The Accidental Romeo. Carol Marinelli

he saw her to the door.

      ‘If you need me tonight,’ Evelyn offered, ‘you just have to call.’

      ‘I shan’t tonight,’ Harry said. ‘Juan’s on. Things might get a bit busy, though, once he’s off on his honeymoon.’

      ‘No problem.’

      Evelyn really was fantastic, Harry thought as he saw her out. Evelyn was their next-door-but-one neighbour. She had lost her husband many years ago and desperately missed her daughter, who had moved with her husband and baby to China. Evelyn had actually cried when Harry had taken up Juan’s suggestion to get someone older and Harry had asked if she could be there for the twins.

      For cash!

      Perfect.

      Evelyn was saving up to go and visit her family in China and she got to spoil Charlotte and Adam in the interim.

      The twins went to day care but on the odd day they were sick, Evelyn was there, and if Harry was on call, Evelyn slept in the nanny’s room. She didn’t even mind the odd time when Harry had to call her during the night.

      It wasn’t a complete solution but for now it was working.

      Wow!

      It was just after seven. Dinner was done and the dishwasher was on.

      ‘Can we make the banana bread?’ Adam asked.

      ‘Yep.’

      Oh, the bliss of the absence of parental guilt, Harry thought as Adam mashed bananas. In no time there was the lovely scent of banana bread filling the house as he got the twins bathed and ready for bed.

      ‘The frosting!’ Charlotte said. ‘You promised that I could make the frosting.’

      ‘I know, but the bread had to cool.’ Harry looked up the recipe on the Internet and squeezed some orange juice, which Charlotte mashed into cream cheese. By nine p.m. the twins were in bed, there was a slice of banana bread wrapped for Adam’s breakfast and a small bowl of frosting for Charlotte. And there was just a glimpse of order to the home for the first time in a very long time.

      Harry lay back on the couch and yawned.

      They’d made it through another day.

      He thought of Marnie stopping Miriam from going to fetch the children, and the strangest thing was he was actually grateful for it. Harry didn’t want people rushing to pick up his children and he loathed all the favours that he constantly had to ask.

      It was Marnie who had done him a true favour today.

      She’d given him an evening at home with the twins.