‘Well, I’m guessing you’ve read my file and my case worker would have told you about me, right?’
‘Yes, I’m aware of your background.’ A look of sadness came over her face as she looked at Danni. ‘I’m sorry you’ve had such a traumatic childhood Danni, but it doesn’t excuse what you did today.’
‘She really did slap me first, you know. She’s always hurting me, this time she just held back and I didn’t.’
‘And then what happened?’
‘I don’t know, something just came over me and I found my hands wrapped around her throat. I’m not even sure how they got there. I swear I’m good. A good person, I mean.’
Michelle leaned forward. ‘I believe you are a good person deep down, Danni, but you have some serious work to do on yourself to be a better person. I want you to be that person.’
What Michelle said made sense to Danni and she wondered why she had attacked Beth. She’d hit, kicked, pulled out her hair and much worse before yet a simple slap and some nasty comments had set her off? Why was that? Was she finally able to protect herself? Was she fighting for her child? Had her experiences hardened her? She didn’t want to be a hardened person, yet at the same time, she knew that she’d do anything to survive and absolutely anything for her unborn child. Again, her hand snaked its way across her belly, an action that Michelle saw.
‘You okay?’
‘No. Actually, I’m feeling kinda queasy after today. What I did…’ she trailed off. ‘I might go lie down if that’s okay. But thank you for caring. Makes a nice change.’ And that was the truth. Someone giving an actual shit about her was a new thing for her. She lay down on the bed, kicked off her black school shoes and made a silent promise to her baby.
I will always be there for you. I will never harm you in any way. Nothing but love from me, kiddo.
Michelle checked in on her later, sitting on the edge of Danni’s bed. ‘You know, you can tell me anything, I’ll always listen and I won’t judge.’
Danni had the uncomfortable sensation that Michelle could look into her soul and see that she was pregnant. Michelle didn’t say anything but she’d left the door open for Danni to say something to her. If she did, she was worried that they’d take her away and put her in some dark, dank place for pregnant teens. At least, that was her nightmare. She would have loved to have a mother to ask things about the baby, but until she was eighteen, in just under a month, she had to keep it to herself. She’d tell Michelle after her birthday. Admit that she was having a baby.
Joe would have to get a job. Luckily, in their town, rent was cheap. He already had a car so that was one thing. Car, a place to live, food and baby stuff. She had it all figured out. Joe should try to look for a job now, get a jump on the job hunting before he graduated and everyone was looking for a job. Danni wouldn’t be finishing year eleven. How could she? She’d have a new born baby to take care of.
36
Joe saw her after lunch. She was walking ahead of him slowly, like maybe she wanted to be caught. He ran up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned.
‘Jesus, what happened to your neck?’ he said, staring at the red welts on Beth’s neck.
‘Your fucking girlfriend happened,’ Beth croaked out. She had been advised to go home but she would never pass up a chance to be the centre of attention and marks on her throat plus her difficulty in speaking made for added delight when she told the story of how her sister had tried to kill her in the hallway. By the end of the day, everyone would think Danni was a dangerous freak. She would be just the way Beth liked her, isolated. No friends, no chances left and suspended from school.
‘Did you say or do something to her?’ He watched as her eyes dropped to the floor. The Danni he knew only retaliated when seriously provoked or backed into a corner. He just knew that Beth had done something to her.
‘Okay, so I may have slapped her, but she totally overreacted, don’t you think?’
Joe shook his head. ‘I can’t believe I ever fucked you.’ He stormed off, hearing Beth pleading behind him to stop. She ran after him, grabbing his arm.
‘Don’t leave me Joe. I’ll die without you.’
‘You never had me, Beth, you were just a piece of ass. I love Danni, have since the beginning. You just can’t compete, so why don’t you leave me and her alone from now on?’
He left school early, blowing off the afternoon and drove to where Danni was now living. He’d dropped her off before but had never been inside. He knocked on the door and a nice-looking middle-aged woman opened the door.
‘Yes?’
