Every time you make a move

Snapped

Gambado Indoor Playground, Chelsea

"Mummy, can we go play now?" Robert Deacon tugged his mother's trouser leg as she sat in the booth.

"Yes, just keep an eye on your brother and Johnny and Roshni." Veronica patted his head, and Monica set her children down on the floor.

"Remember, we must stick together and not wander off, alright?" Robert kindly instructed his brother and the twins as they linked hands, and he lead the group out of the dining area

Monica watched with a giggle as the 7 year old fair haired boy she babysat all those years ago in Cornwall disappeared with her children under his watch, part of the caring nature he inherited from his dad John.

She sipped from her paper cup of Pepsi, "Where does time go?"

"Oh, I know. I can't believe yours and my Michael will be going to school next September." Veronica returned to spooning puréed baby food into baby Laura Deacon's mouth.

"I need to start looking for a job so that I have something to do when they're gone... I don't have any pacifiers to coax out of baby's mouths anymore" she murmured sadly.

"Speaking of which, how did you get Johnny to stop getting attached to his pacifier all of a sudden?" Veronica asked, wiping off the mess on Lauras cheeks . "John and I have been trying to figure out for weeks now. We don't want Laura getting attached when she's too old."

"I was tempted to dip it in castor oil but at first I only let him have it at bed and nap time," Monica folded her paper napkin. "When he was awake I tried to soothe him in other ways. He eased off of it eventually."

"It's just... I'm visiting Poland again in a month to see my parents and I want to get rid of it before then so that John won't have to."

"Of course..." Monica trailed off as she looked out the window, watching hers and the Deacon boys clamber across the multi coloured leather-clad playscape inside the netted wall, utter joy and glee on their faces.

The last four years of her life were spent raising two infants, and now she had nothing in her path. Veronica had three babies in the space of seven years but she still had qualifications that left her with open doors.

"Of course she does," Monica reminded herself. "Her and John met in college, what do you expect?!"

She still loved Freddie, and where she lived. And he assured her early on that he'd help her find plenty of opportunities in London. The problem was just finding them in such a large city.

"It's so nice to get away from the men, isn't it?" Veronica interrupted her thoughts, stirring her coffee.

"Sorry?" Monica spluttered, for the cheery noise of the children's birthday party taking place in a far table in the background drowned her voice out.

"I said, it's nice to get away from the men!" She repeated, this time a little more amplified.

"Oh yes... mind you, Freddie would shudder at the sight of this place." Monica looked around.

She knew he would've had a sensory meltdown within being only thirty seconds through the door. There were squealing children (as if Johnny and Roshni weren't bad enough) running around around the plastic tables and nastily kitschy amusements that weren't the sort of kitsch he liked, and bubblegum pop was blaring from the speakers scattered around every corner.

"Ahhh The Osmonds... John hates them, and Roger!" Veronica giggled as Crazy Horses began to play.

"On the topic of music, I wonder how those two are doing in the studio," Monica took another gulp of Pepsi. "Freddie tells me that he and your John have a song under their belt."