The Not So Perfect Mother by Kerry Fisher

Author:Kerry Fisher [Fisher, Kerry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786814920
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2018-06-05T18:30:00+00:00

20

I lay awake half the night listening for the sound of Colin’s key scratching around the lock. I’d never thought of myself as a coward before but lying there with my face throbbing was making me dread the mood he might be in after a few beers. I fidgeted about trying to get comfortable, but every position put pressure on my bruises. Any noise – shouting outside, cans being kicked about, car doors slamming – made me lift my head off the pillow. Somewhere around midnight I heard Sandy’s bed springs getting some action with Sean – or was it Shane? – and tried not to listen to the post-shag murmuring and giggling on the other side of the wall.

I must have dropped off in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The beep of a text jolted me into an aching consciousness at seven o’clock. My right eye was refusing to open properly and when I looked down I could see my cheek. I reached for the phone and read, ‘Could you give me a call, please?’ The display read Mary. Mr Peters to everyone, but Mary to me – and Colin – if he picked up my phone. There was something gorgeous about someone gorgeous thinking about you first thing in the morning. I looked at Colin’s side of the bed. He definitely hadn’t been home. Which meant he could turn up at any time. I didn’t wish him dead, just temporarily paralysed in a booze-induced stupor on someone’s settee. I nipped downstairs to double-check that he wasn’t snoring away in the front room, then put the kettle on. I rang Mr Peters. He answered straightaway. He sounded as though he’d been up for hours. I imagined him jogging in the park at dawn, showering with some posh products and eating a breakfast of oats, apricots and natural yoghurt. He always looked as though he’d just towel-dried his hair and filed his nails.

‘Maia! Can you talk? Good. How’s your face? Are you okay? I’ve been worried about you. You should go to the police about Colin. He shouldn’t get away with that.’

‘I can’t. How can I explain to the children that I’ve deliberately got their dad in trouble with the police? It won’t solve anything. Just make things worse.’ I sniffed the milk before pouring it into my tea.

‘Was he okay with you last night?’

I went through to the front room and looked out of the window, scanning the street for Colin. ‘Yeah. I’m sorry, I’m going to have to go. Colin’s not here at the moment and I want to get out before he comes back. I’m moving in with Orion Wright’s mum for a few days.’

‘You’re leaving Colin?’ He sounded relieved.

‘Not really. I’m going to come back, but Clover can do the school run while my face gets better.’ There was silence on the other end of the line.

‘Can I see you?’ he said, finally.

‘See me? What? In a school way?’

‘Partly in a school way. But also in a Maia–Zac way.

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