Eyeing Raven

"Good. Do you still have my phone number?"

That produced a huge blush and Raven whispered yes.

"At times during my despair I would bring it up and look at it, but never proceeded because I had no wish to land you into it and s-e-x was impossible for me, being a married woman but looking at your name, I'd recall that day we had together, and found those memories comforting."

"Have you resumed dating now that you are in the clear?"

"Occasionally."

"Then occasionally think about me and press the button. I've never married. I truly appreciated your company on the beach that day and I would like to have proper dates with you."

"What's your definition of a property date?"

Toss rubbed his chin and said, "One that has one-on-one focus."

"Yes, you may date my mum, Toss."

The adults laughed and Raven said, "You see what I have to live with?"

"Aye." said Toss, reaching over and gently touching Mica's golden curls. She looked up at him warmly, an exchange that her mother considered was just another of the countless passing moments in a young child's life.

She was astonished that evening when Mica asked sleepily in being put to bed, "When will we see Toss again?"

Raven said perhaps soon or perhaps not for a long time.

Mica closed her eyes and made no reply, having already said goodnight mummy.

Raven sniffed, thinking that was the end of that.

Six nights later (as Raven later determined on a countback) as she lifted Mica from the bath to be dried, Mica asked, "Have you seen Toss?"

"Toss, you remember Toss after just meeting him once?"

"Of course, don't you?" said the youngster.

"Yes, I do. He's an old friend. But Uncle Toss is like many friends, including your friends, they come on go."

"Why."

"Um, because there's not room in your life for all of them."

"Oh, is that why. Keep talking to him mummy. He makes us happy."

"Pick up that piece of toast that Archie dropped, please dear."

"He didn't drop it; he threw it away."

And that ended further mention of Toss.

Two weeks after Toss first met Mica, her mother Raven and her younger brother Archie, he called Raven.

Raven's voice quavered. Something unexpected was happening, like something that never happened to her these days.

After the exchange of greetings with Toss she asked why he was calling and he said to invite her on a date.

"I don't date these days."

"Well, what about we just go to a movie and I'll deliver you straight home again and won't even accept your invitation inside for a coffee."

"Why do you want to do this?"

"Because I wish to see your pretty face again."

"Why?"

"Because, um, I have a deep-seated attachment to your face and vibrant personality."

Raven scoffed and said she no longer possessed a notable personality. Working and rearing two children with the assistance of a live-in nanny introduced routines that had extinguished her true self.

Toss said nonsense, yes supressed maybe but her radiant personality was capable of flaring once again when her outside life reactivated. One's personality did not extinguish provided one didn't bitch ceaselessly.

"Oh, great theory," she laughed, and actually feeling as if her spirit had been lifted with this mild, very mild, flirtation.

She was thinking about ending the call when she said in a flash of inspiration, "I could offer Sunday lunch here, a day when Nanny has stayed overnight with her married sister and usually doesn't arrived back here much before dusk."

"Yeah okay, thanks."

"Oh, I'm gratified and my young daughter will welcome that."

"What that cute kid? Nah, she will have forgotten me moments after we left that café and headed off in our different directions."

"Want a bet? She's mentioned you two or three times."

"What, Mica has mentioned me and by name?"

"Yes, and I notice you haven't forgotten her name."

"Ah, well it's a case of a vivacious mum having fabulous kids."

Raven said 12.30 Sunday and they may eat outdoors. Adding bye, she dropped her phone in shock, thinking, Christ, how long had it been since a male has said anything as complimentary to her as that. And fancy him remembering Mica's name that was probably a strange name for him to cope with? Wow.

On Sunday, Mica raced to the front door and had already demanded to be lifted up, greeted Toss by name and had imprinted a wet kiss to his cheek when flustered Raven arrived carrying the toddler.

"This is mum, kiss her, and she has Toss who turns two in three weeks," called Mica from her high perch.

Raven lifted up her lips, that were kissed lushly, and she said, unconvincingly, "Mica, you should not be up their crowding our luncheon guest."

"No worries. Toss holds me safely and know this won't last but I \ know him as my hero."

"Who says I can be your hero," Toss said, bending to put her back on the floor.

"I do, because when I was cooking earlier helping mummy to get our lunch, I asked her what were you like surfing. She said you were great, the best looking and more graceful male on a board that day and you gave her the best day she'd ever had at the beach."

"Did she now?"

"Yes," Raven said. "No other surfer that I saw that day was so skilled and so graceful as you in riding their board."

"Well guys, thanks for sharing the memory with me," Toss said, grinning and Raven said "Thanks Mr Hero."

Mica looked at them both, approvingly.

Later, Mica helped put Archie to his cot for his midday sleep and then Raven re-emerged and found the table on the deck had been cleared away fully and the dirty dishes were either stacked on the kitchen bench or placed in the filled dishwasher that was switched on and doing its job.

Mica wants you to lie beside her like I do and read her a story.

"I... ah... um..."

"Go on Toss, I have no concern about you doing that," Raven said, gaping at his clean-up work. She kissed him juicily, having consumed five wines.

Toss emerged from the bedroom and reported that Mica was sound asleep.

"Omigod, she knew that story and twice stopped me for missing a word. I had no idea that a 6-year-old could be such a dynamic listener plus adding appropriate hand and facial gestures and when I asked her what a stile was, she said wooden steps to allow people to climb over a fence."

"I ask, how on earth..."

"Yes indeed, how would a city girl know that? Well, she asked the question about a year ago and was answered. With Mica, one usually only has to answer anything once and it's retrievable from her memory."

Raven and Toss cuddled on the couch watching a film on TV and he left after it ended and they'd decided they should meet sometime on the beach with the kids.

Four evenings later, Toss received a call from a Mrs Edwards, who identified herself as the live-in nanny for Raven Kohn (surname changed back from McLeod when her marriage collapsed).

"I have to report that since your visit, Raven has been moping and she has mentioned your name several times, sometimes provoked by Mica who asks when will Toss visit again. It's never been like this before following the visits of even hot males or footloose females."

"Um, what do you think I should do... call her?"

"Ah, a guy reasonably fast on the take-up. She's in the bath now, a great time to capture her attention. Do you have her number?"

"Yes, she called last week."

Toss poured himself another red wine and settled on the sofa, ready to make the call. He had the hunch that Miss Raven Kohn, solo mother of two, was preparing in her mind to invite him to her bed. He hoped that beside the sex, it would be the opportunity for her to assess his suitability for going all the way into merging into a ready-made family.

His chest swelled in pride when he congratulated himself for having the courage to take such a leap into the unknown as a bachelor aged almost forty. But he knew he had two out-spoken and forward-thinking upstarts named Raven and Mica to lead the way for him. Toss wondered how old would Archie have to be before he could be taken safely to a Rugby League Grand Final.

He called Raven and when she answered he said provocatively, "Omigod, you look adorable all wet and naked."

He heard her cry "Fuck" and then silence as she'd dropped her phone into the bath water in shock.

The End