Together Or Apart

26. Sydney > London

"Hi beautiful girl. How was your day?" I ask London as I catch her in my arms and spin her around. She embraces my neck tightly and her laughter fills the air around us.

"Good." She says to me. "I ate all of my lunch."

"Good girl, high five" I hold out my hand to her after I set her back down on the ground. She is a little dizzy and uses the pram to support her balance. She slaps her hand against mine before moving over to hug her sister.

"Hey Syd, were you good for mummy today?"

"She was good. A bit grumpy but pretty good."

"Did she get to go to the gym with you?"

"Yes, we went to the gym and to the shops to get some medicine for her gums because she has been in pain again."

"Aww poor Syd." London kisses her sister and Sydney pushes her away. "Why do you not like me? You pull my hair and you push me. Not nice."

"She loves you baby, don't worry."

*

I watch London in the review mirror as she stares out the window as we drive. I want to ask her how she would feel about going to London to see her Dad, but that resulting in her missing some days of school. Most kids would love to have a day off but she only just started.

"Hellooooo, mum. Why are your ears not turned on?"

"Sorry baby, what did you say?"

"I asked if you have more mail for us to post."

"No, sorry Londy. We sent all of the mail yesterday when we went."

"You have to let me do it again. Okay?"

I nod my head. "Okay, it's your job." I see her smile contently to herself. "Hey Londy, you really love school, don't you?"

"Yes. I learn lots of things and play with my friends. But Sophia was not nice to me today. She said that the freckles on my nose are ugly."

"I had freckles on my nose at your age and they are beautiful. They make you unique. It means you were kissed by the sun."

"Is the sun a boy? Daddy says I am too young to get kisses from boys. Only from him."

"That is a good question. We will have to Google whether the sun is a boy or a girl or maybe the sun doesn't have a gender. I don't know the answer to that. Sorry babes."

"I think it is a girl because girls are the best."

"We are, aren't we."

She smiles. "Yep!"

"Hey, what do you think of flying over to London to see your Dad perform in concert? But let me finish." I hold my finger up in the air as she is about to blurt out her answer. "But that means that you will have to miss two days of school."

"Why can't we go on Saturday because that's the weekend and I don't have school on the weekend."

"Because it takes a long time to fly there. Plus, you will be too tired when you get back so you will probably need a whole day to get used to the Australian time zone again."

"Does London want to go to London?" She places her hand over her mouth as she thinks to herself. "What the heck, yes!"

I laugh at her excitement but have to remind her not to say what the heck incase she starts saying it at school. I know I am the parental figure and should make decisions as to whether or not we go overseas, but I had to ask for her opinion too because her consent matters to me.