What Became of You My Love? by Maeve Haran

Author:Maeve Haran [Haran, Maeve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781447291886
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Twelve

————

Stella made Emma a cup of tea and kept her peace, hoping that she would have drawn her own lessons without further parental interference.

Emma looked as if she might collapse. She reached out to her daughter. ‘I’m sorry, darling. I shouldn’t have said that to Jesse and especially not in front of you. Maybe if Mum could make you a sandwich, I’ll help you with your homework.’

‘We’re only doing test papers and I did some with Roxy.’

She could see that Emma was about to protest and thankfully thought better of it.

‘What about supper?’ Stella asked.

‘Oh shit, supper.’ Emma clutched her head.

It was odd, Stella decided, because she used to be so fussy about stocking all things organic. ‘I’ll see what I can rustle up.’

Stella found some rather sad-looking vegetables in the bottom of the fridge and some Parmesan cheese that had taken on the consistency of cement and threw it all together with a packet of frozen peas and some pasta.

‘This is really nice, Gran,’ Izzy commented, when Stella served her some.

Stella saved some of the sauce, put it aside till it was wanted for Stuart’s and Emma’s supper.

‘Dad’s going to be livid. About Jesse, I mean.’ Izzy sounded depressed rather than nervous.

‘Do you want me to stay?’

She shook her head. ‘He’ll just wait till you’ve gone and then be livid.’

Emma appeared with Ruby enveloped in a giant fluffy bath towel. Oblivious to the volcano erupting around her she kicked her bare legs and put out a hand to try and grab some pasta.

‘Wait a minute, Greedy-guts.’ Emma smiled and dried her lovingly, stuffing one gorgeous plump arm into her pyjamas, then the other. ‘Thanks a million for supper, Mum, it smells delicious. You’ve saved my life. Oh God, Mum, what am I going to do about Jesse?’

‘Where do you think he’s gone?’

‘To see Dora. He’s totally obsessed with her. Just when he ought to be revising. And she’s cool as a cucumber, getting him to test her all the time for her exams. She’s so much more grown-up than him.’

‘I’m surprised at her parents allowing him to stay so close to their exams. I got the impression they were pretty strict.’

‘They’ve got quite a big house. Maybe they think it’s better for Dora’s calm approach to exams not to have a fight about it. I’m sure they’d be in separate rooms. Izzy, would you get me Ruby’s socks?’

Izzy got up and looked at her mother levelly. ‘I know what you’re going to tell Gran when I’m out of the room. You think they’re having sex. Which socks do you want?’

‘The blue ones,’ Emma replied in a chastened voice. ‘God, Mum, how do kids know everything?’

‘Mainly because adults talk to their friends in front of them.’ Stella wondered if she ought to mention the incident in her studio, then remembered Jesse’s plea not to tell his mother and decided to respect it.

They both heard Stuart’s key turning in the door. ‘I must go.’

‘Mum, stay.’ The urgency in her daughter’s voice made Stella sit down again.

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