‘Hi, Mrs Johnson?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m Joe Brooks, I’m Danni’s boyfriend, I was wondering if I could see her, please?’
Danni, who must have seen his car pull up, appeared behind Mrs Johnson. ‘Hey, Joe,’ she said as the woman stepped to the side.
‘Why don’t you two go and sit out the back where it’s more comfortable.’
‘Thanks, Michelle,’ said Danni and gave her a smile. Joe followed Danni inside the nice home and out to the back patio.
He waited until they sat down next to each other. Joe grabbed Danni’s hand and said, ‘I heard what happened today with Beth and the suspension. Why didn’t you fight it? You could have just got you caseworker to show them your file and they would have believed self-defence. Now you’re not where I can see you every day.’
‘You really care that much?’ She seemed surprised and he began to evaluate how good a boyfriend he’d been. He now regretted ever sleeping around on Danni, especially with Beth, she just had a sexual pull over him. He was surprised that Danni hadn’t dumped him already, but he guessed she was as stuck as he was. They only had each other now, and the baby.
Goddamn, he was going to be a dad. Everything that could go wrong ran through his head. But the person he wanted to speak to most after Danni was his mother. She needed to know in case something happened to her that she was going to be a grandmother.
‘Of course I care about you. Danni, I’ve loved you ever since I saw you sitting alone at lunch. I remember asking Beth who you were, not knowing that you were related.’
Her name tainted the sweet moment between them. Danni put her hands in her lap so he couldn’t touch her, and he could have kicked himself. She knew he’d slept with her recently and he knew that Beth had rubbed it into Danni’s face already. She was that kind of vindictive person. If Joe was honest, she was a horrible person and he made a promise to Danni and himself to never go near her again. He brushed her hair from her face.
‘Look, I have to go, babe, but I’ll come by and see you in a couple of days, okay?’
‘Sure,’ she said, looking dejected. He stood up and pulled her up gently by the arm too. He kissed her lovingly and whispered in her ear, ‘I love you, Danni.’
‘I love you too, Joe. I guess I’ll see you in a week when I’m back at school.’
She looked down, so he said, ‘Want me to come see you Wednesday?’ Her face lit up so he vowed to keep his promise to her. All of them.
Joe drove home, taking the corners way too fast. Now that he’d made the decision to tell his mother, he just wanted to get it done, besides, he was late checking in on her. One day he was going to have to confess to Danni what went on in his home. How sick his mum actually was and what his father was like. A loser. Joe refused to be like him. He was adamant that he’d be a good husband and father. Once Danni turned eighteen shortly, he was planning on asking her to marry him. He was sure that she’d say yes, especially when she wanted to build a life together.
He pulled up at the front of his house and when he opened the door, he was hit by the smell. Rushing into his mother’s room, he saw her lying there, covered in vomit.
‘Shit, Mum, what happened?’
Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red from crying. ‘He left you like this? Where is the bastard?’ Joe demanded.
‘He went out a few hours ago. I was feeling sick but he d
idn’t leave me a bucket, so this happened.’ She weakly held her hand up.
Right, it was time for him to confront his father about what he was doing to his mother. She deserved so much more than this fucking bullshit.
‘Okay, Mum, let’s get you cleaned up.’ There was dried vomit on her chin, so he tenderly wiped it off with a warm face washer before changing her sheets, giving her a sponge bath and putting her in a clean, soft nightgown.
She looked at him with imploring eyes. ‘I’m sorry you have to do this, Joe. I’m so sorry.’
‘Mum, would you stop apologising. I love you and I’m happy to do this for you.’
She turned her head to the side and let out a weak sigh. ‘I just want you to leave this place, Joe. Never look back. As soon as you can.’
Joe realised that he was about to lift her up and break her heart in one go. ‘Mum… Mum, there’s something that I need to tell you. I won’t be going anywhere. I won’t be leaving town for the city after I graduate. I’ll get a job and stay here.’
‘No,’ she breathed.
