a nice thing to happen, is it? But you know that Jessica, Sadiq and Ira aren’t your only friends. Who’s coming trick or treating on Saturday?’
Josie sniffed. ‘Steph’nie and Martha. If Jessica doesn’t stop them.’ A shudder ran through her.
‘I don’t think she will and if Stephanie and Martha are your friends to go trick or treating with then they’re your friends to play with at playtime too.’ Nico decided to contact the school when it reopened to reiterate his concerns and wished kids came with a manual, giving parents a shot at doing and saying the right thing. ‘Sometimes when children are difficult it’s because they’re upset about something quite different. It makes them cross and they say things they don’t mean.’
Josie met this in silence. Nico didn’t blame her. His words hadn’t given her anything helpful and positive to go on. He cast about for something more constructive. ‘I think Jessica, Sadiq, Ira, Stephanie and Martha are in Mrs Symonds’s class, aren’t they? Who do you like in Mrs Calcashaw’s class?’
‘No one.’
He debated whether to call her on such a sweeping statement but going through the names of every child he remembered and have her deny liking them or telling him loftily they were all in Mrs Symonds’s class wouldn’t help. He changed direction. ‘Tell me what’s your favourite thing to do at school and who you do it with.’
Josie released herself from his embrace and slid from his knee. ‘Home time with you,’ she sniffed, neatly converting his different approach into a blind alley. ‘I’m going to the toilet.’
She trailed out of the kitchen, shoulders sagging. Nico stared after her. The negativity about school was worrying enough but why had she hit on him fetching her from school as her favourite thing? He rarely did it. Mid-afternoon, when school finished, he was usually in his company’s offices in Holborn, visiting clients at their premises elsewhere in the country or in Stockholm for meetings.
He passed his hand over his face. If his life depended on it he couldn’t face the rest of his bowl of granola. It felt as if eating it would betray his daughter, though that made no sense or logic. His little girl was unhappy and was getting unhappier.
Emelie blew out a breath, a frown on her young forehead. ‘I took her to the indoor gym yesterday and Jessica was there. Josie was quiet last night and kept asking when you’d be home but I just thought she was missing you. I’ll bet Jessica had been mean to her but Josie kept it to herself.’
‘Yeah.’ He flicked open his phone calendar. He didn’t actually have a meeting until eleven. ‘You get off to uni, Emelie. I’ll stick around for a few minutes.’ Quickly he texted his assistant, Katya.
Delayed by an issue with Josie. Will be in by 9.30 a.m. Please explain to anyone who needs to know. Thanks.
Katya was a star. She’d tell his team and recently arrived CEO Anders. He shoved his phone away, readied briefcase, jacket and coat then went upstairs to await Josie emerging from the bathroom so he could spend half an hour with her before battling the tube.
Emelie, who’d been bustling around downstairs, shouted, ‘Goodbye!’
Then Tilly arrived and shouted, ‘Hello!’
‘Just spending a few minutes with Josie,’ Nico called back.
Finally, Josie emerged, eyes pink. Nico eased her into his embrace and they sat on the landing listening to the sounds Tilly made in the kitchen.
‘It was cold in Stockholm,’ he said. ‘It’s only five weeks until we travel to Småland for Lucia.’ St Lucia’s Day was on the thirteenth of December … term time. Observing the abortive efforts of other parents to get term-time absences authorised Nico had simply decided to lie and say Josie had had a stomach bug. If she mentioned her trip at school and they challenged him, he’d admit the crime and pay the fine. It was probably a reprehensible attitude but it would get the job done. ‘Farmor and Farfar can’t wait to see you,’ he added. They’d always used the Swedish for her Swedish grandmother and grandfather. ‘And Mattias and Felicia.’
‘Mm,’ Josie answered unenthusiastically.
‘And in a couple of weeks we’re going to spend a weekend in a hotel, you and me, aren’t we? We’re going to a wedding.’
Josie perked up. ‘Your friend Rob is marrying Leesa, isn’t he? Will she have a dress like a princess?’
‘We’ll have to wait and see.’ His tension slackened at her smile. ‘I think you’ll like Rob and Leesa. I