Will You Remember Me? Read Online Free Page B

what it would take and how far we could get with my gratuity. It wouldn’t be huge, but if we were careful and had another income coming in, it might just be doable.’
    ‘Are we having another baby?’ Peg shouted as she pulled a chair from the table and sat with her legs tucked up underneath her. Neither parent had heard her approach in her green-and-blue striped socks.
    ‘Another baby?’ Poppy laughed.
    ‘Yes. I heard Dad say something about surprises this year and the last time you said you had a big surprise for me, we got Maxy! I don’t mind if we are, but I’d like a girl this time, called Katniss.’
    ‘No, darling, we’re not having a baby and I can almost guarantee that if we did have one, we wouldn’t be calling it Katnap or whatever.’
    Peg rolled her eyes before burying her head in her colouring book, concentrating on keeping the pink pen within the lines.
    Martin chuckled. ‘I’ve got one kid that wants a new baby,’ he whispered from the corner of his mouth, ‘and another doing his level best to make sure I can’t get within four feet of my wife!’
    Poppy smiled and thought back to the previous night. Max had woken several times, only settling when ensconced in their bed. It was not quite the evening of passion they had planned.
    ‘Oh, I don’t know, you seemed to do okay in the Max-free interludes.’
    ‘That was just me getting started.’ Martin grinned at his wife.
    ‘Better get them tucked up early tonight then, Romeo.’ She flicked the water and suds from her fingers in his direction.
    The door bell rang.
    ‘I’ll get it!’ Peg jumped off her chair and ran towards the front door, skidding in her socks until she banged right into it.
    ‘It’s Aunty Jo!’ Peg announced as their neighbour entered with two boxes wrapped in Christmas paper balanced in her arms.
    ‘Are they for Maxy and me?’ Peg pranced from foot to foot.
    ‘Peg, don’t be rude!’ Poppy yelled as she released herself from her husband’s grip. She smiled at her daughter, knowing how much fun it was to receive a gift when you thought there were no more in the offing.
    Jo shook her head, sending her cascade of dark, glossy curls shivering down her back. She winked at Poppy. ‘Actually, no, Peg, these are for Mummy and Daddy.’
    ‘Oh.’ Peg kept her smile in place. ‘Can I open them for them?’
    The two women laughed at the little girl who refused to let her excitement flag.
    ‘Course they’re for you, darlin’.’ Jo handed the box on top to Peg, who screeched up the stairs, ‘Max, wake up! We’ve got a present!’
    Max immediately started to wail. Smoke rose from the eggs in the pan and Peg screamed in excitement as she peeled back the red-foil paper to reveal a pair of roller boots. The alarm began pipping its herald.
    ‘It’s a bloody madhouse!’ Martin yelled from the kitchen as he opened the window and Poppy began whizzing a tea towel in a helicopter motion below the smoke alarm.
    Jo opened the front door and worked it back and forth to try and dilute the smoke. She laughed, happy to be a small part of this chaotic, noisy family.
    With Peg content to roll up and down the hallway, oblivious to the irritating rattle of her wheels, and Max diligently counting all his new dinosaurs back into the box from which they had spilled, the three adults sat and sipped at strong tea. The remnants of fried egg sandwiches and sloshes of ketchup littered the plates on the coffee table in front of them.
    ‘When’s Danny back then, Jo?’ Martin missed his friend and football buddy.
    ‘Ten weeks tomorrow. I can’t wait.’ Jo beamed.
    ‘It’ll be good to see him.’ Martin nodded.
    ‘He’s had enough, Mart. To be honest, I don’t think he’s had the best tour and what with all these cuts, he knows he’ll be turned around quite quickly and back out again, somewhere. He’s seriously thinking of signing off.’
    ‘Sounds familiar.’ Poppy sipped at her mug.
    Martin sat forward, resting his elbows on his