The Playgroup

by Janey Fraser

  ‘Thank heavens you weren’t hurt,’ he was saying now in a voice that was gentle and yet firm at the same time. ‘I couldn’t have forgiven myself if I had done that. And don’t worry about your car. I’ll pay whatever it takes to put it to rights, I promise you.’

  The stroking stopped, and Gemma felt surprisingly regretful. In the light that was just about reaching them from the school building, she could see Joe getting up and holding out his hand. Hesitating slightly, she took it and found herself being pulled to her feet. He was looking down at her now and – there was no doubt about it this time! – Gemma felt a delicious shiver pass through her.

  ‘Could I ask you something?’ he said, his eyes fixed on hers but not in a stern way.

  She tried to find her voice. ‘That depends.’

  ‘Will you come with me to the friendship circle?’

  Gemma gave him a quizzical look. ‘The one that, if I am correct, you said was unnecessary at the beginning of term?’

  ‘I was wrong. Sorry.’ He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. It was a gesture she’d started to notice only recently. Quite endearing, really. ‘It’s a good idea, but I didn’t know it then.’ He grinned uncertainly. ‘To be fair, I was still getting to know you all in those days.’

  The cheek of the man! ‘And now you think you do? Personally, I’m still getting to know myself.’

  He laughed. A nice warm friendly laugh, not like the short sarcastic ones which had seemed his trademark when she first knew him.

  She nodded at his monster of a bike. ‘Aren’t you going to check it first to see if you’ve hurt it? I seem to recall that when I reversed into you, back in September, your bike was more important to you than any limb, let alone a friendship circle.’

  ‘No, I’m not.’ His voice was firm, although he gave the bike a quick glance as if he would indeed like to check out any damage. ‘No, this is more important.’

  He was actually slipping his arm around her waist as they walked up towards the circle of stones. She had thought that him sitting on the ground with her and stroking her shoulder was merely how a comforting friend would behave, but putting an arm round her waist? And why was this tingle spreading through her bones? Surely she wasn’t falling for Joe?

  ‘Do you want to jump inside or shall I?’ he asked, grinning at her.

  ‘Jump?’ she repeated. ‘You mean you can jump as well as do a reverse turn in personality? What happened to the tough Joe Balls we used to fear?’

  He looked hurt, and instantly she wished she could take the words back. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, moving towards him and, without meaning to, taking his hands in hers. ‘It’s just that I’m confused. You seem different now.’

  He nodded. ‘That’s because I am different, and part of that, Gemma Merryfield, is thanks to you.’

  If his face hadn’t looked so serious, she would have laughed. None of this made sense. None of this was logical. None of this added up. None of this explained why she was still holding his hands and he, hers.

  ‘Please.’ He indicated the circle of stones which she and the children had so painstakingly laid at the beginning of term. ‘I want us both to stand in it. Unless, of course, there is something stopping you.’

  As he spoke, he let go of her left hand and looked at it carefully, as though searching for something.

  ‘I broke it off,’ she said quietly. ‘I gave Barry his ring back.’

  ‘Wise move!’

  That was definitely a smile passing across his lips.

  ‘How do you know?’

  Joe gave a shrug. ‘Just didn’t feel right, either to me or Bella.’

  ‘You talked about it to her?’

  ‘Didn’t have to. That girl’s face says it all, although I did hear her make some comment to someone about engagement rings. Afraid she didn’t seem to think much of yours.’

  ‘It’s the person who matters, not the ring,’ replied Gemma.

  His hand tightened on hers. ‘Exactly.’ Then he moved closer again, closer than before so she could smell him: a sort of lemony woody mixture which made her want to breathe him in.

  ‘Is this all right?’ he murmured, and she nodded. ‘Just so long as you don’t think I make a habit of moving from one man to another,’ she told him.

  ‘Surely not?’ He glanced at his watch. ‘It’s been at least, let’s see, at least two hours twenty minutes.’

  ‘What about you?’ she retorted. ‘Do you make a habit of bringing your ex-wife along to social occasions?’

