A Witch Like No Other (46 page)

“
Oh.”
Dreamer’
s face fell. “I should
have called them.”

“
Never mind
that,” Ted said quickly, hating the miserable look on her face.
“What are we going to do today?”

“
I
don’
t know,” she confessed, as
Baby Julian squirmed in her arms. “It
’
s nice that everything
is sorted properly, but…”

Ted stared at her. There was a
‘
but
’
in their moment of
bliss?

“
But what,
Dreamer?”

“
Well, we have
to be realistic,” she mumbled, and Ted realised that they was
standing at the front door still, Dreamer’
s neighbour watching them. Ted smiled politely and she
smiled back, then he pulled Dreamer inside and closed the
door.

“
Mummy Mummy, I
want to play bricks peas!” Baby Julian gazed at her happily,
waiting for her to put him down and conjure his toys.

“
Come play,
Mummy!”

“
Coming
sweetie.”

“
And Papa tells
me
I
’
m
the dreamer,” Dreamer muttered, looking at him.
“Ted, last night was great, but-”

“
Don’
t!” he snapped,
making her jump. “Don
’
t say it was a mistake.”

“
I
wasn’
t going to.” Dreamer
looked into his eyes, calm as ever. “I was just going to say it was
great, but we have to be realistic. You
’
ve got your house, and
I
’
ve
got mine. I
’
m not moving out of mine, Ted. It
’
s my home, and
I
’
ve
come to love it here.”

“
In just two
and a half months?”

“
Well, I could
move here with the kids-”

“
I’
m not ready for that,
Ted.” Dreamer sighed. “Neither is my baby.”

“
So… what are
you saying? You want me to leave with the kids?”

“
I say we wait
until they come home, and then sort it all out.”

“
Our
day?”

“
Celebrate us
getting back together. Because,” he said as he looked her right in
the eyes, “Whether we live together or not, we
are
together.”

“
I’
ll accept
that.”

“
Hey
Pandora!”

She didn
’
t answer, dropping in her seat next to
Alice.

“
You hung up on
me,” Alice said sulkily, and Pandora looked at her.

“
Good morning
to you too, Alice. Jeez, lighten up. It’
s a nice day.”

“
Oh, I should
lighten up? Why don’
t
you
enlighten me on your baby-”

“
Shh! Break
time.”

“
Can I come
home with you?” begged Alice, but Pandora said no.

“
Unless
you’
re talking about my
dad
’
s
house- and it
’
s still no because I
’
m not going there.
I
’
m
going back to Mum
’
s with Marlon-”

She broke off, noticing James talking to her brother. They
hadn
’
t
spoken since she left him in the park two and a half months ago,
and after Pandora repeatedly rejected James
’
s calls, he stopped
calling.

“
It’
s not me he needs to
make up with, it
’
s my mother.”

James watched Pandora over Marlon
’
s shoulder, suddenly
oblivious to whatever Marlon was saying to him.

“
We’
ve got to practice for
the game, so forget about the Halloween party.”

“
Mmm,” James
answered, as Pandora walked off, Alice in her wake.

“
It
doesn’
t matter anyway,
there
’
s still Christmas parties and stuff, right?”

“
Uh-huh.”

“
And we need to
work on our essays for the coach too- I cant believe
there’
s a writing side to
sports-” Marlon stopped, looking at him. “Bro, are you even
listening?”

“
What? Oh-
yeah,” lied James. “Yeah, I’
m
listening.”

“
Good,
so
you
can tell Derek we
’
re not going to the
party.”

“
What?!”
spluttered James. “Why not?”

“
Because
we’
re already behind on work,”
Marlon answered. “We need to catch up before we get kicked off the
course.”

“
Make sure you
make notes,” their lecturer said firmly, staring right at Pandora.
“Some of you don’
t seem to be
taking Creative Studies seriously.”

“
Pandora, why
don’
t you take him home?”
Alice whispered in the dark. “I mean, that way
you
’
ll
be ok again and-”

“
We
are
ok,” Pandora whispered back. “I
’
m just holding off
talking to him until he apologises to my mother for being such a
coward.”

