Page 61 - My Home on the Earth

cuddle and together they watched a huge cargo ship glide across the horizon. It was their quiet moment together before noisy seven-month-old Freddie appeared and sat in his chair to eagerly devour whatever was put in front of him.
Their house, 8 Southcliff Drive, stood in a row of eleven similarly designed properties. To Elise it was a pretty house that overlooked the sea. Gravel covered much of the front garden except for two wiggly shaped flowerbeds and a long driveway. The narrow road to the houses deterred holidaymakers from parking and thus lessened the volume of people walking to the clifftops and the beach below. It wasn’t uncommon for Elise and Cara to have the beach to themselves.
‘Hey, you’re getting too cosy. Are you wearing make- up, Elise?’ Steve asked, staring into her eyes.
Elise coyly smiled. ‘No. It’s sparkly lip gloss. I put it on my lids and cheeks. Do you like it, Dad?’
Steve smiled as he prised her away. He gave her a kiss, shouted upstairs, grabbed his coat and cycled off to the station to begin his shift.
An hour later, Uncle Pete pulled up outside on the drive. Cara jumped out and came indoors to fuss her little cousin, who squealed with laughter. ‘Are you ready?’ she asked Elise.
‘You could have come two hours ago, Cara. Elise was up and running at six this morning,’ smiled Emily. ‘Off you go and enjoy yourselves. Any problems, Elise, give me a call. Are you wearing make-up?’
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