He likes what he likes. Stanley thought that was a good saying. He liked how it rhymed and repeated itself. It was neat. He liked things that were neat. He likes what he likes. He said it to Maya tonight when she was ordering the pizza and she laughed and repeated it too.

They ate their pizza on their knees in front of the TV, and Stanley let Harry eat all his crusts. Harry loved crusts. Maya even let him play with her phone. Dad hardly ever let him play with his phone, after he downloaded a game that said it was free. Only it wasn’t free, and Dad had to ring someone up and shout a lot. Luckily Maya’s phone already had lots of good games on it, so she didn’t have to shout at anyone.

Stanley could tell the time now, so when his watch showed eight o’clock, he told her it was time for him to go to bed and he had to count to sixty when he cleaned his teeth. Maya said it was OK to count to thirty tonight, but he showed her his list, where it said sixty, so she said OK and counted with him. Stanley also showed her his telescope and told her about Mummy being a star.

Maya said that was cool, which he thought was confusing. But then she explained that cool didn’t always mean cold; sometimes it means really good. She also said that if Mummy was a star, she could also be a rainbow or a snowflake or the bit of sunlight that comes through the gap in his curtains in the morning and shines on his duvet like a lightsaber. Which he thought was really cool.

But best of all about tonight was Harry being here. Stanley was afraid of the dark, and sometimes when he went to bed he would get a funny, twisty feeling in his tummy. He told Maya he needed to leave his night-light on, and she said not to be scared as she was going to be downstairs watching TV, and to call if he woke up and needed anything. Better still, she said that Harry could sleep in his room but wasn’t allowed on his bed.

As soon as she left, Harry jumped straight on the end of his bed and lay on his feet like a big, heavy, hairy blanket. Stanley knew Harry was there to protect him and he didn’t feel scared or twisty in the tummy. He lay in bed and closed his eyes and thought about Mummy being a lightsaber, and how there were exactly eight pieces of pineapple on his pizza. It made him feel happy.

Stanley hoped his dad would put on a suit and go out with Liv again.

Table for Two

The Langley Arms is one of those lovely country hotels filled with chintz and wood panelling, and grandfather clocks that chime softly as you enter, making you feel like you’re stepping into another era. The restaurant is intimate, with low lighting and the hum of discreet conversation. It’s quite a reach from our local pub, with its salted peanuts and pints of ale.