Chapter 14
LIV
The following day, I crept along Fairmont Heights, taking in the mansions set back off the street behind gates, each house bigger than the next.
When I arrived at the address Maya had given me, I pressed the buzzer on the gates.
As I peered through the bars, I noticed a circular fountain made a roundabout of sorts on the driveway.
Low-level box hedging lined the gravel on either side and made a border in front of the house.
I gulped as I took in the two-storey, buttermilk-bricked, faux Georgian mansion that Maya called home.
A contemporary glass extension hugged the house on one side and a striped lawn swept around the other side.
After a moment, the gates parted and I drove along the biscuit-coloured gravel.
When I arrived in front of the house, I silenced the engine.
Before I had even opened the car door, Maya appeared on the top step with Elliot standing beside her, waving at us.
I opened the door of the car and climbed out.
I greeted Maya as I went around to the rear door for Finn.
‘Look, Finn, there’s Elliot,’ I said excitedly, as I unbuckled him from his seat and helped him down from the car.
Today was the first time that I took the time to properly observe Elliot.
He was a beautiful child; he had fine, almost-feminine features.
He possessed the same high cheekbones as his mother, thick, dark lashes and brows that arched like chevrons.
We climbed the steps and Maya hugged me warmly.
I handed her the cellophane-wrapped lilies I had bought in the petrol station on the drive over, suddenly rethinking my choice – I doubted Maya would ever choose to buy flowers so gauche for her home – but if she thought it, to her credit, she didn’t show it.
‘Sorry, I know they’re not the best but I didn’t want to turn up empty-handed,’ I explained.
‘Thank you, Liv, you shouldn’t have brought anything. Come on in, you’re both very welcome to our home,’ she said, gesturing for us to enter.
‘Your house is beautiful,’ I couldn’t help gush as I stepped inside the vast entrance hall. The walls were panelled halfway up and chequered floor tiles covered the floor. An expansive curved staircase with a mahogany monkey-tail handrail swept upwards to the first floor.
‘Well, maybe hold judgement until you see the mess inside,’ she laughed self-deprecatingly.
I followed Maya down the hallway where black and white family portraits hung and we entered a sun-filled room where glass sliders looked out onto the manicured lawn.
The kitchen was decorated in shades of white, giving a nuanced and clean effect.
I looked around for the ‘mess’ Maya had referred to and the only things out of place were a drinking glass sitting beside the sink and couple of toys scattered on the floor in front of a toy chest.
‘Elliot, why don’t you show Finn your toys,’ Maya suggested.
Finn followed Elliot over to the toy chest.
‘Would you like a latte?’ Maya offered.
‘Um, well, don’t go to any trouble. Instant coffee is fine.’
‘It’s no trouble.’ She went over and pushed a panel that turned out to be a secret door leading into a pantry.
I could hear the hiss and froth of milk as Maya made the coffee.
She returned a few minutes later with the latte in a glass mug, exactly like I would get in a coffee shop, and a black coffee for herself.
She placed a plate of muffins down onto the marble.
‘Did you make these yourself?’ I asked, shocked.
‘I did. I know you like muffins so I hope these are okay,’ she said anxiously. ‘I made some of these for the boys,’ she went on, producing a plate of cookies. ‘Don’t tell them but they don’t have any sugar.’ She winked. ‘Elliot thinks they’re chocolate chips but they’re actually made from dates.’
‘Everything looks delicious. I can never resist these,’ I said, reaching for a muffin. I bit into it and buttery crumbs fell all over my jeans and the floor. ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ I said, ‘Look at me making a mess.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Maya said with a wave of her hand. As I went in for another bite, I noticed she hadn’t taken one. I began to feel self-conscious eating alone so eventually, I left it unfinished on the plate.
Just then, we heard raised voices coming from the boys and we both turned to see what was going on.
‘Give it back!’ Elliot shouted at Finn, roughly tugging the toy car that he was holding out of his hands. Finn stood there, looking shocked.
‘Hey, come on, Elliot,’ Maya called over to her son. ‘You have to share your toys,’ she scolded.
‘I don’t want to!’ he shouted back, pouting.
‘Elliot, that’s not nice. You’re making me sad.’
Finn wandered over to my side.
‘Would you like one of Maya’s yummy cookies?’ I asked, holding out the plate to him. He picked up a cookie, took a bite and quickly wrinkled his face as he chewed.
‘These are ascusting, Mammy.’
‘Finn!’ I was mortified.
He spat it out into his hands.
‘Oh dear. Clearly not a fan,’ Maya laughed.
‘Maya made these especially, Finn,’ I chided. ‘They look delicious.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ Maya showed him where the bin was. ‘Maybe he’d prefer one of the muffins.’ She offered him the plate and Finn didn’t need to be told twice as he grabbed one and started wolfing into it.