‘My girlfriend Danni is going to have a baby. You’re going to be a grandmother.’
He waited for her to speak, the warring emotions plain as day on her face. Elation and devastation. It looked like she didn’t know which to focus on first.
‘She’s amazing, Mum. She goes to school with me. She’s smart and pretty and she’s having my baby. I’m happy, Mum.’
Finally, his mother smiled. ‘I’m going to be a grandmother?’ There were tears in her eyes as she spoke.
‘Yeah, Mum, you are.’ He held her hand gently as she cried. He leaned over and pulled out a tissue, wiping her eyes which immediately welled up again. He was grateful to Danni for giving his mum a reason to smile again.
Joe waited in the darkened lounge, ready for when his father came home so they could have a little heart to heart. A little father-son bonding time. When he finally did stumble in sometime after midnight, Joe could smell the booze on him as he fumbled with the light. Before he could turn it on, Joe was up in a flash and slammed his baseball bat right into his stomach. His father groaned loudly, then dropped to his knees, vomiting on the carpet, the sour stench lingering in the air. Joe could hear him wheezing for breath. It reminded him of his mother sometimes when she couldn’t breathe. Joe flipped on the light so his dad could see who’d hit him. His father looked up at him from his now kneeling position.
‘The fuck?’ he managed, vomit dripping from his chin. He wiped it with the sleeve of his shirt.
Joe hauled him up and threw him into his recliner chair. His father tried to struggle out of the chair but Joe pushed the bat into his chest so he was forced to sit still or be hit again.
‘This little chat is long overdue,’ Joe said, towering over the seated and unsettled man. There was a look of real fear in his eyes.
‘What’s this about, son?’
‘Son? Since when have I been your son? I’ve been doing your job for years and it stops now. Got it? I’m talking about Mum. You take care of her properly, the way you’re supposed to, or I’ll dob you in. You get me? And while you’re at it, you’re to stop seeing your girlfriend. Dump her. Your wife, my mother, is your only priority now. Do you understand me?’
His father let out a coughing bark.
‘I don’t want to have to have this conversation with you again, okay? Next time, I’ll really hurt you.’ It wasn’t a threat, he’d do it. He’d do anything for his mother.
The wheezing man nodded quickly, looking at the bat gripped tightly by Joe’s side. Maybe once he could intimidate his son, but not now. Joe was going to be a father and a father should sort shit out. Well, that’s what he believed, anyway.
Joe helped his father to his feet. ‘Go check on Mum before you go to bed, all right?’
‘Yes Joe,’ he said meekly. Joe allowed himself a small smile of victory. Things were finally changing.
37
Danni’s phone rang, vibrating in her pocket. It was on silent so as to not disturb Mia, who was resting on the other bed. Danni didn’t recognise the number, but then again, she had no numbers in her new phone except Susan’s, whom she hadn’t heard from since the funerals. She walked out of the room, easing the door closed behind her.
‘Hello?’ she said, standing outside their room.
‘Is this Ms Brooks?’ asked a disembodied woman’s voice.
‘It’s Mrs,’ and again she wondered whether people who kept referring to her as Ms did so because she no longer had a husband or if it was just an oversight.
‘My apologies, Mrs Brooks. My name is Katherine Walker with Trust Insurance.’
‘Are you ringing about my claim for my house?’
‘Yes, I am,’ she said in a strong voice. There was a small pause. ‘I’m afraid to inform you that Trust Insurance has rejected your claim. The police have concluded their investigation and we have been informed that they have found the fire was the result of arson by person or persons unknown, so Trust Insurance will not be paying out your claim.’
‘What? You can’t do that! What will we do for money? Please, you need to reconsider. Surely there’s something we can do. I lost my house and I lost my family, please, help me.’ This could not be happening. She was begging, desperate for help.
‘You are certainly welcome to appeal the decision, Mrs Brooks, but I must caution you, this is the decision we’ve come to after two separate investigations reached the same conclusion as the police, and that was that someone deliberately set fire to your house, therefore voiding your insurance. I’m sorry for your loss. Remember, you can appeal the decision with our office,’ she said calmly.
