ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 4

When Alana and Noah arrived home Snow was fast asleep in bed. Jess, the babysitter scooted out the door straight away, her rucksack hanging on one shoulder. As she left, Noah made sure she had enough money for a taxi whilst Alana ran to the bathroom. 

Star Wars flickered on the huge TV in the darkened living room and immediately, Noah nestled into the couch, gathering cushions around him and began watching Princess Leia's anguished face, as though that is what he had been doing the whole night.

When Alana came back to find him there she noticed the look of contentment on his face. It was the first time he had looked happy all evening. Her ears rang loudly and she remained in a gin and tonic haze. It was like the music was still playing in her head and she was itching to dance. When she looked at her husband on the couch half asleep, she knew he would not be joining her.

She spun out of the living room, into the kitchen and was greeted by a huge pile of mess. There were bowls, pans, whisks, plates and spoons everywhere. She groaned as she saw cream and chocolate splattered over the walls and little pools of batter everywhere. Jess, Snow and their pancakes.

Her heart sank as she tied her hair back from her face then reached under the sink to find a pair of bright yellow marigolds and pulled them on. She rinsed out a cloth and began to work on the mess, sighing all the while. Once she had wiped up most of the food remains she took to the sink and washed up the piles of dishes. She then got down on her knees, picking up squashed strawberries from the floor.

As she leaned forward to wipe a stain she heard a rip and saw that her dress was torn, right down the back. She sighed once again, only heavier this time and tore the dress off and threw it across the room. There it lay, a green heap, ruined now.

A little while later Noah sloped into the kitchen and reached into the cupboard, pulling out his favourite mug - an enormous yellow one with black stripes that reminded Alana of a big bumble bee. As he flicked the kettle on he didn't seem to notice that his wife was cleaning the kitchen, wearing only her underwear and a pair of marigolds. He simply got her favourite mug out too and made her a cup of tea, alongside his, milky with two sugars and handed it to her with a sleepy smile on his face, before returning to the couch. 

The next morning, pretty much as soon as the sun rose, Snow bounded into their bedroom wearing her space travel pajamas, her blonde ringlets bouncing. She wanted to remind them both that today was the day when she and Daddy would go on their adventure. Both Alana and Noah groaned and attempted to shield their faces and stay asleep, but it was not happening.

Snow was too excited to sleep a wink more so she nestled herself in between her parents and chatted non-stop about their plans for the day. Normally Alana found this kind of thing adorable but this morning her head was pounding. All she wanted to do was lie under the duvet and sleep for another few hours. But as Snow was saying, today she and Noah were going away for the weekend.

It was an annual tradition, ever since Snow was two and Noah had spent an entire year fixing up an old VW camper van. It was a daddy and daughter weekend trip. Snow carried on telling them all about what she and Jess did last night and the fact that the two of them did lots of cooking.

'I know you did,' said Alana. 'I cleaned up the evidence.'

It took a while but Snow persuaded her parents out of bed and downstairs for breakfast. Sipping on her coffee, Alana groggily began to list off the things they ought to have packed for their trip. Noah usually threw a random load of things into a bag and hoped for the best and Alana knew this all too well so she took it upon herself to make sure they both had everything they needed.

All three of them were still debating the contents of their bags as they were going through the door. As they piled in to the van, Alana noticed how it always looked so great. It was Noah's pride and joy. He had let Alana choose the colour - creamy white with thin pale pink stripes all the way along. It looked great, but that didn't mean she wanted to stay in it. She would much rather stay in a posh hotel and that's why she let Noah take Snow off in it every year.

The two of them liked to go to the coastline, they both loved the water and Noah let Snow swim in the sea and taught her how to surf. Alana was still checking they had everything, even as Noah backed the van out of their driveway. She had to run off to get Snow's toothbrush and pass it to her through the window. Noah leaned out to give her a kiss, then wound his window up and drove off. Alana stayed where she was, watching the van as it disappeared all the way up the street.