“
And when he
does?”

“
Then
we’
ll be back on
track.”

“
Pandora!”
barked Mr Works. “Stop talking and start working!”

Funny how she
’
s the one who always whispers and copies my
notes but
I
’
m
the one who gets shouted at.

Turning her paper over, Alice scribbled
‘
Shall I talk to him
for you?
’

‘
No, I
’
ll talk to him myself.
’

“
Nap time,
baby.”

Baby Julian
’
s eyes filled over as he looked at his toys, then at
Dreamer.

“
I no want nap,
Mummy. Peas no nap?”

“
Please
yes
nap, and play some more when you wake up.”

“
Good
boy.”

Ted smiled, saying “I think he
’
s onto
something.”

“
Mummy, look!”
The baby placed his hands on Dreamer’
s chest, then his little ear. “Boom, Mummy! Boom boom! What
that boom, Mummy?”

“
It’
s my heart,
baby.”

“
It fast,” said
Baby Julian, transfixed. “It go fast, Mummy!”

Ted smirked, knowing her heart
would
be racing
if he was around. Embarrassed, Dreamer said “I…
let
’
s
get you to bed.”

“
You think
that’
s funny, do
you?”

“
It’
s hilarious,” Ted
answered, grinning at her. “Wow, Dreamer. You looked so relaxed and
normal, but then Baby Julian gave you away.”

“
He picks up on
everything,” said Dreamer lovingly, then she pouted.
“I’
m not sure
that
’
s
a good thing.”

“
Come here,
you.” Ted pulled her into his arms. “Get ready for
lunch.”

“
Lunch?”

“
With Barbara,
remember?”

“
Oh Ted, I
don’
t want to- I cant leave
you by yourself-”

“
Dreamer, the
woman looked real disappointed when you tried shunning her off.”
Ted caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Go to
her.”

“
I cant. Baby
Julian’
s asleep now-
I
’
m
not waking him up just for-”

“
Baby,
I’
m perfectly capable of
babysitting for you.”

Dreamer bit her lip. “I
’
ve never left him alone
with a stranger before.”

“
I’
m not a stranger,
though.”

“
To him you
are- Ted, stop it-”

“
Say
you’
ll go to lunch,” Ted said,
eyes sparkling as he pulled her closer. “Or else
I
’
ll
torture you in the sweetest way possible.”

“
I think
I’
ll prefer the torture, to be
honest with you.”

“
Oh
yeah?”

“
Yes.”

“
Ok, how about
I torture you and
then
you go to lunch?”

“
How about you
come with me?” Dreamer countered. “I’
ll call Miriam to come over and watch the baby, and
I
’
ll
call Barbara and let her know I
’
m coming in an
hour.”

“
Ok,” Ted said.
“You know, Marlon and Pandora finish at half three.”

“
They should be
here by half four then,” Dreamer answered as she picked up the
house phone. “By that time everyone should be relaxed. We can watch
a film together before we go out to dinner.”

“
Dinner?”

“
Dinner,”
Dreamer said, looking at him. “Remember Ted, in the early hours of
this morning, you went dramatic on me.”

“
Dramatic?” Ted
thought back to when Dreamer couldn’
t get enough of him, at sunrise. Remembering the expression
on her face, he smirked at her. “I thought you liked it when
I-”

“
Ted!” Dreamer
put the house phone down as he started laughing. “Stop being so-
I’
m talking about when you
called Miriam!”

“
Oh!” Ted
slapped a hand to his forehead. “I totally forgot.”

“
Right, so
I’
ll call Miriam quickly and
then Barbara, then-”

“
How long will
it take for Miriam to get here?” Ted cut across,
smirking.

“
Three quarters
of an hour minimum. Why?”

“
That’
s all I need to deal
with you, my lovely.”

“
No,” Dreamer
said flatly, but Ted ignored her as he walked towards her. “No,
Ted!”

“
Yes,
Dreamer.”

“
Ted, stop it!
We’
ve got to go.”

“
I
don’
t want to go
anymore.”