Fatal Impact by Kathryn Fox

a shame Grandma hadn’t lived long enough to see it.
    Like guard dogs, chickens clucked frantically somewhere behind the house. Anya climbed the stairs to the verandah and knocked on the security grille. No one answered. The gravel drive crunched underfoot as she walked over to the small cottage to the side of the main house. The two-bedroom shack had been converted to a small waiting area, treatment room and consulting office, for weekends and emergencies.
    Jocelyn Reynolds opened the door. The physical changes were immediately marked. Gone was the apple shape her mother had developed since menopause. Weight loss had aged her once rounder face. Anya reached out to greet her for the requisite hug, during which she was kept at elbow’s distance by her mother. From the residual smell of latex gloves, she had seen patients in her Saturday morning surgery.
    ‘I didn’t expect you yet.’ Her lips forced a smile, but her eyes remained static above hollowed cheeks.
    ‘If it’s easier, I’m happy to stay at a motel. We can have dinner–’
    ‘Nonsense. What would people think?’
    Anya had never really cared what people thought. In her experience, they were far more interested in themselves.
    ‘You can stay in my old bedroom.’ Jocelyn closed the door behind her and locked it.
    Less than a minute, and Anya already felt awkward. Discussing the renovation would be a good subject to start with. ‘The place looks amazing. Grandma Burgess would be so proud.’
    ‘Nothing a lot of hard work couldn’t achieve.’
    They walked on towards the main house, chickens squawking in the distance.
    Jocelyn stopped and unlocked her car door. ‘Now you’re here, you’d better come with me to Audrey’s for lunch. I’ll never hear the end of it if she knew you were here and didn’t see you.’
    Audrey was her mother’s closest friend and Anya’s godmother. Jocelyn and Audrey had grown up together. Anya couldn’t understand why her mother had made plans when she was only here for such a short time.
    ‘Mum, I came to see you , and hoped we could just spend some time together. Catching up. It’s been a while.’
    Anya tried to remember how long it had been since Jocelyn had seen her only grandson. At eight, Ben barely knew his grandmother. She was always too busy working to visit, and refused to have anything to do with Ben’s father. That was unlikely to change as long as Martin had custody. It had been many years since Anya had seen this house.
    ‘You can talk on the way.’ Jocelyn got into the driver’s seat.
    A few minutes later they were headed into the centre of Longford. Anya’s mind drifted back to a time when she and Damien had swum with Grandma Burgess in the river at the mill dam. It had been her favourite part of the school holidays. Grandma used to jump in wearing rolled-up trousers and an old shirt. She’d joke she could avoid washing day if she threw herself around enough in the water. The memory still made Anya smile.
    ‘How have you been?’ Anya didn’t want to make a feature of the weight loss but wanted to know if everything was all right.
    ‘Why does everyone keep asking? I’m fine.’ Jocelyn tugged at a scarf tied roughly around her neck. Her chambray shirt had sweat patches under the arms.
    ‘Damien was worried.’
    ‘Whatever for? He always catches me at a bad time. Last time we spoke was just after Christmas. I suppose I was short with him. I was in the shower when the phone went.’ She glanced sideways. ‘No son wants to hear he’s talking to his mother while she’s in the shower, stark naked.’
    Anya didn’t mention the call on Miriam’s birthday.
    Jocelyn’s phone bleeped. ‘Can you check that?’
    It was inside the middle console. A text read, Swelling down. Now wanting hot bath. Anya read it out for her mother.
    Jocelyn smiled. ‘Wayne Bitford got stung by wasps again. He’s had an antihistamine and ice bath to take the heat out of the stings. His daughter-in-law’s visiting