  ‘Nope.’ He shook his head in an exaggerated, playful fashion. ‘I promise that if you agree to go out with me, I will keep my ex-wife firmly locked up.’

  Go out with him? That was insane. So why was her heart thumping like that? ‘That’s all right then,’ she said, smiling.

  His face was coming nearer. And now his lips were pressing hers. She felt her mouth melting into his as though it recognised his touch; as though they had done this before. Don’t stop, she urged him silently, with an urgency and heat that matched his. Don’t ever stop. These, finally, were the fireworks which Kitty had spoken of with such authority. And maybe, said a sudden small voice inside her head, this was why she hadn’t been able to commit herself to Barry. Perhaps, deep down, she had been secretly harbouring a passion for Joe.

  ‘Mummeeee,’ piped up a shrill voice. ‘Look! Mrs Merryfield is kissing Mr Balls. And she’s married!’

  Instantly they stopped, whipping round to see who had caught them out.

  ‘Sorreee!’ called out a well-modulated, embarrassed voice. ‘Honey left her tiara behind so we’ve come back to find it.’

  Joe’s voice sounded hoarse, as though he’d been smoking. ‘There’s one in the Lost Property box. Can it wait until tomorrow?’

  ‘Of course!’ Honey’s mother trilled. ‘Have a nice evening, both of you.’

  The moment had gone, thought Gemma in despair. Little Honey had unwittingly blown it for both of them. Now Joe would act all embarrassed and apologise and say he hadn’t meant it. He was certainly looking awkward enough, shifting from foot to foot like that.

  ‘Never try to act with children or animals,’ he said, clearly trying to introduce a note of levity. ‘By the way, I’ve been meaning to say. It’s very sweet the way the kids call you Mrs instead of Miss.’

  Gemma felt a stab of uncertainty. ‘Actually,’ she began, but he was going on talking, sounding a little flustered.

  ‘Now,’ he predicted, ‘it’s going to be all over school that I’ve been caught kissing a married woman.’

  OK. It was time to come clean. ‘Joe, there’s something I’ve got to tell you,’ she said. ‘But not here. Do you mind if we go back to your room? I’d rather tell you there.’

  His finger was tracing the outline of her lips now, so she could barely get the last words out. ‘Whatever it is,’ he murmured, ‘it can wait, don’t you think?’

  As his mouth closed over hers, sending hot urgent waves pounding through her body, another small voice inside Gemma’s head told her that he was right. Her confession could wait. Sam was her past now, and so was Barry. If she was lucky, Joe might just be her future. And that, after all, was what mattered.

  PUDDLEDUCKS END-OF-TERM SONG

  Now our term is finally over

  But do not shed a tear.

  We Puddleducks will soon return

  For the start of a new year!

  Chapter 68

  SHORTLY AFTER CHRISTMAS

  ‘Sure you don’t mind?’

  Gemma, who had been lying with her head in Joe’s lap, looked up at him sleepily. ‘Course not. I’m looking forward to it.’

  Joe gave her one more kiss. ‘Lynette and Mike need a break. Actually, it sounds like they’re here!’

  Two pairs of hands were already hammering on Joe’s door. They opened it to two boys who, Gemma could swear, had grown since the nativity play. They rushed in past her, hurling themselves at Joe.

  ‘Uncle Joe, can we go now, rig
ht now to Madame Two Swords?’

  ‘It’s Too So, silly.’

  ‘’Snot.’

  Lynette gave Gemma a ‘do you know what you’re letting yourself in for’ look.

  ‘And can we have loads of ice cream and stay up really late to hear Big Ben strike midnight?’

  Mike chipped in. ‘Listen folks, please don’t think we’re rude but we’re going to miss our plane if we don’t go. I know we’re late, but . . .’

  Gemma interrupted him. ‘It’s fine. Don’t worry. They’ll be safe with us. I cut my teeth on my brother; well, not literally, but you know what I mean.’

  Lynette looked slightly startled. ‘I think so. Bye then. Ring if there are any problems.’

  ‘Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe. What’s this?’

