by Jodi Taylor
‘I can’t believe you would risk him in this way. Anything could have happened.’
‘Well, it didn’t. He wanted to take gifts to his friends and say goodbye properly. I’m very proud that even though he’s here with us – safe and comparatively happy – that his thoughts were with them and their suffering. And he was never in any danger, Leon. What do you take me for? We saw the other two boys – you’ll remember them, I’m sure – and he helped them. Everything turned out fine.’
My voice trailed away because it hadn’t – not really. I think I’d hoped that somehow Matthew and I might bond a little … find some common ground … that he might warm to me, perhaps … that the love and trust we’d once had … Although, now I’d met old Ma Scrope, I could well understand his dislike of women. I sighed. Perhaps it was never meant to be. Perhaps some things, once lost, can never be regained.
Despite my best efforts, something of the feelings I was trying to hide must have shown on my face, because Leon took my hand and said very carefully and very gently, ‘I know why you did it, Max, and it will happen, I promise you. Perhaps it will be so gradual that you won’t notice it happening, but I know that one day you and Matthew will understand each other. I think you need to understand that it might take a very long time, but if you’re patient and …’
The door crashed back against the wall and Matthew surged back into the paint store, somehow even dirtier than when I had last seen him two minutes ago.
‘Daddy, I forgot to tell you. Mummy shouted at old Ma Scrope and she DIED.’
Oh God …
He looked up at Leon, his eyes shining. ‘Mummy’s awesome.’
Then the door banged behind him and he was gone again.
Leon stared after him for a moment and then turned back to me. ‘On the other hand, what do I know? Fancy a drink?’
THE END
As always, thanks to everyone at Accent Press for all their help throughout the year.
And to my editor, Rebecca Lloyd, who has again overcome my massive ignorance of all things concerning punctuation, grammar and spelling and generally keeps me on the straight and narrow.
