Page 80 of The Soulmate

‘We were watchingIn the Night Garden!’ Asha cries. She wriggles out of my grip and plonks back on the beanbag. ‘The Pinky Ponk has just arrived!’

‘And the Pontipines!’ Freya adds.

I grab a tote and throw in some snacks, spare clothes for the girls, and their teddies.

‘But we’re going to Nana and Papa’s,’ I say with forced cheerfulness.

The girls are torn. I watch their little faces as they weigh up the premature ending ofIn the Night Gardenagainst the likelihood that their grandparents will shower them with treats. It’s a significant dilemma. I can almost see their little minds whirling.

My mind is whirling too. Max is coming here. Gabe has promised him the USB. When Max finds out he doesn’t have it . . . I don’t know what’s going to happen.

Or do I?

‘You need to go, Pip,’ Gabe says. ‘It’s been fifteen minutes.’

He’s strangely calm. It’s almost enough to calm me. Almost. We each strap a girl into their car seat and close the door, and then I meet Gabe in front of the car. ‘Gabe, are you sure . . .?’

‘Don’t worry, Pip. Leave everything to me.’

He kisses me and pushes me gently into the car. The girls are arguing before we even get out of the driveway, and I’m glad because it drowns out my thoughts.

It’s okay, I tell myself.Gabe’s got this.

‘Asha!’ Freya whines. ‘It’s my turn.’

‘But it’s my special treasure!’

‘Mummy,’ Freya cries. ‘Asha’s not sharing.’

I turn out of our street. ‘Share, Asha.’

‘But it’s mine!’ Asha says.

I glance in the rear-view mirror to see what they’re arguing over this time. And that’s when I see what Asha is holding. It’s tiny and silver.

I slam on the brakes and pull over to the side of the road.

‘Where did you get that?’ I say, leaning between the front seats to snatch it from Asha’s hand. I examine it closely, seeing the name engraved on the side.Amanda Cameron. I look back at my daughter. ‘Asha?’

‘At the beach,’ she says. She’s part sulky, part nervous about getting into trouble. ‘I found it in the rocks when Daddy was looking for money. But it’s mine!’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

She blinks. Shrugs as if to say,Why would I?

I sit for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Should I go back? No, not with the girls in the car. I’ll drop them off and then return home with the USB.It’ll be fine, I think.Now, everything will be fine.

*

‘Dad!’ I call through my open window when I pull into my parents’ driveway and see Dad in the front yard, pulling weeds. ‘Can you mind the girls for an hour or two?’

Without waiting for a response, I fling open the car doors and start getting the girls out.

‘Hi, sweetie.’ Dad stands upright. ‘Sure. Everything all right?’

‘Fine. It’s just . . . I have a meeting and Gabe isn’t feeling well. I won’t be long.’

‘Slow down, Pip,’ Dad says. ‘A meeting’s not worth giving yourself a heart attack.’