  Charlie, ignoring his parents’ departure, was pointing at the red and white cage on the side table.

  ‘That’s the Puddleducks hamster,’ said Gemma proudly. ‘He’s called Hammie. One of the children was going to take him home for the holidays, but her mummy is having a baby so I’ve got him instead.’

  The boys were poking their fingers in through the bars. ‘We’ve got hamsters,’ said Fraser. ‘Our neighbour’s looking after ours. We know lots about hamsters cos we get them every two years. That’s when they die, you know.’

  Gemma raised her eyebrows at Joe, who shrugged.

  ‘Ours is a she hamster cos she leaves specks of blood on the sawdust sometimes,’ butted in Charlie. ‘Mum says that means she can reprojuice, like this one.’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ said Gemma, feeling for Joe’s hand and marvelling that the tingly touch of his skin now felt the most natural thing in the world. This would have been as likely as a blue moon three months ago. ‘Hammie is a he, not a she.’

  ‘No way!’ Charlie was jumping up and down so the cage was rattling. ‘Look. Hammie’s got babies!’

  Gemma and Joe stared at the three, no four, tiny pink noses now emerging from the sawdust, the nostrils twitching madly. Too late, Gemma remembered that three-year-old Molly, who had had Hammie for the weekend recently, had, so she told Gemma, put him in the cage with her own hamster so they could ‘play’.

  ‘A hamster’s gestation period is between sixteen and twenty-three days,’ announced Fraser importantly. ‘Gestation is the time between boiling the egg and giving birth.’

  ‘Swot,’ said Charlie, elbowing him. ‘You only know cos we’ve just had a sex project at school and you Googled it. Anyway, it’s not boiling the egg. It’s infertilising it.’

  ‘Fertilising, silly.’

  Gemma didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘How come we didn’t notice?’ she said quietly, leaning back into the man standing behind her.

  Joe ruffled her hair. ‘Because we’ve been doing other things for the past twenty-four hours,’ he whispered back.

  Gemma flushed. Kitty reckoned she’d always secretly fancied Joe, and that he’d always secretly fancied her. It was why, she said, they had each been so anti the other at the beginning. Couples who were fiercely mutually attracted often started off by loathing each other.

  ‘Is it fireworks?’ Kitty had pried when Gemma had rung to tell her all about it.

  ‘Absolutely,’ Gemma had replied, feeling both embarrassed and also remarkably lucky at the same time. Joe had been so understanding when she had told him about her complicated history with Sam. He’d nodded at the parts which Barry had previously frowned about, and gave her comforting squeezes when she’d got to the bit about discovering Sam was Danny’s father.

  ‘You must think badly of me,’ she had said with a slight tremor in her voice, ‘starting a full relationship with Barry so soon after meeting him.’ She’d looked away shyly. ‘It might sound like a cliché, but I’m really not that sort of girl.’

  ‘I know you’re not.’ Joe had taken her into his arms. ‘That’s one of the reasons why I love you. But we can all make mistakes, and it’s better to realise that before it’s too late.’ He began to give her small butterfly kisses all over her face. ‘Just think how awful it would have been if you’d married Action Man, as I’m afraid I call him. Then you’d have had to wait for another divorce!’

  He was right. What a narrow escape! Joe then admitted that he’d always been attracted to her sparkly eyes and wit. She confessed that she couldn’t resist a smouldering northern Colin Firth, mixed with Mr Grumpy.

  Could that really only have been a few days ago? It felt as though they’d been together for ever. Joe put his arm around Gemma as the boys continued to examine the hamster cage and its contents. They’d agreed that when his godchildren came to stay she would go back home every night. It wouldn’t have been right for her to sleep over too. But it didn’t mean they couldn’t show affection to each other. It was one of the many things they had discussed, along with Gemma’s decree absolute, which would make her free in three weeks, and Joe’s decision to turn down the new job offer and return to Corrybank, as Beryl had suggested.

  ‘You’ve got babies! You’ve got babies!’ chanted Fraser, jumping up and down.