‘Fine,’ snapped Danni. ‘Thanks for all your fucking help.’
‘Goodbye, Mrs Brooks,’ she said with finality, probably used to being sworn at.
Danni wanted to storm back inside, slam the door and rail at the insurance company, but she didn’t. So it really was official now. Someone had definitely set fire to her home, murdering her family and leaving her and Mia without a cent, a home or their family.
She went back inside and sat on the chair, elbows resting on the small round table in the cheap motel room, deep in thought. She needed to plan her next move. What the hell was she going to do without the insurance money? She had counted on it to get a small place for her and Mia, somewhere safe for Mia to recover. She had savings in the bank, but not enough. Not nearly enough.
She looked over at Mia. ‘I think it’s time you went outside, honey. You haven’t really been outside since… since the funerals.’ Even then she had barely been outside and ever since, she had stayed cooped up in the dark room. Danni felt guilty about the times she’d had to go and leave her on her own, but she still had things to do. Luckily, she had been able to access her bank accounts and had a new licence and credit cards, so although this place was a mess, it had become their mess, thinking that she might have heard back from the insurance agency by then.
Thinking about the insurance money automatically made her think of Beth, her stomach turning. How dare that bitch demand anything of her, let alone the hard-earned money she and Joe had paid in case of a tragedy. It was to get her family on their feet. Beth wasn’t her family. She had never been.
‘C’mon Mia, there’s a table and chairs just outside the front door. Come and sit with me. You’re wasting away and you need some sunshine.’ Danni was pleading now.
Mia gave her a mournful look then slowly unfolded her legs like a praying mantis, getting off the bed and following her elated mother outside. Danni pulled out a chair for Mia and she sat down gingerly. Danni sat across from her and reached her hand across the table for Mia’s, hoping she would meet her halfway now that she had seemed to show some interest in living again. Mia didn’t move her hand.
‘Please, sweetheart. Just… let me help you. Let me love you.’
Danni was aware of the two people walking past staring at them, probably thinking, There’s that poor widow.
&nb
sp; She didn’t want to be known as that poor widow. She was a survivor, someone who had survived the unimaginable. She wanted to be known as Mia’s mum, not some tragic figure. She missed her children so much, it was like there was a hole in her heart, never to be filled again.
‘What do you want to talk about, honey?’
Mia just shook her head.
‘Okay, why don’t I start? This may upset you but it’s Noah’s birthday next week, so why don’t we go and visit his grave today, lay some flowers and maybe leave a toy truck there as well. What do you think?’
‘Mum,’ she said, finally talking to her since she’d told her about finding love elsewhere. ‘I can’t. Can you?’ She went to reach out for Danni’s hand, thought better of it and pulled her hand away. Danni wanted to cry.
‘I think I have to; I think we have to. We didn’t go to their funeral, love. It’s time.’
Mia looked up at her, tears in her eyes as she whispered, ‘Okay.’
Before Mia could change her mind, Danni ushered her daughter back into the motel room and tried to encourage her to change. Danni placed a pair of jeans and a top, much like the outfit she was wearing, onto Mia’s bed. Mia looked at it for a moment then changed slowly. Danni turned around to give her privacy. Soon enough, they were in the car, heading to the nearest petrol station to fill up the tank and buy a toy truck for Noah’s grave.
Danni was afraid Mia was going to bolt as soon as she left the car, but she was pleasantly surprised to find her still sitting in the passenger seat when she came back. ‘What do you think of this?’ Danni asked, showing Mia a bright blue truck with red flames down the side. Noah loved collecting trucks and had an extensive collection of them. Danni drove to the cemetery, neither one looking at the other, nor talking, somehow knowing that neither one of them could handle it. Danni’s nerves were frayed, close to breaking with the approach of the first of the important dates since her family had died.
The Silent Daughter Page 22
