LITMIR.BIZ

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she attempted to drag her thoughts back to where they belonged and where they needed to remain for the next few weeks.

      ‘This is for the birthday girl,’ Mitchell said, his hands outstretched to Amber.

      Jade could see Amber’s face light up as Arthur led her by the hand over to Mitchell and the presents.

      ‘The teddy is for now,’ he began, as he put the bear into her arms. ‘And this present is for when you are older.’ He carefully handed her the small present.

      Jade noted the colour of the dress. Mitchell had remembered Amber’s favourite colour. Amber took the presents and gave Mitchell a hug before she returned to the chair and unwrapped the white bow on the box, her teddy firmly planted on her little lap.

      ‘It-th’s pretty!’ she exclaimed, as she pulled a silver heart-shaped locket from the box. ‘Look, Aunty Jade, it-th’s pretty.’

      ‘You can put photos inside so one day when you are off travelling the world you will always have your family travelling with you,’ Mitchell added.

      Amber had no idea what he was talking about but Jade was taken aback and the expression on her face did not hide it. The teddy was cute and the locket was lovely but the message behind it didn’t sit well with her. Was this Mitchell’s advice to her? Head off, put family in a locket and live your life somewhere else? She hadn’t pictured Amber ever leaving to see the world. She felt sick at the thought of not being there to protect her. And upset that Mitchell was using Amber’s birthday to impart his set of values on niece when she was only three years old.

      ‘That is very pretty’ she said, as she sat down and opened the delicate locket. ‘It will be lovely to wear to very special parties.’ Not a trip around the world away from family, she continued in her mind.

      ‘I’m surprised you didn’t buy one in green to go with her camouflage outfit for her trip down the Amazon for her sixth birthday,’ she said to Mitchell in a lowered voice as she made her way past him to the kitchen. ‘Really, a trip around the world? She’s three years old and maybe there’s the chance she’ll be like her father and she won’t want to run away from her family.’

      Mitchell was stunned into silence. He thought her rebuke was an overreaction. It was a present of his choice with his sentiment. Not everyone saw the world the way Jade obviously did. He noted her dress sense had returned to that of elderly maiden aunt.

      ‘Like me? Is that what you mean? Actually, the message was about the importance of family,’ he said in the same low voice with a scowl as he followed her into the kitchen. ‘Pity you couldn’t see past your own agenda to see I didn’t have one.’

      ‘My agenda?’

      ‘Yes. It’s pretty obvious you’re planning on wrapping Amber in cotton wool for her entire life. Let her build sandcastles but avoid the water. Like a bystander who can watch but not experience life. That’s what this is about. It’s not healthy to bring up a child with no sense of adventure.’

      ‘How lovely to see you two getting to chat finally,’ Maureen said as she entered the kitchen to collect some plates. ‘Arthur is putting some prawns on the barbeque to go with the potato bake and salad.’

      ‘That sounds delicious,’ Jade said through gritted teeth. She was so angry with Mitchell. She was just protecting her niece the best way she knew how. She suddenly prayed that Mitchell wasn’t right. She didn’t want to cocoon Amber and not let her take her place in the world or have fun as she grew up. She bit her lip as her eyes darted nervously around the room. His words made her question herself. Was she at risk of smothering Amber?

      ‘I’ll see what I can do to help outside,’ Mitchell said, his eyes narrowing in Jade’s direction before he disappeared onto the balcony to help Arthur put up the balloons.

      ‘Such a pretty locket and so sweet of Mitchell to think of something like that. I thought you’d approve of something so delicate and timeless,’ Maureen said as she collected the salad from the refrigerator, added some home-made dressing and headed back outside.

      ‘Very pretty,’ Jade returned. She couldn’t agree with the rest of Maureen’s words. She wasn’t sure what she thought about Mitchell or herself any more.

      Mitchell and Jade chose to sit at opposite ends of the table for dinner. They said nothing to each other and neither made eye contact with the other. Amber didn’t appear to have much of an appetite and just played with her food, then lay down on the sofa with her new teddy.

      ‘Are you okay, sweetheart?’ Jade asked with a little frown of concern.

      ‘I’m full.’

      Maureen looked over at Amber and lowered her voice. ‘She didn’t want much for lunch today either. I think jet-lag has hit her. It was a long trip for a little girl. And you too, Jade.’

      ‘I’ll keep an eye on it,’ Jade said. ‘You’re probably right but if she doesn’t pick up I’ll take her for a check-up.’

      ‘Do you want me to make an appointment with the nephrologist just for peace of mind?’ Arthur asked. ‘It’s probably not related but it will put your mind at rest.’

      ‘Let’s see how she goes,’ Jade replied, as she watched Amber play with her yet-to-be named bear. ‘The flight probably exhausted her. In a day or so she should pick up.’

      ‘Teddy wants to lie down, he’th tired.’ Amber said softly.

      The adults all smiled and returned to their dinner, each of them not wanting to appear concerned but still keeping an eye on Amber.

      ‘And what did you get up to today while Amber was showing us the dolphins, Jade?’ Maureen finally asked to lift the conversation.

      ‘Nothing much … I just relaxed by the pool.’

      Mitchell choked loudly on hearing the words. His drink threatened to spill from his lips and his eyes watered as he valiantly fought to not splutter. Nothing much didn’t just describe her day … it did, however, describe her outfit, or lack thereof, perfectly. She had been lying naked by the pool. And had looked amazing doing so.

      ‘Are you all right, dear?’

      ‘Uh-huh,’ he responded, his lips forming a rueful slant as he tried not to make eye contact with Jade. He wasn’t all right. He wanted to be honest and tell her that he had seen her that morning lying sans clothing by the water’s edge but he would never embarrass her that way. Also peeping Tom came to mind to describe him and he didn’t want that label. It had been an accidental sighting but a very pleasant one.

      But the sighting even now, many hours later, was causing his heart to beat a little faster despite his opinion of her. It was an image at total odds with the role she was playing. Perhaps being the only one at the table who knew the real Jade drew him to her. He had seen the version she was hiding from the world and his parents. And he liked what he’d seen. He suspected why she was behaving that way but he didn’t agree with it. Just as she had over-reacted about the locket, Jade was trying to protect her niece from the world and even the real Jade. He just had to find a way to convince her that she didn’t need to be anything other than herself.

      ‘I just got a bit of sun …’

      ‘Oh, I’d say you got a whole lot of sun,’ he muttered under his breath.

      ‘Is everything okay?’ she asked with a curious frown.

      ‘Yes, fine, I’m just saying that you must have enjoyed sunbathing while everyone was out. I guess you just really like the sun.’

      ‘What a peculiar thing to say, Mitchell,’ Maureen said as she took another mouthful of salad.

      Jade shot him a confused glance as she collected the plates.

      ‘Never mind,’ Mitchell returned as he stood to take the stack of plates from Jade’s hands. His warm skin brushed against hers and the electricity surged despite her anger towards

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