The Honourable Army Doc

‘Your hair looks pretty to me.’ Their hair fell in glossy, healthy sheaths to their shoulders, Eliza’s still longer than Beth’s. ‘Did he get all the knots out?’

‘Granny did.’

‘Can you brush it for us?’

‘Sure. I’ll do yours first, Liza, then you can swap with Beth.’

Quinn stuck his head around the door and as Julieanne looked into his blue eyes she wished again that she hadn’t messed things up. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

Julieanne nodded. This was a relaxing activity. A good one to do as they wound down for bed.

‘I’ll just go and clear up the dinner dishes and then I’ll read to the girls,’ Quinn said.

‘What’s Mum doing?’ Julieanne asked him.

‘Ironing the girls’ school shirts.’

Between them they were doing all the things she used to do. Routine things that she had done, day in, day out. She’d once wished, on some days, that she’d had someone to share that load, someone to do those neverend-ing tasks, but now she wished she had the energy and the attention span to do the ironing or to stand at the kitchen sink.

She brushed her daughters’ hair as she listened to their chatter. They didn’t need much input from her, they were content with each other’s company and Beth, in particular, didn’t look for her input. Julieanne was happy to sit and listen. Happy just to be part of their lives.

‘Who’s ready for a story?’ Quinn was back.

‘Would you mind reading it in here?’ Julieanne asked. ‘The girls can lie with me and listen.’ She wasn’t ready for the girls to leave her yet. She was feeling melancholy.

Quinn nodded. There was an antique wing chair in the corner of the room and he folded himself into it and draped one leg over the arm. Julieanne tried to ignore how out of place he looked in her room. She had redecorated earlier in the year and while it wasn’t frilly or fussy it was very feminine with a lot of accents of her favourite colour, pink. Quinn looked far too rugged and large for the dainty chair and the fabrics of his surroundings.

Julieanne closed her eyes as he started to read. She had one twin on each side of her, their warm bodies pressed up against her. She could breathe in their clean, apple scent from the soap and shampoo.

‘Can we sleep here with Mummy?’ Beth asked as Quinn finished the second chapter.

‘Please, Daddy, you can sleep on the couch,’ Eliza added.

Julieanne was still amazed at how the girls had never really noticed that their parents were divorced. She could only suppose that because Quinn had spent so little time in the country over the past two years they were more used to him being absent than present, so divorced or away was really no different. And because he went to bed after them and got up before them, they didn’t notice that he slept in the study.

Quinn nodded as he stood and picked up the cashmere blanket that was draped over the back of the wing chair. He spread the rug over the girls and Julieanne. ‘I’ll carry you to your beds later, though, okay,’ he told them, ‘so that you don’t disturb Mum with your wriggling.’

Julieanne stirred when Quinn returned and lifted the blanket off the sleeping trio. She opened her eyes and watched as he scooped Eliza off the bed. She looked as light as a feather in his arms. Eliza turned her face into Quinn’s chest, tucking herself against him. He kissed her forehead as she snuggled against him. She was the more affectionate of the girls, the one who needed more physical attention. The one who was most like Julieanne.

There was more of Quinn in Beth. She had the same determination, the same courage of her convictions. Once she made a decision she very rarely changed her mind. She was loyal but she didn’t need constant reassurance. She was more likely to give it to others.

Julieanne hoped that when the time came, when the girls were without her, Beth would get comfort. She would need it as, despite her independent nature, she was only nine. Eliza would be fine, she would seek solace and love and reassurance, but it wasn’t in Beth’s nature. Julieanne would have to remember to tell Quinn to watch out for her.