Page 10 of Tabloid Princess

“I’m sorry.”

I dropped my act and bent down to sweep her back up into a tight hug. “I’m teasing, my lovely. Just teasing. But you do need to go and clean your teeth.”

She gave me a shrewd glance I wasn’t sure a six-year-old should have. “And you won’t tell Nana off?”

“No.” I let her go. “Off you go. I’ll come and check them in a minute.”

She scurried for the small bathroom up the stairs and from my vantage point I could see her squeezing a tiny amount of toothpaste onto her brush.

“Are you a mouse?” I called up.

“No, I’m a big girl.”

“Big girls need more paste. Don’t be shy, squeeze it on.”

“But it stings!”

I rolled my eyes and went to Nana in her chair, dropping a kiss onto her forehead. “Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay. I was only playing at being asleep, so she’d stop talking at me.”

Chuckling, I picked up a dirty mug from the small table by Nana’s favourite chair. “You’re looking lovely in blue today.” I nodded at her cobalt T-shirt. “Are you still trying to flirt with all the dads in the playground?”

“It’s not my fault I don’t look my age.”

I shook my head and made my way into the kitchen hoping to find some leftovers I could scavenge. My stomach had growled most of the way home, but then I hadn’t eaten all day so I couldn’t blame it.

“How was work?” Nana called after me.

“Utterly bonkers.”

Her chair squeaked and I could count her ten small steps into the kitchen. “That’s not normally what you say on a Monday.”

“Today was no normal Monday, I can tell you.”

“And?”

I opened my mouth to tell her about Prince Oliver and his surprise visit. About the afternoon I’d spent with him, alone, in Janine’s office. But something stopped me. Maybe I just wanted to greedily hang onto the moment as my own for a while longer. Maybe I just needed food before I could even think about finding the energy to perform that level of squealing.

“I’ll tell you later.” I slid a plate with some lasagne into the microwave and hit the buttons until the lights came on and the plate started turning. “How has Daisy been?”

“Fine. All fine.”

“Has she needed a pump after school?”

“Just the blue one and that wasn’t until right when we got home. I think her breathing is getting better.”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Nana’s enthusiasm was always one step ahead of mine. “We said that last year and then she ended up blue-lighted to King's.”

“But the new combination drug is working. Be pleased.”

“I am pleased.” It was only half a white lie. I was pleased, but I’d forever more be paranoid that Daisy’s next asthma attack would be the final one. It was a fear I woke with every morning and worried about every night as I dropped off to sleep.

The microwave pinged and I dragged out the plate, holding it against my chest as I picked up a fork and started scoffing the steaming food straight into my mouth. I didn’t even care it burnt my insides as it went down. I just needed to eat.

“Goodness, Leia. Have you not eaten all day?”

“No.”