LITMIR.BIZ

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She really was his only friend here.

      She still spoke to Bob. ‘I wondered if he could have a chat with Marni?’

      ‘Absolutely. Any friend of yours and all that.’ Bob grinned at Finn. ‘Come in. Marni? There’s a dad here looking for information about childcare.’

      Finn liked the way he said that. To his wife, with deference, and that he wasn’t committing to anything. Just asking. His nerves settled a fraction as he followed Catrina, with Piper on his back, in the door.

      The room had been divided into two, with a kitchen and lounge on one side and a wall with doors on the other. Bedrooms, he guessed, unlike his one-room cottage. An extension had been built out the back with a big play room that overlooked the tiny fenced garden. Everything sparkled; even the toys strewn on the floor in the play room caught the sunlight and looked new and well cared for. The family warmth in the little abode made the tension drop from his shoulders and his eyes met Trina’s in acknowledgement.

      A young woman crossed to them, drying her hands on a tea towel. She too hugged Catrina, and her shy smile eased the tension in Finn’s stomach like magic. ‘Trina. Great to see you.’

      ‘This is Finn, Marni.’ She turned to help Finn extricate Piper from the backpack—which he was pretty darn good at, but he had to admit it was quicker with help. And he liked her touching him.

      ‘Nice to meet you, Finn. You live a few doors down, don’t you?’ she said as she held out her hand. They shook briefly and he liked that her fingers were cool and dry, her grip confident.

      ‘Welcome.’ She smiled at Piper, who now sat on his hip, then turned around and pointed to two boys as if introducing her to them not Finn. ‘The one on the left is Olly, and the cheekier one is Mikey.’ She looked at Piper. ‘And what is your name, beautiful?’

      Previously fascinated by the smaller humans, Piper looked back at the lady’s face, realised everyone was looking at her and then she clutched at his neck and buried her face.

      Finn rubbed her back. ‘Piper can be shy.’

      ‘Of course she can.’ Marni indicated the rear of the cottage. ‘Come and sit out on the deck at the back and we’ll show you the play area and I can answer your questions.

      ‘So Catrina told you I’ve started doing childcare?’ The smile Marni gave Catrina lit up her face. ‘The midwives are my cheer squad. They’re all champions up there. If it wasn’t for them and the younger Dr Southwell, we wouldn’t have our gorgeous boys.’

      Finn looked at the two chubby-faced little boys, one sitting in a blue tub of a chair kicking his feet and the other lying on his back on the patterned play carpet with a red spiral rattle. The little boy—Finn thought it was Olly—began to screw his face up, dropped the rattle and began to rock until he rolled over and lay on his stomach. The mischievous chortle he let out at the feat made Finn smile.

      ‘Clever boy, Mikey,’ his dad said. So he’d got that wrong, Finn thought. And then Bob gestured to his wife. ‘I’ll finish the potatoes. You take our guests and Piper out and have a chat.’

      Finn liked that too. He could see they were a team and, despite having two babies, the air of serenity as Marni smiled made his trepidations settle. This sort of calm atmosphere looked perfect for Piper to learn about other babies and new adults.

      A heck of a lot different to the busy, efficient childcare he’d had her in before. But Piper still clung to him like one of the stripy shells on the side of a rock pool and he remembered the hard times at the big kindergarten when he’d tried to leave.

      Marni pointed to a scrubbed wooden table and four sturdy chairs. Two highchairs took up the other spaces. They all sat down and Marni put a soft-sided squeaky farm book on the table in front of Piper without making a fuss of it.

      ‘I am looking for two more toddlers. That will give me enough to cover the wage of the girl working with my husband at the dry-cleaners and then there’s no rush for me to go back to work. I’m hoping to stay home for the next year at least. In a perfect world, I won’t go back to work until the boys go to school.’

      She smiled calmly at Finn. ‘But we’ll see what happens.’

      So a stable place, Finn was thinking, and he wondered, if he offered to pay twice the rate, would Marni consider having Piper by herself, at least at the beginning so the young mum wasn’t pushed by the demands of four children? Piper would benefit and money wasn’t a problem. Finding someone caring and kind for Piper would be priceless.

      He tried to think of a question. ‘Catrina said you’ve just been registered. Having two babies seems intense to me. Piper can keep me busy and there’s only one of her.’

      She glanced lovingly towards the two gurgling on the floor and then across at her husband. ‘I mind lots of children. Have always loved them and thought for a while we’d never be able to have any. But then the boys came along, though I spent a couple of months in hospital hanging onto them, so they are beyond precious.’

      She shrugged ruefully. ‘I’m worried I might spoil them and want them to learn to share, not just with each other but with other children. Some extra income would help and my husband and I are both the eldest from big families. Our families are in Western Australia so we miss having lots of kids around.’

      ‘I guess childminding makes sense in that case.’

      Piper reached out and picked up the book. Scrunched it with her inquisitive fingers. Barely audible squeaks erupted when she squeezed and a crooked smile tipped her mouth as she battled between shyness and delight.

      All the adults looked at her fondly. ‘So, information-wise, what sort of minding were you looking for?’

      ‘I’ve been offered a position three days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.’

      Marni nodded. ‘Three is better than five for Piper. Especially in the beginning. Has she been in care before?’

      ‘Yes, poor baby, most of her life, when I worked. About fifty hours a week. But not for the last six weeks and she was becoming unhappy before that. I was thinking to start a half-day, as a trial, just until Piper gets used to it. If she gets too upset I’d probably not go back to work for a while.’ He shrugged his apology.

      Apparently she didn’t need it. That serene smile drifted across her face. ‘Being adaptable is good around kids. One of the secrets. She’ll miss you if she’s had you to herself for six weeks.’ A quirked brow made that question.

      ‘I’m not even sure it’s what I’m ready to do.’

      ‘That’s fine. You’re fact-finding, which is very sensible.’

      Well, he’d better glean some facts. This was harder than he’d thought it would be. He glanced at Catrina and she sat tranquilly beside him, lending moral support, not interrupting. Just there. It felt good not to be on his own through this. ‘What hours do you have available?’

      Marni laughed. ‘As I haven’t started yet it’s hard to say. Big picture—Monday to Friday, no more than forty hours, but the hours are flexible. And I get to keep the weekends for the boys and Bob.’

      ‘Where would she sleep in the daytime?’

      ‘We’ve a little room next to the boys’ room. Bob put two new folding cots in there and I think it’ll work well. And I’ll supply all the food. No hardship to make for one more and that way nobody wants what others have.’

      It all sounded too good to be true. Plus they lived a few doors away from his own house. Even in this short time Piper seemed relaxed here. He gently swung her off his lap, book still in her hands, and rested her bottom on the floor. Just to see if she’d go.

      As soon as she hit the floor she dropped the book and crawled curiously towards the two little boys. Stopped about a body’s length away and sat up. The three tiny people all looked at each other.

      The adults smiled and

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