  ‘No they haven’t, silly. Uncle Joe and Gemmie are humanoids like us. Not hamsters.’

  ‘Babies,’ Joe repeated. His eyes searched hers, and she felt her insides melt like the chocolate ice cream, which – she now remembered – she’d taken out of the freezer and forgotten about. ‘I rather like the sound of that. Don’t you?’

  PUDDLEDUCKS PLAYGROUP

  NEWSLETTER

  JANUARY ISSUE

  Welcome back everyone to the start of a new session! A special welcome to all new parents who might be feeling nervous!

  We’ve got all kinds of activities organised for young and old. Please keep the following dates free in your diary:

  February 14: Parents’ Social.

  March 17: Kite Flying Competition. A former parent has provided us with a kite for each Puddleduck and his/her parent. We will be meeting at the park at 4 p.m., weather permitting. This will be a joint activity with the Reception class, led by Mr Balls, the year head.

  We’ve also got some changes to announce! Miss Gemma Merryfield will be taking over permanently as Puddleducks leader, now Miriam Thomas has decided to stay at home and be a full-time mum.

  Sadly, Miss Bella Hick-Huckman is leaving us to join a public relations firm in London. We trust that the negotiating skills she learned at Puddleducks will be put to good use in the business world! She will be replaced by Maggie, otherwise known as Alex’s mum, who has recently completed her degree in Early Years Management.

  Finally, some of you may have read about brain gym in newspapers and magazines. This is a series of exercises that can help with behaviour skills. If you would like to know more, please see Miss Merryfield.

  PS. If you wish to contribute to the collection for Brian Hughes, please see Di in the main school office. Brian has made an amazing recovery following his illness and is now planning a round-the-world trip during his retirement, starting with a stopover in Westport, Connecticut, where he will be visiting Danny’s American granny, along with Danny’s British granny!

  PUDDLEDUCKS PLAYGROUP

  NEWSLETTER

  APRIL ISSUE

  Welcome back to the summer session! A special welcome to all new parents who might be feeling nervous!

  We’ve got all kinds of activities organised for young and old. Please keep the following dates free in your diary:

  April 23: The grand opening of the Puddleducks mural. As some of you will know, the original was spoilt by vandals but it has now, thanks to our terrific mural team, been rebuilt.

  May 19: Parents’ Social. We will be selling copies of the award-winning book MY SKOOL!, which was edited by Mr Balls, Reception year head, and his predecessor Brian Hughes. We will also be holding an auction. So far, donations include twenty boxes of sweets, a mobile phone, and a vintage wedding dress from Las Vegas. Proceeds from the book sales and the auction to go to the Aplastic Anaemia Foundation.

  June 5: International
Day. Parents of different nationalities will be coming in to tell us about traditions in their countries. Our guest list includes Johnnie’s au pair Lars on Sweden, and Mikey’s grandmother on Australia.

  We don’t usually allow adverts in the newsletter, but two of our mothers have asked if we could make an exception. Annie Worth has set up her own photography business and is available for family portraits. Brigid Harris has started an employment agency called Part-Time Parents for parents who can only work limited hours.

  We also thought that former friends of Danny Carter Wright and his mother Nancy might like to know that they have settled well in Boston and that Danny is expecting a baby brother. They thank everyone for their good-luck cards and emails and hope that you will visit one day. Pongo has adapted well to life in the USA and even has an American pet passport!

  Danny’s grandparents have self-published a book! It’s called Grannies: How to Work Together. If you’d like to order a copy, please see Jean.

  Meanwhile, we are looking for entries for the Top Ten Playgroup Award for this year. So if anyone has any bright ideas, please see Maggie. So far, suggestions include a maths quiz championship for parents and children.

  Finally, some wonderful news! We’d like to announce the engagement of Miss Gemma Merryfield to Mr Joe Balls! This is the very first Puddleducks/Corrybank wedding!

  To celebrate, the happy couple would like to invite all the little Puddleducks and those in Reception to their reception, which will take place at . . . Yes, you’ve guessed it! Puddleducks Playgroup on August 5.

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