it!”

Cass sighed and said she probably hadn’t enjoyed her mock pie, either. “It was a big mistake. I should have given her real meat.”

“But this is a meat-free zone,” said Em.

“But she was our guest!”

“I just don’t see how anyone could tell that it wasn’t real meat,” I said. “Not if they hadn’t been told.”

“Course, you know what really didn’t help?” said Em. “Someone going and leaving half their geometry set down the side of the chair. Imagine if she’d got stabbed in an artery!”

“Well, but she didn’t ,” I said.

“She could have done.”

“Well, but she didn’t .”

“To think we spent all that time tidying up,” sighed Cass. “How did we manage to miss it? And then letting that cat jump on the table!”

Em immediately sprang to Bella’s defence. “You can’t blame Bella! She always jumps on the table.”

“You didn’t have to go and feed her.”

“I didn’t feed her!” Em sent me a venomous stare. “ She did.”

“Well, she shouldn’t,” said Cass. “It’s not good for her. You heard what Caroline said … she’s getting fat.”

“She is not!” Em snatched Bella off the sofa and cradled her lovingly in her arms. “She’s just right!”

“I don’t care, she still shouldn’t be on the table. And we shouldn’t have to spend hours tidying up. The place should never be allowed to get in that state to begin with. What on earth must she think of us?”

We were all very crestfallen. Normally we’d have left the washing-up till morning, but for once, without even having to be asked, me and Em got started on it straight away, while Cass cleaned up the kitchen. After that, still rather subdued, we went to bed. Em was clutching Bella; I for some reason was clutching my geometry set. I was going to have nightmares now, thinking of Caroline being stabbed in an artery.

In fact I must have fallen asleep the minute my head touched the pillow and gone on sleeping all night, cos the next thing I knew, it was morning and Em was telling me to get up.

“Dad has something he wants to discuss with us … something important. About Caroline!”

“I’ve had a word with Cass,” said Dad. “Now I need to have a word with you two.”

We both turned wonderingly to Cass in search of clues.

“It’s all right,” said Cass. “You don’t have to look so apprehensive! It’s actually something quite exciting. OK, I’m off to work; Becky’s expecting me at the shop. I’ll see you all later.”

Dad waited until Cass had gone, then very solemnly told us to sit down.

“This is important. I need your full attention.”

Something exciting , Cass had said. For one mad moment I had this fantasy that we had won the lottery and that Dad was going to ask us how we thought we should spend the money.

“OK! Right. Now! How would you feel,” said Dad, “about Caroline moving in?”

We gaped. I could feel my mouth dropping open.

“You mean, like … to live with us?”

“To live with us. Yes!”

“She wants to live here ?” said Em.

“As part of the family.”

“You mean … she’s not cross with us?”

“Cross?” Dad seemed puzzled. “Why should she be cross?”

“About Bella jumping on the table?” I said.

“And nearly getting stabbed in an artery,” added Em.

“ And not liking her dinner.”

“Oh, now, it wasn’t as bad as that,” said Dad. “It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, just that she’s not used to vegetarian food. We should have discussed it! I don’t think it would have hurt to bend the rules just this one time.”

Em opened her mouth to protest, but Dad rushed on. “As for the other things – well! They were just unfortunate. But no harm done, and of course she wasn’t cross! She’s not the sort of person who gets cross. If she were, she’d have been pretty cross with me reversing into her, don’t you think?”

“I guess,” said Em.

“At any rate,” said Dad, “it hasn’t put her off. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while now. The people she’s renting her flat from want it back, so …” Dad giggled. He did! He giggled. I’d never seen him so happy and excited. “It seems like the ideal opportunity. What do you reckon?”

Em and I sat there at either end of the sofa, not sure what to say.

Em found her voice. “What does Cass think?”

“She’s fine with it,” said Dad. “But I’m more anxious to know how you feel.”

Earnestly Em said, “We just want you to be happy.”

“Yes, but I want you to be happy,” said Dad. “After all, we’re a family.”

“Will it mean you’re going to get married?” I said.

“That’s the plan! If all goes well. And I can’t see any reason …” Dad came over to sit between us on the sofa. He put an arm round each of us, pulling us close. “I can’t see any reason why it shouldn’t. We all seem to get along all right. Don’t we?”

We assured him that we did.