‘Can we go now?’ he asked when he had finished eating it, littering crumbs all over the pristine floor.
‘Come on, Finn.’ I nudged him. ‘We’ve only just arrived. Why don’t you go back and play with Elliot.’ I looked over and saw he was playing by himself with a talking robot.
Reluctantly, Finn walked back over and picked up a Transformer and began folding its legs. I watched then as Elliot lunged at him and tugged the toy from his grasp. Finn didn’t put up a fight and let the toy crash to the floor.
‘I’m sorry,’ Maya said, jumping up. ‘Elliot, you have to share. Finn came here today to play with you but you’re not being a very nice friend.’ The child looked as though he was about to cry and Maya softened. ‘Look, honey, why don’t you show Finn that new car that you got for your birthday?’
Finn looked over at me pleadingly.
‘Go on, sweetie,’ I encouraged, ‘that sounds really fun.’
Reluctantly, he followed Elliot out towards the patio area.
Manicured flower beds unblemished by weeds surrounded the sandstone paving and clusters of white mop-headed hydrangeas still clung on to the last of their flowers.
Wicker baskets with olive trees gave the patio an intimate feel.
All the plants were carefully curated in shades of white and green.
I guessed Maya must have spent a fortune on the landscaping.
There was a large, oval-shaped table that could easily sit twenty people.
At the other end of the patio was a covered outdoor kitchen and bar area with a fridge.
They obviously liked hosting friends, I thought.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ Maya said as the boys went outside. ‘Sometimes, it takes Elliot a little while to warm up. Maybe it’s because he’s an only child.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ We watched as Elliot opened the door of the red, battery-operated toy Ferrari two-seater sports car. ‘That’s really cool,’ I remarked.
‘Isn’t it the cutest thing? Elliot loves it. He has been tearing around the garden on it since he got it. He has my flower beds destroyed.’ She laughed. I couldn’t see any damage to the perfect garden but I laughed along with Maya anyway.
I thought about my own postage-stamp-sized garden at home. I would love to get a car like this for Finn but we didn’t have the space, let alone the money.
We looked through the French doors as Finn followed the boy over to the toy car and pulled the door to get into the passenger seat. Elliot reached across from the driver’s seat and held it closed. Finn tried again but Elliot refused to let him into the car.
‘Oh dear,’ Maya said apologetically. ‘Let me go have a word with him. He isn’t usually like this.’
‘They’re five-year-olds,’ I said breezily with a wave of my hand. ‘That’s what they do.’
‘Well, still, it doesn’t excuse him being mean to Finn.’
Maya went outside to the patio and I watched as she crouched down to her son’s level and spoke to him. I saw her gesture towards the toy car and then to Finn before picking herself up and returning to the kitchen.
‘I’m sorry about that, Liv. Hopefully, I’ve got through to him now. I think he’s picking up on everything going on between Hugo and I, you know…’ she said glumly. ‘He’s too young to express it properly but I think it’s upsetting him which is why he acts out.’
‘The poor mite,’ I said sympathetically.
Just then, Finn wandered back into the kitchen. ‘Elliot won’t let me go in the car, Mammy.’
‘Oh, honey,’ Maya rushed in. ‘I’m so sorry, he’s being very naughty today.’
‘Finn is okay, there are lots of other toys that he can play with.’ I turned to my son. ‘Look, sweetheart, why don’t you go play with that cool remote-control robot over there?’ I suggested. I had noticed him eyeing it up when Elliot was playing with it but Finn wouldn’t budge.
‘I want to go home, Mammy.’
‘But I haven’t even finished my coffee.’
‘I want to go now,’ he said, impatiently tugging on my cardigan.
‘Okay, love, we’ll go in a few minutes,’ I said to appease him, hoping in the meantime that he might get distracted and start playing with the toys.
‘No, Mammy, I don’t like it here!’ he protested.
‘I’m sorry.’ I flashed a weak smile at Maya, feeling my cheeks starting to burn. ‘He’s probably tired from the day in school,’ I said, making an excuse.
‘Don’t be. I think they both are. We forget what a big adjustment junior infants is for them. It’s going to take a while for them to get used to the longer day compared to playschool.’
‘Thanks for having us over, Maya; it’s been lovely,’ I said, lifting my bag from the floor. ‘We’ll head on.’
‘Are you sure?’ she asked. ‘I could make dinner for us?’
She seemed so eager. So desperate for company that I felt bad leaving her. ‘Jay is going to do a bolognese for us tonight,’ I said apologetically. ‘Maybe another time.’
‘Lucky you, having dinner cooked.’
‘Well, we’d all be poisoned if we had to survive on my cooking skills.’
Maya laughed as she walked us out to the front door. ‘Well, look, we should do this another time and hopefully, the boys will be in better form.’
‘Yes, let’s,’ I agreed.